Hannibal’s Mud Volleyball Tournament Breaks Record

For nearly 40 years, Hannibal has brought out the kid in those of us who always wanted to play in the mud. Thanks to mud volleyball, we now have several generations of families who uphold the tradition of wallowing in crud at least once a year.

The Hannibal Y-Mens Club has hosted the Mississippi Mud Volleyball Tournament for 39 years. This year they hosted a record 67 teams. That's roughly 700 grown ups indulging in their childhood dream of rolling in filth. What I like best though is watching the kids teams as they take up the tradition.

This year, 21 youth teams took part in the tournament. They take up the entire first day of tournament play to get the mud good and mixed up before the adult brackets start. These are kids who have grown up watching their grandparents play. They've spent their entire 4th of July holiday cheering on their parents. And now they get the chance to join in the fun. It's kind of a rite of passage for many Hannibal families.

The Muddy Hitters took the top spot in the Junior Tournament. The Mud Monstars claimed the crown in adult tournament play for the second year in a row.