COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 23, 2017) – More than 460 volleyball teams, along with friends and family, will converge on the Minneapolis Convention Center on May 26-31 for the 2017 USA Volleyball Open National Championships.
The Open Nationals are USA Volleyball’s largest adult tournament and have been held annually since 1928, except for two years during World War II. Competitors range in age from 18 to 80. Competition and fun are the focus of Open Nationals, with team names like How I Set Your Mother, Passed Our Prime and The Volley Llamas.
“Minneapolis has proven to be a great destination for our championship events,” said Tom Pingel, USA Volleyball senior director of indoor events and high performance. “The city and venue are very experienced in meeting the needs of the event and its participants.”
The host North Country Region, which includes Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, has 34 teams competing, 31 from Minnesota.
There are also 31 international teams competing, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Russia.
The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting Teams will be using the Opens to scrimmage and several players will also compete in the sitting volleyball division. The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team won the gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team competed at the Paralympic Games for the first time since 2004.
Important dates:
May 26: Start of competition
May 27: U.S. Women’s Sitting Team scrimmage at 3 p.m.
U.S. Men’s Sitting Team scrimmage at 3:30 p.m.
May 28: U.S. Women’s Sitting Team scrimmages at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
U.S. Men’s Sitting Team scrimmage at 8 a.m.
Finals in M/W AA; M/W A; Women 40+, 50+ and 60+; Men 45+, 55+, 65+, 73+ and 78+; and Special Olympics divisions
May 30: Finals in M/W Open and Sitting divisions
May 31: Last day of competition
Finals in M/W BB; M/W B; Men 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+ and 76+; and women’s 55/65+ divisions