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
]]>In just under a week, the National Volleyball Association will be partnering once again with the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the 2021 AVCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio! Now, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the AVCA was formed back in 1981 by Terry Liskevych and Andy Banachowski as an advocacy group for coaches. Since their conception, the AVCA has significantly expanded, adding tons of new services and clinics, all with the same core dedication to serving volleyball coaches and the volleyball community.
From December 15th-18th, the convention halls will be jam-packed with seminars regarding coaching skills, skill development, career advancement, club management, and even sports psychology. Each educational session will be led by the country’s top NCAA Div 1, Olympic, and Club coaches, including some of the current greats with; Karch Kiraly (USA Women’s National Team), John Speraw (USA Men’s National Team), and Alan Knipe (Long Beach State), all leading their own sessions. On top of that, the event offers break-out sessions for coaches to network and reconnect with other coaches from around the nation.
The NVA is sending 16 athletes and coaches from around the league to take part in ten educational seminars as part of the on-court practice demonstrations. Utah Stingers Owner & NVA VP Russell Holmes will also present awards to the top NCAA athletes at this year’s All-American/Players of the Year Banquet. This will be the second year that the league has participated in this phenomenal event and has eagerly awaited its return since the last AVCA convention back in 2018.
There’s still time if you haven’t yet registered for the convention. You can also purchase passes on-site starting at 4 pm on Tuesday the 14th at 4 pm. However, if you cannot make it in person, you can still watch every seminar online with their Virtual Convention, including live Learning Labs created exclusively for virtual attendees, a virtual exhibit show, and Career Center. Below you’ll find links to find out more information about registering, as well as our seminar schedule for the week. If you see us there, give us a shout, we would love to talk and learn together as we all push to help foster the next generation of volleyball in the USA and grow the game!
Schedule and AVCA Links:
Thursday 12/16
– 11am – 12pm: Technical and Tactical Components that Lead to a Better Transition Game. (Dave Preston)
– 3pm – 4pm: Rethinking Feedback in a Practice Setting. (John Speraw)
– 4:15pm – 5:15pm: Controlled Variations of Live Play: How to Challenge your Starting Side to Prepare for Game Day. (Wright State Staff)
Friday 12/17
– 1:15pm – 2:15pm: Planning and Facilitating a Week of Practice Drills. (James Madison Staff)
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm: Bolstering your Attackers’ Toolkit. (Karch Kiraly)
– 3:45pm – 4:45pm: Training your Team to be Efficient Out of System. (Shannon Winzer)
Saturday 12/18
– 9am – 10am: Serve Receive with USAV Women’s National Team. (Tama Miyashiro)
– 9am – 10am: Adaptive Creativity – The importance of customizing drills to enhance & excite your players. (Eric Snyder)
– 10:15am – 11:15am: Coaching Using Story Telling – External Feedback in Action. (Jamie Morrison)
– 10:15am – 11:15am: Practice Pyramids: Growth Through the Climb. (Chad Willis)
https://avcaconvention.org/virtual-convention/
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>Though the Dallas Tornadoes are out of contention for the 2021 NVA Championships, the team has shown great promise after only their first year in the league. Coming back from a deep deficit with a record of 0-6 after the Atlantic City Event, the team strapped up their bootstraps to keep their hopes of making playoffs alive. With two decisive victories over the Ontario Matadors and the Vegas Ramblers, the Tornadoes narrowly missed the mark, coming up two points short in the rankings behind the LA Blaze and the Matadors.
Given the momentum and growth that the Tornadoes had displayed during this short season, the Dallas team would have likely made some big upsets during the championship weekend. On top of riding off the team’s top players Felix Chapman, Steven Roschitz, and Michael Quinones, the Tornadoes were also led by the veteran leadership of Venezuelan Olympian Carlos Luna.
Before competing in the NVA this year, Luna’s career as an international player covered nearly half the world and more than half of his life competing with elite teams since 1996. In his home country, Luna is known for being part of the “Golden Generation of Venezuelan Volleyball” that led the Men’s National Team to greatness during the mid-2000s. As a starter for three Olympic cycles, Carlos won the 2003 Santa Domingo Pan American Games, competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and finished second in the 2014 Quito Military World Games. Outside of the national team, Luna has had a solid professional career with clubs in Italy, Greece, Argentina, Japan, Spain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, and Venezuela.
Altogether, Carlos has won over 30 international medals and is no stranger to what it takes to fight for a spot at the top. Having Carlos join for the last two events of the season, they made a frightening comeback taking out the league’s number one team, the Ramblers, three sets to one. Now that they will have Carlos in the gym all pre-season, it will be intriguing to see how much more of an impact he will have on his teammates when the Tornadoes return next year.
Carlos has played a vital role in developing youth sports in the Dall Forth Worth Area as a coach with Victory Volleyball and the Luna Volleyball Academy. Also, as an author and motivational speaker with his foundation, Carlo’s life’s mission has been to help children and teenagers prevent bad habits through sports. Carlos will be a vital member for the Dallas Tornadoes as they look to grow the boy’s/men’s volleyball in Texas and give the NVA exposure with local fans and younger talent.
