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
]]>All-Star Cuban pin hitters Inovel Romero and Jorge “Menci” Mencia return to Puerto Rico to compete again with the Mets de Guaynabo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is not the first time the two have competed for the team as Menci competed for them back in 2014/15 and Romero, who played for them last year, winning the 2019/20 Puerto Rican League Championships.
The Mets de Guaynabo have been the most dominant team in the league in the past decade. They have found themselves on the podium every year since 2010. From that, they have even taken home the gold for the last four years straight, making them the team to beat this season. Another championship this year would put Guaynabo at third for total gold medals, tying with the Cafeteros de Yauco with seven gold medals.
The killer duo were monsters in the NVA this year, and they will surely do the same this season as the Mets look to solidify their dynasty. Paired with the NVA’s top setter from this year, Stunner’s Randy Ramirez, it has been near impossible for any other team to beat them so far. Already with a winning record of 6-1, the Mets are still the heavy favorites to win this year.
To stay connected with the team, be sure to go and follow the Guaynabo Mets (@metsvoleibol), Inovel Romero (@inovelromero_15), and Jorge Mencia (@menci_) on Instagram. On the team page, fans can find information about the players, upcoming games, and team sponsors. The Stingers wish the best of luck to these guys as they continue to represent Utah in such a great way.
“Volley On With the NVA!”
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>As the National Volleyball Association prepares to announce two new teams (12 total) for the 2022 season, two critical questions come to mind. As the NVA attempts to establish a men’s professional volleyball league, where will the NVA find high-level volleyball players to fill the rosters?
Comparing the size of men’s college volleyball programs in the U.S. to basketball, football, and baseball, one might assume that there isn’t a large enough pool of talented players. The NFL, NBA, and MLB have a more extensive collection of college players to draft from their own country. College football has 130 Division I and 169 Division II college programs. College basketball with 350 Division I and 300 Division II. And College baseball 299 and 274. While in volleyball, there are only 23 NCAA Division I and 25 Division II colleges.
A unique difference between these sports programs is the maximum scholarship that Division I volleyball programs can provide. In basketball, the NCAA maximum scholarship limit is 13 for Division I and 10 for Division II. Football Division I gets 83 and Division II 36. Baseball Division I has 11 and 7. While volleyball only receives a maximum scholarship limit of 4.5 for both divisions. Because of this, many top talent players turn away from going to more expensive Division 1 programs without a scholarship and instead choose to compete for more affordable options.
So rather than only finding top players from Division II and II volleyball programs, there are tons more in other programs with Division III (107), NAIA (43), and Junior College (41). Therefore, the NVA has access to 239 volleyball programs with 2,868 players to recruit from each year.
There are currently about 136 professional volleyball players in the NVA’s ten-team roster. And they all represent volleyball programs from Division I, II, and III, junior colleges, NAIA, and club teams.
Division I colleges represented in the NVA are Long Beach State, UCLA, Hawaii, U.C. San Diego, Cal State Northridge, BYU, Ohio State, Penn State, U.C. Santa Cruz, Grand Canyon, IPFW, Sacred Heart, and California Baptist University.
Division II programs Concordia, McKendree University, Quincy University, George Mason, Lee McRae College, and King University.
Division III programs Elmira University, Juniata, Southern Virginia University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Eastern Mennonite, Lakeland University, Ramapo College, Kean University, Rutgers, Alvernia University, University of LaVerne, and Elms College.
Junior Colleges Golden West, Long Beach City, Orange Coast, Humber, Austin Community, and the University of Puerto Rico Carolina. In NAIA Hope International University, Westcliff University, Park University, Grand View University, Saint Javier University, Clarke University, Siena Heights, Benedictine, Graceland, Missouri Baptist
Then for club programs East Stroudsburg University, Robert Morris, Virginia University of Technology, University of Central Florida, Valencia College. West Virginia, Minnesota, Flori-da Atlantic, Spring Arbor, Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, University of North Texas, Texas State University, University of Texas Arlington, Angelo State University Texas, and Utah Valley.
The second question is, “Are these players talented enough to play at a professional level?” The answer is “Yes.”
