Tenn. High School Girls Compete

[PHargis]

March 4, 2009

 

INDIANAPOLIS ??“ One of the country??™s largest volleyball tournaments is coming to Indianapolis this weekend, bringing with it a fan base of more than 20,000 people who will occupy nearly 20,000 hotel rooms.

On March 6-8, the 2009 Mid-East Qualifier will feature 520 teams and 6,000 girls ages 16, 17 and 18. The tournament, according to organizers, will also attract more than 350 college coaches who will be on hand to witness many of the country??™s top volleyball players in action. Players from more than 40 states are expected to participate.

The tournament will literally unfold overnight on 66 courts that have been installed this week inside the Indiana Convention .

???If you??™re downtown this weekend and you??™re wondering why you can??™t get a hotel or meal or you??™re waiting on a table at a restaurant, it??™s a good bet that our fans will account for a lot of that business."

 

???We??™re pleased and excited to receive such a great introduction from the City of Indianapolis and their representatives. It makes us feel good about selecting Indianapolis as the site of the tournament,???

???The size and scope of this tournament reinforces our reputation as the nation??™s amateur sports capitol??¦and from an economic standpoint, it genuinely contributes to the well being of our community,???

From a coaching perspective, the event attracts a lot of attention.

???This is a huge event and it just keeps getting bigger all the time. The competition among the players is very stiff. We really have the best players in the country at the tournament really playing at their best,??? said Brandon Rosenthol, head women??™s volleyball coach, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tenn and one of the starters of Nashville 1.

Matt Bottsford, assistant coach, Women's Volleyball, University of Notre Dame, said: "This is a great opportunity for coaches during recruiting season. It's also a big event for the players and their families to get together at one of the biggest events of its kind." Rachel Brown, a setter with Circle City, said the tournament is a great place for volleyball players to be seen by scouts. "It's a chance to really show what you can do and also meet people from around the country," Brown said.

Bozell reinforced the notion of what promises to be a busy weekend.

???We will have with us this weekend not only many of the top volleyball players in the country in action, but with more than 350 coaches, you can bet that we??™ll be kind of the epicenter of volleyball action in the U.S.,??? adds Bozell.