Division I Player of the Year Watchlist; AVCA Visits Capitol Hill
At The Net – September 18, 2024
The AVCA is excited to announce the creation of a Watch List for its 2024 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball. The inaugural list includes 36 players from 21 schools, and the names will be revealed in groups of 12 over the next three days:
Group One: Wednesday, 9/18: Noon (Eastern)
Group Two: Thursday, 9/19, Noon (Eastern)
Group Three: Friday, 9/20, Noon (Eastern)
There is no order to which list players are on, except that all of a school’s candidates will appear the same day. The list will be narrowed down in November, and then the names of the finalists will be released before the AVCA Convention. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, KY, during the AVCA Convention.
Did your team set an attendance record? Share with the AVCA!
The AVCA is seeking to promote schools breaking program, conference, or overall attendance records during the 2024 season! Email Pat Henderson or tag AVCA on social media.
In front of a record crowd of 6,894 at Maples Pavilion, No. 2 Stanfordswept No. 6 Texas, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22, in its home opener on Sunday.
Winthrop Volleyball set a new program attendance record on August 30, with 1,007 fans coming to watch the Eagles’ second-ever matchup with Virginia Tech.
AVCA Convention
AVCA Convention – Register by September 20 to save $100! Plus, get early access to discounted hotel rooms and NCAA match tickets. Join us in Louisville, Kentucky December 18-22!
Volleyball 4 All is a philanthropic fund established by the AVCA to support scholarships, social programs, and grassroot initiatives. The AVCA annually supports coaches who are entering the profession, providing them with the opportunity to attend the AVCA Convention and linking them with mentorship and other professional development opportunities. Scholarships are funded 100% by AVCA coaches and the volleyball community!
The AVCA and Taraflex® are excited to partner on a new program that is providing AVCA memberships to 100 high school volleyball coaches. The initiative celebrates the installation of the 100th Taraflex court.
The champions have been crowned at the 2024 USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge! Congrats to the top three pairs:
1st: Quin Zilch, Lewis & Matthew Gentry Lincoln Memorial
2nd: Ayden Keeter & Carson Barnes, Webber
3rd: Ryan Merk & William Kuhns, Penn State
Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball has put together the most competitive roster yet, announcing 44 athletes signed for the upcoming 2024 season, which begins October 3 in Mesa, AZ. 23 of those athletes will play in the league for the first time from recent collegiate stars to international veterans and national team legends.
Don’s miss the 2024 International Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction Gala
on Saturday, October 19 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The IVHF class of 2024 includes American honorees Tim Hovland (Male Beach Player), who won 60 titles in the course of his career; and Sue Lemaire, the first female international official from the U.S. Also honored are IVHF special award winners, including international grassroots legend John Kessel (Mintonette Medallion of Merit Award), and Bill Kauffman and Ed Chan (Award for Media Excellence).
AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon and US Women’s National Team Coach Karch Kiraly were in Washington, DC, last week for two days of meetings on Capitol Hill. They had 10 meetings with members of Congress and staffers to discuss the future of college athletics and the vital role volleyball plays in shaping student-athletes. Included in their visits was one with Congresswoman Lori Trahan, a former Georgetown volleyball player. Her passion for the sport and commitment to improving opportunities in college sports were inspiring, and we are grateful for the time and support from leaders like her as we continue advocating for the growth and future of volleyball! Also pictured: Gordon and Kiraly with Pennsylvania House of Representatives member G.T. Thompson and his staffers.
AVCA Girls & Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week September 27 – October 5, 2024, is the 4th Annual American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Girls and Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week. This nine-day period is set aside to make sure our officials know they are part of the sport. As coaches, you are the leaders, student-athletes, parents, and fans will follow your example of ensuring that we treat our officials in a manner befitting their role in helping girls and women’s volleyball become one of the United States most popular sports.
Back to school … back to volleyball!
Keep your athletes motivated on the court and in the classroom. If you earned the 2024 AVCA Team Academic Award, sponsored by INTENT, order your plaque now and let your team’s accomplishments shine bright! Visit www.rixstine.com/avca to get started.
Voting for AVCA President-Elect, National Collegiate (NCAA D-I/II) Men, NCAA D-III Men, High School, and Club Volleyball Representatives positions on the AVCA Board of Directors will be conducted October 22-25. Interested candidates must contact kennedy.wells@avca.org
Weekly through September 29, the AVCA will will send out a one question survey – help the AVCA learn more about our community and improve member services. Each week, all participants will go into a drawing for one $50.00 VISA gift card. The Week 9 (September 8) winner of the $50.00 Visa Gift Card is: Roger Anderson, Head Volleyball Coach, Westborough High School (MA)! All who participate in all 12 weekly surveys will go into a Grand Prize drawing for a 2024 AVCA Complimentary Full Convention Registration Certificate! Questions? research@avca.org
AVCA Education and Events
2024 AVCA Boys Talent Showcase: Registration is Now Open!
The AVCA Boys Talent Showcase is a recruiting event designed to provide high school boys the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the collegiate coaches attending the AVCA Convention.
The online AVCA Career Center allows 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. Recent posts include:
Director of Volleyball – Arizona Athletic Grounds
Tarleton State hires Dayna Masters as Beach Volleyball Head Coach.
Lauren Carlini, a 2024 Olympic silver medalist and Wisconsin volleyball standout, has returned to the Badger bench as Offensive Analyst and Strategy Consultant.
2025 JVA Challenge Series presented by i6 is Revealed
The JVA is pleased to announce the return of the highly anticipated 2025 JVA Challenge Series presented by i6. The series features 25 premier volleyball tournaments designed to provide an exceptional experience for junior volleyball teams across the country. 23 returning events are joined by two new additions to the unifying series that spotlight.
Junior Volleyball Club Survey Data Analysis The JVA surveyed a diverse landscape of junior volleyball clubs across the country with the goal of capturing key trends and data points that can guide decisions for junior volleyball club leaders. The complete data set from the survey can be viewed in the JVA member library HERE. Access to the complete data allows a member to view the results associated with their club’s specific demographic and business model. Click here for an overview of some of the trends and data points
Latest educational content includes:
Middles Must Find the Ball with Kate Wood – McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (AL)
Leadership: What Type of Team Do You Want to Be? with Robert Grasso – La Jolla Country Day School (CA)
Blocking Vision: Don’t Close Your Eyes with Rocco Lucci – Niagara Frontier VB Club
Daniel Gillman and Mick Haley talk over the new AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll and salivate over the loaded upcoming schedule, featuring a Wednesday tripleheader of top ranked matchups! There are a ton of in-state rivalries and we can’t wait!
A great week of NCAA volleyball lies ahead, not the least of which includes No. 3 Penn State at No. 1 Pittsburgh in the biggest match ever at Pitt. Emily Ehman and Lee Feinswog interviewed Pitt coach Dan Fisher, then discussed key matchups, big results from the past week and more.
New episode Wednesday: The MasterCoaches host a conversation with Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Head Women’s Coach at Creighton University [and AVCA Board President] about her close match with Nebraska, upsets across the country, and the future and direction of the NCAA.
Last week’s episode: “Breaking News on College Athletics and the impact it might have on volleyball” with guest Jaime Gordon, AVCA CEO.
