NCAA DI Champs Final returns to ABC; AVCA Team Academic noms; New NAIA MVB program
May 29, 2024
The NCAA and ESPN announced that the 2024 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship final at the Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, will take place Sunday, Dec. 22. This marks the second year the final match is on Sunday, and it will again be broadcast on ABC.
The 2023 final between Texas and Nebraska was the first college volleyball match to be broadcast on ABC. It drew 1.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched collegiate volleyball match in history. Last year’s NCAA Championship in Tampa also set attendance records, including an all-time indoor mark of 19,727 fans for the final.
Save the date: Registration for the 2024 AVCA Convention opens August 14! Register early for first access to hotel blocks and NCAA Championship match tickets.
Nominations for the 2024 AVCA Team Academic Award open TOMORROW, May 30! High school and collegiate teams will qualify if they were able to average a 3.30 GPA on 4.0 scale or better for the entire 2023-2024 academic year. Girls/Women, Boys/Men, and Beach teams are all eligible!
The NCAA board of governors and the power conferences have approved a historic settlement agreement in three antitrust cases. If approved by a federal court and if it overcomes potential legal challenges, the settlement will pay Division I athletes for earnings they could have made for the commercial use of their name, image and likeness, video games and broadcasts had NCAA rules permitted such payments. The deal also calls for a restructuring of college sports so that conferences can elect to share revenue with players. Read the joint statement from NCAA and ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC commissioners and letter sent to members from NCAA President Baker.Media coverage:
Men’s volleyball will be introduced at Defiance College beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. Jeremy Thornburg, newly-minted women’s volleyball head coach, will also lead the new men’s program as the Director of Volleyball. Following DC’s move to the NAIA, the new program will become the 11th school competing within the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
The U.S. Men’s National Team’s first win of the tournament came against Türkiye 3-1 in the week one finale of Volleyball Nations League preliminary play on Sunday. The U.S. Men finish week one with a 1-3 record. Week two of Men’s VNL competition will begin June 4 in Ottawa, Canada.
Playing in front of the home fans in Arlington, TX, the U.S. Women’s National Team opened the second round of Volleyball Nations League preliminary play with a 3-1 victory over Canada on Tuesday night. The U.S. Women (3-2) will return to the court to face Bulgaria (0-4) on Friday, May 31, at 6 p.m. PT.
Watch the U.S. Women’s National Team at VNLs in Arlington, TX May 28 – June 2. With the 2024 Olympics in their sights, these elite athletes will be battling it out at the last major volleyball event to secure their spot and ranking for the Paris Games! SAVE 15% on Adult tickets plus kids’ tickets are up to 30% off! Use promo code AVCA when purchasing tickets. Don’t miss these extraordinary athletes defy gravity as they spike and smash their way to win the VNL trophy! Last year many games DID SELL OUT, so get your tickets today!
Nominations for the 2024 AVCA Team Academic Award open TOMORROW, May 30! High school and collegiate teams will qualify if they were able to average a 3.30 GPA on 4.0 scale or better for the entire 2023-2024 academic year. Girls/Women, Boys/Men, and Beach teams are all eligible!
Nominations for the 2024 AVCA Boys High School All-American Awards are due by Tuesday, June 4. Considered athletes must be in the process of completing their SENIOR year of high school. Note: athletes included on the 2024 AVCA All-America Watch List MUST still be nominated in order to be considered for AVCA All-American.
The AVCA Best & Brightest Award honors individuals who excel on and off the court. Senior athletes must earn at least a 3.5 Unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale. The nomination is included in the All-American nomination form as an optional additional section.
The USA Volleyball community gathered in Columbus last week to honor its annual award winners and inductees to the 2024 USA Volleyball Hall of Fame. Among the honorees, retired AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer was awarded with the USA Volleyball Harold T. Friermood “Frier” Lifetime Achievement Award. The Frier Award is considered USA Volleyball’s highest honor and recognizes longtime significant contributions to the sport of volleyball. More here from her alma mater, Michigan State.
2024 AVCA Phenom and AVCA Girls High School All-America Watch Lists
Uncommitted athletes on the watch lists will also be invited to attend the2024 AVCA Phenom College Prep ProgramDecember 19-21, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Business Solutions: The Responsibilities and Impact of a Director of Communication
Last Summer, Janelle Didion approached Club Directors Will and Ashlee Robbins and presented the idea of adding a Director of Communication and Quality Assurance, a new role for the club that was continuing to grow in membership. Empowered Volleyball Academy was founded in 2011 as a year round beach club in the northern city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2014 it added an indoor program so its athletes could enjoy both sports in a complimentary way. Today the club has 475 indoor players and 100 beach players, and has grown into one of the largest clubs in the state.Read more.
2024 AVCA Coach of the Year Super Clinic: July 26-31 The 2024 AVCA Coach of the Year Virtual Super Clinic, powered by Coaches Insider, 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.
In the latest USA Volleyball Show podcast, four-time Paralympian Heather Erickson shares her favorite memories from the Paralympic Games and reflects on experiencing her first Games at Beijing 2008.
Volleyball MasterCoaches – Wednesday Weekly Buzz
This week’s show will be an interview with Jen Spicher, CEO of the Professional Volleyball Federation. It will be a recap of the first year – the high points of this extraordinary journey, some stories on the road, and where they are going for year two.
Next week, the last show of the season will feature Andy Inveiss and a different perspective on women’s pro volleyball. Watch Wednesdays at 2pm ET on Facebook or at volleyballmastercoaches.com. Coaches can also listen to our podcast serieson iTunes.
The online AVCA Career Centerallows job posters to advertise a job opening, search resumes, manage candidates, and market open positions. Job seekers have the opportunity to post a resume, search for open positions, create job alert notifications, and access free career management resources.