In many ways, U.S. college programs are revered at the same caliber as other professional programs worldwide. Many of our college volleyball players have successful careers as top prospects in the utmost professional leagues in Europe, all the way from Division I to Junior colleges. The proof is in the number of players who graduate after college to play professional volleyball in other countries. And some of these players are on the NVA roster.
– Jorge Mencia played – China, Cuba, Indonesia, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
– Inovel Romero – Lebanon, Bahrain, Puerto Rico, and France.
– Antwain Aguillard – Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and Romania.
– Brandon Rattray – Spain and Germany.
– Ryan Mather – Finland, Luxembourg, Denmark.
– Ryan Manoogian – Austria, Norway, Romania, and Finland.
– Matt Hilling – Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, and Israel.
– Nick West – Austria, France, Germany, and Sweden.
– Nick Amado – Spain.
– Joey Jarvis – Germany and Israel.
– Shayne Beamer – Denmark and England.
– Corey Chavers – Italy, Sweden, and Indonesia.
– Josh Aysenberg – Israel.
– Pedro Nieves – Greece and Israel.
– Greg Faulkner – Peru, and Romania.
– Langston Payne – Greece.
– Kyle Dagostion – Slovenian.
– Joe Norman – Croatia, Belgium, and South Korea.
– Felix Chapman – France.
– Jake Langlois – Italy and Poland.
– Leo Durkin – Germany.
There is no doubt the professional volleyball talent pool in the NVA represents the best of the best in the USA. Every year, more players returning from abroad are eager to continue their professional careers close to home, increasing high-level competition within the NVA. Therefore, it’s time to support the growth of the professional men’s volleyball league, which will help create a professional pipeline for talented in the same manner as the MLB, NBA, and NFL.
As the league continues to grow, it will only be a matter of time before all of the U.S. Men’s Team will be playing on home soil. Then, even more international players will be eager to have the experience of living and playing in the United States, which has never been an option for them until now!
“Volley On With the NVA!”
– By NVA Staff Writer
]]>This last week volleyball fans everywhere saw the conclusion of the NCAA 20/21 Division 1 Men’s Volleyball Season as the University of Hawaii swept Brigham Young University in Columbus, OH. The two teams, ranked 1st and 2nd respectively, had only played once against each other since before last year’s season ended due to the pandemic. There BYU swept Hawaii in three and then lost 2-3 in a doubleheader, and the two teams seemed destined to have one of the biggest title fights in NCAA. But where BYU had shown to be the favorite in the final, they proved to be no match for the determination and resolve that Hawaii seniors brought forward.
Despite their loss, the cougars pulled off a fantastic season and have produced a superior graduating class of seniors under Shawn Olmstead’s coaching staff. The Utah Stingers are excited to see where these players’ volleyball careers might take them this next year. For Opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez, expect to see him return to play with the Puerto Rican national team to compete in the next NORCECA and Pan American Games. Middle Blocker, Felipe Brito, can return as a paid professional in Brazilian SuperLiga and even fight for a spot with the Brazilian National Team in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Then will Setter Wil Stanley continue to follow in the steps of his older brother, 3x Olympian Clayton Stanley, and compete in Greece and Russia or blaze his separate path.
Wherever any of these graduated seniors go this next year, it will be great to see BYU alumni continuing to influence the game wherever they go. Hopefully, the Stingers and other teams in the NVA will bring on one of these great players and help continue their professional volleyball careers here in the United States.
Read more about the championship head-on BYU’s website by following the link below.
https://byucougars.com/story/m-volleyball/1296390/byu-falls-hawaii-2021-ncaa-title-match
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After playing his first year of professional volleyball in the United States with the Utah Stingers, Jake Langlois put his mark on the NVA. Not only did Jake spearhead to move to take first in the league, but his performance also earned him the MVP and Best Outside Hitter of the tournament. Just as other US National Team players have done for the NVA, including David Lee and Russel Holmes, Jake has set the bar for the rest of the league this season. However, his success last year has only been one of many as Jake’s career has skyrocketed since he started playing at BYU.
