Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston: Witnessing Omaha - Wrap Up!

By Joey Johnston 

Team Tampa Bay is officially on the clock to host the NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four at Amalie Arena on Dec. 13-16, 2023. That event will culminate the season for college volleyball, which has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing sports in America.

But apart from that ultimate finale, Tampa Bay will also usher in the volleyball season with a prestigious event featuring some of the nation’s most powerful programs.

The Road 2 Tampa Bay Volleyball Invitational — featuring the Florida Gators, Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the host institution USF Bulls — is set for Aug. 25-26 at Amalie Arena and USF’s Yuengling Center. Ticket information, match schedules and other details will be announced on TampaBaySports.org.

“We’ve known all along that Tampa Bay will be the place for the crowning of an NCAA volleyball champion in 2023, but now we’re super thrilled to have four great programs in town for the season’s first competition that will set the tone for what we know will be an exciting Road to Tampa Bay,’’ Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins said.

The Gators, under Coach Mary Wise (920-126 in 32 UF seasons), have been well-established as one of the nation’s most accomplished programs for three decades. Wise, a 13-time SEC Coach of the Year and three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, has taken the Gators to eight NCAA Final Four appearances and 24 SEC regular-season titles. The Gators (25-6) reached the NCAA region semifinals in 2022.

The Nittany Lions are the nation’s only program to play in each NCAA Volleyball Tournament (42 straight). Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, a former Penn State player who just finished her first season (26-8, NCAA region semifinalist) heading the program, oversees an unmatched tradition that includes seven national titles, 17 Big Ten Conference championships, a 108-35 record in NCAA Tournament play and four National Players of the Year.

The Yellow Jackets are led by Coach Michelle Collier, a USF Athletics Hall of Famer who helped the Bulls to a 120-48 record from 1998-2002, three NCAA Tournament appearances and a designation as Conference USA Player of the Decade. Collier, a USF assistant in 2008-09, began her head coaching career at Jacksonville, then shifted in 2014 to Georgia Tech. She led the Yellow Jackets to an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance and a 26-6 mark in 2021. The Yellow Jackets were 21-8 (13-5 ACC) in 2022, when they reached the NCAA Tournament’s second round. In 2019, the Yellow Jackets finished 26-8 and won the National Invitation Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament.

The Bulls are led by Coach Jolene Shepardson, a former player at USF and the University of Tampa who engineered dramatic turnarounds during her head-coaching career at San Jose State and Cal State Bakersfield. Shepardson, a former Gatorade Florida Player of the Year at Tampa Prep, is seeking to rebuild USF’s program into an American Athletic Conference contender.

“It’s going to be such a special and exciting way to begin what will truly be a special volleyball season for Tampa Bay,’’ said Tampa Bay Sports Commission vice president of events Claire Lessinger, who played for Wise at UF and also served as USF’s head coach before joining the TBSC in 2012. “We’ll have top 10-level teams and a lot of fun human-interest stories. It’s a perfect way to start and bring attention to the sport. Volleyball has come a long way since we last hosted this event.’’

Register here for future ticket and event information. 

The Growth Of Volleyball

Tampa Bay hosted the NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four in 2009 and that was an especially memorable moment for the sport.

Penn State came from two sets down to defeat Texas in the championship match, capturing its 102nd consecutive match victory and finishing off an historic 38-0 season.

Back then, though, volleyball was still considered a niche sport, not one that had hit the mainstream (2009 was only the fourth time for the Final Four to be carried live on an ESPN network).

In 2021, the championship match (Nebraska-Wisconsin) drew 1.2-million viewers on ESPN2, a 71-percent increase from the previous title game (2020 COVID spring season) and a 119 percent boost from the December 2019 title game.

Volleyball coaches believe there are huge gains to be made in television coverage of their sport, but the overlap with football season presents some challenges. Still, more than 450,000 high-school girls are playing volleyball, a female participation rate second only to track and field, according to the latest statistics from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

“College volleyball’s TV viewership and overall interest has exploded since we last hosted in 2009,’’ Higgins said. “On a parallel path, the club volleyball scene in our state has grown exponentially and we think that will be a major factor in helping to lead to an incredible atmosphere at Amalie Arena a year from now. We feel confident that this event will be a great testament to how far college volleyball has come both locally and nationally over the last decade and a half.’’

Florida hosts the largest club volleyball event in the world — the AAU Championships in Orlando. Tampa is home to Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy (OTVA), the No. 1-ranked club in the state (and the No. 4-ranked club nationally).

