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'The Vow' Episode 6: Fans find Keith Raniere's obsession with volleyball 'confusing', yet curious to know more

Raniere would hold regular volleyball games where he would hang around with his NXIVM followers

HBO docuseries are in general very serious. In fact, it's ongoing limited docuseries, 'The Vow' on Keith Raniere and NXIVM (Nex-e-um) is about as serious as it can get. Raniere co-founded NXIVM with Nancy Salzman as a self-help group but it is more notorious for DOS -- "Dominant Over Submissive" in Latin --, a secret group within NXIVM that was pushed as a women empowerment group, but was used to recruit sex slaves for Raniere. 'Smallville' actress Allison Mack and India Oxenberg (daughter of 'Dynasty' actress Catherine Oxenberg) were members of DOS along with countless other women. 

After a six-week trial last year, Raniere was convicted in June 2019 of charges including racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and attempted sex trafficking. 'The Vow' features former members including actresses Sarah Edmondson and Bonnie Piesse, as well as Piesse's spouse, filmmaker Mark Vicente, in the first few episodes as they describe their experiences joining NXIVM, meeting Raniere, and their subsequent departures from the group.

However, one of the most curious things about 'The Vow' and Raniere was that he would hold regular volleyball games where he would hang around with his NXIVM followers. In fact, these weekly games were a high point for many members because they could get one-on-one interactions with him. Mack also met Raniere for the first time at one of these games where a conversation with Raniere where he questioned the importance of art to her left her in tears. Vicente also spoke of many times he would interact with Raniere at these volleyball games that were held in Raniere's neighborhood in Albany, New York.

For viewers, Raniere's apparent obsession with the sport has them more intrigued that many other things on the docuseries. One viewer tweeted, "So many insane things about Keith Raniere yet the craziest is the volleyball," while another wrote, "Every time they show the volleyball footage I have to wonder why anyone would join this cult. Not because volleyball... but Keith in his lil volleyball outfit? #TheVowHBO."

A viewer wrote, "Can't believe keith reneirre started a whole cult just so he’d get chosen first at volleyball practice." Another tweeted, "Keith's obsession with volleyball is so confusing. I'm pretty sure he wears those kneepads 24/7 #TheVowHBO." A viewer remarked, "Very annoyed that i've been sucked into #TheVow . It's so drawn out and I find every person VERY annoying. But if this s**t ends without us finding out why Keith is so OBSESSED WITH VOLLEYBALL that's really going to tear it for me. #TheVowHBO."

'The Vow' airs on HBO on Sunday nights at 10/9c.