If you’re driving around Ozark, you might see a structure with a large dome on State Highway NN. What’s inside might surprise you.

"We wanted a high level competitive, all the way down to rec, but we wanted a good influence on the community,” Volleyball Beach Ozark Co-owner Michael Sylvara said. “We had a vision and plan of coming down here and opening one up that would be nationally known from the very beginning.”

Sylvara, along with his brother and sister Andrew and Madisen Bettlach started playing beach volleyball after college.

“We sat down with Ozark city council and they were really adamant about having us in Ozark and they were really enthused about helping us through the process,” Sylvara said.” Normally they don’t allow domes in the city limits because they don’t’ want them putting them next to the highway.”

The dome is the largest in North America. It takes up 40,000 square feet and has 10 courts.

“The other biggest [dome] is in Kansas city which has 8 courts and 36,000 square feet,” Sylvara said.

“Specific to MSU, I can have every single one of my teams actively working,” Missouri State Beach Volleyball Coach Gretchen Hand said. “We now have a 10-court facility that can house beach volleyball for the high school counties and neighboring counties.”

Although the dome is large, the goal is to bring people together to keep the sport alive.

“Beach volleyball is the fastest growing sport from ages 12 to 18 for girls in the world,” Sylvara. “It’s probably going to be the fastest-growing sport in the united states for the next decade. So there’s a lot of colleges picking up women’s teams and men’s teams.”

Volleyball beach Ozark says it already has some professional athletes coming in November. It’s hoping to attract some Olympians in the future.

There is open court on Fridays, which is free.

(Story by Sydney Moran and Emilee Kuschel, Ozarks First)