The AFFILIATIONS newsletter is a forum for exchange and gives all AVCA high school/interscholastic member coaches an opportunity to learn what’s happening in these affiliate states.
Nominations to the 2024 AVCA Team Academic Award are open until July 2! High school and collegiate VARSITY teams qualify with an average 3.30 GPA on 4.0 scale or better for the entire 2023-2024 academic year (or 4.10 on a 5.00 scale, or 82 on a 100-pt scale).
Nominate your top high school athletes for a chance to be recognized when the Watch Lists are released in August. Uncommitted athletes on Watch Lists will be invited to attend the AVCA Phenom College Prep Program December 19-21, 2024, in Louisville, KY.
Top Coaches | 6 Days | Watch ONLINE! | Register Today!
Register now for the 2024 AVCA Coach of the Year Virtual Super Clinic featuring top coaches from around the country. Prices go up on July 25 – Lock in your pre-registration ticket now!
Sessions will feature head and assistant coaches from the following teams:
University of Nebraska
Univ. of Pittsburg – 23′ AVCA National Asst. Coach of the Year
Univ. of WI-Oshkosh – 23′ AVCA NCAA DIII Coach of the Year
Vassar College Men’s Vb
LA Mission College – 2x AVCA National TYC Coach of the Year
Ardrey Kell HS (NC) – 18′ AVCA National HS Coach of the Year
Skutt Catholic HS (NE) – 20′ AVCA Nat’l HS Coach of the Year
St. James Academy (KS) – 15′ AVCA Nat’l HS Coach of the Year
This month’s AVCA #InspireSportsmanship featured story recognizes Pursuit Volleyball Academy (Cape Girardeau, MO). This spring, the Pursuit Volleyball Academy 15 Elite team caught the eye of an official for their team work and good sportsmanship in Memphis while competing in the Blues City Bash. Head Coach Maile Gannon and Assistant Coach Emily Brune currently leads the Pursuit 15 Elite. The official was so impressed, he reached out after the event to compliment the coach and the players.
The official shared, “I was the referee for their pool yesterday in Memphis and I was so impressed with their abilities as the work team and their respectfulness on the court. The libero made it a point to help with the ladder on the referee stand and I thought that was SO kind on her part. It was an absolute pleasure to meet them and watch them play!”
#InspireSportsmanshipis a new campaign through the AVCA High School Leadership Council that spotlights stories of girls and boys volleyball players, coaches and teams displaying exceptional sportsmanship. Submit your storiesof inspirational sportsmanship!!
Congratulations to the 2024 AVCA High School Boys Coach of the Year Michael Boehle, Loyola High School (Los Angeles). Boehle led the Cubs to a second-straight No. 1 ranking in the AVCA/USA TODAY Sports Super 25.
The AVCA is proud to announce its 17th annual High School Boys Volleyball All-America Teams. There are 10 players on the first team, 10 on the second team, and six honorable mention selections, with the 26 players representing 23 high schools in 11 states.
AAU Recruiting Panels
Due to the growth in the tournament, the AVCA will host TWO separate Men’s College Coach Recruiting Panels at the AAU Boys Junior National Championships on July 1 and July 5, at 2pm ET, to allow more athletes and parents to attend and ask important questions about the recruiting process.
Nationwide, the number of boys playing high school volleyball teams has jumped 56% in the past decade, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. More than half of U.S. states now have an official high school championship for boys volleyball.
The 2024 AVCA Best & Brightest Award honored 82 boys volleyball senior student-athletes who earned at least a 3.5 unweighted/4.0 weighted GPA (or the equivalent) during their junior year and play in 50% of their varsity team’s sets their senior season.
Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association
The Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association (AHSVCA) is adding three members to its Hall of Fame: Brenda Mayes, Melanie Donahoo, and Pam Wilkins. The induction ceremony will be held during the 2024 AHSVCA Summer Conference – Volleyball Coaching School after the 2nd set of the All Star Match on Thursday, July 18, at 2pm CT, at the Montgomery Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. Read the full release.
The Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association (AHSVCA) is delighted to announce its new logo, which provides a fresh look as the organization looks towards the future. This new, modern design represents the AHSVCA’s commitment to promote sport, its players & coaches. Find downloadable versions of the logo in the AHSVCA Brand Kit.
