The 2017 USA Volleyball Open Championships were held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 26-31. WEVA was well represented and congratulations to all who participated. The results were as follows:

Men's A
NFVB Crank Blasters finished 3rd out of 58 teams (3rd in Gold division)
NFVB Life Storage Rhinos finished 21st out of 58 teams (1st in Copper division)

Women's A
NFVB Notorious D.I.G. finished T31st out of 59 teams (T3rd in Flight 1 division)
NFVB Buffalo Beasts finished T33rd out of 59 teams (T5th in Flight 1 division)
NFVB Rage finished T57th out of 59 teams (T5th in Flight 5 division)

Women's BB
Buffalo Blizzards finished T15th out of 33 teams (T3rd in Bronze division)

Women's 40+
NFVB Life Storage finished 8th out of 10 teams (8th in Gold division)

For full details, visit http://www.teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/events/indoor/adults/2017-usav-open

USA Volleyball announced that Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix will host three of the organization’s signature national championship events in 2018.

The USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) will head to Detroit for the first time and will be played June 25 to July 4 at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

The USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships (BJNC) returns to Phoenix for the third time and will be played July 2-9 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The USA Volleyball Open National Championships returns to Dallas with competition May 25-30 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The USA Volleyball Annual Meetings will also take place in Dallas the week leading up to the Open.

For the full release, visit http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2017/May/23/USAV-Awards-2018-Host-Bids-to-Detroit-Dallas-Phoenix

A collegiate coaches panel took place in conjunction with the Spring Collegiate Tournament hosted at BNCC. The collegiate coaches represented on the panel were from the following programs: Canisius College, Colgate University, Le Moyne College, Niagara University, SUNY Brockport, Syracuse University, & University of Buffalo. Please click HERE for a summary of the panel discussion.

It was a great event allowing players from the junior clubs in the area to watch some alumni club players and watch collegiate play for some programs that some of the athletes are considering or have committed to play at in the future. Some great volleyball was watched over the course of the day. Thanks to all WEVA members for their support shown for this event.

This year is the second year that the WEVA region was awarded a BID at both the National division and the American division for ages levels 13-17 at USA Nationals in Minneapolis.

Congratulations to the following teams for earning the National BID by placing first at the BID Qualifier:
17's - VFX Rapture
16's - VFX Mantra
15's - NFVB 15 Navy
14's - NFVB 14 Navy
13's - NFVB 13 Navy
12's - VFX Wish

Congratulations to the following teams for earning the American BID by placing second at the BID Qualifier:
17's - Octane Terrors
16's - NFVB 16 Navy
15's - VFX Chant
14's - VFX Conjure
13's - NFVB 13 Red

WEVA is proud of all qualifying teams that had an opportunity to play in the BID event (not all teams are accepted). WEVA knows that all teams that will be participating at Nationals will play with heart and pride representing their club and region to the best of their ability. Good luck to all teams, have fun and enjoy the competition.

Congratulations to all the boys teams that were crowned champions at the 2017 Boys Regional Championships. The competition was held April 2rd at various locations in the Buffalo area. The families/spectators witnessed some awesome matches over the course of the day from all participating teams! Some nail biter three sets matches that came down to the wire made it for some exciting volleyball!

Champions by age group are noted below:
12's - Pace 12-1
13's - Pace 13-1
14's - Pace14-1
15's - Pace 15-1
16's - Pace 16-1
17's - Eden Mizuno 17-1
18's - Pace 18-1

Good luck to all teams at the USA Boys Nationals!

NFVB 18 Navy earned the National BID at the WEVA 18's BID Qualifier event held at Pinnacle Sports Complex as a result of being crowned the champion of the event. VFX Magic was a finalist earning them the American BID for the region.

Shortly after the local BID event, VFX Magic earned a USA BID at the Nashville Qualifier. Congratulations to Magic for earning a BID at a National Qualifier event. This type of accomplishment does not happen frequently by teams in the region. The team played the best volleyball of their season at this event to earn the BID!

Good luck at the upcoming Nationals in Dallas Texas!
WEVA is confident that you will represent WEVA and your club well!

To all WEVA members: 18 years old by May 1, 2017.

WEVA is seeking nominations for candidates for the following WEVA Board of Directors positions: Vice President, Secretary, & Officials Representative.

Candidates will be running for election to a three (3) year term starting in October, 2017. Please send all replies to Fred Chase at fredref51@gmail.com by April 1, 2017.

