The NVA is proud to announce more exciting news regarding the 2022 season, including a new league structure with divisions and an all-star match! The National and American Conferences have been split into four divisions with three teams each, totaling twelve teams. The regular-season matches will now feature both interdivisional, interconference, and cross-conference play spreading across five-season events (two more than the year before). The new layout opens the door for a more competitive rankings system that utilizes your overall record and accumulated ‘NVA Points’ to determine qualification and seeding for the playoffs.

The four divisions are set as follows:

During the regular season, each team will play:

–       Two teams in their division twice

–       Three matches against the opposing division in their conference, and then

–       Three more matches against one of the divisions from the opposite conference

Altogether, each team will play ten matches, competing for the best overall record of their divisions. The team with the top record in their respective division will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The following two teams within that conference with the best overall record will also qualify for the playoffs regardless of division. Four teams from each conference will be represented in the playoffs, similar to 2021.

On top of the extended regular season, the NVA is also planning its first-ever All-Star Game! During Event 5, the NVA will bring together the top performers of the regular season to compete for an exhibition featuring some of the top talent in the world in one match!

Make sure to get all the NVA’s scheduled events down in your calendars, so you don’t miss any action this season! With new team rivalries established from last year’s competition, fans can expect big show-outs for match-ups such as Freedom vs. Stingers, Stunners vs. Tyrants, Blaze vs. Matadors, Sasquatch vs. Kraken, and Untouchables vs. Exposure. Come back to the news page and follow the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to find more info on the teams this coming season in the following weeks. Fans

should also check out the next two episodes of the Quest for the Cup series and get a first look at our two new teams, the Colorado Kraken and the Seattle Sasquatch.

–       NVA Staff Writer

The National Volleyball Association is now bigger than ever before, moving into the upcoming 2022 season, bringing you: more games, larger events, new teams, a new league structure, and even greater volleyball action! The American and National Conferences have each split into two divisions during the off-season. You will now see a Coastal and Central division within each conference. In addition, each conference has inducted a new franchise, bringing the league to a total of 12 teams, which has opened the door to a full regular-season schedule. From April to July, fans will be able to watch 60 matches with teams grinding their way through the rankings to solidify a spot in the 2022 NVA Championships! Here is the release for this year’s NVA Regular Season Event Schedule without further ado.

2022 NVA Regular Season Schedule

Event 1: April 8th – 10th

Event 2: May 6th – 8th

Event 3: May 28th – 30th

Event 4: June 17th – 19th

Event 5: July 8th – 10th

NVA Championship: August 5th-7th

Each event will feature twelve matches over three days with four games a day. Each team competes in two matches per event weekend, totaling ten matches throughout the season. The teams will be fighting each game to bolster their overall record and rack up NVA Points to win their respective division. Winning your division will automatically advance you to the playoffs.

Some of the highlight matches include…

– Saturday 04/09 @ 12:00 PM PST: Dallas Tornadoes vs. Colorado Kraken, the Tornadoes grudge match against their previous head coach and his new team, the Colorado Kraken.

– Friday 05/06 @ 9:00 AM PST: Las Vegas Ramblers vs. Utah Stingers, both of last year’s top regular-season teams who have both made the final podium two years running, will face off in this newly-formed rivalry.

– Friday 05/06 @ 12:00 PM PST: OC Stunners vs. Texas Tyrants, a rematch of their five-set, quarterfinals thriller, which is regarded as the best match of the 2021 playoffs.

– Sunday 05/30 @ 9 AM PST: Chicago Untouchables vs. Southern Exposure, a rematch of a highly gritty quarterfinal matchup from last season that ended in a five-set Exposure win.

– Sunday 06/19 @ 6 PM PST: LA Blaze vs. Inland Empire Matadors, as they battle for dominance in this cross-town rivalry.

– Sunday 06/30 @ 9 AM PST: New Jersey Freedom vs. Seattle Sasquatch, the first matchup between the Northwest and Northeast Coast teams.

Next week, be sure to check back in to delve into the ranking system that includes divisional and cross-conference play. Also, stay tuned for more information on the league’s two new teams, the Colorado Kraken and the Seattle Sasquatch! Follow the NVA on Instagram and Facebook to get weekly media updates on league developments and player stories if you haven’t already. Fans can also jump back in and watch all of last year’s matches on YouTube and get a taste of what is to come!

Follow the link below to get a breakdown of the 2022 season and conference divisions!

https://www.nvausa.com/news/detail?id=158

-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

In the 2021 NVA Championship, the Utah Stingers found themselves up against the stiff competition losing 3-0 against the Vegas Ramblers in the semi-final round. The loss came after the Stingers made quick work defeating the powerhouse Team Freedom 3-0, becoming the only team to have a clean sweep during the quarter-finals. Hoping to repeat their last year’s success as the 2020 Champions, the Utah Stingers finished in Third place while last year’s runner-up, the OC Stunners, took 1st.

