Tournament Brings Almost 600 Youth Volleyball Teams to Los Angeles for MLK Weekend; Tournament Champs Crowned

The SoCal Cup, largely considered to be the nation’s largest premier tournament series for boys volleyball, staged its prestige ‘The Open Championship’ competition at the Los Angeles Convention Center this past Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, featuring competitive head-to-head action across the spectrum of boys volleyball.

Organized and operated by AIM Sports Group, the three day event drew approximately 600 boys club volleyball teams across various age groups (12U through 18U) from all over the US and beyond, driven to compete for what is fast becoming the ultimate bragging right in the sport. The SoCal Cup hosts three annual tournaments: this past week’s SoCal Cup Open Championship; the SoCal Cup Showcase in June; and the SoCal Cup Winter Formal event in December. SoCal Cup also operates in-season league matches.

The event, which filled the Los Angeles Convention Center, with additional games being played at AIM Sportsplex in Orange County, drew a massive crowd of about 65,000 across the three day event, made up of a diverse audience of athletes, families, and spectators.

“Our SoCal Cup tournaments continue to grow in popularity year over year, and we are already getting ready for our next and biggest ever event, the SoCal Cup Showcase, which will take place this summer (June 14-16, 2024, also at the LA Convention Center),” said AIM Sports Group Founder John Gallegos. “It’s rewarding to witness thousands of enthusiastic young athletes and their families gather in downtown Los Angeles in support of the great and surging sport of youth volleyball. With SoCal Cup we are working to help establish high profile venues and entertainment value for, first and foremost, the sport of volleyball, while also providing unique marketing opportunities for the rapidly growing number of brands tapping into the sport.”

The event is also fast becoming a coveted marketing opportunity for sponsors looking to make a splash before the enormous ‘captive audience’ of young families. Sponsors and partners at this year’s event included got milk?, who had a crowd-pleasing video and gaming installation that promoted the health benefits of milk; Sideout Sports, who served as the official merch partner for the event; and many more youth-centric and athletic brands.

Boys volleyball clubs that achieved bragging rights this year by winning their divisions included:

• MB Surf ASICS 18s from Manhattan Beach, CA (18 Open)
• 630 Volleyball 18-2 from Lisle, Illinois (18 Club)
• Bay to Bay 17-1 from San Jose, CA (17 Open)
• MVVC B 17 Black from Sunnyvale, CA (17 Club)
• Balboa Bay 16 Blue from Costa Mesa, CA (16 Open)
• Bay to Bay 16-Premier from San Jose, CA (16 Club)
• Team Rockstar 15 Rockstar from Long Beach, CA (15 Open)
• Bay to Bay 15-Premier from San Jose, CA (15 Club)
• Team Rockstar 14 Rockstar from Long Beach, CA (14 Open)
• Bay to Bay 14-Premier from San Jose, CA (14 Club)
• Bay to Bay 13-1 from San Jose, CA (13 Open)
• MB Surf ASICS 12s from Manhattan Beach, CA (12 Open)

Founded to provide elite competitive and developmental playing opportunities and training for young athletes, the SoCal Cup has grown exponentially over the last four years and is now the largest and best-attended youth volleyball tournament in the country. Learn more at SoCalCupVolleyball.com.

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