Only playing soccer and golf before reaching BYU, Jake’s only exposure from the sport would have been from his dad’s stories of playing for the club team while at BYU. However, like most people who go through a ten-inch growth spurt in their senior year, as Jake did, he needed a new sport where his height would give him an advantage. Joining the team as a walk-on, Jake was a sponge to all the new skills it took to play the sport, getting to watch and learn from other BYU greats like Taylor Sander and Ben Patch. But what helped prepare Jake to lead the cougars and play amongst the best athletes in the world was his pure enjoyment of playing volleyball. Where other teammates had been locked in their positions for years, Jake had the freedom to pick up all of his skills at once and become any player he wanted to be.
https://magazine.byu.edu/article/walk-on-to-all-star/
Since starting his volleyball journey, Jake has been on a nonstop ride to the top, smiling through every challenge he has faced. Twice being named an AVCA First-Team All-American and two-time All-MPSF First Team Selection, Langlois led his team to the NCAA Finals in his last two years at BYU. Following his graduation, Jake spent two years playing in two of the world’s most prestigious professionals with Gi Group Monza in Italy A1 and MKS Będzin in the Polish PlusLiga. Jake was also selected for the US national team, where the fun hasn’t stopped. With the USA, Jake has won a Bronze medal in the 2018 World Championships and a 3rd (2018) and 2nd (2019) place finish in the Volley Nations League. With the VNL looking to restart again with an NBA-style bubble hosted in Rimini, Italy, Jake is highly likely to be back on the international stage this May.
https://www.volleyball.world/en/vnl/2021/competition/event-intro
“So far, it’s been an awesome time joining the Utah Stingers. It’s fun to play with a lot of the people I played with at BYU. I am hoping to see the NVA grow into something like the NBA, MLB, and NFL. Once people see men’s volleyball, I know they are going to be drawn to it instantly.” – Jake Langlois
The NVA is proud to have such an outstanding player in the league, representing his Alma Matter with plenty of other all-star Cougars on the Utah Stingers. The 2021 NVA season is fast approaching, and fans won’t want to miss all the action! Make sure to check out the Stingers website (https://stingers.nvausa.com/) and follow the team on Instagram (@stingersnvausa) and Facebook to get weekly media updates of the team. To find out more about Jake, you can find him on Instagram and watch him live-streamed this season on the NVA YouTube page!
]]>To excel at anything in life, hard work and dedication to one’s craft are needed to reach the top and achieve one’s dream, including becoming a professional athlete. Be it the commitment to the hustle or respecting the process, one must be willing to go above and beyond the average person to be the best. For Utah Stinger’s setter, Leo Durkin, his grind in the gym and off the court has given him a fruitful career in the sport. Now committing to another season back home with the Stingers, the team is looking set to have their captain back on the court.
Coming to BYU as a walk-on, Leo found himself having to work up the ropes for a starting position as a redshirt in 2012. The endeavor took more than three years as well, as Leo left for two years to attend his mission in New York before starting his official freshman season in 2015. But rather than lose hope in those three years, Leo dug deep and gave the upperclassmen a run for their money at every chance he got. His wait was well worth it as he got to lead the cougars during an unprecedented period where he set some outstanding players such as Jake Langlois, Brenden Sanders, Gabi Garcia, and Ben Patch. Giving his all to the cause, Leo gave his all-stars every opportunity to score, which earned him three AVCA All-American Honorable Mentions. Without his precedent on the court, it is unlikely that the Cougars would have seen the same results. With Leo as the starting setter, BYU made it to three final four appearances and took home two NCAA Second place finishes.
“You’ve got to be willing to do it all and commit to doing the boring stuff in training. That hard work will make volleyball easier to enjoy later, even when you’re old and busted.” – Leo Durkin.
Since graduating, Leo has gone on to play a year in Germany with SVG Lüneburg, which has been a prosperous home for American players overseas for the last five years. https://svg-lueneburg.de/neuer-zuspieler-aus-den-usa/. Through BYU and SVG Lüneburg, Leo has also worked as a sales representative and manager for Aptive Environmental since 2015. To play collegiate sports, earn a postgraduate degree in Neuroscience, become a professional athlete in another country while working after hours is a real testament to Leo’s work ethic. Now settling down to work in Provo, Utah, and play for the Stingers, Leo lives a calmer life with even more time and energy to play the sport he loves. After being named the best setter of the 2020 NVA Championships, Leo is sure to have even more in-store and more to prove this season.
