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 40thAnniversary 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!
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/virtual-convention/
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>Now three months removed from the last NVA season, OC Stunner’s Outside Hitter Corey Chavers is finally in Switzerland, beginning his 3rd season abroad with Chênois Genève VB. After a highly successful 2021 campaign with the Stunners, helping them win the NVA Championship and earning the ‘Tournament MVP,’ Chavers took his time deciding on his next move overseas. After months of offers and possibilities, he eventually inked his new contract, and it did not take long for his new journey to begin. Like so many other professional volleyball players who sign late contracts, he received only a single day’s notice to pack his bags and be ready to ship out so that his team could get him on the court in the hopes of an immediate impact. As Corey put it, “It’s been long overdue, but I’m glad I’ve ended up in a good spot after waiting so long to find the right team to play with!”
His arrival could not have come at a better time as his team prepares for their first match of the 2021/22 CEV Cup against the 1st place Swiss team, Lindaren Volley Amriswil. The two teams will play against each other in a best-of-three series over the next month, with their first match occurring on November 10th at 11 am PST. The winner of this series will play Neftochimik Burgas; currently, the top team in Bulgaria has competed in the CEV and Champions League for the last five years.
So far this season, Chênois Volley has experienced a rough start, failing to meet expectations after winning the Swiss League Championship last season. “Unfortunately, the team had some injuries before I got here, but now everyone is close to being at 100% once again,” Corey later shared. With plenty of the season left to go, Corey has already made his presence known, playing a crucial role in his club’s recent wins over Lausanne UC and Concordia Volley Luzern. These victories have resulted in the team’s improvement, moving from 5th to 3rd since he arrived.
Already, Corey has shown to be precisely what Chênois Volley needs this season, and their chemistry and strength as a team should only improve moving forward. “We’re already pretty solid playing together! There have been some normal misconceptions that come with new teammates, but it is nothing that can’t be ironed out in the next few weeks,” said Chavers.
Be sure to check out the Chênois Volley on Instagram (@chenoisvolley), Facebook (chenoisvolley), and their website (https://chenoisvolley.ch/) to stay up to date on their season and read more about the team’s history and sponsors. Fans can also find more information about the CEV Cup and see what other top teams will be competing. Follow the link below to see the tournament schedule! The OC Stunners wish the best of luck to our NVA 2021 MVP and cannot wait to see the experience gained after competing against the world’s best in the CEV.
https://www.cev.eu/club/cev-cup/men/
“Volley On With the NVA!”
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>Weightlifting has always been a crucial aspect of being a high level athlete. When looking at some of the world’s best athletes, they all can speak upon the importance of spending time in the weightroom to not only get stronger but to rehabilitate their bodies and prevent injury. The Stunners also take very seriously the benefits of weightlifting, for the strength of their athletes, and their endurance which is needed to succeed for long weekend tournaments and sometimes grueling practices. The Stunners, along with their strength coach and sports medicine specialist Panos Stavrou, pride themselves on their ability to practice and lift consecutive days of the week, which wouldn’t be possible without a weight room. Historically, the Stunners weight room has been considered pretty basic, but lately, an influx of funds and investment by Stunners and Panos has allowed the weight room to grow. What was just a squat rack before, has now included a wide variety of dumbbell weights, resistance bands, agility equipment, multiple olympic bars, and even has an olympic platform for those explosive lifts.
“The goal here is to create a space to help develop a culture around getting stronger.” Panos said. His main goal is increasing the potentiality of the weightroom is to provide a consistent space where athletes can come in, work hard, and support their fellow teammates. He went on to state, “A team’s success has a lot to do with the culture they create for themselves on and off the court, I want to create a culture that focuses on hard work and improving yourself.”
This is very important to the development of a team, and the players are buying in. Middle blocker, Nick Amado explained, “Weightlifting is a crucial aspect to the game of volleyball, because it is such an explosive sport.” He continued, “If you only practiced those explosive movements in the gym during practice, you won’t see any type of gains, whether that be in strength or vertical, so it allows you to really take your game to the next level.”
One important aspect of increasing the size of the weightroom is that it also creates another source of income for the players, or for Panos himself who enjoys personal training. “By getting certified, the players can develop their own programs and now train other people, or potentially younger players and create another source of income for themselves.” Panos also believes that by creating a bigger weightroom, others who aspire to become professional athletes can pay a monthly price and come in and train.
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A closer look at the 2020 Stunners team
Stunners fans get to enjoy a star-studded cast of volleyball athletes this year. Outside hitters like the legendary Matt Hilling, high flying bouncers with a plethora of professional experience like Ray Szeto and Steve Hunt, and hitters with heavy velocity like John Predney, and recent NCAA National champion Louis Richard are enough to excite. But the list goes on.
With the two Nicks in the middle, two-time NCAA National Champion Nick Amado and Nick West, a big Shayne Beamer who has been lifting heavy at his home gym during quarantine, and Nikita Stulenkov from Russia, we have a lot in the way to block the opponents attackers.
On the right side, you will see the powerful arm-swing of Johannes Brink, the intelligent lefty, Johl Awerkamp, and the clutch intensity of Dillon Emery.
Setting for the Stunners is Isaiah “Pono” Kaaa and John “Big Dog” Eddins. Andrew Sato is our libero who holds the current record at Long Beach State University for most career digs and he is nothing short of the best libero in the league. The backbone to the defense and the leader of the passers, it would be well-advised to look out for this special defender.
Head Coach of the Stunners is the experienced Kirk Francis and our in-house Physical Trainer is the highly respected, Panos Stavrou.
]]>NVA postpones season due to COVID-19
Faced with the uncertainties regarding the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the impact it will have on the sport of volleyball, despite having the infrastructure in place for one of the most anticipated season opening events thus far, the NVA postponed the season until further notice.
The statistics surrounding the pandemic are getting worse at the moment, but the kind people at NVA remain optimistic that they will have an opportunity to safely host an event this year. Meanwhile, the league announced that the safety of the athletes, coaches, and staff is their top priority. According to NVA staff, until the proposed scenarios for handling the health threat are implemented by authorities and improving the overall covid statistics, public safety will come first. And until the methods that would go into hosting an event with public safety at the forefront are well understood and approved by relevant officials, there would be no opening event. With the likelihood that another event gets canceled still up in the air, the athletes continue to train at home and the staff continues to have their weekly meetings in order to prepare for updates, both good and bad.
During a time when we are at the mercy of the CDC guidelines and the State Governor’s recommendations, it is unclear when the next event will take place and, better yet, what that will look like. Do players wear masks? Only the officials? Just the fans? Or, better yet, will the virus run its course and open the door for the entertainment that our beloved fans have been waiting for? Either way, the NVA will be here and looking for the next opportunity to provide world-class volleyball entertainment.
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