Girls volleyball has become the #1 female team sport in America, our NCAA National Championship Semis and Finals are on ESPN and we are filling arenas. Boys high school volleyball is growing at a 21% rate over the last five years! Over 60 universities have added varsity men’s volleyball in the last 5 years, however it is still far behind the women’s game.

One of the strongest advocates for the growth of boys’ and men’s volleyball is MotorMVB Foundation, which is making a big impact. As such, over the next five years the JVA is investing $125,000 in the form of a grant to MotorMVB to grow boys’ volleyball.

Two years old, the MotorMVB Foundation was founded by U.S. Men’s National Team Coach and UCLA head coach John Speraw who serves as the foundation’s Chairman of the Board. The other co-founder Wade Garard is an experienced development professional and entrepreneur who is the foundation’s full-time CEO. The board of directors includes Speraw, gold medalist Lloy Ball, Paul Tashima, Kelly Goodsel, Bill Andrew, Scott Siegfried, Bruce Lincoln, Glen Lietzke, Kenny Rogers, Jenn Palilonis, Scott Stowell and Marin Gjaja. MotorMVB is off to a powerful start.

“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with JVA. This gift is a signal that boys’ volleyball is on the rise and the growth in the coming years is going to be dramatic,” said Wade Garard, CEO of MotorMVB Foundation. “Providing more opportunities for young people to enjoy the game of volleyball is a great thing.”

MotorMVB Progress to Date:

  • Fundraising: MotorMVB has already raised $2.3 million. An excellent beginning and just getting started!
  • Organization: MotorMVB successfully established a 501(c)(3) organization, the MotorMVB Foundation, Inc., which means contributions are tax-deductible.
  • Grant Making: The MotorMVB Foundation has awarded grants to 14 colleges and universities and 10 of these have announced the addition of new men’s volleyball programs including one new NCAA Division I program, two new NCAA Division II programs, and six new NAIA programs. Altogether, MotorMVB has announced $609,650 in grants supporting collegiate men’s volleyball and most of these are paid to universities over multiple years.

MotorMVB is an awareness campaign, an advocacy campaign and an aggressive capital campaign to create more opportunities for boys and men to play competitive volleyball in the United States.  MotorMVB is especially focused on driving growth in the amount of collegiate men’s volleyball teams and the amount of college scholarships that are available. The men’s collegiate game becoming more stable, and growing at the highest level, will greatly benefit all of volleyball.

“I’m beyond proud of the message the JVA is sending with it’s donation to Motor MVB!” says JVA Board of Directors Boys Representative and D1 Volleyball Club Director Derek Jensen.  “Supporting men’s volleyball will not only reward all the athletes working hard in practice gyms around the country, but will also help to grow a sense of community in the thousands of girls clubs the JVA already supports. Our national volleyball family is only made stronger with a prominent mens club and collegiate presence, and the JVA’s donation shows their commitment to building the best community in sports!”

Contributions to the MotorMVB Foundation can be made at http://www.motormvb.com/contribute/.

For related reading on boys volleyball click HERE. For more JVA news click HERE.