News & More
LAV Invitational Sets Stage for Season
The Lower Alabama Volleyball Club is bringing the LAV Invitational back to the Foley Event Center January 25 – 26.
The LAV representative Mary Coye Ward said the event has been going strong for more than a decade, though it’s only its eighth year in Foley. This year the LAV Invitational is expected to draw about 100 teams and more than 1,000 players from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The large crowd isn’t new for the event which brought 1,500 total room nights to the area and $935,660 in economic impact to Foley, the single biggest economic impact for any youth volleyball event hosted by Foley Sports Tourism last year.
Part of the draw is the college recruitment camp being held in tandem with the event. Those who are registered for the competition can also attend the camp Friday evening, January 24. These players will have the opportunity to work directly with NCAA Division II and Division III coaches for two hours.
But it’s not just the camp that has teams registering to play. Ward said the way the tournament is set up and its strategic timing in the year also helps.
“It’s year two of power pools,” Ward explained. “This brings some of the best regional clubs into Foley to compete early in the club season and prepare them for the USA Volleyball National Qualifier season which runs March through April.”
City of Foley Executive Director of Leisure Services, David Thompson, said the LAV Invitational is one of Foley’s strongest volleyball events of the season because the club continues to work closely with the FST staff.
“The Lower Alabama Volleyball Club is an incredible partner,” Thompson said. “They are always looking to bring new teams in to all their competitions and the LAV Invitational is no exception. It truly helps us in our mission to share the beauty of our City with as many visitors as possible. They also share our purpose of giving each and every one of those visitors an extraordinary experience during their stay in hopes of them returning year to year. Together we know we can build on the success of this event well into the future.”
The LAV Invitational is open to spectators. The cost for entry is $10 per day at the door. For more information on this or any FST events visit our events page.
