The NVA is proud to announce more exciting news regarding the 2022 season, including a new league structure with divisions and an all-star match! The National and American Conferences have been split into four divisions with three teams each, totaling twelve teams. The regular-season matches will now feature both interdivisional, interconference, and cross-conference play spreading across five-season events (two more than the year before). The new layout opens the door for a more competitive rankings system that utilizes your overall record and accumulated ‘NVA Points’ to determine qualification and seeding for the playoffs.

The four divisions are set as follows:

During the regular season, each team will play:

–       Two teams in their division twice

–       Three matches against the opposing division in their conference, and then

–       Three more matches against one of the divisions from the opposite conference

Altogether, each team will play ten matches, competing for the best overall record of their divisions. The team with the top record in their respective division will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The following two teams within that conference with the best overall record will also qualify for the playoffs regardless of division. Four teams from each conference will be represented in the playoffs, similar to 2021.

On top of the extended regular season, the NVA is also planning its first-ever All-Star Game! During Event 5, the NVA will bring together the top performers of the regular season to compete for an exhibition featuring some of the top talent in the world in one match!

Make sure to get all the NVA’s scheduled events down in your calendars, so you don’t miss any action this season! With new team rivalries established from last year’s competition, fans can expect big show-outs for match-ups such as Freedom vs. Stingers, Stunners vs. Tyrants, Blaze vs. Matadors, Sasquatch vs. Kraken, and Untouchables vs. Exposure. Come back to the news page and follow the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to find more info on the teams this coming season in the following weeks. Fans

should also check out the next two episodes of the Quest for the Cup series and get a first look at our two new teams, the Colorado Kraken and the Seattle Sasquatch.

–       NVA Staff Writer

The National Volleyball Association is now bigger than ever before, moving into the upcoming 2022 season, bringing you: more games, larger events, new teams, new league structure, and even greater volleyball action! During the off-season, the American and National Conferences have each split into two divisions. You will now see a Coastal and Central division within each conference. In addition, each conference has inducted a new franchise, bringing the league to a total of 12 teams, which has opened the door to a full regular-season schedule. From April to July, fans will be able to watch 60 matches with teams grinding their way through the rankings to solidify a spot in the 2022 NVA Championships! Here is the release for this year’s NVA Regular Season Event Schedule without further ado.

2022 NVA Regular Season Schedule

Event 1: April 8th – 10th

Event 2: May 6th – 8th

Event 3: May 28th – 30th

Event 4: June 17th – 19th

Event 5: July 8th – 10th

NVA Championship: August 5th-7th

Each event will feature twelve matches over three days with 4 games a day. Each team competes in two matches per event weekend, totaling ten matches throughout the season. The teams will be fighting each game to bolster their overall record and rack up NVA Points in order to win their respective division. Winning your division will automatically advance you to the playoffs.

Some of the highlight matches include…

– Saturday 04/09 @ 12:00 PM PST: Dallas Tornadoes vs. Colorado Kraken, the Tornadoes grudge match against their previous head coach and his new team, the Colorado Kraken.

– Friday 05/06 @ 9:00 AM PST: Las Vegas Ramblers vs. Utah Stingers, both of last year’s top regular-season teams who have both made the final podium two years running, will face off in this newly-formed rivalry.

– Friday 05/06 @ 12:00 PM PST: OC Stunners vs. Texas Tyrants, a rematch of their five-set, quarterfinals thriller, which is regarded as the best match of the 2021 playoffs.

– Sunday 05/30 @ 9 AM PST: Chicago Untouchables vs. Southern Exposure, a rematch of an extremely gritty quarterfinal matchup from last season that ended in a five-set Exposure win.

– Sunday 06/19 @ 6 PM PST: LA Blaze vs. Inland Empire Matadors, as they battle for dominance in this cross-town rivalry.

– Sunday 06/30 @ 9 AM PST: New Jersey Freedom vs. Seattle Sasquatch, the first matchup between the Northwest and Northeast Coast teams.

Be sure to check back in next week to delve into the ranking system that includes divisional and cross-conference play. Also, stay tuned for more information on the league’s two new teams, the Colorado Kraken and the Seattle Sasquatch! If you haven’t already, go follow the NVA on Instagram and Facebook to get weekly media updates on league developments and player stories. Fans can also jump back in and watch all of last year’s matches on YouTube and get a taste of what is to come!

Follow the link below to get a breakdown of the 2022 season and conference divisions!

https://www.nvausa.com/news/detail?id=158

-NVA Staff Writer

The NVA finished off 2021 with a bang by bringing their all-stars to the AVCA’s 40^thAnniversary Convention in Columbus, Ohio! For three days, the league’s players and coaches hit the courts with some of the world’s greatest volleyball minds to help advance the sport of volleyball, educating the next generation of American coaches. The NVA had the privilege to work alongside inspirational icons such as Karch Kiraly and John Speraw as well as hosting the All-American Banquet recognizing elite players from Women’s Collegiate Volleyball.

