NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships

The coaching staff enjoyed an amazing weekend with some volleyball greats thanks to the SPS Athletics Department, the Volleychief Booster Club and the Buckner Family. We thoroughly enjoyed being at "work" while we learned about the game of volleyball and watched some top volleyball matches. In no particular order, here is a little recap of our adventure!

Penn State take the Division I Volleyball title for the fourth year in a row!

Coach Downs, Coach Harris & Coach Gavin

While we were in Kansas City at the Championships we were able to attend several different educational sessions on how to better the game for our team. We learned about using disadvantages to our advantage, middle hitting techniques, coaching philophies throughout the years from some of the top dogs in the business, junior high to varsity coaching drills and how to train setters. These were just a few. We absorbed the knowledge of the presenters.

Some of the fun memories...According to Downs, I was a little too overly excited about the free Asics backpacks that we got at registration. Coach Gavin was star struck amongst all of the coaching greats! We managed to get her picture with the current Nebraska Coach, John Cook. Nebraska just happens to be her favorite team. And, Coach Downs is still trying to recover from a nice looking young gentlemen coming up to her and reminiscing that she was his pediatrician. It was hilarious because he was soooo determined she was, in fact, his doctor. As if Coach Downs didn't feel old enough hanging out with Coach Gavin and I?!?! Ha! We also ran into many local coaches from the area and even got to see Erin Pavlin, alumni volleychief player and her parents and got to catch up with them.

Current Nebraska Coach, John Cook and Coach Gavin

At the matches we were able to hook up with some of the 2010 Volleychiefs. Carole Ann Finley, Kinsey McCarter and Maris Below came down to our seats for a quick photo opportunity!

In between the educational sessions we had some free time to walk around the convention site. We checked out several displays that included: getting an autograph from Terry Pettit, former Nebraska Coach, and his book, Talent and the Secret Life of Teams; attempting to serve in Zone 7 (let serve); the Nike booth who now offers custom Brown & Gold apparel (coaches shirts, warm ups, jerseys, etc)...we are already making our wish list; and picking up free stuff.

Coach Downs getting Terry Pettits book and autograph

Attempting to serve Zone 7

In our free time we enjoyed dinner out at the lovely Melting Pot and Cheesecake Factory. We got to hang out with the Below and Finley Clans, briefly, at the Cheesecake Factory. Kansas City Power and Light District was so pretty in the evening and we got to hang out there too.

Our volleyball watching including Penn State, USC, Cal State, and Texas battling it out for the Championship title. Penn State ended up taking the title for the fourth straight year in a row. We also got to watch the best high school athletes compete in the Under Armour All American Match.

It was a memorable weekend and we were exhausted from it! We are so grateful to those who made that trip possible! We are already planning next year's trip, which just happens to still be in the midwest...San Antonio, TX, here we come!