Still, a 3rd place finish after a long season, where the team missed their star player Jake Langlois during essential matches, was a great success. The players showed up strong for their Bronze medal match with an effortless 3-0 victory over Southern Exposure, making it clear to the rest of the league that they were meant for the podium. With now a championship and a bronze medal, the team still remains one of the premier teams of the entire NVA. The Stingers also had several players rank within the top ten in statistical categories during the season, proving their excellence even more.

After missing all of Event two in Atlantic City and even missing the first day of the championships, 2020 MVP outside hitter Jake Langlois finished as the 4th best scorer in points per set at 4.42 (114/23). While also finishing as the 7th best scorer in total points at 115.

Cuban outside hitter Inovel Romero proved to be one of the best defensive players. He finished as the 5th best defender with 79 digs and the 8th best passer, passing a perfect or positive pass at 90% (159/176).

Opposite Jorge Mencia was an absolute machine at getting the ball to the floor, being the most consistent starter for the team. He finished his season ranked as the 4th best scorer in total points with 144 and ranked as the 10th best blocker in total blocks with 17.

Middle Blocker, Alex Shmelev, came in clutch during the 3rd place match with an outstanding blocking performance. His added numbers pushed him over the edge to become the 2nd best blocker in blocks per set at 0.68 (23/34) and the 3rd best blocker in total blocks with 23.

Then to wrap it all up, Libero, Kai Duqeum, ran right behind Romero to take 6th amongst the best defenders as he tallied up 76 digs.

Being a rag-tag group of “weekend warriors,” this group of players proved to be some of the best talents that can be found in the United States. For the 2022 Season, it will be exciting to see the Stingers push the envelope even more as they look to become the leader of all-time NVA titles. Make sure to follow the Utah Stingers (@stingersnvausa) and the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to stay up to date with your favorite team and the league this offseason. Also, be sure to check out the Stinger’s last match against Southern Exposure on YouTube by following the link below!

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE VS STINGERS | 2021 NVA CUP: BRONZE MATCH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10_5OTRviM4

“Volley On With the NVA”

• NVA Staff Writer

Team Freedom came out fired up to have their injured outside hitters back for the playoffs, with #3 Josue Castillo scoring the first two points of the match. Stingers rallied with consecutive kills by #9 Jorge Mencia and a Setter dump by Leo Durkin, taking their first lead at 4-3. At 12-11, Freedom’s Matt Seifert scored on a service ace and tied the game at 12-12. But the Stingers came back fast with a mini-run with a kill from Mencia, hitting errors by Team Freedom, and a block by #17 Cory Metcalf, taking a lead of 16-12 at the media timeout. Team Freedom battled back with kills by #9 Christopher Vaughn and Castillo, a block by #11 Mikheil Hoyte, and a service ace by Vaughn, bringing about a tie at 18-18. After Stingers #24, Alex Shmelev tied the score at 20-20. Team Freedom retook the lead on a kill by Seifert 21-20 and kept the 1-point lead until Stingers tied 25-25 with another great block by Mencia. At 26-26, Stingers scored consecutive points with kills from Mencia and #15 Inovel Romero and won the set 28-26. 

Team Freedom started set #2 with a 3-0 lead from a Stingers’ service error and two blocks from Seifert and Castillo. Stingers rallied and tied the score 5-5 from a combination of Team Freedom hitting errors and kill by Mencia. Then the Stingers started a run on two Team Freedom hitting errors, Langlois service ace, Metcalf block, another Langlois service ace, kill by Mencia, another block by Metcalf, and a Team Freedom hitting error and took a 7-point lead at 12-5. Coach Justin Beaumont substituted Vaughn with #8 Besmir Arsiani and #20 Joe Norman with #6 Doug Dzema. Stingers increased their lead to 18-8 from Team Freedom hitting errors, responding with kills by Metcalf, service ace by Langlois, and kill by Shmelev. Team Freedom sided out well the rest of the set with a block by Siefert, kills by Norman and Hoyte but coming up just short in the end. Stingers closed out the set with a Durkin service ace, kills by Langlois and Fa’agata, winning on a Team Freedom hitting error at 25-13.

In set #3, Team Freedom started the set with their original starting lineup and retook the early lead of 6-3 on kills by Vaughn and Hoyte. But after Elias injured his knee, Coach Beaumont had to substitute him with #14 Kenny Ryan. The Stingers tied the set at 6-6 on kills by Metcalf, Langlois, and Shmelev. At 8-8, Freedom scored back-to-back points on a block by Hoyte and a kill by Castillo to lead 10-8. Stingers then took the lead at 12-11 after a block by Langlois. With the score tied at 14-14, Stingers took a 2-point lead of 16-14at the media timeout on a kill by Mencia and Team Freedom hitting error. Stingers increased the lead to 20-17 on a Fa’agata dump kill into the back corner, kept the 3-point lead, and closed the match on a kill by Mencia and Shmelev 25-22.