Those who attended the All-American Banquet and the coinciding NCAA Div. 1 championship match, between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers, witnessed some of the most extraordinary players in the history of NCAA. The game had historical precedence, with one player becoming the first-ever five-time AVCA First-Team All-American. Of course, it would be none other than the Division 1 player of the year, Wisconsin middle blocker Dana Rettke!

The NVA had the privilege of handing out the awards to the AVCA Players of the Year, and we are excited to share their names with you again! Readers can find the complete list of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team selections from each division on the AVCA website.  https://www.avca.org/awards/

AVCA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

NAIA AVCA Player of the Year– Nada Meawad, Park (Missouri)

Two-Year College AVCA Player of the Year– Marian Ovalle, New Mexico Military Institute

NCCAA AVCA Player of the Year– Sydney Schwitters, University of Northwestern-St. Paul

NCAA Division III AVCA Player of the Year– Heidi Westra, Calvin University

NCAA Division II AVCA Player of the Year– Alexis Cardoza, Cal State San Bernardino

NCAA Division I AVCA Player of the Year– Dana Rettke, University of Wisconsin – Madison

For many of the NVA players present for the convention, the best moment of the event came from the Athletes Unlimited Draft, which has invited nine graduating collegiate stars to join their league. Athletes Unlimited is the only pro indoor women’s volleyball league in the U.S., which premiered last year on the CBS Sports Network! Two of the draftees, Div. 1 Player of the Year, Dana Rettke, and Nebraska’s Laura Stivrins, went head-to-head, middle on middle, in the 5-Set NCAA Championship thriller. This historic draft is the first of its kind in the U.S. to provide an immediate pipeline for the nation’s most valuable volleyball players to go straight from university to the major leagues!

https://auprosports.com/read/meet-the-9-draftees-from-the-inaugural-athletes-unlimited-volleyball-draft/

Inspired by AU Sports, the NVA is preparing to eventually establish their draft, looking to bring graduating student-athletes into the fold after the NCAA Men’s Final. With another successful year at the AVCA, the NVA has done well to show attending coaches just how disciplined, determined, and hungry our athletes are. We hope that the word will continue to spread from coaches to the next generation of college players that the dream of becoming a professional volleyball athlete is just on the other side of graduation! With this much talent already on display on the women’s side, the NVA and their teams are eager to see what homegrown products come from NCAA Men’s Volleyball this summer!

-NVA Staff Writer

In just under a week, the National Volleyball Association will be partnering once again with the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the 2021 AVCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio! Now, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the AVCA was formed back in 1981 by Terry Liskevych and Andy Banachowski as an advocacy group for coaches. Since their conception, the AVCA has significantly expanded, adding tons of new services and clinics, all with the same core dedication to serving volleyball coaches and the volleyball community.

From December 15th-18th, the convention halls will be jam-packed with seminars regarding coaching skills, skill development, career advancement, club management, and even sports psychology. Each educational session will be led by the country’s top NCAA Div 1, Olympic, and Club coaches, including some of the current greats with; Karch Kiraly (USA Women’s National Team), John Speraw (USA Men’s National Team), and Alan Knipe (Long Beach State), all leading their own sessions. On top of that, the event offers break-out sessions for coaches to network and reconnect with other coaches from around the nation.

The NVA is sending 16 athletes and coaches from around the league to take part in ten educational seminars as part of the on-court practice demonstrations. Utah Stingers Owner & NVA VP Russell Holmes will also present awards to the top NCAA athletes at this year’s All-American/Players of the Year Banquet. This will be the second year that the league has participated in this phenomenal event and has eagerly awaited its return since the last AVCA convention back in 2018.

There’s still time if you haven’t yet registered for the convention. You can also purchase passes on-site starting at 4 pm on Tuesday the 14th at 4 pm. However, if you cannot make it in person, you can still watch every seminar online with their Virtual Convention, including live Learning Labs created exclusively for virtual attendees, a virtual exhibit show, and Career Center. Below you’ll find links to find out more information about registering, as well as our seminar schedule for the week. If you see us there, give us a shout, we would love to talk and learn together as we all push to help foster the next generation of volleyball in the USA and grow the game!

Schedule and AVCA Links:

Thursday 12/16

–       11am – 12pm: Technical and Tactical Components that Lead to a Better Transition Game. (Dave Preston)

–       3pm – 4pm: Rethinking Feedback in a Practice Setting. (John Speraw)

–       4:15pm – 5:15pm: Controlled Variations of Live Play: How to Challenge your Starting Side to Prepare for Game Day. (Wright State Staff)

Friday 12/17

–       1:15pm – 2:15pm: Planning and Facilitating a Week of Practice Drills. (James Madison Staff)

–       2:30pm – 3:30pm: Bolstering your Attackers’ Toolkit. (Karch Kiraly)

–       3:45pm – 4:45pm: Training your Team to be Efficient Out of System. (Shannon Winzer)

Saturday 12/18

–       9am – 10am: Serve Receive with USAV Women’s National Team. (Tama Miyashiro)

–       9am – 10am: Adaptive Creativity – The importance of customizing drills to enhance & excite your players. (Eric Snyder)

–       10:15am – 11:15am: Coaching Using Story Telling – External Feedback in Action. (Jamie Morrison)

–       10:15am – 11:15am: Practice Pyramids: Growth Through the Climb. (Chad Willis)

https://avcaconvention.org/

https://avcaconvention.org/virtual-convention/

-NVA Staff Writer

With the 2022 NVA Season already in the works, here is a look at the rankings for the top five players for each statistical throughout the season. These rankings exclude players who competed in less than ten sets or had less than 100 attempts. Check them out to see which if your favorite players made the cut as one of the Top 5 All-Stars for each category.

