Roebbelen Center hosted tournament projected to add $1.3 million boost to economy
Roseville, Calif. – One of the best-known and longest-running club volleyball tournaments on the West Coast returns this holiday weekend to the Roebbelen Center in Roseville, attracting more than 5,000 athletes and fans – and providing a huge revenue spike for Placer Valley.
The Northern California Volleyball Association’s 36th annual Bay View Classic starts 8 a.m. Saturday and continues through Monday (Memorial Day) located @the Grounds, 700 Event Center Drive in Roseville.
First-rate competition for boys’ and girls’ teams
The Bay View Classic is an “end-of-the-season, have fun kind of tournament” with first-rate competition for boys’ and girls’ teams between the ages of 11 and 18, including some teams that have received bids for the national championships, said Donna Donaghy, CEO and Commissioner of the Northern California Volleyball Association.
About 50 clubs – from Chandler, Ariz., to Portland, Ore. – will compete in the three-day tournament. A handful of Sacramento-area clubs, including Aspire Volleyball in Folsom and SynergyForce Volleyball in Rocklin, will have teams in the tournament. Most clubs bring several teams, each with about 12 to 15 players.
“It’s a great tournament before nationals,” said Daniele Desiderio, CEO and Executive Volleyball Director of Academy of Volleyball in Redwood City. “It’s good preparation for us.”
Economic Boost
The Bay View Classic is a boom for businesses in Placer Valley. From the estimated 1,000 booked hotel rooms to meals at restaurants and shopping at stores, the tournament will generate about $1.3 million in revenue.
“The Bay View Classic is a family-friendly event that greatly benefits area businesses and the community overall. It’s a dream event that checks so many boxes, from filling hotel rooms and restaurants to making the most of every foot of the Roebbelen Center.”
Kim Summers, CEO, Placer Valley Tourism and @the Grounds.
Roebbelen Center
The Bay View Classic started in Berkeley but moved to the Roebbelen Center in 2021. The 160,000-squae-foot center can accommodate 24 full-sized, hardwood volleyball courts.
“It’s an amazing facility, world class,” said Peter Crowley, a coach with Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy in Pleasant Hill. The club had boys’ teams win national titles in 2014 and 2015. “It’s the premier facility in Northern California. (The Roebbelen Center) is not a secret anymore.”
Volleyball’s ascension
And neither is volleyball, the fastest-growing girls’ sport. About 200,000 girls are on club teams nationwide, with many of them also on high school squads, according to USA Volleyball. More boys are also playing volleyball, but far fewer compared to the number of girls.
Volleyball clubs are critical to the growth of the sport and its players. Clubs allow athletes to get first-rate coaching – Crowley and Desiderio were top-level players – and compete against highly skilled rivals and possibly earn a scholarship to play the sport in college.
“Volleyball is a mega-sport, and you have to play club to be considered,” said Crowley, who adds that club volleyball is a tight-knit community. A rival today could be a teammate tomorrow in high school or college. “You almost look at the opponent as a teammate.”
About 2,500 athletes, from sixth-graders to high school seniors, will hit the floor at the Bay View Classic during the Memorial Day weekend.
“It’ a good environment,” said Desiderio, who encourages the community to check out the tournament this weekend. “You will see the beauty of the sport.”
Tickets
Tickets are $10 for a single-day ticket or $25 for a three-day pass. You can buy the tickets online. Day of the event tickets are $15 for a single day or $35 for a three-day pass. However, day of the event tickets can only be purchased with cash. Visit https://ncva.com/bayview/ for additional information on the Bay View Classic. Parking is $10 per vehicle.
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About Placer Valley Tourism
Placer Valley Tourism is a Business Improvement District that serves South Placer County and the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln. The BID operates to help generate incremental room night stays in hotels within Placer Valley Tourism’s geographic footprint through various conferences and youth and amateur sports events. PVT aims to coordinate community and sports events with the best hospitality options in the region. Placer Valley Tourism is a nonprofit and classified as a 501(c)6. For more information, please visit https://www.placertourism.com/.
About @the Grounds
@the Grounds is a multipurpose event facility on 61 acres in the heart of Roseville, California. @the Grounds includes the Roebbelen Center, a 160,000-square-foot event center that can accommodate major amateur sports competitions, large meetings, trade shows, concerts and other events. For more than 80 years, @the Grounds has been the home of the Placer County Fair – an annual celebration of the diversity of the community – along with countless other community, family and corporate gatherings. @the Grounds is the business entity of Placer Valley Sports Complex, a 501(c)3. For more information, please visit https://www.atthegrounds.com/.