To read more about Carlos’s work and to find out more about the tournaments and teams that Carlos has been a part of, follow the links below! Fans can look below to find a link to Carlos’s last match against the OC Stunners. Be sure to give him a follow on Instagram (@lunavolleyballacademy) and the Dallas Tornadoes (@dallastornadoes) to get media updates leading into the next season!
The Venezuelan Men’s National team is also currently competing in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics! Make sure to catch some of their live matches on NBC and give Carlos’s home team some support as they look to medal for the first time in their nation’s history in volleyball.
Other Articles and Pages About Carlos
https://www.sporttechie.com/carlos-luna-wants-volleyball-players-to-think-beyond-college
https://volleybox.net/carlos-luna-p24181/indoor_tournaments
https://www.victoryvbc.org/carlos-luna
Venezuelan Men’s National Team Olympic Schedule
The Dallas Tornadoes vs the OC Stunners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jroOD0QR6rs
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The NVA has players from all walks of life who bring a unique perspective to being a professional athlete in the United States. Of course, many athletes have taken the collegiate NCAA route. For others, they have developed their game by traveling the country and learning from different players along the way. Dallas Tornadoes Middle Blocker, Chike Opurum, has done just that as he’s made the jump to the professional ranks.
Chike being the second member of his family to become a professional athlete, his older brother Toben Opurum got a head start in the race playing football. The Kansas Jayhawk alumni had a solid career as a fullback in the NFL, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and the Denver Broncos. Coming from a near-dead zone for boys volleyball in Plano, Texas, Chike didn’t start his career until joining a club team at the University of North Texas.
Since then, Chike trained and gained knowledge of the game learning from his travel teams competing in USAV and the North American Gay Volleyball Association tournaments. With the volleyball community being as small and spread out as it is, Chike is making the best of his time in the NVA to open even more doors for his future in the sport.
“The chance to grow the sport and networking is probably the best part for me. Whether you’re on the winning or losing team, meeting and talking with so many great athletes is a fantastic opportunity to network and develop more as a player and person. -Chike Oporum
Off the court, Chike is a fashion and business leader who has worked for both Forever 21 and Bonobos and has also created with own product line (clothing line?). Other players in the league have already been seen wearing Chike’s iconic “This is a Gay Sock” line, which will likely be available for fans soon. Chike believes that there is an opportunity for everyone; if you can put your best foot forward and stand for who you are as a person, you will gain respect from those around you.
“For younger players to see LGBTQ+ players in a professional sport’s league, it shows them that you don’t have to be a type-A person to live this dream and be an elite athlete. The respect I’ve received from my teammates and allies in the league proves how much volleyball has become a leader in promoting positive change in society.” – Chike Opurum.
At this point in the season, the Tornadoes are sadly out of the contention for the championship but will be back again next season. However, you can still follow Chike (@ch1k3), the Dallas Tornadoes (@dallastornadoes), and the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to stay connected with the team and catch highlight clips from Event 3.
Happy PRIDE Month, Everyone!
It is no secret that the Dallas Tornadoes weapon of choice is opposite hitter Felix Chapman. Felix is a diverse player, who even though he plays opposite, will stay back and pass in serve receive and when taking short serves will step in and hit a front one attack. Felix, a born Cuban, played for Grandview College out of Des Moines, Iowa where he voted player of the year and was the leagues top scorer. That title earned by Felix Chapman was put on display this past weekend in San Bernardino, where in the Dallas Tornadoes upset over the Las Vegas Ramblers, Felix had 24 kills on 54 attempts and hit .440 overall, which simply demonstrates his crazy offensive power.
On the second day, the Dallas Tornadoes performed another upset, sweeping the Ontario Matadors and improving their record. Felix Chapman once again demonstrated his elite volleyball ability by collecting 18 kills on 33 attempts and hitting .550 on the day. Although his hitting has already been solidified as some of the best in the NVA, the 3-0 sweep wouldn’t have been as easy if he wasn’t showing off his passing ability with a 89% perfect pass rate. Felix Chapman has a bright future ahead of him that is built upon the hard work at commitment he has put into the past. Felix has officially signed with Stade Poitvin Poiters, a French A-league team that already has a history of success and was the home of former NCAA All-American and U.S Men’s National Team setter, Micah Ma’a. The NVA and the Dallas Tornadoes wish Felix Chapman the best of luck in his future endeavours, and can’t wait to see the monster of a volleyball player he is destined to be.
