GLR Member Fighting Cancer with Volleyball

Great Lakes Region-

One of our own is battling cancer, and we've just heard about a great way we as a volleyball family can get involved help encourage Ryan in his fight. 

Ryan O'Malley has been battling cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments. An adult coed sixes fundraiser tournament is being held to help alleviate the costs of treatment.

What: Coed 6's Go Ball Out Bash!

When: Saturday, October 19 @ 9:00 AM

Where: Top Flight VBC, 1360 Madeline Lane Suite #400, Elgin, IL 60124

Details: There will be 2 divisions - Competitive and Recreational. Each
team needs three men and three women. The cost is $150/team. Contact Bryan McDermand
at Bryanmcdermand@topflightvbc.com or Jaime Swartz at Swartz.Jaime@gmail.com
for more info or to register. 

We encourage everyone to attend this event and come together as a volleyball community to encourage Ryan and help him in his battle.

Great Lakes Junior Beach Event

Great Lakes Region held their first solo beach event, and it was a huge success. See below for age division winners. 

Girls 12U: pictured at left1st: Ashley Biron and Kennedy Muff (Sky High)
2nd: Emma Konie and Jenna Brown (Sky High)

Girls 14U1st: Erin Burke and Grace Loberg (Club Fusion)
2nd: Abigail Bogner and Jadalee Synder (Club Fusion)


Girls 16U1st:Emma Bruder and Kate Bruder
2nd: Becca Fortsch and Lianna White (Powerhouse)

Girls 18U1st: Alena Tourtellette and Morgan Barnes (Powerhouse)
2nd: Morgan Stenson and Phoebe Havenaar (Powerhouse)

Boys 14U1st: Quinn Isaacson and Logan Nash (Powerhouse)
2nd: Peter Martinson and Sean Mooney (Powerhouse)

Boys 16U1st: Erik Haverkate and Jimmy Roggeman (Cyclones)
2nd : Jacob Chaurize and Luke Werrline (Cyclones)

Boys 18U1st:Alex Birmingham and Matt Henek
2nd: Lucas Kilmer and Chase Kilmer

Great Lakes Region Sitting Volleyball Clinic/National Team Tryout

We are excited to announce that a Sitting Volleyball Clinic and tryout for the U.S. National Sitting Volleyball Team is coming to Great Lakes Region on Aug. 10.

Click here to read up on the awesome event. We can't wait!

If you know someone who might be interested in participating in either the clinic or the tryout, pass this information along.

Wagner Inducted to YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame

Former Great Lakes Region Commissioner Lea Wagner (1979 to 1982 and 1984 to 2008) was inducted to the YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

Wagner began her volleyball career at the Lincoln-Belmont YMCA where she played for the Chicago Women’s Volleyball Club. Wagner would work for the YMCA later in life.

During her time with the Chicago Women’s Volleyball Club, Wagner played with Ed Lauten, who is credited with being the originator of the modern scorekeeping system in the United States.

Wagner was a member of the Host Committee preparing for the 1959 Pan-American Games. Her connection with Lauten allowed her to become one of the first scorekeepers to use the Lauten scorekeeping system at the Pan-American Games.

Wagner became a certified Regional Scorekeeper and Regional Referee in the mid-60s. She participated in her first USA Volleyball Nationals in Des Moines Iowa.

Wagner was a National Scorekeeper, and in 1973, became one of the first females to become a National Referee.  

Wagner achieved International Scorekeeper status in 1982 and was assigned as a scorekeeper at the NORCECA Zone Championships, Pre-World University Games, FIVB Junior Men’s Championships, Pre-Olympics and Olympics.

Over the years, Wagner has collected numerous awards and accolades for her performance as a referee, scorekeeper and leader in the volleyball community.

In 1975, Wagner received the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.

In 1981 she was honored with the Golden Whistle Award and 1982 earned her the Edward P. Lauten Scorekeeping Service Award.

In 1988, Wagner was awarded the Neville A. Booth Commissioner’s Award and the Glen G. Davies Referee Service Award.

Wagner received the Nancy S. Sharpless Scorekeeper Emeritus Award in 2004 as well as the Wilbur H. Peck Referee Emeritus Award.

In 1993, Wagner earned the Harold T. Friermood “Frier” Award, the highest honor bequeathed by USA Volleyball.

Wagner has conducted clinics, symposiums and demonstrations for all levels and phases of volleyball.  Her volunteer services included YMCAs, parks, churches, schools and clubs.

Wagner is currently a member of the Palatine YMCA and continues to participate in volunteer work for with the YMCA. 

Team Great Lakes Excited for Adult Opens

Team Great Lakes, a professional women's volleyball team representing the Great Lakes Region of USA Volleyball, competed in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) during the 2013 season and is gearing up to compete in the 2013 PVL Championships being held May 25-28 in Louisville, Ky. in conjunction with the 2013 USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships. 

The PVL is a grassroots professional volleyball league that started in 2012 and is sanctioned by USA Volleyball. It is made up of teams from based out of the forty regions of USA Volleyball. 

Team Great Lakes was one of twelve teams that joined the PVL during the inaugural season. 

This season, the 14-player roster is led by Dan Friend (Lewis University). He is assisted by Sandy Abbinanti (Great Lakes Region Commissioner). 

Most of the 14 players competed on the squad last year as well. Reflecting on her first PVL experience last season, Coley Pawlikowski is excited to see the program mature in years to come. 

