SPIRE is pleased to announce the acquisition of Club Ashtabula Volleyball (CAVB), a highly respected regional volleyball club based in Geneva, Ohio. The club will now operate under the SPIRE family of clubs, with current owner Stephanie Kubec continuing to oversee programming.

Club Ashtabula Volleyball already has a strong presence in the area, with approximately 200 girls aged 12-18 on the travel team and 75 girls aged 7-15 on the non-travel team over winter, and this acquisition has the potential to bring the strengths and resources of both Club Ashtabula Volleyball and SPIRE together. This allows these young athletes to continue growing, developing and refining their skills so they can meet their individual goals. Kubec had this to say about the partnership, “SPIRE has been a wonderful, supportive partner with CAVB over the years…and it only made sense to take the next step to provide the regional volleyball community that support system to help foster the next generations of high level athletes. This will continue our success as a club in the Ohio Valley Region with USA Volleyball and we are looking forward to being able to meet the demand of this growing sport through SPIRE & their facilities.”

This collaboration comes on the heels of the announcement of SPIRE’s inaugural Volleyball Program, led by professional volleyball player Nia Grant. Jeff Javorek, Head of Athletics, remarked, “We are excited about helping Stephanie grow the club and having Nia, our Director of Volleyball, integrated as a resource to the club. CAVB has a strong relationship and reputation in the area and we are excited to bring them under the SPIRE umbrella.” The program is still recruiting more athletes for the 2024-25 school year. 

The next step for Club Ashtabula Volleyball is the highly anticipated Nationals tournament at the Orlando Disney AAU Complex at the end of June, where the travel team, consisting of girls aged 15 & 16, is looking forward to competing against top teams from around the country.

As part of its expanded sports training, SPIRE is offering Sprouts Volleyball Club. Designed to introduce children to the sport of volleyball and build their confidence in a fun and engaging way, the program offers 45-minute sessions focusing on developing the fundamental skills of the sport through a series of basic drills and games. Sessions run on Tuesdays from June 18 to July 23 and are open to youth ages 4 to 11 years. No prior volleyball experience is required.

In a statement by Jeff Orloff, President of SPIRE, “Club Ashtabula has been based at SPIRE and as such, the two groups have worked closely together for many years. As part of this relationship, SPIRE has been able to host many Ohio Valley Region events each year which bring thousands of athletes, coaches and their families to SPIRE. Based on this symbiotic relationship, Stephanie and SPIRE came to a decision that it would make sense to transition the ownership of CAVB to SPIRE, with Stephanie continuing to oversee all aspects of Club Ashtabula Volleyball. It is exciting because this shows the region that we are poised and ready to continue our support related to regional volleyball excellence.”

This acquisition stands as a partnership, and it marks a significant milestone for SPIRE and also for Club Ashtabula Volleyball, laying the foundation for growth, excellence and increased opportunities and strength for both organizations.