Details
As we move forward in 2017 and beyond, it is critical that WEVA’s Board play a vital role in the growth and development of our Region. If you or someone you know possesses the background and skills to join the leadership of this 501c (3) membership organization, please respond to Fred by April 1, 2017. Once the Governance Committee has verified the willingness and good standing of the submitted candidates, a general election will be held of the WEVA membership of eligible voters from April 15 through May 15, 2017.

As stated in the WEVA By-Laws
Article III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• Section 3.01 Function / Number: The Board shall manage WEVA affairs.
• 01b) All members of the Board must remain in good standing throughout their terms of office with WEVA.
• Section 3.02 Nominations: Individuals who choose to run for a Board position shall submit their name to the Chair of the Governance committee. The Governance committee will ensure conformance by petitioners with the qualifications, per Sections 3.01b and 3.01c. The Governance committee will make every effort to ensure that there are no less than two (2) candidates nominated for each board position that is open to election. An appeal of an adverse decision by the Governance committee may be made to the total Board of Directors whose decision shall be final. A member may run for only one position on the Board per election.
• 02a) Current Members of WEVA, at least 18 years of age at the time of the election, in good standing are eligible to elect Members of the Board of Directors.
• 02b) Elections shall be conducted by the Board and shall be by a plurality of the votes cast. Board members shall hold office for a term of 3 years until the Annual Meeting of Members and the election of their respective successors. Ballots may be cast in person, by mail, by e-mail, or by website.

Officer Positions and Descriptions
Vice President:

• The Vice President shall chair all meetings of the Board in the absence of the President, and perform all the duties of the President in the event of the incapacitation, death or resignation of the President. The VP chairs the Governance Committee and the Ethics & Eligibility Committee. The Vice President shall perform such additional duties that may, from time to time, be assigned to him or her by the President

Secretary:

• The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the membership meetings and meetings of the Board. He or she shall publish the meeting minutes within two (2) weeks of the date of the meeting being reported on. He or she shall see that all notices of meetings are duly issued, and do everything that is usual and customary in connection with the function of a Secretary of a corporation. In general, the Secretary shall perform such additional duties as may, from time to time, be assigned to him or her by the President.

Officials Rep:

• The nominee must be a certified USA Volleyball official who has been so certified for the preceding 24 months prior to election.

The Junior Committee of the WEVA Board of Directors has established serving standards for 12 and under competition. Please click HERE for more information.

There is an important omission from the 2017 National Championship Manual. As you may recall in 2016, it was allowed that a 17s team could qualify and participate in both the Springs GJNC and the Summer GJNC. This was actually contrary to the long-standing limitation that a team can only participate in 1 qualification division of the GJNC. For 2016, the Spring and Summer GJNC events were seen as separate events. For 2017, the events will be seen as part of the same event with regard to a team’s participation, so the wording already in for the GJNC event regulations will apply. We will still allow the allowance for an individual athlete to participate in both portions of the GJNC as stated on Page 6 of the 2017 Championship Manual. The following criteria to be followed:

1. A 17’s team can play in the 18 Open Qualifier
2. The 17’s team can turn down a bid in 18 open if they get into a bid position
3. The 17’s team is still eligible to play in the summer GJNC in 17’s
4. The 17’s team is still eligible to play in other National Qualifiers
5. Should a 17s team accept a bid to any qualification division of the Spring GJNC, that team may not participate in a Qualification Division of the Summer GJNC

Wish you could be there, but can't travel to the CAP I course at the 2017 USAV HP Coaches' Clinic? You still can!

USAV Education has just announced that the CAP Level I Course will be Live Streamed on Feb 8-9, 2017 from the US Olympic Training Center.

For more information go here: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Calendar/2017/February/08/CAP-I-Live-Stream-HP-Clinic.

USAV Members wishing to register, please use this link: http://bit.ly/2kkYwmD.

Non-USAV Members, please use this link: http://bit.ly/2jjkZ1M.

All classroom an on-court sessions will be streamed live on February 8th from 8:00 a.m.to 10:00 p.m. MT, and continue on February 9th from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students will submit their Favorite Drill, Coaching Philosophy worksheet and Code of Ethics form. And after the live streamed course students will attend a live Drill Sharing Webinar (date & time TBD) to receive feedback from Cadre on their Drill submissions, and conclude with an on-line exam.

Attendees must have completed an IMPACT certification to be eligible to register for this live streamed course, and must complete a USAV Background Screening in order to become certified.

Register now to reserve your spot in this CAP I virtual classroom!

The Education Committee of the Western Empire Volleyball Association (WEVA) is interested in providing resources for coach education in order to enhance general knowledge of the game as well as elevate the skill level of the junior players in our region.