]]>Winless Tornadoes No Longer Winless With Upset Win Over the Ramblers
Ramblers took an early one-point lead in the first set and then increased their lead to five points 14-9 thanks to a barrage of five straight kills by #20 Brandon Rattray. But the Tornadoes never gave up. After the media timeout the Tornadoes launched a comeback to tie the score at 20-20 from a combination of Ramblers’ errors and a kill by #18 Carlos Luna and #69 Steven Roschitz, three kills by #20 Felix Chapman and block by #13 Chike Opurum. Nevertheless, the Ramblers held on to their lead on 4 kills by Rattray and one by #24 MB Mark Lane. After a Tornado timeout at 23-21, they tied the score at 23-23 from a Chapman cross court kill and Ramblers’ hitting error, then took the lead at 24-23 from another Ramblers’ hitting error. Both teams traded points until 26-26. Then then the Ramblers’ won after a cross court kill by Rattray and kill by #15 Kevin Lopez 28-26.
In set number two the Ramblers took the early one-point lead. Both teams sided out well and the Tornadoes managed to tie the score several times. Ramblers scored points on kills from #14 Ryan Mather, #8 Setter Michael Keegan (dump kill), #2 MB Sean Dennis, Lopez and Rattray. Tornadoes scored on kills by #11 MB Aaron King, Luna, Chapman, Roschitz and block by Roschitz. At 15-15 Tornadoes took the lead before the media timeout on a deep angle kill by Roschitz to 16-15. Both teams exchanged leads. After Rattray scored to cut the lead to 22-21, Tornadoes called a timeout. After the timeout, Tornadoes scored on a cross court kill by Chapman and kill by Luna to lead 24-21. After a Mather block to 24-22, Tornadoes won the set 25-22 on a cross court kill by Chapman.
Tornadoes took the early lead in set number four thanks to Ramblers’ net violation and service and hitting errors. At 5-5 Tornadoes returned the favor with a run of service and hitting errors and relinquished the lead to the Ramblers at 8-7. Both teams exchanged leads until Tornadoes increased their lead 17-12 from a combination of Ramblers’ service and hitting errors and kills by Chapman, Roschitz and MB King. But the Ramblers rallied back with a scoring run from a sharp angle kill and block by Lopez, Rattray joust and sharp angle kill and tied the set 17-17. Tornadoes countered with kills by Roschitz and Chapman and block by Opurum to increase their lead to 21-17. Both teams committed service and hitting errors and Tornadoes closed out the set with a service ace by Opurum.
In set number four the Tornadoes took the early 3-point lead on a Chapman kill off the block and two Ramblers’ hitting errors. Tornadoes kept a 4-point lead until the media timeout at 16-12 on points scored by Chapman, Roschitz middle blockers King and Opurum and service ace by #5 Sean Smith. Ramblers countered with kills by Rattray, Lopez, Keegan and #21 Kyle Radecki. After the media timeout, Ramblers tried to cut the lead with a series of kills by Rattray but fell short and only cut the lead by 2 points to 20-18. Tornadoes were able to counter the Ramblers’ rally with kills by Chapman. After a Chapman service ace at 22-18, Ramblers called a timeout. A kill by Rattray and two consecutive Tornadoes’ hitting errors cut the lead to 22-21. Tornadoes followed with a Chapman kill to 23-21 and Ramblers called a timeout. After the timeout Ramblers error gave Tornadoes match point 24-21. Tornadoes’ service error gave Ramblers an opportunity to launch a comeback but lost the match on a bump setting error 25-22.
Tornadoes’ Felix Chapman and Ramblers’ Brandon Rattray lead all players with 24 kills each. Ramblers’ Kevin Lopez had 11 kills and Ryan Maune 10. And Tornadoes’ Roschitz had 9 kills.
Tornadoes Defeat Matadors in 3 Sets and Keep Their Playoff Berth Alive
Matadors started the set well with kills by #17 Jacob Vander Been and #12 Mauro Issac and service ace by Issac for a 4-1 lead. Tornadoes scored their first clean point from #20 Felix Chapman. A kill by #13 MB Chike Opurum and Matadors’ hitting error tied the score at 4-4. Matadors built a 2 point lead on back-to-back kills by #15 MB Martin Petris and kill by #1 setter Jesus Serrano after a Tornadoes’ overpass to 9-7. Matadors kept their lead until 21-21. Tornadoes took their first lead of the set from a Chapman kill 22-21. Both teams side-out to 24-24. Tornadoes won the set from two consecutive Matadors’ hitting errors 26-24.
In set number two the Matadors again took the early lead from a Vander Beek kill and increased it to 4-points thanks to Matadors’ service and hitting error and kill by #6 Diego Bustos to 7-3. Tornadoes scored from an Opurum kill and block and Matadors’ service error. Matadors kept their lead until 7-7. Tornadoes took the lead on the next point on a #19 setter Michael Quinones kill after a Matadors’ overpass. After the Matadors tied the score at 17-17 from a J. Serrano ace, Chapman caught fire and scored five of the next seven Tornadoes’ points and created a 4-point lead at 24-20. The Matadors scored only three more points from a Tornadoes’ hitting error and kill by #13 Carlos Serrano. Tornadoes won the match on a kill by #5 Sean Smith 25-21.
