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.
March 28, 2024
Theme: “Good Sportsmanship has the Power to Inspire”
#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. Unsportsmanlike acts spread further and faster than acts of kindness, humility and corporation. That is why it is more important than ever to teach and spotlight good sportsmanship to inspire others.
The AVCA is proud to feature 21 stories of inspirational sportsmanship in this month’s Affiliations from CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, KS, MI, MN, NC, NM, OH, NY, TN, TX & WI.
Submit your stories of inspirational sportsmanship for the opportunity to have your story showcased in the AVCA Affiliations eNewsletter and AVCA website. We also encourage you to share these stories to social media tagging #InspireSportsmanship and @AVCAVolleyball.
We are depending on YOU, our coaches, to get your team (and the opponents) engaged in this nationwide effort to show officials appreciation at one or more matches during the 2nd Annual AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: March 23 – April 7, 2024. Be sure to tag @AVCAVolleyball and #OFFICIATIONWEEK when sharing your event on social media.
Want to see your team added to the participants list? Email Tara McGuire with the names of both teams, date of your event, and a link to photos from your event shared to social media.
The AVCA is excited to launch registration for the 2024 Coach of the Year Virtual Super Clinic, powered by Coaches Insider. This coaching education experience is designed to add value and help prepare you for the upcoming season. It will feature current and past coaches of the year and volleyball practitioners from our community. Learn more.
Kelsey Mueller(Normal West HS) is the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association (IVCA) 2023 Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year. During Coach Mueller’s tenure, Normal West has won 3 Conference Championships, 2 Class 3A Regional Championships and more, along with 11 All-State Athletes in her tenure. She finished this season 35-5, breaking the school record for wins in a season.
After 35 years coaching, Coach Finicle won his first State Championship in 2023. Coach Shade was honored by the NFHS in 2019 for her coaching achievements and lifetime community contributions. This is Coach Krull’s 5th Coach of the Year honor. Coach Young also earned 2023 and 2022 AVCA Region 5 Coach of the Year.
Coach Peek reached 700 wins last year in the AVCA Victory Club.
Congratulations to Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association (KVCA)Coach of the Year Jennifer Morgan (Paul Laurence Dunbar HS). Coach Morgan, who has coached Dunbar since 2005, led the Bulldogs to a 33-8 record this season and a second straight 11th Region championship. Jennifer was also honored for reaching 500 wins in the 2023 AVCA Victory Club.
The 2024 AVCA Boys Watch Lists have been announced! The AVCA Boys All-America Watch List features 518 high school senior athletes. The list serves as the starting point for the Boys’ High School Senior All-America selection process. An AVCA High Riser is a non-senior high school male athlete that has showcased themselves already as an up-and-coming top athlete in the sport. This year’s list features 438 athletes.
The MaxPreps/AVCA National Players of the Week honor the best high school girls and boys from numerous states/regions throughout the volleyball season. Keep your athlete’s stats updated inMaxPrepsto be eligible.
The Alabama High School Coaches Association (AHSVCA) recognizes those who have reached the pinnacle of their profession and the sport of volleyball, by naming them to the AHSVCA Hall of Fame. Alabama high school volleyball coaches and contributors (i.e. trainers, administrators, officials, sportswriters, junior high coaches, association contributors, etc.) can be nominated. Learn more.
Sandy Creek Volleyball Coach Tishay Lewis is the 2nd Black woman to lead a high school volleyball team to state championship and the 3rd African American female to win Coach of the Year in GA. Her unique story was featured during Black History Month on Atlanta News First.
The former pro basketball player came to Sandy Creek to coach basketball.
But the position required she also inherits a sport she had never played, but the wins just keep adding up. Read more about her story.
Did you see the Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association (GVCA)’s announcement adding two new presenters & a volleyball officials liaison for the 2024 GVCA Coaches Clinic on April 27? Check out the presenters below.
