Mesa volleyball tournament attracts top players, college recruiters

MESA – Inside the sprawling Arizona Athletic Grounds gym, young girls gather in circles on any sliver of available floor space between matches.

Parents huddle around power outlets, hoping to recharge electronic devices drained by a long day of watching and supporting.

Eight days before college recruiters can speak to high school athletes from the class of 2028, the Triple Crown Volleyball Summer NIT Tournament is the place to be for young volleyball players hoping to catch the eyes of college coaches and open up universities’ athletic wallets.

“I look at it as an investment,” said Tom Jensen, a father from Iowa. “I’m hoping that they go on to another level and we get it back one way or another, I guess.

“And for my daughter, of course, too. I mean for the love of the game.”

Elite club teams from around the country traveled to Arizona to participate in the invitation-only tournament last weekend. Eighteen states were represented, organizers said, with the U16 championship game drawing particular attention from coaches and other players on break from their own schedules.

“Before we can talk to them on June 15 it’s just a lot of watching, evaluating, picking up knowledge here and there where we can,” said University of Arizona assistant coach Jhenna Gabriel. “Then, by the time June 15 comes along, we can actually have conversations and get to know them on a personal level, not just volleyball.” 

Triple Crown’s executive director of volleyball Jared Rudiger said the event brought in recruiters and coaches from more than 100 Division I schools, including head coaches from Nebraska and Texas. 

Brad Guinn’s daughter is still a year out from when college recruiters can contact her. He said at tournaments like Triple Crown’s Summer NIT, teams are aware of the exposure their U15 team from Iowa receives.

“All the parents know when a coach shows up,” Guinn said. “We talk about ‘You see so-and-so was here and so-and-so was there?’”

Recruiters have access to databases like University Athletics. Athletes playing in the NIT tournament can sign up for free and upload their schedule and stats. Representatives from college programs can run searches and get the information they need for whom they want to see play. 

“At this point for our girls, you kind of know who they’re there watching because they’ve already had some camp invites and different things,” Guinn said. “Then you hope, maybe while they’re there, your guard gets a good swing and has a nice play.” 

Rudiger said 260 teams competed across the five girls divisions and one boys division. The ages ranged from 13U to 17.  

“A lot of these athletes I would say that are here in Mesa this weekend are athletes that are prepping to play at the college level,” Rudiger said. “Even if they’re 13 or 14, they’re the top teams in their organization.”

Traveling from Oahu, Hawaii, Rocky Savaiigaea’s daughter, Eden, played in the 14U tournament. The team will travel back to Hawaii before returning to the mainland at the end of June to compete in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships taking place in Indiana. 

“For us, it’s a little bit harder because we live in Hawaii,” Savaiigaea said. “Just to get to the continent it’s at least a 5.5-hour flight. Financially, that’s a big cost just to get here.”  

According to the Ka Ulukoa website, season dues for a player are $2,000-$3,500. Depending on the distance, travel costs can be up to $14,000 per tournament. 

Meanwhile Guinn and Jensen’s Iowa team dues are advertised to be $2,800, not including the travel expectations.

Eden is Savaiigaea’s youngest. Savaiigaea has already been traveling the country for tournaments with his oldest two boys that play football. 

“Nowaday, it’s about the investment into your child,” he said. “You know, providing them the best environment to succeed and just providing these opportunities in the future.”

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