The AVCA and AHSVCA are saddened to hear of the passing of longtime volleyball official Dewayne Roden. Roden served as a AHSAA volleyball official for 17 years, in addition to his work officiating and coaching in other sports. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Auburn High School has appointed renowned American Volleyball Coaches Association’s current National Coach of the Year, Brian Wheatley, as their next head volleyball coach. Coach Wheatley will transition from Venice High School in Venice, Florida, where he has led his teams to the playoffs in 29 of his 30 seasons with ten teams in the national top 20.
Two metro Atlanta clubs won big at the AAU National Championship. Roswell’s A5 Pure Volleyball Club won six titles, three of which were in the highest and most competitive division. Cartersville 575 Volleyball Club’s 14-1 jeff team went undefeated 14-0 bringing home the 14A national title.
If you haven’t registered for GHVCA Annual Coaches Clinic on Saturday, August 3, at the Fertitta Center, University of Houston… this is your reminder!! Early registration ends in one week! What a fantastic way to kick off the 2024 season!!
Lake Creek High School welcomes new volleyball head coach Kayli Kane to the Lion’s den. Kane comes over from Bryan High School, where she has built a competitive program from scratch. She has roots in north Houston, having coached at Montgomery High a few years back. Watch Vype’s interview with Coach Kane as she prepares for the upcoming season.
Don’t miss this opportunity to train with nearly 20 coach and volleyball expert presenters from EIU, VERT, USAV, Depaul, North Central and more at the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association 2024 Coaches Clinic on August 10, at Bolingbrook High School. Register now to save with early-bird rates until July 19!
The Kansas Volleyball Association held its 38th annual All-Star Match on June 1 at Washburn University in Topeka. The Red Team defeated the Blue Team in five sets by the score of four sets to one.
The KVA presented four of its annual awards at the conclusion of the match:
Joan Lundstrom Wells Award of Excellence:Taylin Stallbaumer (Seaman HS)
Flo Hyman Scholarship: Mia Fox(Circle HS)
Judy Bellomo Most Inspirational: Tatum Tindall(Manhattan HS)
Don Bechard Memorial Award: Alex Bittner (Cheney HS)
Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association
2024 KVCA Coaches Clinic
The KVCA Coaches Clinic is returning Saturday, July 20, to the KIVA Sports – Ohio Valley Volleyball Center (Louisville). Included in every registration is a full membership to the AVCA and KVCA. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to renew your KVCA and AVCA memberships and get ready for the 2024 fall season. This event is open to all coaches, including middle school, high school and club. Register Now!
Cook bought the palomino quarter horse from Ericson, Nebraska, after his recent contract extension.
Two tickets to a home Nebraska volleyball match this season are waiting for whoever submits the best name. Per NCAA rules, high school athletes or coaches will not be eligible to win tickets.
This new, modern design represents the New York Volleyball Coaches Association’s (NYVCA) commitment to promote the sport, its players, and coaches. The new logo builds on the foundation set over the NYVCA’s decade of service to the New York volleyball community. Find downloadable versions of the logo in the NYVCA Brand Kit.
The NC Board of Education approved a ban on NIL for public high school athletes. Earlier this year, the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, which governs athletics at nearly 100 private schools, approved a policy to allow student-athletes to profit from their talents. 37 local athletic associations allow NIL deals without forfeiting the ability to play high school sports.
Stay tuned! It’s an exciting time as the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association (NCVBCA) prepares to reveal their new logo on Monday, June 1!!
California Coaches Association
Archbishop Mitty (CA) and Assumption (KY) lead list of schools to earn spot in final MaxPreps Top 25 over the past 16 years. Mitty is currently coached by Jon Wallace.
Read more about the 200+ schools in 39 states to etch their place in history by earning a spot in the final MaxPreps Top 25 since 2009.
Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association
Attend the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association (IHSVCA) Coaches Clinic on Sunday, July 28, at Cathedral High School. The clinic features two AVCA DI Coaches of the Year – Dani Busboom Kelly (Louisville WVB) and Donan Cruz (Ball State MVB).
Congratulations to the MAVCA Boys Volleyball 2024 All-State Team announced on June 15, during the 10th Annual Boys’ Volleyball All-Star Game, in partnership with the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Special congrats to Adam Christianson(Newton North) named Player of the Year.