Colleen Craig(Atlanta Vibe Professional Volleyball & Rally Volleyball)
Joe Herrea (Truett McConnell University)
Michelle Collier(Georgia Tech)
Chad Sutton(Mercer University)
Caitlyn Moriarty(Berry College)
William Pond (Volleyball Officials Liason to GHSA)
Save the date for the 2024 Greater Houston Volleyball Coaches Association (GHVCA) Coaches Clinic on Friday, August 2, at the University of HoustonFertitta Center (3875 Holman St., Houston, TX 77004). Early registration opens April 8, 2024!
In her 2nd season leading Lumberton, Theresa Reyes put the Raiders back on the local volleyball map coaching an impressive turnaround and had them in back contending for a district championship. Lumberton’s 25 wins were 10 more than the previous year, earning Reyes the distinction as Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Volleyball Coach of the Year.
When looking back on the fall sports season at Oak Lawn Community High School (IL), the girls volleyball team stole the show by recording a school-record 27 wins, grabbing the South Suburban Conference Red championship, and boasting the SSC Red Coach of the Year winner Kathleen Miller. Two players – Maeve Hassett and Hailey Wierzgac were honored with the Sportsmanship Award.
Coach Fran Martin’s career spans four decades of service to high school athletics in Kansas; coaching volleyball, basketball and softball. However, it wasn’t until she started officiating volleyball the union of officiating and the KSHSAA became one that essentially defined Martin’s Hall of Fame career. During her 19-year tenure with KSHSAA, Martin helped develop ways to increase KSHSAA involvement and support of state officials. Read more.
Skill, spirit and sportsmanship: Skyler Pierce, the 2023 Evelyn Gates Award winner from Olathe Northwest HS Volleyball Team, has it all. The Evelyn Gates Award was established to honor a female high school varsity volleyball student-athlete who exhibits top tier skill, spirit and sportsmanship in the Kansas City area. The winner is chosen by HS coaches. Read more.
The Deaf Youth Sports Festival hosted their 40th Anniversary week-long event at Kentucky School for the Deaf earlier last year. The festival brings together volunteers from all over the region, not just Kentucky, to engage youth in sports like volleyball with a focus on teamwork, sportsmanship and how to develop a positive attitude. The week ended with Closing Ceremonies where the Spirit Award goes to the team who most exhibited excellent sportsmanship, strong teamwork, and outstanding character.
Nebraska’s Coach John Cook said his question goes back to 2008 when Jordan Larson said she was playing for her mother, who was battling breast cancer at the time. The Huskers dropped the first two sets, but won the next three in one of the greatest comebacks he’d ever seen. Jordan’s mom got to see her daughter finish her career there,” Cook told the students. “Her mom passed away five months later. Now you understand the power of why. She was not going to let our team lose.” Students said the inspirational message about hard work and being a team player will last a lifetime.
#InspireSportsmanship
New York Volleyball Coaches Association
Don’t forget to register for the NYVCA Coaches Clinic on May 17-18 to take advantage of early registration rates.
The clinic will feature on-court demonstration, ample networking opportunities, and educational sessions with coaching strategy and drills. Coach presenters include: University of Wisconsin Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Kelly Sheffield; Brazil’s Minas Tenis Volleyball Coach Dega da Gama, and Vassar College Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Richard Gary.
The John Jay Volleyball Team coached by Maria Mahoney was recognized last month by the Mid Hudson Board of Volleyball Officials with the Charles Ropes Don Cantone Sportsmanship Award for their good behavior and treatment of officials.
The New Hanover Girls Volleyball Team (NC) was selected by coaches in the Wilmington area as the 2023 Mideastern Conference Volleyball Sportsmanship Award recipient. The team is led by Coach Steve McKeon.