Boys volleyball and girls beach volleyball have been added as sanctioned sports by the Florida High School Athletic Association. There are now 18 four-year colleges in Florida that offer beach volleyball (including UT and USF). Meanwhile, the UT Spartans have won three NCAA Division II national titles since 2009, most recently in 2021 when UT’s Martinez Sports Center played host to the Final Four.

“Volleyball is really growing around the country, but particularly in our state,’’ Lessinger said. “We are in a Mecca of volleyball and we plan to utilize all of those relationships to get momentum for our 2023 event. The sport is booming.’’

And speaking of booming …

The Growth Of Tampa Bay

Think back to 2009, when Tampa Bay first hosted the NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four.

There was no Riverwalk.

There was no Armature Works.

There was no Sparkman Wharf.

There was no Curtis Hixon Riverfront Park.

Now there is all of that … plus a flurry of new hotel properties, including the 26-story, 519-room downtown JW Marriott … plus the development of downtown Water Street … plus a new business and retail Midtown area.

The Riverwalk has connected downtown Tampa in ways that once seemed unimaginable, making accessible a series of outdoor parks and providing an active backdrop for the more than 10,000 residents of downtown Tampa. And that doesn’t mention the $40-million of improvements to Amalie Arena since NCAA Volleyball’s premier event last visited Tampa Bay.

And then there’s one of the biggest factors for anyone who travels to a major sporting event — a world-class airport. Tampa International Airport was ranked as the No. 1 large airport by the J.D. Power 2022 North American Airport Satisfaction Study.

“We have a shiny, new, dynamic, convenient, accessible, walkable and vibrant championship campus to show off,’’ Lessinger said.

“Our championship campus has totally transformed in the last four years, let alone what has taken place in the last 14 years,’’ Higgins said. “If you haven’t been to Tampa since the last time we hosted in 2009, you truly won’t recognize us. We have a compact and walkable footprint that’s ideal for this championship.’’

Pulling it all together?

The people.

Making The Plan Work

Higgins, Lessinger and other Team Tampa Bay officials just returned from Omaha, Nebraska, where they attended the NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four. Texas prevailed against Louisville in the championship match.

They stumped for Tampa Bay’s 2023 event. They observed Omaha’s efforts, taking copious notes, snapping photographs, asking lots of questions. Now the intense planning begins as Tampa Bay seeks to engineer the best version of volleyball’s top event — ever.

“We really enjoyed getting a chance to study the event in Omaha and are excited to officially begin our journey of hosting,’’ Higgins said. “In addition to preparing for the event logistics, the marketing around the championship is our priority.

“We want to work hard locally, regionally and nationally to create awareness for how special next year’s event will be in our hometown. It’s an event you will not want to miss.’’

Since 2009, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and all of Team Tampa Bay has hosted 17 major events — everything from the Women’s Basketball Final Four to the NCAA Men’s Basketball early round games to the NCAA Frozen Four to the College Football Playoff Championship Game to Super Bowl 55, a wildly successful and unprecedented undertaking that included massive pivots to account for the COVID pandemic.

“We have a group of community partners that have created many successful major event playbooks,’’ Lessinger said. “With ever major event hosting opportunity, Team Tampa Bay finds unique ways to raise the bar and reinvent the fan, visitor and student-athlete experience. The warmth of our weather and the warmth of our people are a winning combination.

“Aside from planning and coordinating event logistics and marketing the event, the student-athlete experience is a top priority of ours. We promise to leave no stone unturned when it comes to our grassroots marketing effort.’’

Lessinger said the TBSC will form a regional marketing committee that includes college, club and high-school coaches, former collegiate players, club directors, leaders of youth sports organizations, community influencers and women in the sports and event industry.

“This is more than three matches for us,’’ Lessinger said. “It’s an opportunity to work with our good friends at the NCAA, help grow the game and create a lasting legacy.’’

College volleyball is on the move. So is Tampa Bay. That combination promises to make for a memorable 2023 season.

From start to finish.

Day 4

For college volleyball fans around the world, the moment to remember will be the confetti raining down on the Texas Longhorns, who were celebrating their victory against the Louisville Cardinals at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

But for Team Tampa Bay, Championship Saturday began much earlier. Three interviews were conducted in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) marketplace and they will appear on this week’s “Gameday. Every Day.’’ podcast conducted by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

The highlight was an engaging sit-down conversation with Kristin Fasbender, the NCAA Director of Championships. Kristin, who manages the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship since 2010, is no stranger to hosting events in Tampa, led the NCAA Frozen Four efforts in 2012 and 2016.

(By the way, the NCAA Frozen Four returns to Tampa for a third time in about three months, April 6 and 8, 2023!).