Set number three started differently than the first two sets. It was the Tornadoes who scored the first point on an Opurum kill and the lead, which they never relinquished throughout the set. Tornadoes scored on one kill by #69 Steven Roschitz, 4 kills by Chapman and a Quinones’ dump. Matadors scored on points from Issac, Vander Beek and two blocks by #2 MB Brett Massetti. At 11-8 back-to-back kills by Chapman increased the lead to 13-8. Most of the points scored by the Matadors for the rest of the set came from Tornadoes’ error. The only clean points Matadors scored were from C. Serrano kill, Petris block and Massetti kill. Tornadoes’ setter Quinones turned to Chapman again who added 5 more kills. King and Smith added one kill each and the had a double block to make it 24-20. Tornadoes won the set and match on a Matadors’ hitting error 25-20.
Felix Chapman led all hitters with 18 kills and the only player with double digit kills. Sean Smith had 5 kills, Aaron King 4 kills and Chike Opurum 3 kills. Matadors were led by Mauro Issac with 8 kills, Jacob Vander Beek with 6 kills and Carlos Serrano and Martin Petris with 3 kills each. Tornadoes also scored on 2 service aces and 6 blocks. And Matadors on 4 service aces and 6 blocks.
Stunners Sweep and Ruin Tornadoes’ Late Run for the Playoffs
Stunners scored the first point on a kill by #15 Jair Sanches-Santiago and took a 3-0 lead after a Tornadoes’ hitting error and kill by #6 Corey Chavers. The Tornadoes scored their first point on a block by #5 Sean Smith for a 3-1 score. The Untouchables tied the score at 4-4 after a kill by #20 Felix Chapman and dump by setter #19 Michael Quinones. Stunners countered with their own mini run on kills by #3 Shayne Beamer and #7 Joey Jarvis and kept a 2-point lead. Although the Stunners sided-out well they gave free points to the Tornadoes on service and hitting errors that kept the score close. But the Stunners slowly increased their lead on back-to-back scoring runs from #12 Kevin Gear and Santiago to 8-5; Beamer and Chavers to 13-9; and Santiago and Chavers to 15-10. During this run Tornadoes scored most of their points from Stunners’ hitting and service errors. And only scored 5 clean points from a Quinones service ace and two kills by Chapman, a kill by #69 Steven Roschitz and a kill by #11 MB Aaron King. At 23-18 the Stunners closed out the set with a kill by Chavers, block by Jarvis and won the set on a kill by Jarvis 25-19.
Tornadoes scored the first point on a kill by Chapman. Stunners scored their first point on a kill by Beamer and tied the score 2-2. Tornadoes took the lead on a kill by #18 Carlos Luna. Stunners tied the score and took a 1-point lead after a Santiago kill, service ace by #27 Roberto Ramirez and Chavers’ kill to 9-8. After a Gear tied the score at 13-13 on a kill, Tornadoes regained the lead on a dump kill by setter Quinones. The Stunners retook the lead after a Tornadoes hitting error and Santiago kill to 17-15. But the Tornadoes regained the lead again from two consecutive kills by Chapman and block by Quinones to 19-18. Tornadoes kept the lead until the Stunners took it back again at 22-21 after a Chavers’ kill and Tornadoes’ hitting error. Two errors in a row by both teams led to a 22-22 tie. Chavers scored a kill on the next possession for a 23-22 Stunners’ lead. The Stunners won the set on two consecutive Tornadoes’ hitting errors 25-22.
In set number three the Stunners started it with a hitting error that gave the Tornadoes a 1-0 lead. Stunners scored their first clean point on a kill by Chavers to 1-1. The Tornadoes didn’t score a clean point until a kill from Chapman to tie the set 3-3. The Stunners kept a 1-point lead until a Chapman kill and Stunners’ hitting error relinquished the lead to the Tornadoes 7-6. After Chapman kill tied the score at 10-10. The Stunners retook the lead from back-to-back kills by Santiago to 12-10. At 14-12 the Stunners increased their lead on kills by Chavers and Gear to 16-12 and then again to 20-14 on a kill by Santiago followed by a Beamer block. The Tornadoes’ Smith sided-out on a kill to 20-15. The Tornadoes scored their last clean point on a kill by Chapman. The set closed out with back-to-back kills by Beamer, Stunners’ service error and won the set and match on a kill by Santiago 25-18 for the sweep.
Stunners’ Corey Chavers and Tornadoes’ Felix Chapman led all players with 15 kills. Jair Sanchez-Santiago had 14 kills, Shayne Beamer 6 kills and Kevin Gear and Joey Jarvis each had 5 kills. The next Tornadoes with the most kills behind Chapman were Steven Roschitz with 3 kills and Aaron King and Michael Quinones with 2 kills each. The Stunners also scored on 3 service aces and 4 blocks. And Tornadoes on 1 service ace and 3 blocks.