This message is to invite your organization to host a WEVA Coaching Clinic at your practice or competition facility to benefit your club coaches as well as those from area high schools and other volleyball clubs. The goal of this clinic series is to educate coaches regarding technique training, skill development, drill structure, practice planning, strategy and other volleyball related skills desired by coaches. The WEVA Education Committee would like to see at least one or two clinics each month leading up to and throughout the season. The WEVA Board of Directors has approved a budget line to assist in subsidizing some of the costs involved in hosting these clinics in order to help compensate visiting clinicians, facility rental fees or additional clinic expenses.

Please look over the this information (INFO) which includes some ideas and recommended formats. Clinic schedules and topics can be unique to each club’s needs. If you are interested in organizing such a clinic in your area, please contact Rocco Lucci to discuss options and possible timelines.

Thanks to a scholarship fund supplied by Western Empire Volleyball Association, WEVA is pleased to announce the first annual Coaches Scholarship Program. The program will provide scholarships to aspiring coaches hoping to attend established coaching clinics and/or the AVCA Annual Convention. This opportunity will allow the scholarship recipients to explore the limitless networking and educational opportunities available. This is a unique opportunity to develop professional skills and learn about becoming a better coach and leader.

The deadline for 2016-2017 season is January 31, 2017. For more information, please go to the WEVA Coaching Scholarship page.

Starting in the 2016-2017 season, ALL registered adults, affiliated with a junior club, will be required to complete the Safe Sport Certification Course. The course, and more information regarding the course are found HERE.

The 2017 Girls 18s Junior National Championships will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 25th-July 4th. For more information, please go to the USA Volleyball website HERE.

Team Travel Source has been named the official housing company for all USA Volleyball Championship events in 2017. Please click HERE for more information.

The 2017 Girls 18s Junior National Championships will be in Dallas, Texas from April 21st - 23rd. For more information, please go to the USA Volleyball website HERE.

The 2017 Boys Junior National Championships will be in Columbus, Ohio from July 1st - 8th. Click HERE for the schedule of events. For more information, please go to the USA Volleyball website HERE.

August 2016: WEVA is pleased to announce the addition of Lisa Siragusa as it's corporate attorney. Please click HERE for her bio.

From September 29th to October 3rd, the 2016 USA Volleyball Fantasy Camp will provide participants with the ultimate opportunity for up close and personal interactions with an All-Star lineup of USAV Olympic team athletes and coaches. Not only will you get to live out the lifestyle of the most elite level athletes through your stay at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center, you’ll also be surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable and talented names in the sport. This Fantasy Camp allows you to create memories and fellowships with these greats as more than just a fan, but as common volleyball enthusiasts.

We are very excited to have our sign-ups arrive to the Olympic Training Center, but please note that travel arrangements should not be made prior to the confirmation date of August 29th. As you can imagine, the Olympic games has been such a huge focus for USA Volleyball and it has made event scheduling difficult throughout the year. We are working to solidify all of the training, venues, and logistics, to ensure the best possible quality for all participants.

USA Volleyball can’t wait to receive your registration notice, and we thank you for your patience with transportation booking.

​ Poster    Highlights    Registration

W​EVA has updated the ​By-Laws. Please select HERE for more information.

Congratulations to all teams that participated at Nationals and represented WEVA with pride and passion. WEVA, clubs and families, are all proud of your season culminating with the opportunity to represent the region at the highest level of competition! To seniors, good luck in your future endeavors. To all underclassmen, continue to work hard and see you next season as you pursue your dreams and goals!

Age Division	Team Name	Record	Place
12s	NFVB Navy	5-5	33 out of 48 – won Flight 4
13s	NFVB Red	1-8	59 out of 64 – lost in semis of Flight 9
13s	NFVB Navy	4-5	23 out of 48 – lost in semis of Flight 1
14s	VFX Conjure	5-4	27 out of 64 – lost in semis of Flight 1
14s	NFVB Navy	2-7	39 out of 48 – lost in semis of Flight 5
15s	NFVB Red	1-8	59 out of 64 – lost in semis of Flight 9
15s	NFVB Navy	4-6	38 out of 48 – lost in semis of Flight 5
16s	Paradigm Rebellion	1-9	62 out of 64 – lost in finals of Flight 10
16s	VFX Mantra	3-7	46 out of 48 – lost in finals of Flight 7
17s	VFX Rapture	3-6	43 out of 64 – lost in semis of Flight 5
17s	NFVB Navy	8-2	17 out of 48 – won Bronze
18s	VFX Magic	5-3	25 out of 48 – won Flight 1A

For more information, click HERE.

