Founded in 1978, the Fairbanks Volleyball Association has a long history of volleyball in Fairbanks.  If you have specific information we could add to this, please forward it to us!

What we do?

Our goal is simple... to promote volleyball in the Interior of Alaska.  We do this by hosting several different venues for open gym time, Spring Leagues, and outdoor summer volleyball at Growden Park.  

History of Maka' Ala Volleyball

Maka’ Ala Volleyball started in Fairbanks in 1983.  It was then that a group of recreational volleyball players decided to develop a men’s club team for playing in USVBA tournaments.  Back then the group would meet on Sunday afternoons in the Ryan Middle School gym for an afternoon of volleyball.  Since a few of the players were school district employees, they had access to the gym.  Time was split with the first hour and a half doing drills and the second half scrimmaging.  The club team began going down to Anchorage for tournaments and hosting tournaments in Fairbanks.  Eventually a second team was formed called Black Reign. 

Eventually the school district decided that they needed to have a paid responsible employee, which could be a custodian on duty, while groups were using gyms.  Since there was no custodian on duty on Sundays at Ryan, the group would have had to pay for someone to be there.  As school custodians worked on school day evenings, Maka’ Ala was switched to Tanana Middle School on Friday evenings.  Club ball continued through the 80’s into the early 90’s, but eventually slowed from being so tournament oriented and became more recreational with the an emphasis on promoting a competitive level of play.  The original members started aging out and new organizers for tournaments weren’t as active.  Still to this day, a club team is formed from the ranks of Maka’ Ala players as interest in playing in tournaments is still part of Maka’ Ala’s goals.

In the mid 1990’s as tournament play was reducing, a wider range of players started playing rather than just men’s club.  Women and younger players started becoming involved.  Maka’ Ala started becoming a training ground for promising young players and many successful collegiate players got their start in Maka’ Ala.  Maka’ Ala has also contributed quite a few players to the Arctic Winter Games’ Alaska volleyball team. 

In 1999 Randy Smith Middle School was built providing new rare gym space.  Maka’ Ala took advantage and arranged for Wednesday evenings to be used.  This second evening expanded the opportunities for playing and increased the number of people that could get involved.  Maka’ Ala has continued to expand and stress quality and competitive volleyball in Fairbanks.  In 2018 the number of nets during Maka’ Ala gym time was doubled, continuing the goal of more and better volleyball. 

Due to several different factors, the Fairbanks Volleyball Association absorbed the day-to-day operations of Maka' Ala and voted in a Maka' Ala Division Director and Assistant Director in 2019.  

***The FVA is an IRC Section 501C3 non-profit organization eligible for tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts.  Sponsorship fees for League play are tax deductible under EID: 92-0153027.  Membership and open gym fees are not tax deductible.***