News & Events

Contact: Showcase Public Relations
Volleyball Hall of Fame
(413) 536-0926
1 October 2007
For Immediate Release

Volleyball Hall of Fame presents the
Spalding Showcase of Champions Girls’ Invitational

- Features top teams from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York

Holyoke, Mass. --- The Volleyball Hall of Fame will host girls’ high school volleyball teams at the Spalding Showcase of Champions Girls’ Invitational Tournament in the “birthplace of volleyball.” The tournament will include 25 of the most competitive girls’ volleyball teams from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York at Holyoke Community College on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 12-14.

The first of the 13 matches will be played Friday at 5 p.m. featuring both Holyoke teams, Dean Technical High School and Holyoke High School, in what has been coined the “Founders Game.” Play will continue through Sunday evening. Key match ups include the Division II Western Massachusetts Champions, Amherst Regional High School, facing the Division III State Champions Frontier Regional High School and the Massachusetts Division II State Champion, Medfield High, facing the Class A New York State Champions, Hendrick Hudson High at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The complete schedule of events is available at www.volleyhall.org.

Also, the Showcase will present a skills competition for players on Saturday and Sunday between 2 and 3 pm. While planning the tournament, the committee discovered that there were currently no known skills competitions for volleyball that were the volleyball equivalent of a home run derby or a slam dunk contest. As a result, a skills competition was created by Peer Nasseir, head volleyball coach at Mount Holyoke College, and his team, and will be the first of its kind. This exciting and historic event will showcase skills of one player from each team in a two minute competition using their skills of passing, setting, serving, and spiking, each for a 30-second span.

“Given the amazing caliber of the teams and their scholar athletes, along with the fun activities and contests, we have really created a terrific event for all sports fans and their families to attend,” said Aaron Patterson, showcase committee chairman and director of athletics for the city of Holyoke. “We invite everyone to enjoy great high-level volleyball at an excellent volleyball facility.”

Tickets purchased in advance are $5 and can be purchased at participating high schools or by calling the Volleyball Hall of Fame at (413) 536-0926. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door $6 for Students and $8 for Adults.

The showcase is a part of the Hall of Fame Induction Celebration. The Induction takes place on Thursday, October 11. Six international greats will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for their contribution to the sport in an afternoon ceremony. Those honored include: Bob Ctvertlik of the United States, Kerri Pottharst of Australia, Andrea Gardini of Italy, Dimitar Zlantanov of Bulgaria, Carlos Nuzman of Brazil, and Yuan Weimin of China.

The enshrinement ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Fame located at 444 Dwight St. in Heritage State Park. Admission to the ceremony is free of charge, but it is recommended to call ahead to reserve seating. The Volleyball Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner will be held later that evening at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House. It begins at 6 p.m, and includes videos highlighting the inductees’ careers in Volleyball.

This event was made possible due to the generosity of many sponsors. These include: Spalding, Holyoke Community College, Clear Channel, CBS-3 Springfield, Western Mass Sports Journal, Mass Live, Socha Sign, and Sweetdog Photos. The Volleyball Hall of Fame would like to thank those sponsors and invite everyone to come out for the first ever Spalding Showcase of Champions.

The Volleyball Hall of Fame, incorporated in 1978, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the great men and women of the sport, and the promotion of volleyball worldwide.