"USA volleyball organized and ran a great event in the inaugural 2012 PVL season." Pawlikowski said. "It was exciting to be a part of and see first hand the promising ideas and organization that went into this event. It is encouraging that in the second season, the PVL is gaining momentum and has added more teams. I'm excited to see what is yet to come."

Rachel McClellan is one of the four new additions to Team Great Lakes, and she looks forward to the elite level of competitions she anticipates facing this weekend.

"I'm super excited to play in my first PVL championship!" McClellan said. "I'm really looking forward to competing against some of the top US players and playing good, hard, competitive volleyball! I can't wait to battle it out!" 

And this year's PVL Championships will be a battle. The league has expanded to include 14 women's teams from across the nation, most of which boast elite rosters of former college standouts. 

As this team prepares for battle, they also look forward to cheering on other teams from the Great Lakes Region playing in different divisions of the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships.  

"I love the high level of competition and being able to watch the teams play as well." Webber said. "It's fun cheering for our other regional teams as we have great teams and people representing the Great Lakes Region!" 

With an experienced roster and abundance of enthusiasm, Team Great Lakes anticipates making a strong showing at the 2013 PVL Championships.

Click here to view the most up-to-date schedule and results. 

Click here to watch a video on the USA PVL. 

GLR Well Represented at NCAA Final Four

The 2013 Men's College Volleyball NCAA Final Four kicks off tonight at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. The first semifinal features No. 2-seeded UC Irvine against No. 3-seeded Loyola-Chicago . The second semifinal will pit No. 1-seeded BYU against No. 4-seeded Penn State.

As if elite men's volleyball isn't exciting enough, we have a few more things to be excited about. Eleven and three things to be exact. Eleven is the total number of GLR alumni that play for one of these final-four teams. Three is the number of final-four teams carrying GLR alumni.

How cool is that! 

Loyola's roster boasts an impressive seven GLR alum. 

Diego Rodriquez (Oak Park, Ill./D1 VBC) is a freshman setter at Loyola. Click here to read his bio. 

Matt Phillips (Minooka, Ill./D1 VBC) is a red-shirt sophomore opposite at Loyola. Phillips earned MIVA Academic All-Conference honors in 2011 and 2012. Click here to read his bio.

Danny Podkowa (Glenview, Ill./D1 VBC) is a junior middle blocker at Loyola. Podkowa earned MIVA Academic All-Conference honors in 2011 and 2013. Click here to read his bio. 

Joe Smalzer (Palos Heights, Ill./ Ultimate) is a red-shirt junior opposite hitter at Loyola. Smalzer was recently named MIVA Player of the Year, MIVA All-Conference First Team and Off the Block/Springbak Server of the Year. Smalzer was named AVCA All-America Second Team in 2012, MIVA All-Conference First Team in 2011 and 2012 and MIVA Freshman of the Year in 2011. Additionally, Smalzer garnered MIVA Academic All-Conference accolades in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Click here to read his bio. 

Eric Daliege (Orland Park, Ill./Ultimate) is a red-shirt senior middle blocker at Loyola. Daliege earned MIVA Academic All-Conference honors in 2009-2012. Click here to read his bio.

Thomas Jaeschke (Wheaton, Ill./ Mizuno Sports Performance) is a freshman outside at Loyola. Jaeschke earned MIVA Freshman of the Year and All-Conference accolades. He also earned MIVA All-Conference First Team honors. Click here to read his bio.

Kevin Maxwell (Chicago, Ill./D1) is a junior setter at Loyola. Click here to read his bio. 

Penn State carries three former GLR standouts.

Matt Callaway (Wheaton, Ill./ Mizuno Sports Performance) is a freshman middle blocker/opposite at Penn State. Click here to read his bio.

Zack Parik (Woodridge, Ill./ Mizuno Sports Performance) is a freshman setter Penn State. Click here to read his bio.

Spencer Sauter (Woodridge, Ill./Mizuno Sports Performance) is a freshman outside hitter at Penn State. Click here to read his bio.

BYU carries a lone GLR alum on their roster.

Russ Lavaja (St. Charles, Ill./ Mizuno Sports Performance) is a red-shirt senior middle blocker at BYU. Lavaja garnered AVCA All-America Second Team honors and was named All-MPSF First Team in 2012. Lavaja earned All-MPSF Second Team his red-shirt junior season. Click here to read his bio.

In addition to our seven GLR alum competing, GLR's own Joseph Gustafson (Ultimate) has been selected to line judge at the NCAA Final Four. Joseph is a USA Junior National Official, a coach with Ultimate and a player/team rep with the Men's AA team Aim To Kill.

Good luck to all! You're making us proud.

GLR and Louisiana Volleyball Club Host Exposure Clinics

GLR and Louisiana Volleyball Club are excited to present the first EVER College-Bound Coaches Network Minority Exposure Talent Clinic on July 26 from 2-5 p.m. at 360 Sports Volleyball Academy. 

Later that evening, GLR and Louisiana Volleyball Club are hosting the first College-Bound Coaches Network Exposure Talent Showcase 6:30-9:30 p.m., also at 360 Sports Volleyball Academy. 

At the Minority Exposure Clinic, female athletes ages 12-18 will be exposed to elite training from college coaches, former national team players and Olympian Rose Magers-Powell. The $30 clinic fee includes a tee-shirt. Click here for additional information and to register. 

At the Exposure Talent Showcase, athletes will have the chance to learn from top-notch college coaches, former national team players and Olympian Rose Magers-Powell. Players will also have the opportunity to show off their skills. This clinic costs $75 and is open to athletes ages 14-18. Click here for additional information and to register.