To watch the replay of the match, head on over to the NVA USA’s page on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdB30nvjjhg 

Match Statistics 

Utah Stingers:

#9 Jorge Mencia – 16 Points (14 Kills, 1 Ace, 1 Block)

#10 Jake Langlois – 11 Points (9 Kills, 2 Aces)

#24 Alex Shmelev – 9 Points (8 Kills, 1 Block)

#8 Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga – 5 Points (5 Kills)

#17 Cory Metcalf – 6 Points (2 Kills, 4 Blocks)

Team Freedom: 

#9 Christopher Vaughn – 9 Points (8 Kills, 1 Ace)

#11 Mikheil Hoyte – 8 Points (7 Kills, 1 Block)

#3 Josue Castillo – 6 Points (6 Attacks)

#12 Matt Seifert – 10 Points (6 Kills, 3 Blocks, 1 Ace)

• NVA Staff Writer

Team Freedom had high expectations for the 2021 season as the tight-knit group of players has been together for some time. They started the season 5-0. But after their win over last year’s NVA Champions, the Stingers, Team Freedom has been missing key players Christopher Nugent, Christopher Vaughn and Josue Castillo.

Coach Justin Beaumont had no choice but to turn to his deep bench of players with very little playing time this season. However, with veterans like Matt Seifert, Joe Norman, and Jonathon Lutz to rely on, Team Freedom lost their last four matches. 

Of the four losses, however, the last three were hard fought, each going to five sets. The extended matches gave Team Freedoms’ inexperienced outside hitters like Besmir Arslani, Jefferey Nelson, and Jake Rosener more time to build chemistry with the rest of the starting lineup. 

The Stingers, by far, are the most talented and experienced NVA team and have started the season 3-0. Leo Durkin and Hamilton Day have thus far shared their setting duties running a talented offense. So far, the apparent starters for the team will be Jake Langlois, Jorge Mencia, Inovel Romero, Rusty Lavaja, and Alex Shmelev. But the team still has some solid supporting cast members with libero Kai Dugquem, Carson Henninger, Cory Metcalf, Paul Clark, and Storm Tufuga-Fa’gata. But other teams like the Ramblers, Team Freedom and Southern Exposure have been prepared for what the Utah Squad had to offer. 

The Stingers suffered back-to-back losses to the Ramblers and Team Freedom, with the matches going to five sets. Looking like they could bounce back in their season, beating the Stunners and Blaze; Southern Exposure took another blow to the Stingers’ record in a 5 set marathon match. The Stingers ended their season with a win against the Untouchables and a 6-3 record. However, that winning record was only good enough for a third-place finish in the American Conference behind the Ramblers and Tyrants, each with a record of 7-2.

Prediction: While Team Freedom is happy to be in the playoffs, there are some big questions that they’ll need to answer come game time. Will Nugent, Vaughn, and Castillo be well enough to play? If they do, how long will it take for them and their teammates to find the winning rhythm they had earlier in the year? Another is if Nugent, Vaughn, or Castillo don’t perform well, will Coach Beaumont pull the trigger and turn to his bench to replace them during the match? Either way beating the Stingers will not be an easy task. 

One advantage Team Freedom may have is that the Stingers tend to start slow. That could give Team Freedom the time they’ll need to recapture the winning chemistry and confidence they had earlier in the year.  

Team Freedom’s best chance of winning is with a healthy Nugent and Vaughan. Hopefully, that will be the case because it will be a better playoff match with both teams at full strength.

Although the Stingers finished in 3rd place, they received a good seed that placed them against the imbalanced Team Freedom, ending the season with a four-game losing streak. The Stingers have two more substantial incentives to defeat Team Freedom. One is payback for an earlier loss this season and a chance to repeat as NVA Champions. Therefore, it’s hard to bet against the Stingers.

The unanswered questions about Team Freedom’s lineup have given the Stingers the edge. Stingers 3, Team Freedom 0. 

Next up is the last playoff match between the Ramblers #1 Seed in American Conference versus the Matadors #4 Seed in National Conference at 7:00 pm

“Volley On With the NVA!”

• By NVA Staff Writer

Going undefeated through the 2020 season and even the first event of 2021, the Utah Stingers fell behind to third place in the American conference behind the Vegas Ramblers, the Texas Tyrants. Currently, with a record of 6-3 with one match behind the other two teams at 7-2, the Stingers have still managed to tie with 19 FIVB points and even gathering more winning sets at 24-14. Pushing all of their losing matches to five sets, the Utah team made it difficult for other teams to overcome their early success.  

The Stingers have played through some grueling five-setters against Team Freedom, Southern Exposure, Ramblers, Stunners, and the Untouchables of the last five of six matches. The team has seen some roster switch-ups with Jake Langlois absent from the Atlantic City event allowing Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga to show off his skills. For Event 3, Hamilton Day ran an impressive offense and defensive performance as he took over for Leo Durkin. Additionally, a brand-new addition of Puerto Rican Lazaro Fernandez in the middle as Rusty Lavaja has yet to return.  

Despite their long matches, coach Mike Daniel never seemed to worry about his team’s performance. They showed remarkable resilience through adversity which will surely pay off when the team plays higher stake matches in the finals. The team experimented with some uniquely jaw-dropping lineups, having Jake Langlois play as an all-around middle blocker to increase their back row offensive presence. Although it didn’t pay off in the end, the rest of the league’s teams should be on their toes as the Stingers aren’t afraid to try daring strategies to catch their opponents off guard. 