This will be Tampa’s second hosting of the NCAA’s premier volleyball event. In 2009, it was a memorable championship match as the Penn State Nittany Lions rallied from two sets down to defeat Texas and win their 102nd consecutive match to complete a 38-0 season.

“We haven’t been to Tampa since 2009,’’ Fasbender said. “We’ve been to a lot of other places, but we know what you all can do. We know your commitment to college sports. The volleyball in your area continues to grow and we saw this as an opportunity to grow the game even more.’’

As Omaha’s Championship Saturday progressed and the anticipation built for the Texas-Louisville match, Team Tampa Bay completed its exhibits for coaches at the AVCA Convention and fans in the arena. Both groups were enthusiastic about Tampa Bay’s plans for 2023.

It was also an opportunity for Team Tampa Bay to watch Omaha’s championship-match logistics. The little things mean a lot, so notes were taken on the execution of the team arrivals and the trophy presentation to the jubilant Texas players and coaches.

“We saw a lot of different things from start to finish at the final that will have a big impact on leaving a lasting impression for our host effort,’’ Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins said. “When match point concluded, you could feel the excitement that Team Tampa Bay’s time had finally come.’’

Team Tampa Bay is officially on the clock!

Mark it down: NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four, Amalie Arena, Dec. 13-16, 2023.

But that’s not all.

The 2023 NCAA volleyball season will actually begin and end in Tampa Bay. We have some big news to share Monday.

Stay tuned.

Day 3

Friday was the “off-day’’ at the NCAA Volleyball Championship — between the semifinals and Saturday night’s championship match between the Texas Longhorns and Louisville Cardinals — but Team Tampa Bay had an action-packed experience.

Team Tampa Bay officials continued to promote the 2023 event headed to Amalie Arena in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) marketplace. It was another opportunity to build and renew relationships with coaches nationwide while pointing out all the plans for next year’s Final Four.

One of those coaches was Florida’s Mary Wise, who began with the Gators in 1991. She’s a 13-time SEC Coach of the Year who has been to the NCAA Final Four eight times, while winning the SEC regular-season title on 24 occasions.

Wise, who will be a guest on next week’s “Gameday. Every Day,’’ podcast by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, has the perfect perspective on how volleyball has grown since 2009, when Tampa Bay last hosted the NCAA Volleyball Final Four.

“If I could go back even further than 2009, since I’ve been around a long time, when I first came to Florida, volleyball was in pockets,’’ said Wise, who was the college coach for Claire Lessinger, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s vice president of events. “Tampa was one of those pockets. Fort Lauderdale and Orlando were as well, but there were a lot of areas in the state where volleyball didn’t exist. Now volleyball is everywhere in the state and it’s the No. 1 team sport nationwide and in Florida, which really speaks volumes to the overall growth of the sport.’’

Friday kicked off with Team Tampa Bay’s Future Host Meeting, which included the NCAA Staff, the Volleyball Committee and the Omaha Local Organizing Committee. The group reviewed early lessons learned from this year’s championship while continuing to chart the course for next year's event. 

“We appreciate Omaha being such great hosts not only for the overall event, but for our working group as we look to follow in their footsteps,’’ Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins said. “They have a tremendous amount of experience with hosting this event and there’s a lot we can learn from them, while also adding in our own touches of Tampa Bay.’’ 

After the Future Host Meeting, it was off to the AVCA All-American Brunch, where the players of the year from each division were named and the All-American teams were honored. Logan Eggleston from Texas was named National Player of the Year for Division I.

As the anticipation built for the Texas-Louisville championship match and the culmination of the proceedings in Omaha, the host committee encouraged everyone to enjoy the city and its attractions. During a break in the programming, Team Tampa Bay officials were able to sample Omaha’s great steakhouses before resuming their focus on Championship Saturday.

On the night when NCAA Volleyball crowns its champion — when the eyes of coaches, players, fans and perhaps new followers of the sport are at attention — it’s the opportunity to put the final touches on a memorable season for one of America’s fastest-growing and most popular sports.

Omaha will have that moment on Saturday night.

In 2023, it’s Tampa Bay’s opportunity to shine.

“There’s no doubt that when we host in a year the tremendous growth that volleyball has had in the Sunshine State will be on full display,’’ Higgins said.

Day 2

It was a full and exciting Thursday night in the NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four at Omaha, Nebraska.

When the fans walked around the concourse at the CHI Health Center — or when the coaches, sponsors, vendors and other officials visited the American Volleyball Coaches Association convention next door — they were reminded of one fact:

The 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship is coming to Tampa Bay!

Team Tampa Bay officials spread the word on the concourse, where the 2023 National Championship trophy was featured. In addition to the local Omaha fans, the tournament attendance included many volleyball-centric fans who go to the event each year, so it’s never too early to start planning for the 2023 experience at Amalie Arena.