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Game 1, Dallas Tornadoes V.S The Chicago Untouchables
Set 1
The two new teams of the NVA faceoff, the Dallas Tornadoes and the Chicago Untouchables who are both 0-3 so far in the league. The Dallas Tornadoes started off with a 4-0 lead after multiple hitting and passing errors, but eventually sided out with a kill out of the middle by Pual Bilanzic who then put Jake Milnaziak back to serve. Jake Milnaziak responded to the early run by the Tornadoes by going on a 3 point service run that included a block by Mitch Wiskerchen. The two teams exchanged sideouts until the technical timeout that had Dallas in the lead 7-8. Dallas went on another run in the middle of the game allowing them to take the lead 13-10. Jake Milnaziak goes back to serve to bring the score back to 13-12 but was stopped by Felix Chapman with a sideout swing into the angle, and a block by Aaron King allowed for a lead of 15-12 into the technical timeout. Dallas was able to maintain a three point lead the rest of the game, even with Thomas Burrel putting together a string of kills but was ultimately stopped on gamepoint, losing 25-19.
Set 2
Set two started off with Chicago putting together some miraculous plays, including a one handed set of the court by Jake Milnaziak. Jake Milnaziak then went to the endline and served up an ace, followed by three Tornadoes errors and an overpass kill by Nick Ramos, taking an early lead of 7-2. Jake Milnaziak then proceeded to serve a ball out of bounds, which resulted in a service ace by Ryan Schultheis followed by a block bringing the score up to 5-7. Chicago then took the lead of 8-5 into the technical timeout. The two teams exchanged points until a missed serve by Steven Roschitz and a block by Paul Bilanzic allowed for a four point separation of 14-10. Two errors by Jake Milnaziak and two service aces by Ryan Schultheis tied the game up late at 17-17, and Dallas then took the lead with a block by Steven Roschitz. The two teams managed to consistently tie up the games until two net violations by Aaron King and Javiar Guerrero put Chicago in the lead, and the game was ultimately ended by Ian Capp on an ace. 25-22 Chicago.
Set 3
Set 3 started off with an early lead by Chicago, with a block by Paul Bilanzic and three service aces by Ian Capp, who ended up missing his fourth serve, score 4-1 Chicago lead. Chicago maintained a lead until Ryan Schultheos blocked two balls and an error by Jake Milnaziak brought the score to 11-9 with Chicago still in the lead. Chicago then created separation again with a sideout by Paul Bilanzic, a block by Mitch Wiskerchen and a service ace by Ian Capp, with a score of 14-10. Chicago maintained a four point lead until a sideout and an ace by Felix Chapman brought them within two points with the score at 20-22. Felix Chapman then missed his serve at 20-23 and the two teams exchanged points until a block by Paul Bilanzic sealed the deal, 25-22.
Set 4
Set four started off a little more balanced, with both teams siding out consistently until a string of kills and blocks followed by an ace by Ryan Schultheis created separation with a score of 5-9, Tornadoes in the lead. Two errors by the Tornadoes brought the score back to 7-9, but the momentum was quickly stopped with a block by Javier Guerroro. Dallas then continued to maintain a lead until a shift in momentum happened again with a series of stops and kills by chicago, with a huge momentum change after a huge overpass kill by Will Ragland. Dallas then responded by setting their go to guy, Felix Chapman, to get some of their lead back. Dallas was looking primed to win this game until two kills by Mitch Wiskerchen and a block by Ian Capp gave Chicago a one point lead of 23-23. A missed serve by Felix Chapman and then a net by Javier Guerrero gave Chicago the win. Final score 25-22.
Game 1 Dallas Tornadoes V.S Southern Exposure
Set 1
To begin the first match of Day 2 in Atlantic City, the Dallas Tornadoes and Southern Exposure were shaky with service errors and attacking errors. Tied at 2-2, the two teams traded a string of kills and blocks with a battle between Felix Chapman and Tim Lourich. Southern Exposure gained the lead into the technical timeout. Taking advantage of the Tornadoe’s errors, Southern Exposure Increased their service pressure with aces from Chad Mercado and Tim Lourich, increasing their lead to 11-16. Tornadoes attempted to return from their deficit with kills from Chapman and Rivera. Still, Southern Exposure stayed strong at the net with blocks from Lourich and Kevin Rocklein. Southern Exposure won set one at 25-18
Set 2
Coming back in Set 2 ready to play, the Dallas Tornadoes gained an early lead at 5-2 with an ace by Roschitz and kills from Chapman and Colon. The game’s flow began to shift with a massive block from Derek Sullivan as Southern Exposure hoped to tie at the technical timeout before Chapman earned a kill at 8-6. Climbing back of the technical timeout, Lourich finally tied the score with an ace at 17-17, which again was met with a massive kill by Chapman and an ace by Rivera. Tornadoes gave Southern Exposure a sliver of hope with two errors at 23-23 but pushed through with two kills from Jessie Colon and Chapman to win the set 25-23.
Set 3
Rivera started Set 3 with a statement scoring an ace, while Exposure matched the energy with a big triple block. The two teams continued to trade in errors, with Exposure even being called out of rotation. An ace from Chapman put the game back on track as the tornadoes went on to take the lead at 8-6 at the technical timeout. Out of the break, Mercado led the offensive charge with two kills and tied the game at 10-10. Tornadoes gained control back with two kills from Roschitz and blocks from Chapman and Colon, gaining a sizeable lead of 16-12. The Tornadoes stayed on top as Chapman proved to be an unstoppable force adding three kills and finishing the set with an ace at 25-20.