Best Scorer (Points/Sets Played)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 6.14 (270/44) 
2. Felix Chapman, Tornadoes – 6 (60/10)
3. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 4.96 (114/23)
4. Jake Langlois, Stingers – 4.42 (115/26)
5. Joe Norman, Team Freedom – 4.34 (126/29)

Best Server (Service Aces/Sets Played)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 0.64 (28/44)
2. Ian Capp, Untouchables – 0.6 (15/25)
3. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 0.47 (15/32)
4. Carlos Serrano, Matadors – 0.38 (8/21)
5. Will Ragland and Jake Milnaziak, Untouchables – 0.38 (9/24)

Best Blocker (Blocks/Sets Played)

1. Tim Lourich, Exposure – 0.7 (30/43)
2. Alex Shmelev, Stingers – 0.68 (23/34)
3. Joe Norman, Freedom – 0.59 (17/29)
4. Matt Seifert, Freedom – 0.59 (24/41)
5. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 0.58 (19/33)

Best Scorer (Total Points)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 270 
2. Gianluca Grasso, Tyrants – 163
3. Ryan Mather, Ramblers – 152
4. Jorge Mencia, Stingers – 144
5. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 129

Best Server (Total Service Aces)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 28
2. Ian Capp, Untouchables – 15
3. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 15 
4. Ryan Mather, Ramblers – 14
5. Nick West, Stunners – 13

Best Blocker (Total Blocks)

1. Tim Lourich, Exposure – 30
2. Matt Seifert, Freedom – 23
3. Alex Schmelev, Stingers – 23
4. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 19
5. Nick West, Stunners – 19

Best Passer (Perfect Reception + Positive Reception/All Receptions)

1. Johnny Gomez, Exposure – 93% (204/219)
2. Julian Rivera, Tyrants – 92% (191/207)
3. Gianluca Grasso, Tyrants – 91% (161/176)
4. Josh Ayzenberg, Stunners – 91% (102/112)
5. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 91% (122/134)

Best Attacker (Kills/All Attack Attempts)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 56% (228/410)
2. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 55% (98/179)
3. Kevin Lopez, Ramblers – 51% (59/115)
4. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 51% (72/141)
5. Nick West, Stunners – 51% (56/110)

Best Defender (Total Digs)

1. Johnny Gomez, Exposure – 90
2. Ricardo Massanet, Blaze – 88
3. Ryan Manoogian, Ramblers – 87
4. Kyle Dagostino, Exposure – 81
5. Inovel Romero, Stingers – 79

• NVA Staff Writer 

Of the four playoff matches on Friday, July 9th, this will be the best and most competitive one to watch. Both teams have experienced a tremendous amount of adversity and growth this season. 

Tyrants are among the newest teams in the NVA and unequivocally made tremendous improvements in their performance on the court during the 2021 season. The Tyrants started the season with a 1-2 record but quickly improved thanks to Coach Mauro Grasso. Coach Grasso quickly helped the Tyrants find their identity and convinced his players to buy into a system that allowed them to end the season with a 7-2 record. 

The Tyrants are not one of the biggest teams, but they are physical and play tenacious defense. Although they mainly relied on Gianluca Grasso to lead their offense at the beginning of the year, Coach Grasso discovered a way for the team to build confidence in the other Tyrants’ players. The Tyrants found ways to play better defense and found other players to step up and score points. As the season progressed, Anthony Robinson, Tim Johnson, Austen Lovett, Ryan Maune, and Daniel Jacobs took the load off of Grasso. The team has done well to share the wealth with their hybrid subbing system. Both setters, Gabriel Quinones and Isaiah Acfalle, have given the Tyrant’s opposite hitters and middle blockers a dynamic role in helping the Tyrants finish the season with a 5-match winning streak and 7-2 record.

The Stunners is the other NVA team that started the season 0-3 and made the playoffs. Their winless start had more to do with a lack of players and injuries than lack of performance. Joey Jarvis arrived late and a little bit out of playing condition from COVID lockdowns in Canada, so he was not in top form. Stunners also didn’t have a libero available as Matt Hilling stepped into the position in their first match. In the second match, setter Spencer Andrew injured his groin on the last play of their loss to the Tyrants. Without a backup setter, the Stunners assigned Hilling again to play setter in their third match. On top of his regular position as an outside hitter, it was the third different position that Hilling played in the three losses. 

