Above: A 2006 USA vs. Poland volleyball match at the E-Center in West Valley Utah (Michael Brandy for USA Volleyball)
By Erin Golden
Minneapolis will host two USA Volleyball events in 2017 that are expected to draw 45,000 athletes and spectators to the city.
Both the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships and the USA Open Volleyball Championships will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center in late June and early July 2017. Organizers said on Friday that they expect those events will generate $65 million in economic activity -- more than the $50 million generated by last year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
It's the first time the organization has hosted two of its three major championships in the same city in the same year. USA Volleyball has hosted major tournaments in Minneapolis several times in recent years.
In a press conference on Friday, Mayor Betsy Hodges said landing the volleyball championships and other major sports is an indicator of the city's interest in health and a boon to the local economy.
"The economic impact we experience as the city of Minneapolis is huge," she said.