Set 4
Southern Exposure started the set with early success with a kill and block from Uchenna Ofoha. Tied at 8-8 the momentum quickly changed in favor of Southern Exposure with impeccable defense from Kyle Dagostino. Southern Exposure rode the excitement and pushed the lead to 16-12 with kills from Rocklein and Lourich. The Tornadoes were able to trail behind Southern Exposure with a trying effort by Chapman. Still, in the end, they were unable to gather enough points themselves as Southern Exposure took the set at 25-22.
Set 5
The final set saw some fantastic offensive distribution from both sides as Dereck Sullivan and Ivan Andujar used all of their weapons to their disposal. The Tornadoes trailed behind Southern Exposure by one point until 9-8, where a kill by Rocklein and block by Mercado got the team to game point at 14-9. Two kills from Chapman and three Southern Exposure hitting errors put the score to 14-14. Just as the Tornadoes saw a chance to take the match, Lourich regained control with a kill, and Mercado shot for the stars with an ace to win the game 16-14.
Game 1: Texas Tyrants V.S Dallas Tornadoes
Set 1
The long-anticipated matchup between the Texas Tyrants and Dallas Tornadoes showed a grudge match from start to finish, with the Tyrants determined to become the kings of the south. With an early lead of 8-4, Tim Johnson scored two kills soaring high above the block. Middle Ryan Maune continued to be an impenetrable wall at the net while also running fast tempo routes. All-star Cuban Felix Chapman fought to perform the same as he did the day before with 30 points. Still, the long weekend looked to have taken a toll on Chapman’s abilities, eventually being subbed out after the Tyrants pulled ahead to 14-6. The Tyrants steamrolled through the final set as Daniel Jacobs checked into the match scoring four of the Tyrants’ last five points to end the set 25-17.
Set 2
Getting off to a quick start, Tyrants middle Zakir Pasha gained an early lead (3-1) with two kills and a block. After taking some time to re-energize on the bench, Steven Roschitz came back ready to fill in the gaps for his team, scoring five kills to get within one point behind the Tyrants at 11-12. Maune continued to be a threat while he was in rotation in the front row, scoring another five points to get the team up to 23-20. Another ace from Anthony Robinson secured a game point. At the same time, Robinson’s reception and defense prevented the Tornadoes from responding as the Tyrants took the set 25-21.
Set 3
The Tyrants capitalized on superior blocking, with the Tornadoes unable to keep a positive connection on offense. Ryan Maune gained another four blocks, which seemed to take away any energy the Tornadoes had left. Already behind 6-11, the Tornadoes became terminal with attacking errors while Gianluca Grasso and Tim Johnson destroyed the Dallas blocks on both sides of the pin, pushing the Tyrants’ lead to 21-11. Proving to be one of the best middle blockers of the weekend, Ryan Maune stamped his name as MVP of the match. Ending the set (25-14) with 2 consecutive blocks, Maune reached seven total blocks in the game and 14 total points.
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The Tornadoes had a tough opening as a club back in April, as they unfortunately went 0-3 on the weekend, respectively. Although that can be considered bad news, the great thing about sports is that there is always another game to prepare for and always another chance to win. As a new club, the Tornadoes are working on laying down the cultural foundation and team chemistry that is important in the winning process. One person that has been showing exceptional performance is outside hitter Steven Roschitz, the Graceland University Alum who is currently leading the team offensively with 26 total points on the weekend. Although statistically that is a low number, it is important to note that the Tornadoes have four other offensive options that were performing well. One thing to note about Steven Roschitz is that he is ambidextrous, allowing him to hit the ball with either his left or right hand. Steven Roschitz is not only an offensive weapon, but is also the stat leader for his team with four blocks, respectively. With over a month to train and get better, the Tornadoes have the weapons to really make a push out of last place and into contention for top eight this weekend. Watch the Dallas Tornadoes play in Atlantic City this weekend May 28th-30th.
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Team Freedom’s Consistent Play Trumps Tornadoes Valiant Effort
Tornadoes started strong with one kill by OH Nicholas Mueller and three kills by OH Steven Roschitz. At 6-6 Team Freedom took the lead and extended it with three mini runs that included kills by setter Matt Elias, OH Christopher Vaughn, block by MB Matt Seifert, kill by OPP Joe Norman and service ace from Elias to 13-7. Tornadoes Roschitz and MB Chike Opurum made a valiant try to spark a comeback but Team Freedom found ways to curtail their efforts. Team Freedom hung on to their six point lead with some great side outs and finished off the set with Seifert and OH Christopher Nugent and a block by Seifert for the 25-17 win.
