Thank You to Everyone Who Made the 2012 Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival Possible!

NMIVA is proud of the total outcome of the 20th Anniversary Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival (MCBFV)!  It would not have been possible without our very generous sponsors, our community supporters, our ever devoted volunteer crew and, of course, all of the amazing athletes.  We are especially grateful to the Fiesta Resort & Spa for an amazing job at hosting the event. We hope that you, the community, are as proud of the three week long event, as we are, of everyone who participated to make these events possible! This year's 20th MCBVF included three back-to-back weekends of beach volleyball excitement: the Marianas Junior Cup was launched in Guam, the Marianas Pro-Am Cup played in Saipan, and the Marianas Kids Cup also played in Saipan. In the days leading up to the event, Pro beach volleyball players circulated in our community visiting KSPN2's Bob Coldeen for Sports Wrappers as well as Power99's afternoon show and KKMP's morning show for a live on-air interviews. They also visited the MISO league's season winners, Grace Christian Academy and Kagman High School to give junior athletes a chance for a little direct Q&A about being a professional athlete. More information will be posted here in the coming days with highlights surrounding each of the events! The Marianas Beach Volleyball Festival's roots began at the Hyatt Regency, when Mr. Matusmura-san (PDI) and Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) hosted the first event in 1992. In 1993, Pacific Islands Club (PIC) took over the event where it shape-shifted, gained popularity and eventually the US pro men started joining with the Japanese pro men players. The event originated with only a men's division, but added a women's division in 1998. In 2004, NMIVA officially became the CNMI's National Volleyball Federation and began re-formulating the CNMI's relationship with the FIVB and the AVC. It was also the first year that a Ladies Pro Exhibition Match was played. Beginning in 2007, the FIVB acknowledged the MCBVF and gave us their blessed sanctioning, which opened up our international exposure; consequently it was also the first year that Phil Dalhausser came to Saipan, hence the Marianas ProAm Cup. The Marianas Kids Cup, pro athlete visits to the school and the ever popular Kids Clinic began in 2008, when Phil visited us again just before winning the Gold in Beijing. This was also the same year the PIC handed off the MCBVF to NMIVA. Phil came back again in 2009, bringing with him his Olympic Gold Medal to share with his CNMI family. In 2010, the popularity and age variance of junior athlete's wishing to play in the Kids Cup forced a split and the creation of two separate divisions. Here we are in 2012 where we evolved yet again and added yet another event, the Marianas Junior Cup targeted at 21U and 18U 2-person competition --- NMIVA anticipates that this event will continue to grow next year. It was decided this year, that the Guam Volleyball Federation (GVBF) and NMIVA would team up to continue growing and expanding the MCBVF. Therefore, in 2013 GVBF will host the Marianas ProAm Cup and NMIVA will host the Marianas Junior Cup. These events will be alternated between GVBF and NMIVA every other year going forward, while each Federation will also host its own Marianas Kids Cup.  Tentative schedule for 2013: February 16-17, 2013 - Marianas Junior Cup (Saipan) February 21, 2013 - Kids Clinic (Guam) February 22, 2013 - Pro Exhibition Matches (Guam) February 23, 2013 - Marianas Kids Cup (Saipan) February 23-24, 2013 - Marianas ProAm Cup (Guam) March 2, 2013 - Marianas Kids Cup (Guam)