County Volleyball Club Favored

Charlie Brande’s Orange County Volleyball Club is favored to reach the finals in the under-18 division at the Nike Volleyball Festival, which begins Monday in Sacramento.

Traditionally, OCVBA teams have been some of the most successful at the Festival, according to tournament spokesman Nancy Burch. Corona del Mar-based OCVBA ranked a close second behind Long Beach-based Ichiban at the conclusion of the Southern California Volleyball Assn. spring season.

Melissa Schutz, Sara Fairborn and Jeanette Hecker of Newport Harbor High School lead OCVBA’s top age-group team, one of 15 entered by Brande. Newport Harbor finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today.

The Festival features more than 750 teams and 7,000 players ages 12-18 from throughout North America. It began in 1984 in Santa Clara and moved to UC Davis a year later. It is the largest female athletic event in the nation and features competition on 100 courts at close to 50 sites throughout the upper San Joaquin Valley. More than a hundred college coaches are expected to be at UC Davis to watch the 18 finals.

The tournament, which runs through July 1, will be headquartered in the new Sacramento Convention Center. The 18-year-old division final June 30 will be televised on a delayed basis by Prime Sports.