There aren’t many places on a Wednesday evening in Richmond that get as lively as Richmond Volleyball Club.
Ball carts make their way out across 12 courts, Mae’s Café preps pizza for the oven and keeps the beer cold, referees fill out their score sheets and volleyball players of all ages and skill levels start their pre-game rituals before a night full of friendly competition. These are the familiar – as someone who’s played, refereed and coached here for a few years – sounds I hear as I sit down with RVC’s new Executive Director, Whitney Curtis.
Whether you’re trying it out for the first time or picking it back up after playing in high school 10-20 years ago, getting your children involved, seeking a side hustle as a referee or starting your career in coaching, RVC has something for everyone.
In fact, its mission is exactly that: anyone looking for community, wellness, opportunity and belonging through the sport of volleyball is welcome.
Hitting the pavement
It all began in 1981, when two local adult leagues, The Richmond Area Volleyball League and Fan League, combined forces and turned an old roller-skating rink into four courts at 3300 W. Marshall St. After a decade of growth, RVC West was born at 1907 Westmoreland St., adding another six courts to its domain.
By 2018, RVC had shifted to two new locations: RVC Byrdhill (Henrico) and RVC Stonebridge (North Chesterfield) – doubling to 20 courts. The most recent 50,000-sq. ft acquisition, Stonebridge, came out of a partnership with Chesterfield’s Economic Development Authority and was custom built to serve junior programming.
The woman in charge during this remarkable period of growth: Darcy Carroll. As executive director for 18 years, she not only helped RVC acquire both of its current facilities, but she also helped grow full-time staff from three to 17, guided the organization through the pandemic when volleyball courts were as empty as they’d ever been and started the financial grant program from scratch.
In May 2024, RVC announced Whitney Curtis – previously associate executive director, director of programs and on the board of directors – would take over. Before joining the staff in 2022, Curtis spent 10 years working in NCAA Division I College Athletics. But her love of volleyball began right here in Richmond, where she grew up and started playing.
“Volleyball has always been a place for me to feel welcomed,” said Curtis. “I’ve met good friends, I have coaches I still talk to from when I was in high school, and I hope to help create those spaces for people through RVC.
“All the time, I meet new people in Richmond who have some connection to RVC – their niece plays, their coworker – and so it feels like a place where people want to be and feel like they are part of a community. It always comes back to belonging for me.”
Passing on the love of the game
Even when RVC had only four courts to its name, hundreds of adult-league players turned out every night of the week. Now, more than 1,800 active members participate in close to 300 teams Sunday through Friday, all four seasons. Co-ed, women’s and men’s leagues range from beginners to highly skilled, former or current volleyball athletes. It also offers open gyms, starter leagues (instructional 6-week programs) and one-off quad tournaments.
“We are a bit of a unicorn in the volleyball world,” said Curtis. “We offer programming from age 4 to 70. We also started as an adult social club and added juniors later – that’s generally the other way around.”
When RVC began working with juniors in 1989, it wanted to keep the same level of inclusivity by offering different levels of travel and recreational opportunities. Now, about 300 juniors sign up for travel teams per year, and another 1,000 kids participate in less intensive, introductory programming like Junior League, Jumpin’ Juniors and other camps.
RVC has also made an impact on the local economy. Among full-time staff, coaches, café workers and referees, it employs about 120 people at any given time. RVC also hosts three of the largest youth volleyball tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic over two holiday weekends: Volley By the James (MLK Jr.) and Boys East Coast Championships and Girls South Atlantic Championships (Memorial Day). All three tournaments are designated as “stay and play,” which requires visiting teams (around 300 per weekend) to stay in Richmond-area hotels. In 2024, this equated to more than 12,000 booked hotel rooms – not to mention the boost in traffic to dining, shopping and other local attractions during their stay.
Serving the community
The revenue generated from tournaments, adult memberships, junior team fees and other programming goes right back into the community.
“We want the finances surrounding volleyball to not be a barrier to entry,” Curtis said. “Volleyball can be an expensive sport, and there are families around Richmond that need a little bit more financial help to participate in our programs. So, that is what we strive to do – give everyone that wants to be a part of our wonderful sport the chance to.”
RVC awards up to $75,000 in individual scholarships annually to players that may not have the means to participate. The scholarship program is named the Robison Fund, in memory and honor of Roger Robison, a member of the first board of directors and an integral leader in RVC history.
Its outreach program, newly and aptly coined “RVC Serves,” works with partners and nonprofits in the community, like Henrico and Chesterfield PAL and local parks and recreation, to provide free or heavily reduced programming. In 2023, approximately 3,000 children were able to experience volleyball through this initiative.
While volleyball remains one of the region’s most favorite pastimes, thanks in large part to RVC, only a select few middle schools across the Richmond region offer it as a sport. After being one of the most requested sports for Richmond City Public Schools year after year, RVC decided to put together a middle school league of its own, offering court space, equipment and coaches training when needed. Six of the eight schools last winter opted to participate in the six-week program. In the coming year, RVC has plans to expand to eight weeks and bring Henrico Public Schools into the fold.
“Our goal is to build the foundation and create something sustainable for schools to take over eventually,” Curtis said. “We’re happy to get that ball rolling because there’s a demand for the sport, and we want every kid who wants to play to be able to play.”
Setting up for the future
While Carroll held the role of executive director during a time of transformative change, Curtis looks to spread the word and share the special community with as many people as possible.
“It’s intentional that when you walk into RVC on Byrdhill Rd, the first thing you see are hundreds of chairs,” Curtis said. “You’re meant to grab food (or a beer, if you’re over the age of 21) and stay awhile, whether it’s before or after your game, or just to take in the game of volleyball with friends.”
Editor’s note: The RVC Byrdhill location used to be home to Brown Distributing Co. – one of Virginia’s leading beer distributors – and it’s almost serendipitous that Mae’s Café now offers up one of the best selections of local and imported beers at a great price.
According to Curtis, there’s a waitlist for just about every program year-round. Eventually, RVC will look to expand its number of courts yet again.
She also believes there’s an opportunity to diversify and expand its fundraising efforts. Right now, programmatic fees primarily fund its outreach and scholarship programs. By attracting more corporate sponsorships and donations from the community, RVC can continue to grow in size and offerings, while equally increasing the resources and financial support it can give back.
Learn more about RVC and its programs at rvc.net. To donate to the Robison Fund or the RVC Serves outreach program, visit here. Also, it’s always looking for new referees, coaches and volunteers – no experience required.
