COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 21, 2022) – As the sport of volleyball continues to grow in popularity with young athletes around the country, USA Volleyball is announcing that it will split its Girls Junior National Championship to provide more opportunities for clubs and junior athletes to compete.
To that end, the inaugural USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) for the 11-13 age divisions will be held on June 14-17, 2023, in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
USAV will soon announce the dates and site of the inaugural GJNC for the 14-17 age divisions.
USA Volleyball Events Director Kristy Cox explained the opportunities that the growth of the GJNCs has created for the volleyball community. In 2019, the event brought 1,296 teams with more than 35,000 spectators to Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2021, the event brought 1,303 teams and more than 40,000 spectators to Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Volleyball participation at the club level and in our championship events has increased dramatically over the last decade. It is important for us to offer opportunities for athletes across the country to compete for a national championship,” Cox said. “We now have seven divisions for the 14-17 age groups, and we are running a 12-day event in Indianapolis this year. We want to make sure we can keep expanding as we focus on growing participation in volleyball at all levels.”
Sports Minneapolis is excited to host the inaugural competition for the 11-13 age divisions.
“We are eager to welcome USA Volleyball’s athletes and fans back to Minneapolis, and we look forward to the energy and excitement that will fill the Minneapolis Convention Center and our city,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis. “This event, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Minneapolis, allows us to continue demonstrating the versatility of our convention center, as well as showcasing our city’s ability to successfully host large sporting events.”
Cox is looking forward to seeing the sport played at venues around the country.
“Cities that might have been dissuaded by the challenge of hosting 1,600 teams will be given the opportunity to host a 400-600 team event now,” Cox said. “We look forward to bringing GJNC events to venues around the United States.”