Women's Volleyball
In the United States volleyball is popular with both
male and female participants of all ages; however, almost all high
schools and colleges have female volleyball teams; significantly
fewer have male teams. Some claim this is due in part to the
provisions of Title IX requiring institutions to fund men's and
women's sports equally overall but not necessarily equally for an
individual sport.
As a professional sport, volleyball has had limited success.
Numerous attempts have been made to start professional indoor
women's volleyball leagues. In 1987, the latest attempt went
bankrupt due to lack of fan interest and hence advertiser interest.
Two-man and two-woman professional beach volleyball leagues have
done better, most notably the Association of Volleyball
Professionals (AVP), but none have gained a wide following that
would get them consistent coverage by the major television networks.
In 2004 and again in 2005 NBC aired the Nissan Championship series,
with Fox Sports carrying the majority of the season. It is thought
that one of the reasons for limited coverage is the small stadium
audiences that beach volleyball competition attracts, which convey a
degree of unpopularity to television audiences. Part of the reason
for such small stadium audiences is the difficulty of erecting high
stands on loose sand. Those trying to make beach volleyball succeed
as a professional sport are trying to pattern it after professional
tennis. Those seeking to make indoor volleyball a professional sport
are trying to pattern it after professional basketball. Some think a
possible breakthrough for professional indoor volleyball will come
with the new emergence of indoor sand volleyball.
Junior Olympic Club Volleyball (JOV) was developed by the United
States Volleyball Association in order to foster the growing
popularity of the sport and prepare young men and women for eventual
placement on the United State's Olympic Games volleyball team. JOV
is often called club volleyball and is separate from the high school
sports in which teens compete, much like AAU basketball. Club season
typically lasts from the end of November until May, with the annual
national tournament taking place in early June. Teams play
tournaments throughout the season establishing their ranking in the
various regions and preparing for Nationals.
The club season, long considered a supplemental place for girls and
boys to gain experience in preparation for their upcoming
high-school seasons, is now an almost necessity to stay competitive
in the local high schools. It is also extremely important in the
college recruitment process, as most college seasons coincide with
state high school seasons, causing the college coaches to miss the
entire season. This time is made up during the club season when
college coaches are able to travel to various tournaments and meet
with club coaches, watch club players and recruit for their teams.
In order to qualify for Nationals, teams must compete in National
Qualifiers. There are nine qualifying tournaments across the country
to which teams travel in order to gain an invitation to Nationals.
Top teams attend these tournaments to earn their bids, and college
coaches will attend in order to view the year's crop of players.
Today volleyball is the one of the most popular girls sports, and
strong high school and club programs are found throughout the
country. Arguably the biggest event in high school-age sports, the
annual Volleyball Festival in Reno, Nevada, (formerly in Sacramento,
California) draws over 10,000 players for its five-day tournament.
Boys volleyball is popular on a regional basis, and by far the
greatest number of boys teams are in Southern California. |
