NCVF, USAV Partner to Host 2010 Collegiate Club Tourney
usavolleyball.org/news/article/15466COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 27, 2009) - The National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF), in cooperation with USA Volleyball, will host the 2010 NCVF National Collegiate Club Championship Tournament in Louisville, Ky., on April 1-3, 2010. The event will have both men's and women's championship divisions.
USA Volleyball serves as the national governing body for the sport of volleyball in the United States, while the NCVF acts as the national governing body for organized collegiate club volleyball competitions. For over two decades, NCVF volunteers have provided a full range of support for student club teams by promoting year-long affordable, organized and competitive volleyball events, and supporting a season-ending national championship tournament.
“USA Volleyball is proud to be connected with the NCVF and the NCVF National Collegiate Club Championship Tournament,” USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal said. “The NCVF organization and the great history behind this long-standing tournament fits well into our strategic grassroots initiatives to grow the sport at all levels and ages. The college club participants are a key demographic in bridging our successful junior membership into an expanding adult membership creating life-long volleyball participants.”
NCVF’s partnership with USA Volleyball brings added resources and specific expertise in event management and running large volleyball tournaments on multiple courts for people of all ages and abilities. USA Volleyball will provide site selection, housing and event management for the NCVF National Collegiate Club Championship Tournament.
USA Volleyball’s experience in event management at the adult level includes showcasing its USA Adult Open Volleyball Championships for 80 years since the organization’s founding in 1928. The Open has been a mainstay celebrating adult volleyball nationally. The event, which has averaged approximately 540 adult teams over the last six years, is one of the largest national championships in any sport in the United States. In addition, USAV hosts annually its USA Junior Olympic Girls’ Volleyball Championships (788 teams, approximately 9,000 athletes), the USA Junior Olympic Boys’ Volleyball Championships (approximately 400 teams and 4,500 athletes) and its internationally-flavored USA Volleyball High Performance Championships. Further, USA Volleyball produces the Summer National Senior Games’ volleyball programming.
“I look forward to working with USA Volleyball and drawing on its tournament expertise in order to make the event a memorable and positive experience for male and female collegiate club athletes,” NCVF National Tournament Chair Doug Hinton said.
“When you view USA Volleyball and NCVF staff, you are looking at people who are sincere volleyball people who are genuinely working in the best interest of the sport of volleyball and growing it,” said NCVF Director of Competition Gary Colberg, who co-founded NCVF along with Sante Perrelli, the current president of the NCVF. “They are the experts in the sport and running major events.”
With the combined strength of NCVF and USA Volleyball, the NCVF is in a position for sustained organizational growth, both in terms of number of teams and the various divisional assignments that encourage and support beginning through advanced-level players at the collegiate level. The partnership will extend beyond co-producing the NCVF Collegiate Volleyball Championship Tournament with planned outreach efforts through USA Volleyball to the college players. USA Volleyball will add resources to assist in officiating, coaching education and support for club programs across the country. NCVF is also planning to debut national club beach volleyball competitions and a national collegiate club beach volleyball championship next year.
“Our partnership with USAV is a giant step forward in providing a broader range of opportunities and resources for collegiate club athletes across the country,” Perrelli said. “NCVF commissioners and representatives have worked tirelessly to support this initiative and help grow the sport.”
“We are going to continue to grow college volleyball,” Colberg said. “We will never turn any team away who wants to be involved in a national collegiate club championship, which will keep this as an Open event without qualifiers.”
Two long-time prominent fixtures to the national championship tournament scene – Colberg and Jose Jones – will provide continuity of tournament leadership. Colberg, the NCVF Director of Competition, is in his 26th year and is the founder of the national collegiate club championship tournament. He also served as a long-time member of the USA Volleyball Board of Directors. Jones, the NCVF Tournament Director, has operated the national championship desk and been in charge of all division competitions for the past 18 years. In addition, Rick Washburn will use his expertise as coordinator of officials. The Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO) will conduct a camp in conjunction with the tournament. Both USAV and PAVO will provide officials from their respective ranks.
The 2010 Louisville championship event is endorsed by the following organizations and individuals as the official and exclusive 2010 national club championship event for all NCVF teams:
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association - Neiad Ammary, Commissioner
Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association - Trevor Hale, Commissioner
Middle Atlantic Club Volleyball Conference - Bob Herrmann, Commissioner
Northern Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference - José Jones, Commissioner
Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association - Sante Perrelli, Commissioner
Midwest Women’s Clubs - Anne Pufhal, Women’s Representative
Midwest Collegiate Volleyball Association - Mike Chinander, Commissioner
Independent Women’s Clubs - Mike Jackson, Women’s Representative
New England Collegiate Volleyball League - Jung Park, Commissioner
Northeast Women's Volleyball Club League - Jung Park, Commissioner
Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League - Joseanna Tse, Men's Commissioner; Robert Stamps, Women's Commissioner; Chelsea Reilley, Women’s Commissioner
Southern California Collegiate Volleyball League - Denny Cline, Commissioner
Mountain West Volleyball Conference - Clint Barnes, Commissioner
Penn Ohio Volleyball League - Paul Pisano, Commissioner
Wisconsin Volleyball Conference - Jason Smith, Commissioner
For more information on the NCVF, visit its Web site at
ncvfvolleyball.org.