On the whole, 2010 was a good year to be a volleyball fan. There were many great matches, an exciting NCAA playoff on both the men's and women's sides, and as usual plenty of drama to debate amongst ourselves. We took several steps forward and a few steps back. But hopefully, this time, we learned something that we can use to improve the way the sport works in the future. For volleyball, the future is now and we're left with some huge decisions to make about the sport's direction in the next year that could change everything from here on out. Here's hoping the changes are for the better. Let's take a look back at this year's top five moments in the sport of volleyball.
1. AVP Folds
The worst news of all was the fall of America's professional beach volleyball league. Mid-way through the season the AVP announced that it was on shaky ground and would need investors and sponsors to infuse the league with a significant amount of money in order to continue holding events. The money didn't come and just a few weeks later, on Friday the 13th of August, the AVP announced that it would cease operations, canceling the last five tournaments on the schedule.
Though some saw this coming it was a surprise to many, including some of the players who assumed that the league would find a savior in the 11th hour as it has in the past. The future of pro beach in the U.S. is still undetermined, though it seems the business model will get a long overdue make-over for 2011. Whether Nick Lewin, the majority owner of the company that owns the AVP Property, will be able to revive the league next year in spite of the bankruptcy proceedings remains to be seen. There will be beach volleyball in 2011, but new groups including USAV will lead the way to the new normal.
