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
]]>Big news! The Dallas Tornadoes look to sign middle-blocker Angel ‘Chomo’ Rivera once again for the entire 2022 season after his appearance at last year’s event two in Atlantic City. In the Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino, the Puerto Rican National player has scored double-digit points almost every match. Already his team, the Changos de Naranjitos, is off to a strong start as they have hopped back and forth from 1st to 2nd through the first month of competition, currently at 7-3.
“I’m looking forward to representing the Dallas Tornadoes in the upcoming 2022 Season. I’ve worked hard daily to improve my skills as I want to establish myself as a force to be reckoned with in the LVSM and the NVA. My goal is to produce for my teams and help win championships for both clubs this year.” – Angel “Chomo” Rivera.
His success comes after seven years of living out his dreams as a professional athlete as he joined the LVSM as a rookie in 2013. He began with the Indios de Mayagüez from 2013-2016 until he was traded to the Changos de Naranjito from 2017-present. Angel has also played for the Puerto Rico National Team in 2018, competing in the U21 NORCECA Championships in Habana, Cuba. Angel then represented his country in Winnipeg, Canada, for the 2019 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship for Olympic qualification.
“I think the NVA is a solid league to get exposure on a global scale. The level of play helps all athletes compete against top guys in the country. Also, the league structure is very organized. They treat the players amazing, making it an honor for athletes to represent the league. I hope we can continue to grow the NVA and, more importantly, the sport of Volleyball.” – Angel “Chomo” Rivera.
With the Changos, Angel is also playing by IE Matadors all-star libero, Jose Mulero, who ranked 10th in the NVA last season for total digs at 68. Together they look to return the trophy home to Naranjito, adding another gold medal to their already impressive count of 23 titles. Their championship record has 14 more than the next highest team. But they need to take down four-year reigning champs, the Guaynabo Mets before that dream can become a reality.
Angel will have a chance to do so this Friday, October, 22 as the team faces the 1st place Guaynabo Mets and the Utah Stingers OH Inovel Romero and Oppo Jorge Mencia. Be sure to follow Angel (@angelrivber) and the Changos de Naranjito (@changosvoleibol) to stay up to date with their season! Also, check out the page for the LVSM (@lvsm.pr) to find more information about the other teams, and follow the link below to watch live streams of the upcoming matches.
https://regieventos.com/events/lvsm-changos/
“Volley On With the NVA!”
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>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.
]]>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.
]]>As one of Southern Exposure’s veteran players, Jack Mitchell is one of the top players to come out of Florida and play overseas. Still soaking up the sun as much as possible, Jack answered some questions about his life abroad, his roots in volleyball, and his career and hobbies.
Q: When/where did you start playing volleyball?
Jack: I started playing when I was 11 because my sister was always playing. I was also competitive in freediving and spearfishing.
Q: What high school did you play at?
Jack: Seminole Ridge High School. I made countless friends and even met my wife through volleyball there.
Q: What was your college experience like?
Jack: I wouldn’t change my college experience for anything! It was a smaller school, so the sense of community between the men’s and women’s teams made us all close friends, making it so there was never a dull moment. I double-majored in advertising and Public relations.
Q: Have you played elsewhere overseas?
Jack: I played in the 1st league in Prague, Czech Republic. There weren’t a ton of English speakers on the team, so that was a huge adjustment. Even my coach didn’t speak any English, so I always had to use google translate. The culture was excellent, very different than in the US. The experiences I got changed my life forever, in the best ways possible!
Q: Any tournaments and leagues you play in at home?
Jack: I’ve played for the Florida Wave back in the day, and still play at adult nationals and grass tournaments when I can.
Q: What do you currently do for work, and what have you been up to during quarantine?
Jack: I’m a PE teacher, volleyball coach, and make spearfishing and freediving YouTube videos. Other than that, I’ve been working out, playing volleyball, and diving in the ocean.
]]>As one of the most athletic players on Southern Exposure, Eddie Moushikhian brings a level of intensity and passion to his team and the game of volleyball in general. Eddie answered some questions to give fans a better idea of what has gone into becoming the athlete he is today, as well as an update on what he’s been up to during quarantine.
Q: When/where did you start playing volleyball?
Eddie: I started playing volleyball at the age of 8 and started playing club volleyball when I was 12. I played other sports as a kid, but volleyball was always my #1 priority. I used to foul out of club basketball games on the weekends to make it to my volleyball practices on time.
Q: What high school did you play at?
Eddie: I went to Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, but we didn’t have a high school volleyball team then. I played for the one and only clubs around the southeast at Southern Storm Volleyball Club.
Q: What was your college experience like?
Eddie: Playing at the collegiate level was a great experience for me. I played at King University in Bristol, Tennessee, and graduated with a degree in marketing. In my years at King University, the team and I broke numerous school and NCAA records. We were able to get the conference championship my senior year. The team then won the conference title the following year, after I graduated.
Q: Have you played elsewhere overseas?
Eddie: I had the opportunity to play professionally in Cyprus. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned as I had ended my season early. Adjusting to the level overseas is problematic from a cultural and psychological level; however, I have to say American volleyball is much more structured and efficient. The majority of college volleyball programs in the United States would compete very well if not beat many of the leagues overseas.
Q: Any tournaments and leagues that you play in at home?
Eddie: I have been excited to play in the NVA events we have coming up. I am currently trying to play some AVP beach qualifiers and grow my game’s knowledge and skill.
Q: What do you currently do for work and what have you done during quarantine?
I am currently involved in Marketing and Sales for a few companies, and I coach for A5 Volleyball Club out of Atlanta. Since quarantine I’ve been staying in shape and immersing myself into the game of volleyball.
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