Before the New Jersey event, the Stunners added four quality players to their roster: Setters Nikola Dmitruevic and Roberto Ramirez, outside hitter Corey Chavers and libero, Josh Ayzenberg. All four made an immediate impact as the Stunners won the next two out of three matches in Atlantic City. They then managed to return home to close out the season with three consecutive wins and a 5-4 record to finish in third place of the National Conference. 

The Stunners have one of the tallest, most prominent, and deepest rosters in the NVA. On top of that, one of the best liberos in the league with Ayzenberg and his backup, Jake Hurwitz. Stunners are deep in every position. At the outside hitter position, the team has Joey Jarvis, Corey Chavers, Matt Hilling, and Antonio Anguizola. The Stunners are four deep at the middle block with Nick Amado, Nick West, Shayne Beamer, and Kevin Gear. Although the Stunners only have one solid Opposite in Jair Sanchez-Santiago, Hilling has proven to be an excellent backup for Santiago.  

Prediction. Although the Tyrants did defeat the Stunners early this year, 3-1, this Stunners’ team is much improved, more solid, and playing with more confidence. One advantage the Tyrants have over the Stunners is Coach Grasso, who has a wealth of international coaching experience and deserves to be another candidate for Coach of the Year. But to chalk up a win, the Tyrants will need more offense from their middle blockers Austen Lovett and Ryan Maune. The Tyrants will also need to side out well and limit the number of points the Stunner’s potent offense will make on transition plays.

The Stunners’ have one of the best offenses in the NVA. They are lead by Joey Jarvis, one of the best and most consistent outside hitters who find all kinds of ways to score points. Corey Chavers has proven to be one of the hardest hitters in the league. Middle blockers Nick Amado and Nick West are aggressive and physical hitters. And defensively, the Stunners have one of the best liberos and a formidable blocking team with Amado and West. The Stunners are also an aggressive serving team as West and Chavers are lighting up the league with powerful jump serves. 

However, the Stunners do also have one caveat to overcome that has haunted them all season. They’ve committed long runs of errors in every set played with as many as four in a row. Because of this, the Stunners have played from behind in many matches and have easily given up leads. 

There is also potential that the Stunners’ will be missing  Opposite Jair Sanchez-Santiago in the playoffs as he returns home to train at the Puerto Rico National Team. The Stunners and NVA wish him the best of luck and hope the Puerto Rico National Team will add him to their roster. But if so, the team will likely look to Matt Hilling again to fill in the holes.

Although this is a coin flip, the Stunners should win in three or four sets. But the Tyrants’ tenacity and never-give-up mentality might string it out to a fifth set. Stunners 3, Tyrants 2.

The next playoff match prediction will be the Team Freedom #2 Seed in National Conference versus the Stingers #3 Seed in American Conference at 4:00 pm. To find more articles about the Texas Tyrant’s and the OC Stunner’s regular season, check out their news section at the bottom of their team websites. 

https://tyrants.nvausa.com/

https://stunners.nvausa.com/ 

“Volley On With the NVA!”

NVA Staff Writer

The NVA is no stranger to high level volleyball players while also being a vessel of improvement for so many players. One player that has been reaping the benefits of the NVA is the big and powerful opposite for the Orange County Stunner, Jair Santiago. Jair is Puerto Rican born but has been living the past couple years with his wife Natasha out in San Bernardino. The league is all too familiar with Puerto Rican players, as there are multiple Puerto Ricans throughout the league. Due to Jair’s natural born residence, he has now been given the opportunity to represent his small country this summer in the NORCECA games that are held in Running Springs, Colorado at the Olympic Training Center. 

Jair is Puerto Rican born but has been living the past couple years with his wife Natasha out in San Bernardino. The league is all too familiar with Puerto Rican players, as there are multiple Puerto Ricans throughout the league. Due to Jair’s natural born residence, he has now been given the opportunity to represent his small country this summer in the NORCECA games that are held in Running Springs, Colorado at the Olympic Training Center. 

With Event 3 being officially wrapped up, it is important to highlight those players who made a significant impact for their team. One player that made a huge impact for the Orange County Stunners was Corey Chavers. Corey Chavers came into the 3rd event after a huge showing in the 2nd event that was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he helped his team move from last place into seventh place respectively. Corey already has a deep history of success when it comes to volleyball, which can be seen in his lustrous college and professional career. On the first day, the OC Stunners faced a hungry Chicago Untouchables team who were fighting to keep themselves in 8th place in hopes of making it into the final tournament. Corey Chavers finished the match with 7 overall points, hitting .460 on the match, two aces and a block, he was seen as the consistent option for the Stunners 3-1 win over the Chicago Untouchables.

Coreys highflying ability and powerful swings weren’t used up on day one of the event, has he had a lot more deep in his bag where he once again out performed himself and put on an exhibit of what it means to be a powerful outside hitter. The OC Stunners were faced up against a strong L.A Blaze who boasts an experienced lineup led by Chinese setter Edison Zhou. Corey finished the match as points leader with overall points of 13, one block, one ace, and hitting .560 on the match. The Blaze were a valiant team as they forced a five set match, but were unfortunately extinguished by the Stunners 3-2.

