Volleyball tournament bumps Raleigh coffers

More than 100 volleyball teams will play in a tournament this weekend, and those players bring coaches, parents and college scouts -- all of them sleeping, dining and spending in downtown Raleigh.

Posted 2:19 a.m. Mar 9, 2013 — Updated 4:07 a.m. Mar 9, 2013

RALEIGH, N.C. — A two-day volleyball tournament at the Raleigh Convention Center will generate more than $500,000 for the local economy this weekend. The Mid-Atlantic Power League Tournament draws about 150 teams all along the east coast. Those players, coaches, parents and college scouts will all sleep, dine and spend in the Triangle.

"We expect 4,000 people to travel to Raleigh for the weekend," said Tori Collins, of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. "Obviously they'll be staying in our hotels and eating in our restaurants. (It's) huge for downtown."

Krista Portincasa made the trip with her daughters and husband from Wilmington, Del. "It's beautiful, it's clean and it's fresh," she said of Raleigh. "And it's a lot warmer than Wilmington was!"

While her daughters work on their aces, kills and digs, Portincasa was planning to dig into her pockets, helping put a spike in the local economy. "Mexican food tonight, Italian tomorrow – we plan on infusing dollars into your area," she said.

The tournament, in its fifth year, offers great exposure for volleyball and for the Triangle to potential future residents.

"Raleigh is a beautiful city, and there are a lot of parents who say they would love to live in this area," said organizer Sherry Fadool. "Everything they've done to improve Fayetteville Street mall, the convention center has been amazing for our guests. They actually love Raleigh."

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