Team Freedom took an early five point lead in the second set with a service run from Seifert’s ace; and kills from Norman and Vaughn. Roschitz stopped the bleeding with a kill. But then Team Freedom started another run with a series of kills by Roschitz and Vaughn; block by Elias and a Vaughn ace to extend the lead to 14-5. Although the Tornadoes passed well and played some good defense they just couldn’t score points thanks to Team Freedom’s defense, much of it as a result of good coverage covering, digging balls and good transition offense. Strong serving also helped Team Freedom dominate this set and win 25-10.
In set three the Tornadoes made a lineup change and took their first lead of the match at 5-4 thanks to some solid play from Roschitz who ended up with a team leading 9 kills. But Team Freedom built a lead on a run of blocks by Keith Kegerries and Seifert; and a Seifert ace to take the lead of 8-5. Both teams sided out until Team Freedom pulled away at 18-16 and won the match 25-19.
Team Freedom’s constant play coupled with Tornadoes poor hitting of 28% resulted in an easy sweep. Roschitz led the Tornadoes with 9 kills and Sequil Sanchez had 4 kills in a losing effort. Norman led Team Freedom with 12 kills and Nugent finished with 9 kills.
Day 2, Match #4
Stingers Shut Down Tornadoes In 3 Sets
While the Stingers started off well with Leo Durkin setting balls for kills by Jorge Mencia, Alex Shmelev, Cory Metcalf and Novel Romero, the Tornadoes struggled with hitting errors and fell behind early 8-4. The Tornadoes picked up their play with kills by Aaron King and an ace by Luis Vasquez to cut the lead to 11-9. The Stingers answered with kills by Paul Clark and Romero but then a series of Stinger hitting errors relinquished the lead to the Tornadoes at 16-12. After the media timeout the Stingers substituted setter Hamilton Day for Durkin. Unfortunately the Tornadoes’ hitters couldn’t find the court. They committed a slew of errors, which gave the Stingers free points to gain back the lead at 20-13. The Tornadoes only scored two more points on a Stinger hitting error and kill by King. The Stingers scored five of the last seven points from kills by Clark and Carson Henninger, and block by Shmelev. Clark scored a service ace on the last point to secure the set win for the Stingers 25-15.
In set two the Stingers started Chandler Baugh at Libero. The Tornadoes struggled to find the court and a block by Romero gave the Stingers 4-0 lead. Tornadoes scored their first point on a service error by Clark at 4-1, then followed up with the first real point from a Hernandez kill. A stinger service and hitting error gave Tornadoes two more points. During this stretch Stingers scored points on kills by Clark, Mencia and Shmelev to build an 8-4 lead. After the timeout the Tornadoes continued with their hitting errors. Clark had three consecutive kills that increased the Stingers’ lead to 12-5. The Tornadoes finally started to side out with kills by setter Brady Castillo, Eduardo Hernandez, King and block by Patrick Moscicki but a run of kills by Romero kept the Stingers’ lead at 16-11. At 22-17 the Tornadoes scored their last point of the set on an ace by Vasquez. The Stingers closed the set with three straight points on Tornadoes’ service and hitting errors and ended the set on a service ace by Stingers’ Shmelev to win 25-18.
In set three both teams scored on each other’s service or hitting errors on the first six points. Metcalf scored the first real point to give the Stingers a 4-3 lead. The Tornadoes captured their first lead of the match from a kill and block by Moscicki to 6-4 but the Stingers’ took back the lead from a Tornadoes hitting error, ace by Romero and kill by Metcalf to 8-6. Tornadoes rallied back to tie at 12-12 on hitting errors by the Stingers and kill and blocks by Eduardo Hernandez and kill by Moscicki and then took the lead back at 16-15 on a Hernandez kill. Tornadoes added to their lead on another Hernandez kill to 17-15. Stingers answered with kills by Clark and Shmelev; and back to back Shmelev blocks and tied the set at 19-19. Both teams sided out well with kills by Hernandez, block by King and Moscicki for the Tornadoes; and kills by Clark, Romero and Metcalf and block by Shmelev for the Stingers. Stingers closed out the match with the last two points on a Romero ace and a Metcalf kill for a 26-24 win.
For the Tornadoes Hernandez had 6 kills and Vasquez and King had 4 kills; and team hitting was 29%. For the Stingers Romero led all players with 11 kills, Clark with 10 kills, Metcalf 6 and Henninger 5 kills; and team hitting was 46%.
Day 3, Match #3
Blaze Rebound After First Set Loss to Tornadoes and Win Match in 4 Sets
Blaze and Tornadoes offenses started strong. Blaze scored on kills by Charles Belvin, Jordan Walley, John Rodriguez and a dump by setter Marques Buggs. For the Tornadoes middle blocker Steven Roschitz started the set with a kill, followed by two kills from Sequiel Sanchez, kill from middle blockers Patrick Moscicki and Roschitz block to lead 8-7. After the first media timeout Blaze hitting errors helped Tornadoes increase their lead to three points with an ace and kill from Eduardo Hernandez and Sanchez. During this run Blaze only had two kills from Travis O’Gorman. At 16-13 two kills by Roschitz and block by Aaron King increased the lead to 20-16. But O’Gorman caught fire and scored four of the next five points for the Blaze that cut the Tornadoes lead to 21-20. But the Tornadoes fought back and scored the last two points of the set on kills by Sanchez and won 25-22.