Finally, on the third day, the OC Stunners were faced with a hot Dallas Tornadoes who were coming off of an upset win against number two ranked Las Vegas Ramblers the day before, led by the powerful opposite Felix Chapman. That did not waver in Corey at all as he once again finished the 3 set win with 13 overall points, one ace, one block and hit an astounding .880 on the match. Look out for the OC Stunners and Corey Chavers on July 9th-11th in NVA tournament being held in San Bernardino. 

Stunners Victory Over Untouchables Keeps Their Playoff Hopes Alive

Before New Jersey the Stunners strengthen their roster with two new setters, #43 Nikola Dmitruevic and #27 Roberto Ramirez and a libero, Josh Ayzenberg to their roster. 

Untouchables established the middle with a kill from #18 Thomas Burrell but quickly gave up the lead to the Stunners with a service and hitting error. Middle blocker #22 Nick Amado scored the first Stunners point on a block. Both teams battled back and forth until 4-4. A line kill by #7 Joey Jarvis, Untouchables’ hitting error and two consecutive service aces by Amado increased the Stunners’ lead to 8-4. After a kill by Untouchables’ middle blocker #20 Matt Buffum, the Stunners stared several mini runs on kills by Jarvis, #6 Cory Chavers and #9 Nick West and blocks by West and Chavers for a 16-9 lead. Scoring for Untouchables came from kills by Buffum, #9 Jake Milnaziak and #6 Eddie Keesecker. After the Stunners scored on a kill by #15 Jaire Sanchez-Santiago, the Untouchables only scored two points the rest of the set on Stunners’ service errors. The Stunners closed out the set with kill by Santiago, block by West and service ace by Jarvis. The set ended on a Untouchables’ hitting error 25-12. 

Untouchables had a better start in set number two and took an early 6-3 lead on kills by Burrell, Milnaziak, Keesecker and Buffum. Stunners slowly cut the lead and eventually tied the set at 11-11 on kills by West, Chavers and Jarvis and blocks by West and Amado and service ace by Ramirez. A line kill by Jarvis gave the Stunners a 12-11 lead. But the Untouchables’ scrappy play helped them retake the lead at 15-14 from a tool by Milnaziak; and increased their lead to 23-20 after a cross court kill by Keesecker. The Untouchables won the set on a Stunners’ service error 25-22. 

Stunners opened the third set with a 4-0 lead from a tip kill by Amado, two Untouchables’ hitting errors and a Santiago kill off of an Untouchable overpass. A Stunners’ service error killed the run and Milnaziak followed up with a service ace for a 4-2 score. Back-to-back service aces by Chavers increase the lead to 7-2. Untouchables rallied back with a three short scoring runs on kills by Keesecker, Burrell, and #15 Nick Ramos to cut the lead to 12-11. But Stunners kept their composure and increased their lead back to as many as five points at 20-15 after a West service ace. Untouchables attempted a rally with a service ace from #4 setter Ian Capp and kills by Burrell and Buffum but fell short. The set ended on a line kill by Jarvis 25-21. 

Although the Untouchables scored first and took an early lead in the fourth set the Stunners dominated the set after a block by West gave them a 3-2 lead. Stunners increased their lead to 8-4 after kills by Santiago, West and Jarvis. Much of the Untouchables’ scores for the remainder the set came from the Stunners’ 7 service errors. The only real Untouchables’ points came from a service ace by Ramos and kills by Keesecker, Ramos, and Burrell. Stunners scored on kills by Chavers, Amado, Santiago and Jarvis. The set and match ended on an Untouchables’ service error. 

Stunners’ Joey Jarvis and Untouchables’ Eddie Keeseckder led all players with 15 kills each. Followed by Stunners’ Cory Chavers and Jaire Santiago with 11 and Untouchables’ Thomas Burrell scored 9 kills and Jake Milnaziak with 7 kills. 

Stunners Extinguish Blaze in 5 Sets and Secure a Spot in the NVA Playoffs

The Blaze committed three hitting errors to start set number one and kills by Corey Chavers #6 and Jair Santiago #15 and serve ace by setter Nikola Dimitrijevic gave the Stunners a commanding 6-0 lead. The Blaze finally scored a clean point on a kill by #14 Jonathan Rodriguez. The Stunners managed to keep their 6-point lead for most of the match thanks to the way setter Dimitrijevic lead a balance offense. Everyone of the Stunners got in on the action either with a kill, service ace or block. Scores for the Stunners came from kills by #22 MB Nick Amado, Chavers, Santiago and #9 MB Nick West and #7 Joey Jarvis; and setter Dimitrijevic also scored on a dump. West contributed a block and Chavers Santiago each had a service ace. The Blaze did well to stay within reach of starting a rally and score points from kills by #1 Steven Morales, #5 MB Pedro Nieves, #12 Travis O’Gorman, #8 Pablo Guzman; dump by #16 setter Edison Zhou and Rodriguez service ace. After 21-14 the Blaze cut the lead to 21-17 thanks to O’Gorman kill, Rodriguez service ace and Stunners’ hitting error. But the Stunners sided out well the rest of the set on two kills by Chavers, Jarvis and West. The set ended on a hitting error by the Blazes that gave the Stunners a 25-21 win. 