For their next match, the Utah Stingers will play Team Freedom for the first round of the single-elimination playoffs on July 10th. It is sure to be a tight and exhilarating match as the two teams have yet to show total domination over the other. Follow the links below to watch the Stingers’ last game against Team Freedom and purchase tickets for the final event of the 2021 season. Make sure to follow the Utah Stingers (@stingersnvausa) and the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to get match and score updates, as well as the best highlights from this season so far. I hope you can be there for all the action live!

Stingers Sweep Blaze Close Three Tough Sets

Blaze started strong with kills by #8 Pablo Guzman and MB Pedro Nieves and took a 3-1 lead. But the Stingers quickly countered with consecutive kills by #15 Novel Romero and #9 Jorge Mencia and double block by Mencia and #17 Cory Metcalf and took a 5-3 lead. Both teams traded points until Blaze increased the lead to two points before the media timeout at 16-14. Blaze scored on kills by #1 Steven Morales, #14 MB Jonathon Rodriguez, Guzman, Nieves and Nieves block, #24 Marques Buggs setter dump, Rodriguez block. Stingers scored points on kills by Mencia and Romero. After Blaze increased their lead to 21-18, Stingers launched a comeback on kills by Romero, #8 Storm Tufuga-Fa’agato and Mencia and tied the set 21-21. Blaze called a timeout after a hitting error gave the Stingers a 22-21 lead. Stingers closed out the set with a kill and service ace by Mb Metcalf 25-22. 

In set number two the Blaze took the early lead again 4-1 from kills by MB Nieves and two blocks by Rodriguez. After Stingers tied the score at 5-5, they took the lead after two service aces by #1 Paul Clark 7-5. Stingers kept the lead until the media timeout at 16-13 on a service ace by Mencia, kills by Storm, #14 MB Fernandez Lazaro, Metcalf and block by Romero. Blaze scored points from MB Rodriquez, Guzmans and block by Morales. Blaze tied the score at 17-17 a kill by #10 Rafael Cruz and two kills by Guzman. After Stingers called a timeout, they took the lead to 18-17 on kill by Mencia. Stingers kept they lead in remainder of the set. Then at 24-23 the Stingers closed out the set on a kill by Storm 25-23. 

Stingers took the early 4-0 lead in the third set from a Blaze hitting error, back-to-back blocks by Metcalf and Romero and Metcalf kill. Blaze finally scored on a middle attack by Nieves. At 10-7 the Blaze cut the lead to 11-10 with a sharp angle kill and service ace by Cruz, Buggs Dump and Stingers’ hitting error. But two Blaze errors killed their rally to tie the score. The Stingers increase their lead back to 4 points thanks to two more errors by the Blaze, a Storm service ace and kill by Romero. At 22-19 Blazes’ #27 Charles Belvin scored on a kill down the line to try to spark a rally. But the Stingers won the set and match after a consecutive points by Storm on a bic and sharp angle kill. 

Southern Exposure Defeat the Stingers in a 5 Set Marathon 

Without a doubt this match between the Stingers was the most competitive and longest of the 2021 NVA season. It also established two NVA records that may took a long time to break or never surpass. The match unofficially lasted 2 hours, 54 minutes and 47 seconds and all five sets went into overtime. 

Another interesting aspect of this marathon battle was that it matched up last year’s NVA Champions the Stingers against Southern Exposure, a team who did not win one match last year. 

Stingers and Untouchables entertained the volleyball fans with some spectacular and crazy plays and rallies; a line-up rarely seen in volleyball when the Stingers played set number four with Jake Langlois in the middle blocker position and stayed on the back row in the fourth set; and a very rare ineligible substitution that resulted in a red card penalty for a delay of game at a crucial point with the score tied 27-27, which also occurred in the fourth set,

Stingers’ Jake Langlois #10 scored the first point on a kill to start the match. And Southern Exposure’s Tyler Neil-Hubbard countered with a kill to tie the set. For the first half of the set both teams sided-out well and exchanged one and two point leads. Stingers scored on kills by #9 Jorge Mencia, #15 Novel Romero and Langlois. Souther Exposure scored their points on a block by #16 MB Langston Payne, a service ace by #10 Kyle Dagostino and kills by Payne, Dagostino, #19 MB Evan McDonough. At 14-12 Southern Exposure scored three points in a row on one kill by #6 Tim Lourich a Hubbard kill after an overpass and a service ace by Dagostino for a 17-12 lead. Southern Exposure increased their lead to 7 points after a Stingers’ hitting error and kill by Hubbard to 20-13. Stingers scored the next three points to cut the lead to 20-16 on a block by #14 MB Lazaro Fernandez, Romero service ace and Langlois kill after a Southern Exposure overpass. While Southern Exposure hitters struggled to find the court, Langlois’ three kills tied the set at 24-24. Southern Exposure regained the lead at 25-24 and kept the 1-point lead until 28-28. After a Stunner’s serve Southern Exposures’ overpass led to a Metcalf kill on one. Stingers won the set on a block by Metcalf 30-28.

