Volleyball Final Four seeks to attract fans, growth

When the NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four opens tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum - its first appearance in Florida during the event's 29-year history - the sport's tight-knit community of coaches and players will be on hand, as usual.

What about the casual spectator?

Tournament officials hope the Final Four's presence will serve as a catalyst for the sport's growth, along with attracting a new group of fans.

Texas (28-1) meets Minnesota (28-8) in tonight's first semifinal at 7 p.m., followed by Penn State (36-0) against Hawaii (32-2). The championship match is Saturday night at 8.

"If this is your first exposure to women's volleyball at this level, I think you're going to be in awe," said University of Wisconsin associate athletic director Terry Gawlik, who serves as chairperson of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee. "It's fast, it's furious, it's emotional and it's played way above the net.

"You can watch it on television and ESPN does a great job. But when you're sitting courtside, you can really experience the speed and the power."

Players from No. 1-seeded Penn State, the two-time defending champion that enters with a 100-match winning streak, were excited to be in Tampa.

"Are you kidding? Florida? It's great," said Penn State senior Alisha Glass. "Last year (at Nebraska during the Final Four), it was freezing, there was a snowstorm. Now we're packing warm-weather clothes. It's really wonderful to be here.

"I know this is a different site for this event. I hope the local people come on out because when it gets to this level, it's really, really intense."

The Forum has designed a 12,800-seat arena for the event. Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, which helped attract the event three years ago, said he's hoping to approach a sellout.

Tickets are $60 for the three matches (semifinals and the final), but today, single-night tickets are available for $30.

Already, the convention of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, held in conjunction with the Final Four, has attracted a record turnout of 1,800.

"There are the obvious things everybody will see, such as the crowd inside the Forum and the excitement of the matches," Higgins said. "But we're going to have clinics where young girls and boys will be touching a volleyball for the first time. And maybe that will be the inspiration for them.

"I think that's part of the reason why the NCAA decided to bring the event here. This is volleyball at the elite level. No question people will get more fired up about the sport after seeing this event."

The Tampa Bay area is considered a top volleyball hotbed in the state - if not the nation - with tradition-laden programs such as Berkeley Prep, Tampa Prep and Plant High School. Berkeley Prep coach Randy Dagostino, who has won 13 state championships, formed the highly successful Tampa Bay Juniors club program in 1984 and has seen the sport skyrocket in popularity.

Now he's hoping for more.

"I hope this is a real eye-opener for people who don't consider volleyball to be a real premier sport for girls," said Dagostino, who once had three of his former players - UCLA's Kelly Flannigan, Stanford's Eileen Murfee and Penn State's Claudette Otero - participate in the same Final Four (1994).

In other parts of the country, particularly California and even Nebraska (where the Final Four sold out in two hours, nine months in advance), volleyball is an easy sell.

What about Florida?

"They could take this event to Nebraska every year, where it sells out quickly, but the idea is to build up the base of the sport and that's probably a smart long-term approach," said University of Tampa coach Chris Catanach, whose Spartans are an annual powerhouse and won an NCAA Division II championship in 2006.

"I think it's a very attractive sport for kids to take up. You don't really need to have physical contact with another kid, but you can have the explosiveness, really hit the ball hard, like a basketball dunk. You can jump really high, run all over the court. And for the fans, it's really fun to watch."

That's what local organizers are banking on.

"You've got to see it to appreciate it, and I believe when you do, you're hooked," Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. "In this event, you're talking about (seeing) a lot of future Olympians. It's a showcase for the sport. I'm glad it's in Florida because we need to expose our sport to as many new people as possible."