Are you ready to show off your Student Section to see which school(s) have the most FUN and create the optimal environment in support of their student athletes in the entire San Diego Section of CIF? The 2023-2024 Battle of the Fans Program is back celebrating the Excitement, School Pride, Support, and Sportsmanship modeled by Student Sections! CIF San Diego Section Schools can participate by uploading their video to YouTube. Read more.
#InspireSportsmanship
Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association
The IHSAA #FaceOfSportsmanship Campaign allows officials, coaches and school administrators to recognize student-athletes with a sportsmanship pin for positive reports of exemplary behavior, sportsmanship and leadership. Below are some volleyball players & teams recognized this school year:
Olivia Gisslen, Brenna Ginder, & Maggie DeTurk (Northwest Allen County Volleyball)
Teagan Coveris was nominated by Volleyball Coach Crum
Penelope(Shortridge HS Volleyball)
Canterbury School Volleyball Team
Kole Brantley(Helped a Castle Vb player aftershe had fallen)
The IHSAA and the Indiana Sports Corp are joining forces to host another FREE volleyball officials training and certification opportunity on Saturday, April 20, from 9 am – 1:30 pm. Read more.
SAVE THE DATE for the 2024 IVCA Coaches Clinic on August 4, featuring 2021 AVCA National Coach of the Year Dani Busboom Kelly!!
Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Association
2024 MAVCA Coaches Clinic: August 4
Join the Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Association (MAVCA) for their 2024 Coaches Clinic on August 4, 9am – 4pm, at The Track at New Balance (Boston, MA). The clinic will feature collegiate, international and club Coach Jim Stone. Early bird discounts are available until May 15, 2024.
As a reminder, MAVCA Boys All-State nominations open April 1.
Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association
The Michigan High School Athletic Association recognized the below HS volleyball varsity athletes last month to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program. Students must carry at least a 3.5 GPA, and submit an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. Click the names below to read more.
Nicole Carter has been selected as the inaugural honoree of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Nate Hampton Champion of Progress in Athletics Award. Learn more about her contributions to Michigan athletics including volleyball and to underrepresented groups.
A memorable moments came during and immediately after a postseason volleyball game between rival schools this fall. When the match ended, students from both schools went through a formal handshake line. A Concordia Academy parent wrote the Minneapolis Star Tribune publicizing the display of sportsmanship. St. Croix Lutheran and Concordia Academy (MN) were named recipients of the 2023 MSHSL-NFHS Spirt of Sport Award.
A MN husband & wife, Dan & Nedda Zetah, have teamed up to referee five high school sports together including volleyball. “We just really enjoy being together,” says Nedda, marking 40 years of marriage to Dan. At game’s end, Dan and Needa shake hands with players and offer encouragement.
#InspireSportsmanship
Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association
Last week, Central High School made history, playing its first boys volleyball contest against Grain Valley. While it was a 3-0 sweep of the Indians, the team was thankful for the opportunity to host a boys team. Central also hosted its first-ever home contest, playing St. Michael the Archangel.
Jory Mirabal, the Magdalena HS (NM) Head Basketball Coach and Athletic Director, has been helping his basketball players become officials for 15 years. With the success of this program in boys basketball, Mirabal, has started to implement it in other sports, including girls basketball and volleyball, and work with the NMAA campaign to register more officials.
Not only does it allow for players to understand the game better, but it provides a natural transition after their high school careers end. #InspireSportsmanship
The Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association (OHSVCA) selected the below coaches for the OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics & Integrity Award.
Girls Volleyball Coach: Mark Bunn(Van Buren) – Coach Bunn’s teams are known to treat other teams with respect and kindness. He has excellent rapport with officials and other coaches. He respects others opinions and addresses conflicts honestly and respectfully.
Boys Volleyball Coach: Zahra Collins(Toledo Scott) – In addition to inspiring sportsmanship as Toledo Scott Boys Volleyball Coach, Zahra Collins is the co-director at UrbanVolleyball 419, whose mission is to develop volleyball in Toledo’s underserved, underrepresented youth populations.
