Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston - On the Brink of a Volleyball Revolution

By Joey Johnston

Why volleyball?

What is it about the sport’s back-and-forth, the rhythm, the intensity, the skill and the emotional exhaustion that keeps fans coming back in greater numbers than we’ve ever seen?

It’s the fastest-growing and No. 1 sport for female participation. Club teams are multiplying. Professional leagues are gaining momentum. Television’s interest has been piqued. And college volleyball seems on the brink of a revolution.

Whatever elements exist, we’re about to experience them fully during the Road 2 Tampa Bay Volleyball Invitational, a premier season-opening event at downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena and USF’s Yuengling Center.

It brings together the No. 8-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, the No. 11 Florida Gators, the No. 20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the home-standing USF Bulls in a prelude to December’s season finale when the NCAA Volleyball Final Four visits Amalie for the first time since 2009.

The game has changed plenty in 14 years. The players are bigger, stronger and faster. There’s more depth throughout the nation, more programs with a realistic chance of raising the trophy, and more young and seasoned great players.

The show itself has gotten better

Everyone reacts to the gravity-defying hitters and blockers, who rise high above the net to create a terminator-like impact that often seems like a touchdown, home run and slam dunk, all rolled into one.

Not enough people appreciate the setters, the quarterbacks of volleyball, whose snap judgments, vocal leadership and precise sets are generally the difference between winning and losing.

And practically no one — except maybe coaches and teammates — can understand the importance of the back row. It’s where the impossible happens, players instantly going horizontal, surrendering their bodies to keep alive rallies, hustling, striving, collecting floor burns as badges of honor.

“Volleyball is such a dance,’’ Penn State setter Mac Podraza said. “There’s so much beautiful rhythm to it. When two great teams are going at it with clean points, it can practically take your breath away.

“Sometimes, it doesn’t look like that at all. Sometimes it’s a grind. You’re constantly trying to figure out how to orchestrate it and make it look right. Sometimes, you’re fighting yourself. You’re just competing with every bit of will left in your body. It creates a drive in you that maybe you didn’t know you had. But when it goes well, it gives you a rush that’s like no other.’’

In volleyball, momentum is real.

You can be up two sets and cruising, then the most innocuous play can change the match’s trajectory, like some invisible force, and suddenly you’re hanging on for dear life.

“It’s like fight-or-flight mode,’’ Georgia Tech setter Bella D’Amico said. “Your adrenaline is off the charts. There’s so much noise. That’s when I play my best, when the energy goes way up, whether it’s for me or against me. You’re just trying to figure out a way to win and you’ve got to pull everybody together.’’

“It’s not the same watching on TV,’’ Florida libero Elli McKissock. “You’ve got to be in the thick of the fight. The people in the seats are part of it, when they’re going crazy and reacting to every little thing. Every person who watches their first collegiate volleyball match says afterward that it’s the coolest thing and a lot more fun than they expected. When you see the long rallies and hustle and effort, you just don’t see many things with that much love and that much heart.’’

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission, which is teaming with USF to host the season-opening and NCAA championship events, believes it’s catching the sport during a dramatic upswing. Its mission revolves around two campaigns — “Setting The Standard,’’ which means producing the most successful NCAA Final Four ever, and “Growing The Game,’’ which means exposing volleyball to a wider audience.

“Volleyball is fast-paced, it’s electric and it’s incredibly exciting,’’ said TBSC executive director Rob Higgins, a volleyball dad. “Every single play ends in a result and you can’t say that about all sports. And these are some of the best athletes in the world — from their ability to jump and cover and serve and hit. It’s truly a spectacle — and it’s great for families and fans of all ages.’’

When Tampa Bay hosted its first NCAA Volleyball Final Four, the championship match was one of the sport’s all-time spectacles. Penn State, down two sets, rallied to defeat Texas (and MVP Destinee Hooker, still one of the world’s top players). The Nittany Lions captured their third straight national championship and won the program’s 102nd consecutive match.

It was among the most spine-tinging and riveting events ever staged in a Tampa Bay area that has hosted dozens of nationally renowned championships.

And now, from start to finish, Tampa Bay will give college volleyball another chance to shine.

“I think fans will be enticed by the energy, the fast pace of the game, the constant scoring and the energy of aggressive defense,’’ USF coach Jolene Shepardson said. “And the physicality that our young ladies bring, the athleticism and camaraderie, it’s all great.

“If people haven’t been exposed to volleyball much, they’re going to see young women who are great athletes and connected with joy. With want them to come back and watch us all season, to really fall in love with South Florida volleyball. Maybe get their kids involved so they can be a Bull one day. It really is a great game.’’