In set two both teams committed a total of 14 hitting and service errors. Blaze took the early lead that began with a block by middle blocker John Rodriguez, followed with two kills by Belvin, O’Gorman kill and Rodriguez service ace that gave them a three point lead at 8-5. The only two real scores for the Tornadoes came on kills from Sanchez and Moscicki. After the first media timeout Tornadoes scored on kills by King, Roschitz, Hernandez and block by Sanchez. Blaze scored on 4 kills by O’Gorman, Nieves Rodriquez and block by Rodriguez and service ace by Buggs and took a commanding 20-13 lead. Tornadoes countered with a short rally on a service ace by Roschitz and a Sanchez kill and block. Blaze won the set 25-21 on kills by Walley and O’Gorman.
Set three was a mirror image of set two that ended in the same score. Blaze and Tornadoes committed a total of l8 hitting and service errors. A Sanchez kill started the scoring for the Tornadoes, followed by a King block and kills by Roschitz and Hernandez. Blaze scored on two consecutive kills by Belvin, one by Nieves, another Belvin kill, a Walley kill and Rodriquez block to lead before the first media timeout at 8-7. Both teams had a successful spurt of side-outs in which the Tornadoes scored on a Hernandez block, Sanchez kill, Moscicki block and Sanchez service ace. Blaze scored points from a Buggs dump and kills by O’Gorman, Nieves and Walley. At 12-12 Blaze pulled ahead by two points with a kill by Belvin and a block by O’Gorman to 16-14. Only four real points were scored by both teams the rest of the set. For Tornadoes a kill by Sanchez and Roschitz; and Blaze O’Gorman and Belvin. The set ended on a Tornadoes’ hitting error that gave the Blaze a 25-21 win.
In set four Blaze cut down on their errors but not the Tornadoes, who had a total of 10 service and hitting errors. Blaze capitalized on the Tornadoes’ early errors and took a commanding 8-1 lead that they never relinquished. Bad passing contributed to most of the Tornadoes’ errors and only managed to score 6 real points on two kills and one block by Roschitz, two kills by Sanchez and one kill from King. Blaze scored on three kills by Nieves, three kills by Walley, three kills and an ace by Belvin, O’Gorman kill and block and Rodriquez kill. Blaze closed out the match with a kill and block by Joseph Cuevas and won 25-13.
Roschitz and Sanchez led Tornadoes with 10 kills each, Moscicki 4 and King and Hernandez 3. Tornadoes had 5 blocks and hit 33%. For the Blaze Belvin and O’Gorman led all players with 11 each, Jordan 8, and Nieves and Rodriguez 8. Blaze had 8 blocks and hit 50%. Tornadoes finished with an 0-3 record and Blaze 2-1.
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A true Texan at heart, opposite Ben Simon, joins the Dallas Tornadoes as one of the first locally grown heroes to become a professional athlete with the NVA. Paving the way for other great talents in Texas, Ben has shown the possible pipeline for players to stay entirely in Texas from club to college and onto their professional careers. Just as he has for his own family, Ben hopes to inspire others to aim high in the sport. His siblings have all followed his lead with sisters Chloe and Regan attending Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the University of Albany and brother Peyton attending Pepperdine in the Fall.
“Being from Texas, men’s volleyball was very low on the list of sports that people wanted to play. Growing up, I knew of maybe two boys’ clubs in the state of Texas. Now, there are dozens of teams! The addition of the Texas Tyrants and the Dallas Tornadoes allows Texas to showcase the talent that is hiding here!” – Ben Simon.
Despite Texas having an impressive 23 Women’s NCAA Division I programs, there isn’t a single men’s program throughout Division I, II, III, the NAIA, or even Junior Colleges. With so many massive and successful sports organizations to come from the state, it’s sad that Texas men’s volleyball still hasn’t made it to the NCAA. The lack of local options didn’t hold Ben back as he left his mark on Texas State University’s Men’s Club team during his five-year career at the school. Ben was a four-year captain with the team and made the all-conference team in 2019, always pushing the envelope for his team, owning the role as the “Ace” for his team.
Now officially signed with the Dallas Tornadoes for the 2021 season, Ben is ready to make his dreams come true! Already he’s taken a leadership role with the team holding weekly accountability checks for his teammate’s workouts before the out-of-state players join up closer to tournament weekends. If anyone will get his team to push for that extra 1% and get them to the finals, is this Bobcat legend. Go check out Ben (@ben_c_simon) and the Dallas Tornadoes (@dallastornadoes) on Instagram to stay up to date with all their news leading up to this season. Fans can also find live streams of all the 2021 events and replays of last year’s championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. The NVA can’t wait to see what in store this year for the big man Ben Simon!
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