The 2024 SDVBCA Coaches Clinic was held on March 22-23, with approximately 65 coaches in attendance at Aberdeen Central High School. Presenters included Craig Case, the all-time coaching wins leader and former volleyball coach for the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team; and Coach Alexz Peterson-Smith from Matchbox and Northwestern High School. The AVCA was pleased to be represented as the AVCA Affiliate Partner to the SDVBCA.
The 2023-24 WIAA/Rural Insurance Sportsmanship Award winners were selected during the Fall Volleyball State Tournament by the conduct and sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, and spectators.
Head Coach Matthew Seidl said: “I want our program and community represented well no matter what stage or arena we are in. This award is one that I will cherish and is one that I’m most proud of receiving over the many years of our program.”
Head Coach Betty Lange said: “I’m proud of the team for buying into the Newman Volleyball philosophy which puts sportsmanship at the forefront. I’m proud of the coaching staff for showing class and respect at every competition. We are coaches who have a deep appreciation for the game of volleyball. We cannot honor and respect the game without displaying exceptional sportsmanship. This award is an honor and means that we are doing right by the school, the players, and the community.”
Honorable Mention: Divine Savior Holy Angels, Cuba City, Fall River, Howards Grove, Pewaukee, Prentice, Rice Lake, River Falls, St. Croix Falls, St. Mary Catholic and Waunakee
#InspireSportsmanship
Texas High School Coaches Association – Volleyball
This Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo WBCA-sanctioned event was held on February 16, to promote unity, sportsmanship and hope amongst players, parents, fan and supporters from the United States and Mexico. The International event brings together youth from the U.S. and Mexico for a basketball and volleyball competition.
#InspireSportsmanship
The AVCA Match Point Mentoring Program is designed exclusively for volleyball coaches at all levels of expertise. Our program centers on creating mentoring trios where these coaches serve as both mentors and mentees to create a collaborative learning experience. Applications for the 2024-2025 program will close April 30, and Trios will be announced in Mid-June.
Apply to Present at the 2024 AVCA Convention!The AVCA is inviting members and industry professionals to submit a proposal to be considered as a speaker for on-court, beach or classroom presentations. Applications will be accepted through May 1, 2024. The convention will be held December 18-21 in Louisville, KY. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your expertise with volleyball coaches from across the country!
Incredible moment for Thompson Valley girls volleyball (CO) senior night as Zoe Rollins, who suffered a major spinal cord injury in an accident a year and a half ago, served her first over the net ball since the accident that put her in a wheelchair. The Eagles also welcomed in the EMS team based out of Loveland from the night of the accident to help celebrate senior night.
At both Tate and Northview (FL), seniors were announced one by one, escorted onto the court by family during Senior Night. But before the hometown seniors were recognized, Tate and Northview recognized the visiting seniors from their opponents (Laurel Hill and Fort Walton Beach) — flowers and all. It was a small gesture that says big things about the Lady Aggies, the Lady Chiefs and good sportsmanship.
Emilie Leathers, a volleyball player at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee (TN), has been recognized with the TSSAA-NFHS Student-Athlete Award of Excellence. In two separate instances where points were incorrectly awarded to SAS due to missed line judge calls, she informed the official of the errors, resulting in points being rightfully awarded to Berean Academy.
The JVA World Challenge is April 12-14, at the Kentucky Expo Center (Louisville, KY). Those attending are encouraged to wear pink for Dig Pink Day on April 13, to raise awareness for breast cancer research. Learn more.
Warmups: The Skyhawk Sequence with Renee Saunders (Skutt Catholic High School)
Educating Athletes that Social Media is their Life Resume with Kim Karr (ICANHELP)
Recruiting, NIL, and Student-Athlete Priorities by Adam Sarancik (Author of: Coaching Champions for Life)
In-System, Out-of-System Drill with Joe Morales (Texas A&M)
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