(ATLANTA, Georgia - March 3) --- The second largest girls' volleyball event in North America, held on a single weekend in one location, has found a new home at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Officials from Tampa Volleyball Events and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau announced today that the former ASICS Tampa Bay National Qualifier will relocate to Atlanta, making its debut as the ASICS/Tampa Bay Big South National Volleyball Qualifier March 25-27, 2005. The move comes on the heels of an increasingly strong growth pattern over the past decade, forcing tournament officials to take the event to new surroundings to accommodate that growth.

The event is one of nine national qualifier tournaments leading to the USA Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships to be held in Salt Lake City in June 2005. In 2004, of the 612 teams entered in the event, 26 received bids to the national championship held in Houston, Texas. In past years, teams from 27 states were represented, in addition to teams from Puerto Rico. The top Junior Olympic teams in the U.S. travel annually to these qualifying tournaments, to compete for a championship bid to the Junior Olympics and to soak in the local entertainment that the host city has to offer.

"The move to Atlanta signifies the tremendous level of growth and participation in the sport of girls' volleyball, and the need for us to seek out larger and more accommodating environments that are capable of hosting such highly competitive events," said Lauri Dagostino, Executive Director of Tampa Volleyball Events based in Tampa, Fla., the promoter of the event. "The City of Atlanta made a strong case for hosting these types of tourism-driven events, that translate into additional revenue for hotels, airlines and local restaurants," she added. Organizers estimate that the participants will occupy nearly 12,000 hotel rooms, drive close to 2,000 vehicle rentals, and purchase close to 10,000 MARTA transit passes throughout the 3-day event.

Close to 90 competition volleyball courts will be specially installed in the Georgia World Congress Center in less than 48 hours, more than doubling the total amount used in the 2003 USA Junior Olympic National Girls' Championships that took place in the same location. The Atlanta Sports Council estimated that the 2003 event stimulated close to $25 million in tourism revenue.

"The Georgia World Congress Center could not be more pleased about hosting this terrific event," said Mark Zimmerman, the center's general manager. "Our campus has served as host to the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Men and Women's Final Four and many other premier sporting events. The Tampa Big South Qualifier is a great addition to this prestigious list, bringing with them thousands of competitors and spectators who will enjoy the great southern hospitality of Atlanta."

This event also represents a major tool that young volleyball players can use to help them gain valuable collegiate athletic scholarships. UniversityAthlete.com, an online recruiting service that provides the handheld scheduling system and text messaging used at the event, estimates that over 200 college recruiters will travel to the event, hoping to find the next great player for their university.

The 2005 ASICS/Tampa Bay Big South Junior National Volleyball Qualifier will take place from

March 25-27 in Building B of the Georgia World Congress Center. USA Volleyball will host its High

Performance Youth and Junior National Team try-out on Thursday, March 24 in conjunction with the event, providing kids in the Atlanta-area with an opportunity to become part of the U.S. National Volleyball Team high performance program. An exhibitor expo will be held daily to showcase the latest technology in the sport of volleyball, along with free promotions and samples from a host of other companies interested in reaching the female consumer market. The event is free to the public, and daily hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.