Southern Exposure committed early hitting errors that gave the Stingers an early lead. The Stingers scored on kills from #11 setter Hamilton Day’s dump, Metcalf, Mencia and Langlois; and double block by Metcalf and Mencia for a 7-2 lead. At 8-3 Stingers donated two points to Southern Exposure on a service error and hitting error. After a Dagostino kill Southern Exposure cut the lead to 8-6. Stingers kept a two and three point lead on kills by Romero, Langlois and Fernandez. At 14-12 two Stingers’ hitting errors and kill by Hubbard tied the score 15-15. Both teams exchanged one point leads throughout the rest of the set. Southern Exposure scored on a block by McDonough, Payne service ace and kill and kills by Dagostino and #8 Storm Tufuga Fa’gata. Stingers scored on kills by # 2 Carson Henninger, Langlois, Fernandez and Romero. At 25-25 Stingers won the set from a service ace by Dagostino and McDonough kill after a Southern Exposure overpass 27-25. 

Set number three was the most competitive of the match, in which neither led by more than 2 points. Stingers took the first lead on one of the few Southern Exposure errors 1-0. While the Stingers scored points on kills by Langlois, Metcalf, Mencia and Romero, Southern Exposure scored on points from kills by Dagostino, Hubbard, McDonough and Payne and a block by McDonough and Lourich. At 12-12 Southern Exposure took the lead on a kill by McDonough to 13-12. Both teams continued to  exchange leads, in which the Stingers scored on kills by Mencia, Langlois and Fernandez. Southern Exposure scored on a McDonough service ace, kills by Lourich and Hubbard. After Southern Exposure took a 22-22 lead on a Hubbard block, Stingers scored two consecutive points on a Fernandez block and Langlois kill and retook the lead 23-22. At 24-24 Southern Exposure retook the lead after a Hubbard kill to 25-24. Both teams exchanged points to a 28-28 tie. After a Stingers’ hitting error broke the tie to 29-28, Southern Exposure won the set on a Hubbard kill after a Stingers’ overpass 30-28.

Set number four turned into another long drawn out battle. Southern Exposure scored the first point from #15 setter Derrick Sullivan on a dump. But after Langlois tied the set at 2-2 the Stingers scored three straight points two kills by Storm and one by Mencia to 5-2. Stingers kept that lead until Southern Exposure four points in a row from two kills by Lourich, one kill by Dagostino and block by McDonough to 8-6. Southern Exposure increased their lead to 18-13 on a block by Payne and kills by Hubbard, Lourich and McDonough. Stingers scored on kills by Storm, Romero, Langlois and Mencia. 

At 21-17 the Stingers fought back to tie and take the lead and scored 5 consecutive points on 2 kills by Langlois, one kill and block by Menica and one kill by Storm to 22-21. While both teams battled into overtime, Stingers kept their 1-point lead until 27-27, when the chair umpire penalized Southern Exposure for a delay of game caused by an ineligible substitution. Because Southern Exposure received a yellow card earlier in the match, this delay of game penalty was a second infraction, which resulted in a red card and change of ball ownership that gave the Stingers’ a point to 28-27. On the next point the Stingers won the set on a Southern Exposure error 30-28. 

In set number five Southern Exposure took the early lead 2-0 on Lourich and Payne kills. A Southern Exposure service error gave Stingers their first point. A service ace by the Stingers’ Romero tied the score 2-2. Southern Exposure increased their lead by 2 points after a Hubbard kill and service ace to 4-2. After a Fernandez block tied the score at 4-4 a Mencia kill gave the Stingers’ their first lead of the set. Southern Exposure retook the lead after back-to-back points on a Payne service ace and McDonough block to 7-5. At 9-7 a Lourich service ace increased the Southern Exposure lead to 10-7. But the Stingers retook the lead after 3 hitting errors and 2 Romero kills to 14-13. Southern Exposure tied the score on a Hubbard kill to 14-14. Stingers countered with a Romero kill to 15-14. Then two kills by Hubbard, one on a bic gave Southern Exposure a 16-15 lead. On the next point Southern Exposure committed a service error and tied the score at 16-16. Southern Exposure won the set and match on consecutive kills by Lourich and the last by McDonough 18-16. 

Stingers Detain Untouchables in 5 Sets

Untouchables took a 5-0 lead from two Stingers’ hitting errors and two block bsy #16 MB Paul Bilanzic and 1 block #4 Ian Capp. Stingers scored their first point from an Untouchables’ hitting error and scored their first clean point on a kill by#15 Inovel Romero to 6-4. While the Untouchables scored points from kills by #6 Eddie Keesecker, #10 Dan Nugent and #20 MB Matt Buffum, the Stingers battled back with kills by #10 Jake Langlois and #17 MB Cory Metcalf, service ace by Langlois and Untouchables’ hitting error to tie the score 12-12. Untouchables increased their lead to 16-13 after  a Bilanzic kill, Capp service ace and two kills by Keesecker. Stingers cut the lead to 20-18 after a kill by Romero, 3 kills by Langlois and 1 kill by Metcalf. But only scored one point the rest of the set from an Untouchables’ hitting error. The Untouchables scored five of the last six points on block by Bilanzic, service ace by #2 Moises Lopez, kill by Keesecker, block by and service ace by Capp and won 25-19. 