To find more information about the club and to get weekly media updates, fans can check out the team’s website (https://stingers.nvausa.com/) and follow their Instagram (@stingersnvausa) and Facebook page. Make sure to check out the NVA’s Youtube page to catch reruns of the Stingers 2020 Championship match and live-streamed coverage of the 2021 season, with the first matches starting soon on April 23rd-25th.
]]>Originating from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Carson Heninger brings the Utah Stingers a lifetime of experience, playing volleyball since he was a young child. As long as he could remember, Carson was around the sport with his father being a local volleyball coach. As a little kid, Carson would attend his father’s practices, spending a lot of time there playing pepper with his brother or developing his serve on open courts. Carson played basketball and baseball, in addition to volleyball, while he attended Magrath High School. He also has proved to be a dedicated athlete competing in triathlons in his spare time.
While playing for his father’s high school team, Carson was named a Second-team All-Star his sophomore year and a First-team All-Star in both his junior and senior year. Additionally, Carson took a Fourth-place national finish with his club team Canuck Stuff Volleyball Club.
Before transferring to BYU, Carson played at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada, in 2010, where he received an all-conference second team nomination. While there, he also spent a few years completing his mission call to serve others in Baguio, Philippines. From Mount Royal, Carson transferred to BYU and played there from 2012-2016, where he played alongside current USA National Team players Taylor Sander, Ben Patch, and Jake Langlois.
Getting his bachelor’s degree in exercise science at BYU, Carson has since switched career paths and has a successful career as a restructuring and insolvency attorney. Since quarantine, Carson has kept in shape playing golf in the mornings as he continues working from home, which has allowed him to spend extra time at home with his wife and two kids.
Stay tuned this season to see Carson in action! Check out the following links to read more about his previous clubs and teams.
https://byucougars.com/athlete/m-volleyball/99431/Carson-Heninger
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Russell Holmes, COO of the NVA has an unbelievably impressive volleyball resume, and we were lucky enough to sit down with him. His accomplishments include; being a member of the USA National who competed in the 2012 Olympics, a champion of the 2014 FIVB World League and the 2015 FIVB World Cup, was named the Club World Championship’s best blocker of 2011/12, and best middle blocker of the Champions League 2015/16. Now the lead player and Team Representative of the Utah Stingers, Russell took some time to share some more about his extraordinary life and career.
Q: When/where did you start playing volleyball? Did you play other sports or have other hobbies?
Russell: “I started playing volleyball when I was 17 years old as a junior at Fountain Valley Highschool. Before that, I played and tried all other sports but was primarily playing varsity soccer. I had some excellent friends convince me to come to try out for the high school volleyball team, and my love for the sport blossomed from there. Other hobbies I had at the time were photography, skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and music. These are all still things that I love to do when I’m not playing volleyball.”
Q: What was your college experience like?
“I ended up playing for BYU (Brigham Young University) during my college career. I majored in Sociology with a minor in Communications. I had a very positive experience while playing and studying at BYU. We won the NCAA National Championship in 2004. I enjoyed the friends I made and the people that influenced me along my journey there. During the summers, I’d work as a volleyball coach coaching camps for youth around the nation with Gold Medal Squared.”
Q: What were your experiences playing overseas?
“I’ve played and lived in 6 different countries during my 10-year professional career: Puerto Rico, Austria, Brazil, Poland, Turkey, and France. I’ve enjoyed living and competing in these places and have grown to love each one’s unique atmosphere. I have been super lucky to have had positive experiences in all the areas I’ve competed in. The things that I have enjoyed most is learning about the different cultures and making friends that I know will last a lifetime.
Q: What have you been up to during quarantine?
“During quarantine, life hasn’t changed much. I work full time as a project manager for a restoration company, which has remained an essential business throughout this journey. So my day to day routine has remained very much the same. I’ve not only been busy with that but also with playing my part to assist the NVA to continually grow and impact our sport within our country. Overall, I have remained optimistic and know these circumstances won’t last forever. The challenges that I have been faced with through this have only taught me amazing valuable lessons that have contributed to some significant and personal growth. For that, I am grateful for this unique time that we live in.”
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