Our Vision
Mark Nalevanko and John Lysik, the founders of the non-profit Southern Sand Volleyball (SSV), are PASSIONATE about ALL aspects of beach volleyball!!! As SSV’s logo implies, in our opinion very little can compete with CRUSHING a volleyball that HITS the sand for a point. Others may have a slightly different opinion that a spectacular dig or block or dive or set … are equally, if not more, impressive. Trust us we completely understand all those opinions, and that’s what makes this sport so AMAZING! Our goal is to expand this amazing sport, so that those who currently play, can play more, and those who want to play can have that opportunity. We not only love to play the sport, we THOROUGHLY ENJOY helping others learn the game, techniques, skills, strategies, etc. There is nothing more GRATIFYING than to see someone’s face light up after learning or perfecting a skill, or to see an individual’s self-esteem and pride jump a few notches when it ALL COMES TOGETHER ! That’s what keeps us coming back and wanting more, and we think you would agree. We have the same passion when it comes to organizing competitive series and events. After all, that’s the showcase of all those developed skills and talents – GAME ON! We promise the same ENERGY and PASSION for the sport that you have seen from us over the years, and we are PUMPED about the possibilities and opportunities that Southern Sand Volleyball will bring to the TRIANGLE.
The Mission
Southern Sand Volleyball (SSV)’s mission is to offer adults and juniors an opportunity to participate in a FUN and LOW STRESS sport that we love and are passionate about… Beach Volleyball! Whether you’re looking to play and/or train competitively, get some exercise, or just socialize, SSV aims to offer something for everyone.
The Story
The story of Southern Sand Volleyball (SSV) really goes back to 2006 when Mark Nalevanko with the assistance of Mike Marks, an indoor volleyball club director at the time, and Vaughn Hastings, the director of vh1vball, a Triangle area-based outdoor adult volleyball organization, established a series of junior beach volleyball events in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Over the next 7 years, the number and size of these events would grow considerably as would involvement by other groups across NC.
Then in 2011 sand volleyball at the collegiate level really got on the radar with the inaugural AVCA collegiate sand volleyball championships. This event along with the fast growing participation of juniors in the sport, not just in North Carolina but around the country, was a strong signal that the growth of the sport would be significant for several years ahead and that increasingly juniors would be interested in giving the sport a try, ranging from a casual interest to someone looking for a collegiate scholarship in the sport and beyond possibly.
In 2012, Mark began some discussions with John Lysik, a coach for several years at NC indoor volleyball clubs and at the collegiate level, about where things were heading with junior beach volleyball and what role they might play in it. With beach clubs popping up across the country, following somewhat in the model of indoor volleyball clubs, it made sense to establish a club in the Triangle area.
Of course, with any popular activity, the first issue you run into is space! With the only options in the Triangle in the past being public parks, there was always a fine line between reserving courts for programming and starting to monopolize court time. This struggle increasingly grew in recent years. Enter Hope Chapel of Apex!
In June 2013, Patty Patrick of Hope Chapel’s leadership team approached Mark about utilizing some unused property of theirs near HWY 64 and downtown Apex for more sand volleyball courts. The idea took off and led to creating plans for a new 10 sand volleyball court complex that would be built and managed by SSV. The grand opening of the facility was in April 2014.
With this complex, all the following activities and more will be possible:
- Seasonal and year-round junior beach club programming
- Tournaments (Adults and Juniors)
- Leagues (Adults and Juniors)
- Introduction of beach soccer and beach tennis opportunities in the Triangle area
- And more…
Southern Sand Volleyball Academy, the juniors branch of Southern Sand Volleyball, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.