Girls Grateful for Gifts at USAV GJNC

Candice Kasischke
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: candice.kasischke@usav.org

ATLANTA (June 26, 2011)– Teams at the 2011 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC), which started June 25 and runs through July 4 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, are continuing the yearly tradition of gift exchange at the start of every match.

Teams from all over the country compete in the 32nd Annual USA Volleyball GJNC with one of the tournament’s signatures customs being the gift exchange during the pre-match hand shake for the teams to bring gift items to trade with each opponent they face.

Libby Laughlin (Dallas, Texas), who is playing for the Skyline 14 RoShamBo - Royal club team in the 14 Open Division, has enjoyed the gifts that she has received this year.

“I think that bringing gifts that represent your club is a great idea,” Laughlin said. “A lot of people put their club or team name on the gift, so its neat to get the name out for others to see. It also helps you remember teams in the future by what they exchanged.”

Some of the various gifts brought by the teams in the 2011 USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships are cups, pins, key chains, lip balm, miniature volleyballs, frisbees, bandanas, beach balls and hand sanitizer.

Tiffany Wentworth (Omaha, Neb.) is a participant of the Premiere 14 Gold club team playing in the 14 National Division. Her team is handing out whistles to the teams that can be used when refereeing at Region tournaments.

“We are giving away whistles because it is practical for everyone who is playing in the gym,” Wentworth said. “We thought it would be neat for them to use the whistles we supplied them with when they have to referee games at other tournaments.”

The gifts brought annually to the USA Volleyball GJNC are also often representative of the teams’ culture and where they come from. Katie Keynton (Louisville, Ky.), a member of the MAVA 14 Blue club team in the 14 National Division, has kept many of the gifts that she has received over the years of attending USAV Girls Junior Nationals.

“I loved the Hawaiian magnet that I got from a Hawaiian team one year,” Keynton said. “I have still have items from when I was 10 and competing at the GJNC.”

For USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships results, click here. For more information on the tournament, visit usavolleyball.org/events/4873.

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Tags: 2011 Girls' Junior National Championships, Junior Nationals, Juniors, USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships