State 48 Invitational

Feb 1-2, 2025
Location: Arizona Athletic Grounds, 6321 S. Ellsworth Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212

Entry Fee*:

12U-18U = $450
Boys 14U = $450

* A $50 Early Bird discount applies to registration fees received on or before Dec. 12, 2024. To receive the $50 discount please contact Gehrig Stone-Awong before paying the for-tournament fee(s).

Payment Deadline
Registration fees paid on or before January 1, 2025 are guaranteed a spot in the tournament. Teams paying after Jan. 1st will be accepted on an as-available basis.

Age Divisions:

Girls: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18's
Boys 14's

All age division winners will be awarded medals for the first place in the Platinum Divisions. If the division for which you are registering a team for is full, you may either be placed on a waitlist, or register your team to play up an age bracket.

Breaking ties to determine pool finish
If there is a tie in match record among 2 or more teams in the pool, tie(s) are resolved using the Tie Break Rules, even in 3 team pools where all 3 sets are required to be played.

2-way tie is a head-to-head
A 3-way tie will be determined by Match %, Set%, and Points % in this order. If for any reason a team is not matching and the other teams that are still in a tie, we will refer to the head-to-head

Seeding
Please fill out the online seeding form for each participating team

Registration Polices
Teams are prioritized and accepted into this tournament based on team entry fee payment date, completed AAU rosters and stay to play requirements. The tournament will be licensed by AAU. All participants must have AAU membership. This requires:

Club Membership ($30 and covers an unlimited number of teams)
Player Memberships ($20 and covers all AAU sports/events through August 2025)
Adult Memberships for Coaches and Team Reps on the roster ($55 for US teams, $37 for international teams and includes the background check)
No Coaching clinic or IMPACT certification required.

Click here to acquire AAU membership.

STATE 48 Invitational Refund Policy**:

100% Refund through December 14, 2024
50% Refund between December 15 and December 31, 2024
No Refund after January 1, 2025

**In the case of event cancellation, $450 entry fee will be refunded (late fees and convenience fee are not refundable).

Roster requirements:

Build your roster in AES
Rosters with AAU member numbers (players and coaches) Show "verified"
If AAU numbers are not showing "verified," one of these three forms of verification are acceptable:
- AAU membership card copy; or
- AAU Club Listing (generated from AAU website Club Director Account); or
- AAU Team roster (generated from AAU website Club Director Account)
The team coach must keep a copy of a completed and signed medical release waivers in their possession at all times while at the STATE 48 event.

Tournament Check-in
Location: Arizona Athletic Grounds, 6321 S. Ellsworth Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212

Thursday, Jan. 30: 6-8pm
Friday, Jan. 31: 2-7pm.

If you're not able to make either time listed above, please contact Gehrig Stone-Awong.

AAU Membership
The State 48 is an AAU licensed event. It is a true "All-Comers" event that welcomes all teams from around the world without qualification. No one goes home early and everyone who starts the tournament has a chance to win the Championship. If your team is not already registered with AAU, click here to sign up.

Positive Coaching Alliance Courses
AAU offers all members free of charge the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) courses and resources. Click HERE(https://aausports.org/page.php?page_id=102337) to explore all PCA educational resources or to sign up for one of the three levels of Coaching courses. These courses are NOT mandatory for participation in Festival Sports Events.

International Team Participation
The Volleyball Festival welcomes the diversity and cultural sharing that comes with foreign teams participating in the event. Teams from Canada are categorized as International; teams from Puerto Rico are not. International teams acquire their club, coach and athlete AAU memberships online the same as all other teams here. Most foreign teams will also require a US Visitor Visa. To find out more information about Visitor Visas, click here.

Arizona Athletic Grounds STAY-TO-PLAY Reservation Procedures & Policies
Please note the STATE 48 Invitational is a "Stay to Play" event, requiring all participants, outside a 80-mile radius of Arizona Athletic Grounds, to patronize selected hotel vendors. This program helps keep team costs down while still providing unique experiences throughout the tournament, including substantial savings on room rates, hotel amenities, and discounts on dining and entertainment. Once you have registered in AES, you will receive a team booking link via email from Event Connect within 48 hours. If you do not receive this email, reach out to Event Connect at teamrelations @eventconnect.io.

Teams & Clubs
- Team room reservations will only be confirmed tournament registration and payment are completed on AES
- Once you receive your team booking link, you will be able to block and reserve rooms in live time on the Event Connect platform
- Event Connect may be contacted by phone at 1-888-723-2064
- Click here to view available hotels and rates
- There is a four room, two night/room (eight room night total), minimum per team reservation
- All reservations require a credit card and are subject to a two night per room deposit
- An early departure fee may be applied for early checkouts for all reservations
- Hotel guests do not receive complimentary admission. Spectators may purchase two-day event passes in advance here

Friends & Family
We have worked hard to negotiate the best rates and packages for the chosen properties, click here to view available hotels and rates. If you find a better rate at one of the tournament properties, please alert Event Connect via email: teamrelations@eventconnect.io and we will work with the property to try and match it.

Hotel guests do not receive complimentary admission. Spectators are encouaged to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid having to wait in long lines. Single day and multiple day fee will be available, visit AAG's ticketing page for more information and to buy your advance tickets.

Booking Questions?Contact the Event Connect Team Relations Department at 1-888-723-2064 x823 or email them at teamrelations@eventconnect.io.

We look forward to creating an extraordinary experience for you and your players!

Age Waivers
A maximum of two age waivers are allowed per team. Even if your region has approved an age waiver, you still need to make a request from the tournament. Approved age waiver athletes have to be added to your event roster by the Tournament Director. Click here for more details or to submit an online age waiver request.

12 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2012 (Can't turn 13 before July 1, 2025)
13 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2011 (Can't turn 14 before July 1, 2025)
14 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2010 (Can't turn 15 before July 1, 2025)
15 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2009 (Can't turn 16 before July 1, 2025)
16 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2008 (Can't turn 17 before July 1, 2025)
17/18 Club: Must be born on or after July 1, 2007, OR born on or after July 1, 2006, AND be a high school student (12th grade or below) during some part of the current academic year.