[LAVA] – The City of Santa Clarita has partnered with the renowned Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) to present the first annual Foothill Invitational High School Summer Tournament, to be held at multiple locations in and around the Santa Clarita Valley. Twenty-two teams are slated to participate, including all six local public high schools: Valencia, Saugus, Hart, West Ranch, Canyon, and Golden Valley.

Junior club volleyball has exploded in Santa Clarita in recent years, more than doubling in overall participation numbers from the early part of the previous decade. LAVA, with its affiliate LAVA North, is one of two clubs currently operating in the area, helping spur the ongoing growth of the sport at the youth and junior levels.

“Santa Clarita is the perfect location for a youth sporting event,” says Russell Sypowicz, Economic Development Associate with the City of Santa Clarita and one of the driving forces behind the partnership. “The City is committed to supporting LAVA in their efforts to produce events that have a positive economic impact on the community. We look forward to the success of this event and will continue to support their efforts to grow the tournament moving forward.”

There are grand plans for the Foothill Invitational, building on the expected successes of the first year. The tournament already has discounts for participating schools at local hotels, restaurants, and entertainment attractions, including Magic Mountain Theme Park, and expects the overall vibe of the event to be one of equal parts great volleyball and excellent team-bonding. Tournament organizers say there are already more teams interested in 2013.

“The tournament is great for volleyball and it’s great for Santa Clarita,” says Nabil Mardini, Operations Director for LAVA and the Director of LAVA North. “We are thrilled to partner with the City on what we believe will grow to be one of the premier high school summer tournaments, and look forward to working with the City for many years to come.”

The Foothill Invitational comes to Santa Clarita over three days, Friday through Sunday, the weekend of August 10-12. Visit lavacademy.com/foothill for play locations and times.

About LAVA

The Los Angeles Volleyball Academy is an affiliation of junior club volleyball organizations based in Southern California. The company’s ten affiliates combine for more than 75 teams and eight hundred athletes. LAVA North is the affiliate servicing the greater Santa Clarita area with thirteen teams and one hundred fifty athletes annually, based out of the Spectrum Athletic Club in Valencia, CA.