Congratulations to all teams that participated at Nationals and represented WEVA with pride and passion. WEVA, clubs and families, are all proud of your season culminating with the opportunity to represent the region at the highest level of competition! To seniors, good luck in your future endeavors. To all underclassmen, continue to work hard and see you next season as you pursue your dreams and goals!

Age Division	Team	Record	Place
13 Club	Pace	1-6	17 out of 26 – lost in quarters of Bronze
14 Club	Eden	4-5	17 out of 26 – lost in quarters of Bronze
14 Club	Pace	6-3	17 out of 36 – lost in quarters of Bronze
15 Open	Lockport	3-7	23 out of 32 – lost in semis of Flight 1
15 Open	Pace	8-4	3 out of 32 – lost in semis of Gold
16 Open	Eden	4-7	11 out of 36 – lost in semis of Silver
16 Open	Pace	5-8	29 out of 36 – won Flight 2
16 Open	Victor	1-8	33 out of 36 – lost in quarters of Flight 2
17 Open	Pace	6-7	29 out of 36 – won Flight 2
18 Open	Pace	5-8	22 out of 36 – lost in finals of Flight 1
18 Open	Eden	4-7	33 out of 36 – lost in quarters of Flight 2

For more information, click HERE.

W​EVA has updated the ​Tryout, Registration and Recruiting Policy. Please select HERE for more information.

Alan Brazener, Brian Carroll, and Deborah Schruefer have been named the 2015-2016 WEVA Meritorious Service Award winners. If you see them, please pass along a well deserved congratulation to them on their recognition and their continued contribution as coaches, club directors, program directors and or as a volunteer! Our region has certainly grown due to their efforts and they have made an impact to the volleyball community over the years! Each of them will be receiving a plaque from the region as part of their recognition. For more information, please click HERE.

This year is the first year that the WEVA region was awarded a BID at both the National division and the American division at USA Nationals in Indianapolis.

Congratulations to the following teams for earning the National BID by placing first at the BID Qualifier:
17's - NFVB Navy
16's - VFX Mantra
15's - NFVB Navy
14's - NFVB Navy
13's - NFVB Navy
12's - NFVB Navy

Congratulations to the following teams for earning the American BID by placing second at the BID Qualifier:
17's - VFX Rapture
16's - Paradigm Rebellion
15's - VFX Chant - did not accept - trickled down to third place finisher NFVB Red
14's - VFX Conjure
13's - NFVB Red
12's - no American bid for region in this age division

WEVA is proud of all qualifying teams that had an opportunity to play in the BID event (not all teams are accepted). WEVA knows that all teams that will be participating at Nationals will play with heart and pride representing their club and region to the best of their ability. Good luck to all teams, have fun and enjoy the competition.

Congratulations to all the boys teams that were crowned champions at the 2016 Boys Regional Championships. The competition was held April 3rd at various locations in the Victor area. The families/spectators witnessed some awesome matches over the course of the day from all participating teams! Some nail biter three sets matches that came down to the wire made it for some exciting volleyball!

Champions by age group are noted below:
12's - Pace 12-1
13's - Pace 13-1
14's - Eden Mizuno Boys 14-1 Blue
15's - Pace 15-1
16's - Victor 16-1
17's - Pace 17-1
18's - Pace 18-1

Good luck to all teams for the remainder of their season and at the USA Boys Nationals!
WEVA Board

USA Volleyball passed a major rule change regarding the Libero and fast-tracked its implementation to immediate status during its Rules Commission Meeting on Feb. 25 in Denver.

A motion was made and passed to change the wording of USAV Rule 19.2 to read as: “The Libero(s) must wear a uniform which clearly contrasts with the rest of the team.” A second motion was passed that made the implementation of the new rule immediate. The new rule replaces the "Solid Color Jersey" rule. Pati Rolf, chair of the USAV Rules Commission, stated that the new rule was approved in response to the concerns of the membership. "We strongly believe this rule change, which was strongly supported by the membership, will be less restrictive and more flexible,” Rolf said.

One key point in the discussions was to ensure that any team that currently had legal uniforms would still be able to use those uniforms. Paul Albright, USAV indoor rules interpreter, emphasized that training will start as soon as possible to get that message out to the membership. "Obviously we have a challenge to get the word out, but we already have people working to update our training materials, including the new jersey gallery on https://VolleyballRefTraining.com to explain the rule change,” Albright said.

USA Volleyball will also work to widely distribute the new rule to the clubs and tournament directors as the season is in progress. Any questions regarding the rules change can be directed to your local region referee chair, Fred Chase (fchase@rochester.rr.com) or to the USAV Rules Interpreter at vbinterp@usav.org.