More than 41,000 Volleyball Players, Coaches and

Spectators Convene in Minneapolis for the 2017

USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National

Championships

MINNEAPOLIS, June 23, 2017 – USA Volleyball returns to Minneapolis for its 38th annual USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships after hosting its Open National Championships at the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) this past May. The MCC will once again be the epicenter for volleyball as 1,264 youth clubs compete in 26 divisions for the national title from Sunday, June 25 – Tuesday, July 4.

“USA Volleyball brings a tremendous amount of business to our local economy,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO, Meet Minneapolis and executive director, Sports Minneapolis. “With more than 13,000 athletes, 3,000 coaches and referees, and an estimated 25,000 spectators, we anticipate an estimated $50 million in economic impact over the 10-day tournament. Plus, this is an outstanding opportunity to introduce these young athletes to our city. Minneapolis is bolder, greener and more inviting than ever, and we hope these families return for visits in the months and years to come whether it’s to see our exceptional universities, attend a sporting event at one of our new stadiums or spend some quality time on one of the city’s many lakes.”

USA Volleyball generates more than 57,000 hotel room nights and supports more than 10,000 jobs across the metropolitan area. Over its 10-day period, the National Championships also yields an estimated $1.1 million in local tax revenue.

“USA Volleyball is the only organization in our sport whose membership spans from grassroots players to Olympians,” said Jamie Davis, CEO, USA Volleyball. “There is nothing quite like watching these extraordinary young women continue their volleyball journey and compete for the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships title. I am confident that in their mix is a handful of players whom we will eventually select to join our national team and represent Team USA. I want to personally thank the city of Minneapolis for being such wonderful hosts.”

The USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships was last held in Minneapolis in 2014. Most recently, Minneapolis was the host city for the USA Volleyball Open National Championships on May 26-31, 2017.

Volleyball spectators are encouraged to get in on the action at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Tickets can be purchased on a daily or tournament pass. For details, visit http://www.teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/events/indoor/girls/2017-girls-jnc/tickets. For the tournament schedule, visit http://www.teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/events/indoor/girls/2017-girls-jnc/schedule and join the conversation online with #GJNC.

Schedule:

June 25-28: 14-and-Under for Open, National, USA, American & Patriot Divisions

June 26-29: 15-and-Under for Open, National, USA, American & Patriot Divisions

June 27-30: 12-and-Under for National, American Divisions

June 28-July 1: 13-and-Under for Open, National, American Divisions

June 29-July 1: 11-and-Under for Patriot Division

June 30-July 3: 17-and-Under for Open, National, USA, American & Patriot Divisions

July 1-4: 16-and-Under for Open, National, USA, American & Patriot Divisions

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#askMPLS

When attendees from the USAV GJNC or other visitors attending events in the city have questions about where to go, what to do or just need directions, all they need to do is ask Minneapolis using the Meet Minneapolis hashtag #askMPLS on social media. Staff members are on the ready to respond to questions and assist to ensure a great visitor experience for all who come to Minneapolis.

ABOUT USA VOLLEYBALL

Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the disciplines of beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and sitting volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball has over 325,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $31 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men's and women's senior national team programs for beach, indoor and sitting volleyball; youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education, certification programs and grassroots development across all disciplines. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984, four Paralympic medals since 2004 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information on USA Volleyball, visit usavolleyball.org.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit of the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of the Destination Marketing Association International.

CONNECT WITH US!

Online: www.minneapolis.org and for deals & exclusive experiences: http://go.minneapolis.org

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis?ref=ts

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetminneapolis/

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meetminneapolis/

#askMPLS: Use this hashtag to get answers to all your Minneapolis questions from our team!

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kristen Montag, Meet Minneapolis senior public relations and communications manager, 612-767-8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org, @Minneapolis_PR on Twitter.

Bill Kauffman, USA Volleyball senior manager of communications, 719-310-2439 (cell phone for June 24-July 4) or bill.kauffman@usav.org

If you wish to cover this event onsite, need assistance in arranging an interview or other information on the tournament, please contact Bill Kauffman at bill.kauffman@usav.org.