Volleyball programs from across the country continue to prove their dominance off the court as a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award. The High School Boys and High School Girls divisions again set records for total recipients, reaching 66 and 527 participants, respectively. Order recognition plaques from Rixstine, official trophy supplier of the AVCA or download certificates.
Coach Linda Lampkin and Anna Maria Lopez were inducted in the NFHS Hall of Fame on June 30, during the 106th NFHS Summer Meeting in Chicago.
Anna Maria Lopez, a multi-sport star at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, who later excelled in both volleyball and basketball at the Univ. of Southern CA.
Coach Linda Lampkin led Hermann HS (MO) to 13 state girls VB championships during her 39-year career.
After devastating floods hit Texas over July 4th, Amanda Nicholson, assistant volleyball coach at Tivy High School, stepped up to help evacuate campers stranded along the Guadalupe River. When the school district where she coaches put out a call for those who would be willing to drive buses through the floodwaters to help evacuate campers along the Guadalupe River, Nicholson didn’t hesitate. Nicholson—who holds a commercial driver’s license to take her volleyball team to games—drove a bus through floodwaters, safely transporting 52 girls to safety. Alongside fellow Volleyball Coach Aubrey Pruitt and other school staff, she described the experience as a powerful moment of community unity and courage.
Hear what Ohio State University’s head coach, Jen Flynn Oldenburg, had to say about her new position as the President of the AVCA Board of Directors, and about the AVCA as a whole, during our sit-down interview with her today at Big Ten Media days. Watch Interview
Volleyball Stories
AVCA Signature Affiliate Partner News
Alabama (AHSVCA)
Nominations are open for the 2025-26 AHSVCA Preseason Players to Watch List now until Friday, August 8. Each AHSVCA/AVCA member coach can nominate UP TO FOUR student-athletes.
Houston area volleyball coaches are invited to attend the GHVCA Social a 5pm, August 2, at Kirby Ice House (Memorial). Learn more on GHVCA’s social media.
Check out this week’s episode of Around the Block Volleyball including an opportunity to talk with IVCA President Molly DeSerf, Girls Volleyball Rep Kelly Stapleton and Dina Beamon!
KVCA President: Tasha Tanner-Lovins(Ryle High School)
KVCA Vice President: Andrea Sullivan(Scott High School)
KVCA Membership Chair: Michelle Isaac(Cooper High School)
KVCA Events Chair: Brian Jones(North Oldham High School)
KVCA Boys Volleyball Chair: Matt Stegman(Lafayette High School)
KVCA Treasurer & Secretary: Bradley Wilson(AVCA)
Nebraska (NCA)
The best athletes from the Nebraska senior class of 2025 competed in the 2025 NCA Volleyball All-Star Games on July 22, at Lincoln North Star High School. The All-Star Match was held during the 2025 NCA Multi-Sport Coaches Clinic. The clinic featured volleyball coach presenters: Renee Saunders (Omaha Skutt HS) and Trish Siedlick (Bellevue University).
New York high school volleyball season begins August 18. The Girls Volleyball Championship is November 21-23, at Harding Mazzotti Arena (Glens Falls). The Boys Volleyball Championship is November 22-23, at the Rochester Area.
North Carolina (NCVBCA)
HighSchoolOT has released its preseason volleyball rankings for the 704 area code.
HSOT has two sets of rankings: a statewide Top 25 and top 15s for each of North Carolina’s six area codes.
Kings Mountain, which is coming off of a 27-3 overall campaign last year, is the preseason No. 1 team in the 704. The Mountaineers are now a 6A program.
Attend the IHSVCA Coaches Clinic, August 3, at Cathedral HS featuring Vb Coach Salima Rockwell(Notre Dame), Kendall White (USA Pan Am team captain) and more!
Massachusetts (MAVCA):
2025 MAVCA Coaches Clinic is Sunday, August 3, 9-4pm, at The Track at New Balance (Boston) featuring Cora Thompson (Tufts Univ.) & Kevin Moore (Nat’l Team Dev.)
Michigan (MIVCA):
Grand Rapids Rise head coach and VP of volleyball operations Cathy George, along with associate head coach Mike Gawlik, will host the 2025 Rise Coaches Clinic on Aug. 7
Mentorship Program: Seasoned coaches – Be a mentor. New coaches – Request a mentor. Contact Nancy Hoeke
Wisconsin (WVCA):
2025 WVCA Fall Clinic is August 1 & 2 at Madtown Volleyball (2950 Innovation Way Suite 100, Sun Prairie). Coaches are invited to a Coaches Social Friday night at Pooley’s Sparks Bar. View schedule
AVCA Member Organization Partner News
New England (NEPSAC)
Check out the New England Preparatory Schools Girls’ Volleyball Association (NEPSAC/NEPSGVA) site for the latest updates on NEPSAC volleyball.
THSCA is calling all fall sports coaches to host an Our Day to Shine Scrimmage at the beginning of this season. Participating in Our Day to Shine gives our athletes, coaches and schools a great opportunity for community service as well as an opportunity to give to a worthy cause.
Watch this clip from the 2025 AVCA Coach of the Year Super Clinic session – “Technical Focuses for Setting & Passing” with University of Pittsburgh coaches Kamalani Akeo and Michael Fisher. Content from the 2025 AVCA Super Clinic presented by Coaches Insider is now available on-demand!
