USA Volleyball is pleased to announced that the City of Dallas and the Dallas Sports Commission will host the Second Annual USA Volleyball Girls’ 18s Junior National Championships (GJNC18) from April 21-23 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas.
The tournament, which is expected to draw approximately 240 teams of 18-and-under players from across the country - will crown champions in five age divisions: Open, National, USA, American and Patriot Divisions. Unlike the first edition held last year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this year’s GJNC18 will include the American Division with a 64-team field size. In past years, the 18s American Division has been held in the summer with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships that has age divisions ranging from 11 to 18.
“USA Volleyball is excited to take the second USA Volleyball Spring Girls’ 18s Junior National Championships to Dallas,” USA Volleyball Senior Director Tom Pingel said. “The city, the sports commission and the venue have been great partners in support of USA Volleyball and its events through the years and we know that these Championships will be every bit of a success.”
Dallas has served a tremendous host city partner of many past USA Volleyball events. The USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships have been held in Dallas in 1998 and 2008. The USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships were also staged in Dallas in 1998 and 2016. The USA Volleyball Open National Championships have been held in Dallas four times (1960, 1996, 2002 and 2011). Dallas has hosted two weekends of the FIVB World League as the U.S. Men’s National Team hosted Italy, France and Korea in 2012 followed by Russia, Australia and Bulgaria earlier this summer.
“We are very happy to host USA Volleyball for the 2017 Girls’ Junior National Championships,” Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul. “We have a great tradition of volleyball events here in Dallas and we look forward to welcoming the athletes and their families to our great city.”
Prior to the inaugural GJNC18 held this past spring, this event was part of the overall USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) held in late June and early July with divisional championships starting at the 11-and-under age group and all championship flights held in the same facility over a 10-day period. Based on feedback from the junior volleyball community and the numerous time and calendar challenges within the 18s age group involving college preparation, recruiting, high school graduation and down time for athletes, USA separated the 18s divisions from the (GJNC) and moved it earlier in the calendar.
“The feedback and response has been favorable,” Pingel said on separating out the GJNC18 and playing it in the spring. “This was a response to the wants and needs of the players and their families. It only makes sense to continue with the earlier schedule for the foreseeable future.”
About USA Volleyball: Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the disciplines of beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and sitting volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball has over 325,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $31 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men's and women's senior national team programs for beach, indoor and sitting volleyball; youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education, certification programs and grassroots development across all disciplines. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984, three Paralympic medals since 2004 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information on USA Volleyball, visit www.usavolleyball.org.
About the Dallas Sports Commission: The Dallas Sports Commission pursues amateur, grassroots, collegiate and professional championship events, positioning Dallas as the premier sports destination. A division of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Dallas Sports Commission focuses on generating economic impact as well as improving the quality of life within the community through sports. More than 75 future events are on the schedule for the Dallas Sports Commission, including the Elite Rodeo Association World Championship and the 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
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