Gilles Lépine, a huge volleyball fan before the Eternal, enjoyed watching the NCAA Women's Final Four last weekend in front of a sold-out crowd at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Lightning.
With record-breaking crowds every night and an exciting atmosphere during and before the games, the former Rouge et Or Excellence Program Coordinator and UBC Athletic Director had fun like a kid.
“I ruined my life,” said Lépine, who played, coached, worked as an analyst during the Olympics and now sits on the Rouge et Or volleyball board and events committee. “I went to the Nebraska-Pittsburgh game and it was packed. The same goes for the bars near the arena. Tickets were expensive at $350 for the most expensive level and $100 for the second level. It shows that exercise is healthy.”
“The atmosphere was excited,” Lépine continued. Between 16,000 and 18,000 spectators attended the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. At the World Cup in Japan I attended games with 20,000 spectators, but in Tampa Bay the atmosphere was even better.
The birth of a new professional league in the United States in January 2024 may ensure that this momentum continues, especially since CBS is involved in the adventure as a broadcaster.
Rating record
The finale between the Texas Longhorns and Nebraska Huskers, which aired Sunday on ABC to 19,727 viewers, was a ratings hit.
Directly competing with the NFL, volleyball drew an average of 1.691 million viewers, with a peak of 2.1 million. Had Texas not notched a three-set win in a row, the numbers could have been even higher.
How can we explain the incredible popularity of women's volleyball, which is the most widely played sport among girls in America's 5,000 high schools, ahead of basketball, soccer and track and field?
“Women’s volleyball is one of the few sports that is not second rate to men,” he explained. We find the strength in the women because the net is 2.24 m long and not 2.43 m like the men's. The sport is specifically tailored to girls. The exchange takes longer. The girls' defense is exceptional, delighting the crowds, and there are few serving errors, unlike the men's.
For comparison, the basketball hoop is at the same height (10 feet) for women and men. “People compare the two and expect dunks.”
Two former NBA players
In the national champion roster we find two big stars whose fathers played in the NBA and who sat in the front row to witness Texas' victory.
Forward Madisen Skinner and center Asjia O'Neal are the daughters of Brian Skinner, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, and Jermaine O'Neal, who played 19 seasons, including 2008-2009, with the Toronto Raptors.
“Skinner took my jaw off my feet,” Lépine imagined, “with his strength and his size.”
And where is Quebec?
According to Lépine, the increase in registrations over the past three years has also been significant in Quebec. The university circuit is doing well and the number of teams in the lower categories is increasing.
“Women’s volleyball is one of the few sports in the RSEQ where it is possible to compete with good American Division 1 teams,” he said. The RSEQ wouldn't have been able to keep up with the teams in the Final Four, but that's not a problem for the others. I attended a Maryland-Norfolk game in Virginia in November and the best teams in the RSEQ would have done very well.”
Pink event
Lépine wants to bring that enthusiasm for women's volleyball to Quebec. “On January 19th at PEPS we will present a pink match between Rouge et Or and UQAM to promote women's sports,” Lépine said. We are aiming for a record 3,200 people for a single game. We try to reflect this enthusiasm here. We hosted NORCECA in August and played to sold-out crowds the last two days.”
Last winter, the Rouge et Or filled the PEPS with a crowd of 3,200 fans during a volleyball doubleheader against the University of Sherbrooke's Vert & Or.