Stunners and Blaze battled back and forth in the second set with both teams siding out. The Stunners scored first on a an Amado block and Santiago kill to 2-0 and kept the lead throughout the match but never by more than 3 points. However, the Blaze did manage to tie the score six times but never found a way to take the lead. Blaze relied mostly on Morales with 5 kills and one block and Nieves with 3 kills. Nine Blaze points came from Stunners’ service and hitting errors. Stunners scored most of their points on kills by Santiago who had 7 kills. Amado and West each had 2 kills and one block; and #18 Matt Hilling who came off the bench for Chavers had two kills and a service ace. With the score 24-22 Blaze’s O’Gorman scored on a bic to cut the lead to 24-23. But the Stunners’ Santiago scored the next point on a kill for a 25-23 win. 

Stunners scored the first point from a Blaze error. Blaze took their first lead after two consecutive Stunners’ hitting errors to 4-3. Stunners retook the lead with a mini run from a block by #3 MB Shayne Beamer, kill by Jarvis and Santiago ace to 8-6. After the Blaze cut the lead to 1 point, they took the lead back on consecutive scores by a Nieves and O’Gorman kills and Nieves block to 14-12. Blaze increased their lead to 16-13 after a Stunners’ hitting error. Stunners chipped away at the lead and tied the match 21-21 after a Hilling block. But the Blaze hung on to end the set on consecutive kills by Rodriguez and O’Gorman for a 25-23 win.  

Stunners took the early lead in set number four from four mini runs and built a 5 point lead. The first included consecutive kills by Chavers, Jarvis. The second by West and Chavers. Third on kill by Chavers, service ace by West and another Chavers’ kill. The fourth from kills by Chavers, Amado and Santiago for a 13-8 score. Blaze scored on their points from three Stunners’ service errors and kills by Guzman and Morales and block by Nieves. Blaze picked up their defense and slowly chipped away at the Stunners’ lead and tied the score at 24-24 after a Morales kill and then took the lead on an O’Gorman service ace to 25-24. Stunners sided-out and tied the score  until 26-26. But the Blaze won the set after a Nieves block and O’Gorman kill 28-26. 

Blaze took a 3-0 lead from a Stunner’s hitting error, Zhou service ace and Morales block. Stunners tied the score after two Blaze hitting errors and block by Amado to 3-3. Blaze and Stunners exchanged leads. At 9-9 Stunners took a lead they’d never give up after a Chavers cross court kill and increased their lead to 3 points after a Blaze error and Santiago kill off the block to 12-9. Blaze rallied to cut the lead to 14-13 after a Stunner hitting error and kill by Rodriguez to 14-13. Stunners won the match from a Blaze service error 15-13. 

Stunners Sweep and Ruin Tornadoes’ Late Run for the Playoffs

Stunners scored the first point on a kill by #15 Jair Sanches-Santiago and took a 3-0 lead after a Tornadoes’ hitting error and kill by #6 Corey Chavers. The Tornadoes scored their first point on a block by #5 Sean Smith for a 3-1 score. The Untouchables tied the score at 4-4 after a kill by #20 Felix Chapman and dump by setter #19 Michael Quinones. Stunners countered with their own mini run on kills by #3 Shayne Beamer and #7 Joey Jarvis and kept a 2-point lead. Although the Stunners sided-out well they gave free points to the Tornadoes on service and hitting errors that kept the score close. But the Stunners slowly increased their lead on back-to-back scoring runs from #12 Kevin Gear and Santiago to 8-5; Beamer and Chavers to 13-9; and Santiago and Chavers to 15-10. During this run Tornadoes scored most of their points from Stunners’ hitting and service errors. And only scored 5 clean points from a Quinones service ace and two kills by Chapman, a kill by #69 Steven Roschitz and a kill by #11 MB Aaron King. At 23-18 the Stunners closed out the set with a kill by Chavers, block by Jarvis and won the set on a kill by Jarvis 25-19. 

Tornadoes scored the first point on a kill by Chapman. Stunners scored their first point on a kill by Beamer and tied the score 2-2. Tornadoes took the lead on a kill by #18 Carlos Luna. Stunners tied the score and took a 1-point lead after a Santiago kill, service ace by #27 Roberto Ramirez and Chavers’ kill to 9-8. After a Gear tied the score at 13-13 on a kill, Tornadoes regained the lead on a dump kill by setter Quinones. The Stunners retook the lead after a Tornadoes hitting error and Santiago kill to 17-15. But the Tornadoes regained the lead again from two consecutive kills by Chapman and block by Quinones to 19-18. Tornadoes kept the lead until the Stunners took it back again at 22-21 after a Chavers’ kill and Tornadoes’ hitting error. Two errors in a row by both teams led to a 22-22 tie. Chavers scored a kill on the next possession for a 23-22 Stunners’ lead. The Stunners won the set on two consecutive Tornadoes’ hitting errors 25-22. 