Check out coaches clinics around the country hosted by AVCA Signature Affiliate Partners, Affiliate Partners, and Membership Organizations. These local clinics offer high school coaches the opportunity to receive quality volleyball coaching education close to home.
Nearly 200 coaches were in attendance at the 2025 MHSVCA Clinic in Columbia, MO, July 14-15. The clinic included a number of presenters, including Mizzou’s Dawn Sullivan and Wendel Alves Carmago, Louisiana Tech’s Scott Mattera, Adena Brewer of Ozark HS, and Eric Scherfenberg of Belton HS.
NMHSCAConference
The 2025 NMHSCA Summer Conference was July 18-19 in Albuquerque. Concurrent sessions for volleyball coaches and officials included: April Sanchez (UNM Volleyball, U19 US National Team); Game Management for Different Levels of Play – Rosita Chavez / Robert Dapson; Data Driven: Using statistical analysis to drive your practice plans – Charity Gomez; You Make the Call – Geoff Freeze / Yancy Montoya; and Rules and POEs – Gary Allison / Nora Carter.
2024-25 VB Coach of the Year Jordan Russell (St. Pius X HS) was recognized during the NMHSCA Awards Luncheon at the clinic.
Thank you to the presenters at the 2025 IVCA Coaches Clinic! Some of the very best leaders of the game in the gym on July 19, & we are grateful for the opportunity to learn from them! Thank you to all of coaches who attended and best of luck in your upcoming seasons! See you August 8th, 2026, in Bolingbrook!
The 93rd Annual THSCA Coaching School and Convention was held in San Antonio July 20-22, 2025. The convention featured a packed agenda with networking, educational sessions and on-court demos by volleyball coaches Samila Rockwell(Notre Dame), Sam Erger (SMU), Kara Wallace(Flour Bluff), Sydney Zimmerman(Fulshear), Lori McLaughlin (Cedar Park), Keisha Thiebaud(College Station), Joshua Walker(Baylor Univ.), Coach of the Year Missy Fletcher-Remmers(Wimberley), and many more!
NCCA Coaches Clinic
NCVBCA President Zoe Bell represented the NCVBCA and AVCA at the North Carolina Coaches Association Coaches Clinic on July 21-23. Coach Michael Fisher from Pittsburgh University presented about Training Passing, Working on finding that “sweet spot” and passing with no spin and Defense.
The 2025 NCA Coaches Clinic was held July 22–24 in Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring sessions led by Bellevue University (NE) Head Coach Trish Siedlik, University of NE Head Coach Kelly Hunter, and Omaha Skutt Catholic HS Head Coach Renee Saunders. Sessions for volleyball coaches focused on skill development, team systems, and coaching strategies. The NCA-AVCA Coach Jean Groth Team Academic Excellence Awards and Milestone Awards Recognition were also recognized during the clinic.
AHSAA Volleyball Coaching School
AHSVCA President Amy Patterson, Auburn Montgomery Volleyball Head Coach Craig Case, AHSVCA Awards Committee, & the AVCA’s Tara McGuire presented at last week’s AHSAA Volleyball Coaching School with 350+ coaches!
The AHSVCA also inducted Barbara Henry, David Clark, Janie Wiggins, Pam Robinson, & Ryan Roberson into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony during the AHSAA All-Star Match at the Montgomery Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
AVCA Polls and Awards
2025 AVCA HS Boys Volleyball Awards
Congratulations to the 2025 AVCA Boys High School Awards winners:
AVCA Boys Volleyball All-Americans: 10 players on the first team, 10 on the second team, and eight honorable mentions including 28 student-athletes from 23 high schools in 8 states and one Canadian province
In addition, there were four Boys High School Region Coaches of the Year:
Midwest Region – Jordan Vidovic, Marist High School (IL)
Northeast Region – Bill Kropp, Eastport South Manor High School (NY)
South Region – Tracy Stevens, Green Hill High School (TN)
West Region – Greg Snyder, Mira Costa High School (CA)
The AVCA and US Marine Corps are looking to recognize a volleyball coach and athlete who overcame a significant obstacle during the past year. The selected winners will be provided round trip travel to the AVCA Convention this December in Kansas City, MO to be recognized at the event.
Submissions now accepted for the 2025 AVCA Victory Club!Celebrate your milestone career wins of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, or 1,000+ matches. AVCA member HS Head Coaches are eligible. Winners will be recognized at the 2025 AVCA Annual Convention in Kansas City.
The schedule has been finalized for AVCA First Serve, which will bring together 10 of the nation’s top Division I women’s volleyball teams to open the 2025 season. The first three days include doubleheaders on Aug. 22–24 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, and two matches will take place Aug. 25 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
All eight contests will be broadcast on national networks. CLICK HERE for Broadcast Info.
Limited additional tickets are available for AVCA First Serve at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls! CLICK HERE for Ticket Info.
MaxPreps shared the HS volleyball start dates for all 50 states. The 2025 high school volleyball season kicks off August 1 in Mississippi, with most states following throughout the month. Georgia and Utah start August 4, while Kentucky joins the action on August 18.
MaxPreps also published their top 100 athletes of the 21st century (so far). The list named eight volleyball/multi-sport athletes, including Olympians Jordan Larson and Alix Klineman.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has launched a new four-year strategic plan centered around a campaign called “Protect the Purpose.” This initiative emphasizes the core mission of high school sports and activities—which is not about winning, but about educational growth and life preparation for students. Watch Video