Set number two mirrored set number one with same score but different winner. Untouchables took the early lead on kills by Capp, Bilanzic, Keesecker, Buffum, #10 Dan Nugent and Lopez block for an 8-6 score. Stingers scored from 4  Untouchables’ errors and kills by Langlois and Metcalf. Stingers tied the score at 10-10 from an Untouchables service error and took the lead on a kill by Romero to 11-10. Then increased their lead on a mini run from a Mencia block and two kills by Romero to 16-12. After a Langlois block, Untouchables’ hitting error and Romero ace the Stingers had a 6-point lead 20-14. Untouchables score the next 4 points on 2 kills by Capp, service ace by Lopez and block by Capp. Stingers scored five of the last six points that started with a monster kill by Langlois, Untouchables’ hitting error, kill by Metcalf and joust by Langlois. The set ended on an Untouchables net call and Stingers won 25-19.

In set number three Stingers took the early lead on back-to-back kills by Langlois and Untouchables’ hitting error to 3-0. Capp scored the first point for the Untouchables on a tool. Stingers kept their 3 point lead on kills by Langlois, Metcalf and Mencia to 12-9. During this run Untouchables scored on kills a block and kill by Keesecker and kills by Buffum, Bilanzic and Nugent. Untouchables started a mini run with a Buffum kill, Nugent block and Capp kill and tied the score 13-13. Stingers countered back with two kills by Romero for a 16-14 lead and then increased their lead to 20-17 from a Metcalf kill. In the next seven possessions the Untouchables committed three two hitting and one service error and only one clean kill by Bilanzic. The Stingers closed out the set with kills by Metcalf, block by Langlois and kill by Langlois for a 25-19 win. 

Stingers scored the first point on a Langlois kill and kept the lead until a service ace by Capp gave the Untouchables a 2-1 lead. While the Stingers sided-out well, their service errors allowed the Untouchables to keep their 1 point lead. At 12-11 the Stingers started a mini run that began with a net call on the Untouchables, followed by kills from #2 Carson Heniger and Romero that tied the score 13-13. But the Untouchables rallied back with one kill by Nugent and back-to-back kills by Capp for a 16-13 lead. Stingers sided-out well on kills by Heninger and Romero and then cut the lead to 18-16 from a service ace by Romero. For the rest of the set the Untouchables committed three hitting errors and one service error but hung on for the win. At 24-21 Untouchables scored on a Buffum kill and then won the set on a Stingers’ hitting error 25-21. 

Untouchables scored the first point on a Stingers’ service error. Langlois scored the first point for the Stingers and tied the score 1-1. Bilanzic scored the first clean point for the Untouchables for a 2-1 lead. Stinger took their first lead after a Metcalf kill and net call on the Untouchables 4-3. Untouchables sided-out well with kills by Keesecker, Nugent, Capp and Bilanzic and stayed within three points of the Stingers. But the Untouchables also committed service errors that kept them for launching a rally. At 11-9 Stingers scored on a Metcalf kill to 12-9 and then committed a service error to 12-10. The Untouchables only scored two more points. One on a Stingers’ service error and Capp kill. The Stingers scored on two kills by Mencia and won the set and match on a kill by Romero 15-12.

Jake Langlois led all players with 25 kills. His teammates Inovel Romero collected 16 kills and Metcalf 9 kills. For the Untouchables Ian Capp had 14 kills, followed by Paul Bilanzic and Eddie Keesecker each with 12 kills, Matt Buffum 9 kills and Dan Nugent 7 kills. Stingers also scored on 4 aces and 5 blocks. And Untouchables on 4 aces and 12 blocks. 

Game 2, Las Vegas Ramblers V.S Utah Stingers

Set 1

Set 1 started off with both Ramblers and Stingers trading blows, first with a huge kill by Brandon Rattray, followed by a massive bounce by Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga. The Ramblers took a nice lead of 8-5 going into the technical timeout. The Ramblers then started to roll with momentum with kills from Kevin Lopez, aces from Ryan Mather and Brandon Rattray, and a block from Ryan Mather, which gave the Ramblers a nice 17-8 lead forcing the Stingers to use a timeout. The Stingers then started to chip away with kills by Jorge Mencia, Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga, and a block from Leo Durkin, coupled with some Rambler errors allowing the Stingers to force a Rambler timeout at 20-17 with the Ramblers leading. Kills by Tanner Maxwell and Brandon Rattray allowed the Ramblers to separate, score 22-17. Kills by Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga and Jorge Mencia closed the lead a little more, but it was not enough as the Ramblers won 25-23.

