Volleyball Day in Nebraska Sets WORLD RECORD Attendance For Women’s Sports
It was a record-breaking night at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday when Nebraska hosted Omaha in an outdoor volleyball match. The attendance of 92,003 set a world record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s sporting event (previous record was 91,648 fans in an UEFA Champions League match in 2022). The previous record for an American women’s sporting event was 90,185 for USA’s FIFA World Cup Final against China in 1999. More important than the match results and attendance records – the event showed the true strength of our sport, passion from fans, and demand for more volleyball!
With 518,000 viewers, Volleyball Day in Nebraska was the most-watched non-conference volleyball event in Big Ten Network history. Plus, the broadcast was the No. 2 all-time regular season NCAA Volleyball audience across all networks.
Atlantic Coast Conference Adds Cal, SMU, and Stanford as New Members for 2024
More conference realignment in Division I as the ACC Board of Directors voted to formally admit the University of California, Berkeley (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Stanford University to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cal, SMU and Stanford will join the ACC as full members with full voting participation effective July 1, 2024 (SMU) and August 2, 2024 (Stanford and Cal). Read more.
Olympic sports made the Pac-12 great. What happens to them now?
The Washington Post’s Les Carpenter examines the future of Olympic sports in the wake of the Pac-12’s dissolution, and AVCA CEO/former Morehead State AD Jaime Gordon worries the consolidation of leagues could result in more good teams than is healthy for one conference, thereby creating pressure on coaches and players that didn’t exist in the past. “In a Big Ten with 18 teams, at what point does an administrator say: ‘You need to win a Big Ten title?’ What kind of turnover will that create with all these teams in that conference?” That said, Gordon doesn’t believe that “we are in a crisis. We are in a significant period of transition. … It only becomes a crisis if we don’t adapt.” Lots more here.
Girls HS Volleyball Participation Grows by 75,000 in 20 Years, Boys HS Volleyball Adds 10,000 Participants in 22-23
A new report from the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) covering the 2022-23 school year shows girls volleyball participation is at its highest number ever in NFHS reports at 470,488, a 3.6% increase (16,335) from last year. Girls volleyball participation has grown steadily since 2004, with an increase of 75,364 participants in the past 20 years since 2001:
The new report also shows girls volleyball is still the top high school girls team sport, a trend which has continued since 2015:
Boys high school volleyball grew by 10,800 participants in 2022-23. The total number of participants is 77,287. This is up from 66,487 in 2021-22 and increase of 16.24%. This is the largest jump in boys volleyball participation numbers on a year-over-year comparison since the NFHS began publishing participation numbers.
#OFFICIATIONWEEK – AVCA Girls & Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: September 30 – October 8, 2023
Please show officials appreciation during the 3rd Annual AVCA Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week. Post images to social media and tag #OFFICIATIONWEEK and @AVCAVolleyball. More information coming soon!
REGISTER TODAY – 2023 AVCA Convention in Tampa, Florida!
Over 100 sessions in the classroom & on the court
Small group opportunities to interact with & learn from top coaches
Banquets celebrating elite coaches & athletes
Countless chances to connect with old friends & create new relationships at networking & social events
The world’s largest gathering of volleyball specific vendors offering exclusive discounts
Sign up by 9/15 to save $100, plus get early access to discounted hotel rooms and NCAA match tickets!
*Collegiate Partner polls are conducted by their respective organizations & not managed by AVCA.
The AVCA is proud to announce its 10th group of Junior Beach All-Americans. This year, 22 athletes make the list, eight on both the first and second teams, as well as six honorable mention selections. The 2023 All-Americans include players from seven states.
Coaching the Mental Side of the High School Athlete: This webinar will delve into the strategies, techniques, and approaches that coaches, parents, and athletes themselves can use to enhance mental resilience, self confidence, and concentration on and off the court. Register here! Presenter: Kelly Naugle, Associate Professor IUPUI
Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a sports development model that focuses on the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of athletes over a prolonged period of time. The goal of LTAD is to promote lifelong physical activity and athletic performance while reducing the risk of injury and burnout. Register here!Presenter: Mario Raden, Coastal VA Volleyball/Tidewater Volleyball Association Strength & Conditioning Coach
Prevent AVCA newsletters, awards information, educational offerings and other updates from going to your spam folder: Fill out this form and designate mailer@infusionmail.com as a safe sender to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your membership!
