The AVCA is proud to announce the Club Awards for the 2025-26 season. The AVCA Club Awards program, now in its 11th year, recognizes deserving coaches and club directors in the youth/club volleyball community.
Congratulations to Andrew Halaz from High Performance STL on being named Boys Club Director of the Year and to Mike Webster from Triangle Volleyball Club on being named Boys Club Coach of the Year!
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 that are planning to attend the AVCA Convention. The AVCA will also be offering an athlete skills clinic on the Friday before the Talent Showcase on Saturday.
The 2026 AVCA Boys Showcase will take place at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, December 19. The cost $99 per athlete prior to Friday, November 20. For an additional $25, athletes can take part in the AVCA Boys Showcase Clinic in the evening on Friday, December 18 at the convention center. Registered athletes will have a chance to learn and develop their skills with the guidance of elite men’s college coaches from across the country.
Whether you want to continue your professional development, network with your friends, or go to the NCAA championship matches, there are many reasons to attend the AVCA Convention including:
Over 120 court and classroom education sessions
World’s largest volleyball specific exhibit show
Career Center with job postings, salary survey information, and career counseling services
Recruiting events including the Boys’ Talent Showcase
The AVCA, in partnership with VolleyStation, has launched AVCA VolleyLine, a new digital hub that connects the volleyball community through accessible, reliable match results. AVCA VolleyLine, which is live now, gives you scores in one place.
US U23 Men Win Gold at 2026 NORCECA Pan American Cup
The U.S. Men’s U23 National Team won the gold medal at the 2026 NORCECA Men’s U23 Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-13, 25-17) victory over Costa Rica on Sunday evening in San Salvador, El Salvador. The U.S. won all four its matches, posting a 12-1 set record in the tournament.
Despite dropping its only set of the tournament in the second set, the U.S. dominated the match statistically with significant advantages in kills (60-32), blocks (13-6) and aces (8-1). Costa Rica made 15 fewer errors and scored 10 points in the second set off errors.
Opposite David Decker won three awards: MVP, Best Opposite and Best Server.
The Master Coaches Discuss The Protect College Sports Act with AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon
The Master Coaches discussed the Protect College Sports Act (S4668) with guest Jaime Gordon, Executive Director of the AVCA. Jaime explained the bill’s key provisions, including federal NIL regulation, antitrust protection for the NCAA, athlete compensation caps, and requirements to maintain a minimum of 16 sports.
Sean Byron to Join NCAA Men’s Volleyball Committee
Daemen coach Sean Byron was selected to serve on the five-person NCAA men’s volleyball committee. The NCAA men’s volleyball committee is responsible for selecting the five at-large bids and seeding the 12-team field for the annual NCAA Tournament. It also oversees the championship event and annually adopts any rule changes
MiddleHitter.com: 20.5 Million Wall and the Sport on the Other Side of It
From MiddleHitter.com and writer Dave de Tenley, the $20.5 million D1 revenue-sharing era could put additional financial pressure on Olympic sports, but the resulting roster changes and economic realignment may create significant opportunities for the growth of DIII men’s volleyball.
All five men’s volleyball continental qualifying events are now complete and the first phase of the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games men’s volleyball competition has filled up five of the 12 vacancies. In addition to the United States, automatically qualified as LA 2028 hosts, the teams of Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Tunisia and Poland have also reserved their berths at the Games in two years.
The first stage of the qualification process for the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup is over and 17 of the 32 participating teams are already known.
With defending champions Italy and host nation Poland automatically qualified, each of the five continental championships held by the continental confederations in September awarded three tickets to the World Cup and they were claimed by Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Finland, France, Iran, Japan, Korea, Slovenia, Tunisia and the United States.
2026 Middle Hitter Podcast of the Year: Viral Volley Podcast
Since launching in early December 2019, Rob Espero’s Viral Volley Podcast has become one of the most consistent and influential voices covering NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball. During the men’s collegiate season, Espero hosts a weekly show with head coaches Brad Rostratter of UCSD, Theo Edwards of Cal State Northridge, Dan Friend with Lewis and George Mason’s Jay Hosack.