Set 2

Set 2 started off with both teams making consistent errors until a massive block by U15 gave the Stingers a two point lead. A missed serve by Corey Metclaff and a kill by Kevin Lopez gave the Ramblers a 6-4 lead. The Ramblers were errorless as they slowly developed a four point lead by Ryan Mather, notching two kills, score 10-6. The Stingers continued to fight, with an ace from Alex Shmelev and a kill from Storm Fa’gata-Tufuga, they were able to bring the score within one until Tanner Maxwell went on a five point service run, the score was now 15-10. The Ramblers maintained their point spread throughout the rest of the match, the closest the Stingers ever got was within two points at 18-20, but committed multiple errors. Final score 25-19.

Set 3

The Stingers came out of set 3 on a mission to collect a win. The game was tied early on but a missed serve from Ryan Mather, a block from Alex Shmelev, and an ace from Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga gave the Stingers a nice three point lead going into the technical timeout, score 8-5. The Stingers then continued to roll on after the timeout with multiple kills from Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga, and a lot of missed serves from the Ramblers, the Stingers were able to snag a huge 21-13 lead. The Ramblers then went on to miss four consecutive serves and basically handed over the win to the Stingers.

Set 4

The Stingers kept their momentum going into set 4, with two blocks by Paul Clark and multiple missed serves by the Ramblers, the Stingers grabbed   an early 6-1 lead. The Stingers maintain a solid lead going into mid-match that gets as big as 14-7, thanks to some blocks by Alex Shmelev and multiple kills from Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga. The Ramblers then begin a long fight back and bring the score to 19-17, this is due to kills from Brandon Rattray and three missed serves from the Stingers. The Stingers then started cleaning up their play after a timeout, and a kill and an ace from U15 sealed the deal. 24-19

Set 5

Set 5 started off being completely even, with both teams consistently exchanging sideouts until a huge block from Antwain Aguillard gave the Ramblers the momentum going into the side switch with a lead of 8-7. Once again both teams hammered away offensively with Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga notching two kills and Sean Dennis getting a kill and a block, but Brandon Rattray was the hero of the night, with two aces at the end of the match to win the game. Final Score 15-13

Game 5: Utah Stingers v.s Team Freedom

Set 1

To start the match, the Utah Stingers came out to a decisive lead of 7-0, with kills from Jorge Mencia, Cory Metcalf, and Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga. A kill from Christopher Nugent finally stopped the bleeding. Still, the damage was already deep enough that it seemed impossible for Team Freedom to make it back in the set. A late string of points was started with a block and ace by Joe Norman and intense defensive pressure at the net, bringing Team Freedom from being down 17-10 to 18-15. However, the Stingers came back harder with an ace from Alex Shmelev and a block by Fa’agata-Tufuga, which helped to end the set 25-18.

Set 2

Team Freedom came back strong with setter Matt Elias taking the reigns with a deep tip to the corner and a block on Fa’agata-Tufuga, gaining a lead of 8-4 at the technical timeout. Unfazed by being blocked, Fa’agata-Tufuga returned the favor by gaining four kills and two aces to bring the Stingers within one at 12-11. Team Freedom desperately tried to stay in the lead as the Stingers trailed by one until 19-18. With a kill by Nugent, an ace from Elias, and a kill by Matthew Seifert, Team Freedom finally pulled away to 22-18. The team effort allowed Freedom to coast to the end and win the set 25-22.

Set 3

Team Freedom got an early lead of 7-3 with a pair of blocks from middle blockers Seifert and Mikheil Hoyte. After a few Team Freedom hitting and serving errors and two consecutive kills by Mencia, the Stingers got back in the game at 10-10. The two teams were only two points apart for the rest of the set as Team Freedom’s errors continued to allow the Stingers in the game. The Stingers eventually pulled away as Fa’agata-Tufuga, Mencia, and Shmelev dominated at the net. At the same time, libero Chandler Baugh’s five digs secured the backcourt. Stingers take the set with a strong lead of 25-20.

Set 4

Team Freedom brought out the block party with two from Elias and one from Seifert, which squashed any Stingers’ energy from their last set win. A strong float from Seifert gave Josue Castillo a perfect overpass to kill the ball and put Team Freedom up 8-3 into the technical timeout. Freedom continued to go on a field day without any resistance from the Stinger’s side. Winning the set 25-15, Team Freedom developed the most significant point differentials of the entire weekend event against the top two teams of the American conference.

Set 5

Team Freedom continued to carry the energy of their last set with a kill from Nugent and another block from the big man Seifert. Stinger’s points came from Team Freedom errors as the Utah team struggled to stay together as a cohesive unit, not scoring a point of their own until they were already down seven points as Freedom led 12-5. The late kills by Mencia and Paul Clark weren’t enough to bring the team from the grave as Castillo and Norman’s kills put the nail in the coffin to give Team Freedom the set at 15-6 and the match at 3-2.