Looking for some guidance for your volleyball club? Apply for the JVA Mentor Program Today!
You’re in good hands with the JVA Mentor Program. The goal of the JVA Mentor Program is to connect club directors seeking guidance in any area of running a club with other experienced directors who can listen, guide, and give advice. Connecting directors helps to grow the game and provide more quality opportunities for junior players. Learn more here.
Registration is Open for the 18U National Championship April 11-13, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky
This event will provide a true National Championship experience with the opportunity for teams to compete in an exciting championship environment in front of thousands of athletes and spectators and finish the season in mid April. AAU, USAV and JVA teams are all welcome and will be insured!Learn more and register today!
2023 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship – This Week in West Virginia!
2023 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship presented by USA Volleyball is coming to Charleston, West Virginia on Sept. 5-10, 2023. Teams competing at the Continental Championship will receive points toward their world rankings, which will help determine who qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games. Purchase tickets here.
U.S. Men Load Charleston Roster with 9 Olympians
Nine Olympians highlight the 14-player roster for the U.S. Men’s National Team competing this week at the NORCECA Continental Championship. The U.S. Men, ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 2 in the world, are hosting teams from Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Suriname. Teams will receive points toward their world rankings, which will help determine who qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games. The U.S. Men have won the NORCECA title nine times, most recently in 2017. For those who can’t make it to Charleston, matches will be livestreamed. More info here.
U.S. Women Take Silver at 2023 NORCECA Continental Championship
The U.S. Women’s National Team earned a silver medal after falling, 3-2 (12-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, 15-13) to the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the final of the 2023 NORCECA Championship in Quebec. The gold medal was the third consecutive in the event for Dominican Republic, which was swept by the U.S. in pool play on Thursday. Read more.
Six Rotations – Nebraska Breaks World Record as September Comes with a Flurry!
Multiple Top-10 teams traded statement wins, in a week where the world record for attendance at the women’s sporting event was broken, where the #1 team in the nation survived a pair of 5-setters to separate SEC schools… Mick and Daniel cover it all! Watch here.
This week we will explore and discuss the historic event “Volleyball Day in Nebraska” First, we will speak with AVCA Executive Director Jaime Gordon and get a first hand account of what he experienced that day and the importance and possible impact this event may have on volleyball. Then we will interview Dani Busboom, Head Coach at the University of Louisville to hear one of the leading women in volleyball share her emotional reaction to the event and what it means for women’s sports. This week’s show will be live on Facebook: tune in Wednesday, September 6, at 1:45pm ET. You can also view this week’s show and past shows at volleyballmastercoaches.com.
Arizona beach volleyball head coach Steve Walker has signed a contract extension that will keep him in Tucson through the 2026 season. Walker guided the Wildcats to a 21-12 overall record in 2023 and his career record stands at 180-82 in his 10 seasons as the head coach.
University of Northern Iowa head volleyball coach Bobbi Petersen has been awarded a five-year contract extension through the end of the 2028 season. The winningest volleyball coach in UNI and Missouri Valley Conference history, Petersen has totalled 557 victories in her 23 years at the helm of the program.
AVCA Career Center: Find Your Next Job or Hire a Coach
The onlineAVCA 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. Click here to get started!
Contact Alice Rogersto report a coaching transaction for publication in At the Net.
D’Youville University announced the hiring of Jaime Snyder as the new Head Men’s Volleyball Coach.
Jordan Yantin announced as Head Men’s Volleyball Coach at Saint Elizabeth University.
Ezri Shor named Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Baruch College.
York College promoted assistant coach Mario Tang to head women’s volleyball ahead of the 2023 season.
Washington Adventist University has named Alexis Capers as the head coach of the WAU women’s volleyball team.
UC Santa Cruz has hired Jacob Landel to be its next Head Coach for Men’s Volleyball, after serving as Interim Head Coach for the past two seasons.
