Bridging Culture and Competition: How the Black Volleyball Circuit Found a Home with Compete
Photo credit: Black Volleyball Circuit
When Quanesha Speed founded the Black Volleyball Circuit (BVC), she wasn’t just launching a volleyball program—she was igniting a movement.
“We wanted to build a space where athletes could thrive,” Speed says. “Not just in the game, but in life. That means visibility, training, exposure—and a real sense of community.”
From the beginning, BVC has done exactly that. Their flagship event, the HBCU Showcase®, travels the country connecting top high school volleyball talent with coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s part tournament, part empowerment summit—where athletes learn about college readiness, scholarships, and the importance of legacy.
Now, BVC is stepping into its next chapter—with the support of the Compete Sports Council, a national collective of mission-driven sports leaders, tourism partners, and community organizations working together to make Sports For All™ a reality.
“We are thrilled to welcome BVC to the Compete family,” says Trayer Martinez, SDLT, VP of Sports at Compete. “Their presence in youth, collegiate, and recreational volleyball is already powerful. Our goal is to work alongside their leadership to help scale that impact even further across the sports landscape.”
The synergy between the two organizations was immediate. Compete’s mission—to connect, educate, empower, and inspire inclusive sports organizations—felt like a natural fit for BVC’s culturally rooted work.
For Speed, that alignment wasn’t just convenient. It was critical.
“Compete understands that access without cultural relevance isn’t really access at all,” she explains. “We’re not trying to fit into someone else’s system. We’re building our own system—with support from partners who value equity the way we do.”
The partnership opens new doors for BVC—more cities, more events, more exposure for athletes who are often overlooked in traditional volleyball spaces. And for Compete, it reinforces a commitment to partnering with organizations that lead with heart, purpose, and authenticity.
As the two organizations look ahead, the vision is clear: a volleyball community where every athlete feels seen, supported, and celebrated.
“We’re just getting started,” says Speed, smiling. “But with Compete in our corner, the future feels wide open.”