In set number three the Stunners started it with a hitting error that gave the Tornadoes a 1-0 lead. Stunners scored their first clean point on a kill by Chavers to 1-1. The Tornadoes didn’t score a clean point until a kill from Chapman to tie the set 3-3. The Stunners kept a 1-point lead until a Chapman kill and Stunners’ hitting error relinquished the lead to the Tornadoes 7-6. After Chapman kill tied the score at 10-10. The Stunners retook the lead from back-to-back kills by Santiago to 12-10. At 14-12 the Stunners increased their lead on kills by Chavers and Gear to 16-12 and then again to 20-14 on a kill by Santiago followed by a Beamer block. The Tornadoes’ Smith sided-out on a kill to 20-15. The Tornadoes scored their last clean point on a kill by Chapman. The set closed out with back-to-back kills by Beamer, Stunners’ service error and won the set and match on a kill by Santiago 25-18 for the sweep. 

Stunners’ Corey Chavers and Tornadoes’ Felix Chapman led all players with 15 kills. Jair Sanchez-Santiago had 14 kills, Shayne Beamer 6 kills and Kevin Gear and Joey Jarvis each had 5 kills. The next Tornadoes with the most kills behind Chapman were Steven Roschitz with 3 kills and Aaron King and Michael Quinones with 2 kills each. The Stunners also scored on 3 service aces and 4 blocks. And Tornadoes on 1 service ace and 3 blocks. 

Game 4, Orange County Stunners V.S Ontario Matadors

Set 1

The OC Stunners, coming off a 0-3 start in the first tournament face off against the 2-1 Ontario Matadors. The Stunners started off with an ace from ST43, which was then followed up by an error from Joey Jarvis starting the game off 1-1. The Matadors and Stunners go point for point until a kill by Joey Jarvis takes the teams into the technical timeout, 8-7 Stunners. Joey Jarvis then gets an ace and back to back blocks by Corey Chavers sends the Matadors into another timeout with a score of 12-7. A kill by Alvarao Ascues and Jesus Serrano, followed by a block by Gabriel Cruz allowed the Matadors to close the gap to a score of 12-13, until Corey Chavers answered back with a sideout. The Stunners then create a significant gap led by a block and a kill by Nick Amado, 18-13. The Stunners then maintained their lead until a couple of defensive stops, ending with a kill from Mauro Isaac brought the score up to 23-20. Nick West and then Nick Amado both had kills to end the game 25-21.

Set2

Set 2 started off similar to set 1, where both teams were trading points until the technical timeout where the Stunners led 8-7. Jair Santiago then committed a block error, which was followed up by a service ace from Gabriel Cruz which tied the game up at 9-9. Three errors from the Matadors and a block from Nick West gave the Stunners a 14-9 advantage. The Matadors responded with two kills from Mauro Isaac and one from Martin Petris, but the momentum was halted after a massive block by Corey Chavers to go into the technical timeout, 16-12 Stunners. After the timeout, the Stunners picked up momentum with two aces by Joey Jarvis, and two blocks by Nick West to secure a 20-13 lead. The Stunners then cruise to an easy win with two kills by Nick Amado and three kills by Jair Santiago.

Set3

Set 3 also started off similar as the first two sets, where both teams traded points into and past the technical timeout. It wasn’t until 9-9 with the Matadors leading that the Stunners started making some plays, with a block by Nick West to grab a 10-9 lead. The Stunners then created some separation again with kills from middle blockers Nick Amado and Nick West, partnered with kills from Jair Santiago to create a five point lead at 18-13. Mauro Isaac and Martin Petris fought hard though, both notching kills to try and rally the team, but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Stunners offense, final score 25-19.

Game 3: Las Vegas Ramblers v.s Orange County Stunners

Set 1

Set 1 started off heavily in the Stunners favor, as Randy Morales went back and knocked down two aces to allow the Stunners to have some early momentum. Kills by Chris Chappell’e and two from Nick Amado gave the Stunners a nice lead of 8-3 going into the technical timeout. The Stunners used the momentum coming out of the timeout as Nick Amado notched another kill, and an unfortunate error from Ryan Mathergave the Stunners a lot of leeway going into the next technical timeout at 15-9. Antwain Aguillard had a response after getting two kills but Chris Chappell’e responded with a kill and a block of his own, the score was 19-12 Stunners. The Ramblers attempted a response, but couldn’t really build momentum with kills from Brandon Rattray and Antwain Aguillard but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Stunners. Final score 25-17

Set 2

The Ramblers came into the second set a little more fired up than the first set, with multiple kills from Antwain Aguillard and Sean Dennis, and several errors from the Stunners such as a missed serve by Shayne Beamer and a missed set by Randy Morales, the Ramblers went into the technical timeout up 8-5. The Ramblers maintained a solid lead throughout the mid-match, with help from Brandon Rattray, notching two kills, and Nick Amado with two errors, they maintained a solid lead of 15-9. The Stunners then had a response, with three kills from Chris Chappell’e and a block from Randy Morales, they tied up the game at 17-17. Brandon Rattray responded with a huge kill but kills from Chris Chappell’e, Randy Morales, and Nick Amado gave the Stunners a lead of 22-20. An error by Brandon Rattray and a final kill by Chris Chappell’e gave the Stunners a win. Final score 25-22.