While the Texas Longhorns and Louisville Cardinals earned their spots in Saturday night’s championship match (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Team Tampa Bay officials studied the game presentation and action to learn what will work best next season.

There was also careful consideration of the fan experience. At every turn, it was also a chance to ramp up the drumbeat for Tampa Bay in 2023.

“In talking with thousands of fans at our concourse activation, their excitement is truly palpable,’’ Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins said.

In addition to the Team Tampa Bay presence at the convention and matches, Higgins and Sports Commission vice president of events Claire Lessinger addressed the AVCA Honors Luncheon.

“We shared with the coaches our excitement for welcoming them to our hometown next year as well as what they can expect with our walkable footprint,’’ Higgins said.

Higgins and Lessinger also got a chance to renew acquaintances with old friend Michelle Collier, the USF Athletics Hall of Famer who is now the highly successful head volleyball coach at Georgia Tech. Collier spoke about the growth of women’s college volleyball and how much she’s looking forward to next year’s event in Tampa.

You can hear the interview with Collier on next week’s “Gameday, Every Day’’ podcast, which the Tampa Bay Sports Commission produces regularly to keep fans updated on all the happenings with Tampa Bay’s sports and events.

As for Omaha, Saturday’s title match should be one to remember. It’s not surprising to see Texas there, but Louisville is bidding to become the first ACC program to win a volleyball national title.

Can’t wait for next year in Tampa Bay!

Day 1

Wednesday’s scene from Omaha, Nebraska:

Outside the CHI Health Center and Convention Center on Wednesday, the temperatures were below freezing.

Inside, when people visit Team Tampa Bay’s promotional booth at the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention, they will be given sunglasses, lip balm and luggage tags.

The NCAA Volleyball Championship Final Four has arrived. Team Tampa Bay’s boots are on the ground. And boots are definitely needed to navigate the wintry conditions. But next year — when the event heads to downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Dec. 13-16, 2023 — flip-flops might be more appropriate.

“Our booth is ready and we are excited to promote, meet and greet all the AVCA attendees,’’ said Claire Lessinger, vice president of events for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

As the college volleyball world descends on Omaha, there’s no mistake about the destination for 2023. At the exits of the exhibit hall, there are large banners that read, “SEE YOU IN TAMPA FOR THE 2023 CONVENTION.’’

“A huge thanks to the AVCA for the loud shoutout,’’ Lessinger said.

Wednesday’s proceedings began early — 6:45 a.m., to be exact — when Lessinger, Visit Tampa Bay director of destination services Jane Godfrey, USF volleyball head coach Jolene Shepardson and longtime NCAA volleyball official Donna Carter boarded a flight to Omaha at Tampa International Airport.

Even before sunrise, when they began strategizing host efforts for next year’s accompanying Professional Association of Volleyball Officials Convention, the group shared their excitement and enthusiasm for the return of NCAA Volleyball’s premier event to Tampa Bay. If it’s anything like the previous engagement in 2009 — when Penn State rallied from two sets down to defeat Texas for its 102nd consecutive victory and a historic 38-0 finish — it’s going to be a rousing occasion.

From Wednesday’s earliest moments, Omaha got two thumbs-up. The arrival was seamless. Team Tampa Bay officials easily cruised through the airport, baggage claim, ride share and check-in at the hotel (conveniently located across the street from the arena and convention center).

After getting their credentials, Team Tampa Bay officials got a familiar view of the urgency and adrenaline associated with big-event preparation. The courts — indoor and sand — were installed. Sponsors, vendors and exhibitors were buzzing around to make things just right for the visitors.

Then there was a preview of the big show itself.

Team Tampa Bay officials attended the open practices of the Final Four teams, which got their first look at the court during one-hour workouts. Thursday night on ESPN, it’s Texas vs. San Diego in the first semifinal, then Louisville vs. Pittsburgh in an all-ACC finale. The championship match is Saturday night.

“The arena looked great and there is no doubt it will be an amazing environment,’’ Lessinger said.

Those matches will be viewed by fans from all over the world. But hosting the NCAA Volleyball Championship has layers and layers of other details that determine the event’s overall success.

Wednesday night, Team Tampa Bay officials wrapped up their opening day by attending a few of the private ancillary events. But it was an active experience. It was a time for note-taking, photographs and observation, anything to get a better understanding of the size, scope and scale of each event.

This week is all about Omaha.

But for Team Tampa Bay, it’s mostly about brainstorming unique and iconic angles, while finding effective ways to present the biggest week in college volleyball. It’s all part of the puzzle that leads to one goal — making the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship the best one yet.