It was a USYVL-style spectacle in Natomas, California. Over 500 players on 32 courts were serving and passing for over 2 hours as teams from Elk Grove, Folsom, Sacramento and West Sacramento came together in Natomas on Saturday, May 19. The colorful red, white and blue t-shirts were a sight to see, as was the phenomenal volleyball played, according to clinician Kristine Spencer. “Seeing all the kids and families having fun was Awesome! But what I love the most about USYVL is that the program doesn’t emphasize winning or losing – it’s about learning how to pass-set-spike. And I saw some really good rallies on every court – they were playing real volleyball!”

Over 100 coaches and assistant coaches were on hand to help Kristine with the event. “Everyone was there early to set up and we started right on time. It was a real group effort to make sure the kids had a great experience.” But it was Kristine’s organizational skills, and love of volleyball, that pulled it off. She estimated it took about 20 hours of work in the two weeks leading up to the day, that made the event happen without a hitch. Along with some help from the office staff at USYVL. “They do all the leg work with permits and scheduling – I just had to organize the material and distribute it to the different sites. And set up cones for the courts and stuff like that. But again, everyone was pitching in to help!”

Kristine is a former collegiate volleyball player who owns and operates the Olympus Sports Coliseum in Sacramento. The multi-sport facility offers volleyball skill training, speed/agility training, and summer clinics in several sports, including volleyball. “But I would never try to run a league like USYVL – they do such a good job I just enjoy being a part of the organization.”

Kristine and USYVL – another great Volleyball Team!