Set 3

Set three was a little tighter than the two previous sets, with Stunners and Ramblers both exchanging aces, one from Shayne Beamer and one from Brandon Rattray. After the ace exchange they proceeded to continuously sideout until a kill by a missed serve by Sean Dennis gave the Stunners a lead of 8-6. The Stunners then made more mistakes, as Steven Duhoux notched another ace, tying the game at 10-10. Both teams exchanged points once again until at15-15 the Ramblers went on a run accompanied by a block and a kill from Brandon Rattray. The Stunners could not keep up as Antwain Aguillard and Brandon Rattray both got two kills and two blocks, which proceeded to give them momentum for the rest of the game. Final score 25-17 Ramblers.

Set 4

Set four was similar to set three where both teams traded sideouts until a kill by Corey Chavers gave the Stunners a 8-7 lead going into the technical timeout. Coming out of the timeout Antwain Aguillard answered back with a huge kill, catching them up but a kill and an ace from Corey Chavers gave the Stunners a two point lead of 11-9. The Ramblers responded with their own energy, with a kill and an ace from Ryan Matherand a kill from Steven Duhoux, the Ramblers were able to steal the lead back at 14-12. Ryan Matherand Steven Duhoux of the Ramblers then committed two errors and a kill from Corey Chavers and an ace from Nick West tied the game up at 16-16. Both teams battled and sided out until Jair Santiago got hot with three kills and two aces from Nick Amado sealed the game 25-22 with the Stunners squeaking one out.

Game 3: Orange County Stunners V.S Utah Stingers

Set 1

The OC Stunners look to go 3-0 on the weekend after going winless at Event 1 in San Bernardino. The Utah Stingers hope to bounce back from their two losses to the Ramblers and Team Freedom which both went to five sets. Nikola Dimitrijevic established his middles early, with Shayne Beamer scoring the first three points for the Stunners. Continuing the Middle sets, Nick West added some kills and a wild ace serve while Jair Santiago got into a good rhythm to keep the Stunners in front at 10-7. The Stingers responded well with high IQ plays from Jorge Mencia and good offensive distribution and defense from setter Leo Durkin. Although a tight battle, the Stunners finished the set strong with textbook triple blocks from Corey Chavers and high efficiency from Santiago.

Set 2

Bringing Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga back into the match, the Stingers found early success. An excellent scramble dig from Romero, one-hand set from Alex Shmelev to a kill by Storm that left the Stunners rattled. But as the Stingers began to develop a lead, Santiago started to unleash meteors down the line into libero Kai Dugquem who had no fear as each swing ricocheted off his body. A powerful back-row attack by Fa’agata-Tufuga plus a massive block by Romero on Chavers pushed the Stingers to a strong lead in the final leg of the set. Two consecutive floats serve aces by Hamilton Day secured the position for the Stingers as they won the set 25-21.

Set 3

Putting in a new lineup with setter Randy Ramirez, middle Nick Amado, and opposite Dillon Emery, the Stunners hoped to change the pace and correct for their loss in the last set. The Stingers middles Shmelev and Cory Metcalf showed their diverse skillset scoring a multitude of blocks and aces. Chavers and Romero began a battle of the pins in the latter part of the set as each tried to solidify their team’s lead, but both missed their service when it counted most. With an impressive commit block by Fa’agata-Tufuga on Nick West in the middle, the Stingers continued their domination and won the set 25-22.

Set 4

Once again, making a significant lineup change, the Stunners return Joey Jarvis, Beamer, Santiago, and Dimitrijevic to the court. The players try once again to establish their team chemistry. Romero continued to be the outlet for the Stingers. At the same time, Chavers began to soar above the block, making out-of-system plays look like perfect sets. After calling a timeout with a Stingers lead of 18-14, the Stunners backcourt came to life with Joey Jarvis and Josh Ayzenberg keeping the team alive, allowing them to return and take the lead 24-22. The Stingers feeling the pressure, called a timeout and was able to tie the game again at 24-24 before their unforced errors let the Stunners win the set 27-25

Set 5

The Stingers brought their a-game to start off the final set, with Romero starting off with an ace followed by Fa’agata-Tufuga hitting some fantastic shots over and through the Stunners sizeable blocks. As a characteristic of the Stunners so far in the event, Joey Jarvis is subbed for the youngest player Antonio Anguizola after Jarvis could not get any kills so far in the set. The substitution proved to be difficult, as the cold and unprepared Anguizola quickly made the serving target and aced off the court, with the Stingers leading 11-5. With Jarvis back on the court, Santiago on the service line, and West making clean transition kills, the Stunners made an astonishing return to get two points behind at 12-14. Just when it looked like the Stunners were about to pull off the impossible, Mencia swung a deep shot to the corner past the Stunners’ defense to end the game 15-13.