Massachusetts Boys Volleyball State Finals were held Thursday, June 13, at Worcester State. Newton North won its first Boys Volleyball State D1 Title – final score: 23-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-22, 15-8.
The top seeded Westfield boys volleyball team rallied from a 2-sets-to-none deficit to win their fifth Division 2 State Championship.
Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association
Shout out to the Detroit Volleyball Coaches Association on their 2024 HBCU Showcase event facilitated by Alabama State Head Coach Penny Lucas White on June 13-14! This was a great opportunity for high school student-athletes to be exposed to HBCU volleyball programs! The AVCA Diversity Development is proud to support.
Congrats Coach Heather Sawyer on your retirement!
Longtime Lakeview Volleyball Coach Heather Sawyer finished her coaching career with 794 wins, eight district titles and five league crowns. Sawyer played or coached in the game for the last 50 years. Thank you Coach Sawyer for your many years of service as a volunteer with the AVCA and the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA)!
Congratulations to the 2024 Minnesota Boys Volleyball All-State Teams announced June 11!
The Minnesota Boys Volleyball State Championship wrapped up this month, with Shakopee Boys Volleyballcoached by Matt Busch defeating Rogers Boys Volleyball coached by Jarrol Torres an epic five set state finals match.
Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association
Congratulations to the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association (MHSVCA) Boys Volleyball All-State and All-District Teams for boys volleyball. CLICK HERE to see the 30 athletes recognized as All-State and athletes on All-District 1st and 2nd Teams.
Congratulations to Volleyball Coach Connie Vaughan on your retirement after 39 years at Burges High School! Vaughan amassed 786 wins at Burges, including a 29-1 record in 1989 and an undefeated District 1-5A record in 2021. “Coaching meant a great deal to me,” Vaughan said. “To see the athletes get better through their playing career and then go on to be successful in life is something great for coaches.”
The 2024 Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association (OHSVCA) Coaches Clinic was held on Friday, June 7, at Westerville South High School. Ohio State Head Volleyball Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, Tyson Gentry, and Monica Wright from Otterbein presented.
The OHSVCA is providing an opportunity for up to 85 female athletes in grades 9-12 to participate in a volleyball camp with leadership from DII, DIII and NAIA coaches at Tiffin University (Tiffin, Ohio).
The Xavier girls volleyball team led by Coach Luke Herriges was named the Girls Team of the Year on June 13, at the Northeast Wisconsin High School Sports Awards show. Coach Herriges was also a Coach of the Year nominee.
Registration is open for the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association (WVCA) 2024 Coaches Clinic on August 2-3, at the Madtown Juniors Complex (Madison, WI). Train with Vanderbilt Head Coach Anders Nelson. More presenters will be announced soon.
Don’t miss the chance to participate in one of the best coaching experiences at the THSCA Convention & Coaching School is July 21-23, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (San Antonio, TX). The THSCA Convention draws an attendance of over 16,000 coaches, athletic administrators and exhibitors. Learn more.
The AVCA sends its condolences to the family and friends of Mary Blalock, who passed away last week. She was a dedicated and highly regarded volleyball official, both domestically and internationally, who maintained longtime memberships with PAVO and USA Volleyball (Lone Star Region).
Four of the nation’s top collegiate volleyball teams – Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, and Wisconsin – will open the 2024 women’s season at the AVCA First Serve Showcase on Aug. 27, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. Get tickets.
In a 2023 NASO survey, 35,000+ officials indicated while 40% of sportsmanship problems are caused by parents, 25% of the behavior issues were attributed to coaches. 50% said coaches were the group most responsible for improving sportsmanship.
In high school sports, coaches set the stage for the proper displays of sportsmanship and positive support for officials. When coaches support officials, others will follow.
USA Volleyball is excited to launch Try Volleyball, a nationwide program designed to introduce kids to the sport of volleyball for the first time at fun, free clinics in their communities. They can be hosted by local volleyball clubs and sports organizations anywhere in the U.S. and are sanctioned by USA Volleyball and its 40 regions.
The JVA announced the 86 female student athletes to the 2024 JVA All-National Team powered by Fivestar, which recognizes the top female indoor volleyball players competing for a JVA member club in the 15s-18s divisions this club season.
Blocking Progression Training with Jordana Price (Tulane Univ.)
China Ball Handling Drill with Terri Neujahr (Waverly High School – NE)
Teaching Three Mistake Routines by Collen M. Hacker
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