Game 3: Orange County Stunners V.S Utah Stingers

Set 1

The OC Stunners look to go 3-0 on the weekend after going winless at Event 1 in San Bernardino. The Utah Stingers hope to bounce back from their two losses to the Ramblers and Team Freedom which both went to five sets. Nikola Dimitrijevic established his middles early, with Shayne Beamer scoring the first three points for the Stunners. Continuing the Middle sets, Nick West added some kills and a wild ace serve while Jair Santiago got into a good rhythm to keep the Stunners in front at 10-7. The Stingers responded well with high IQ plays from Jorge Mencia and good offensive distribution and defense from setter Leo Durkin. Although a tight battle, the Stunners finished the set strong with textbook triple blocks from Corey Chavers and high efficiency from Santiago.

Set 2

Bringing Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga back into the match, the Stingers found early success. An excellent scramble dig from Romero, one-hand set from Alex Shmelev to a kill by Storm that left the Stunners rattled. But as the Stingers began to develop a lead, Santiago started to unleash meteors down the line into libero Kai Dugquem who had no fear as each swing ricocheted off his body. A powerful back-row attack by Fa’agata-Tufuga plus a massive block by Romero on Chavers pushed the Stingers to a strong lead in the final leg of the set. Two consecutive floats serve aces by Hamilton Day secured the position for the Stingers as they won the set 25-21.

Set 3

Putting in a new lineup with setter Randy Ramirez, middle Nick Amado, and opposite Dillon Emery, the Stunners hoped to change the pace and correct for their loss in the last set. The Stingers middles Shmelev and Cory Metcalf showed their diverse skillset scoring a multitude of blocks and aces. Chavers and Romero began a battle of the pins in the latter part of the set as each tried to solidify their team’s lead, but both missed their service when it counted most. With an impressive commit block by Fa’agata-Tufuga on Nick West in the middle, the Stingers continued their domination and won the set 25-22.

Set 4

Once again, making a significant lineup change, the Stunners return Joey Jarvis, Beamer, Santiago, and Dimitrijevic to the court. The players try once again to establish their team chemistry. Romero continued to be the outlet for the Stingers. At the same time, Chavers began to soar above the block, making out-of-system plays look like perfect sets. After calling a timeout with a Stingers lead of 18-14, the Stunners backcourt came to life with Joey Jarvis and Josh Ayzenberg keeping the team alive, allowing them to return and take the lead 24-22. The Stingers feeling the pressure, called a timeout and was able to tie the game again at 24-24 before their unforced errors let the Stunners win the set 27-25

Set 5

The Stingers brought their a-game to start off the final set, with Romero starting off with an ace followed by Fa’agata-Tufuga hitting some fantastic shots over and through the Stunners sizeable blocks. As a characteristic of the Stunners so far in the event, Joey Jarvis is subbed for the youngest player Antonio Anguizola after Jarvis could not get any kills so far in the set. The substitution proved to be difficult, as the cold and unprepared Anguizola quickly made the serving target and aced off the court, with the Stingers leading 11-5. With Jarvis back on the court, Santiago on the service line, and West making clean transition kills, the Stunners made an astonishing return to get two points behind at 12-14. Just when it looked like the Stunners were about to pull off the impossible, Mencia swung a deep shot to the corner past the Stunners’ defense to end the game 15-13.

After spending the off-season recuperating from their undefeated run to win the 2020 NVA Championships, the Utah Stingers are back to business as usual with the start of their first event in 2021. Starting just where they ended last season, the Utah Stingers came through with another 3-0 appearance, only dropping one set the whole weekend. Going up against the NVA’s newest teams, the Dallas Tornadoes and the relocated Texas Tyrants, the Stingers welcome them to the league by showing them how tough the reigning champs can be.

Some notable performances from the weekend include Paul Clark, selected as player of the match against the Tornadoes. Paul made some aggressive plays at the net, scoring three aces, two blocks, and ten kills, hitting 56% efficiency. The big man, Jake Langlois, continued to be an unstoppable force with a flurry of back row attacks scoring double-digit kills in each match he played. The newest international recruit from Cuba, Inovel Romero Valdés, took on the role of the team’s outlet player receiving 62 sets on the weekend with almost perfect reception with no errors. Then middle blockers held some of the best overall hitting percentages in the league, with Alex Shmelev hitting 58% and Rusty Lavaja hitting 64%.

After their final match against the Tyrants, Setter Leo Durkin sat down with announcer Nick England to share his thoughts on the team’s outlook moving forward in the season.

“We’re just here to have a lot of fun…For the most part, we are a bunch of old guys with jobs who are still eager to play high-level volleyball…As a team, we’re still not completely gelling together with the recent additions of Romero and Mencia, but that will smooth itself out in no time.” – Leo Durkin.

The Utah Stingers will be flying out to Atlantic City next in the event, where they will be taking on last year’s third-place team, the Vegas Ramblers. The Ramblers are currently tied with the Stingers after also going 3-0 on the first weekend and will be tough opponents. UCLA Alumni Brandon Rattray, the league’s point leader with 6.2 kills per set, will be the man to beat on the Ramblers. The match is set to take place on May 28th at 11:30 am PST and live-streamed on the NVA USA YouTube page!