AAU nationals not being stopped by COVID

Florida’s college and high school sports officials are talking about pushing back the start of fall practices and games as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to climb.

But live sports in the Orlando area have been on for weeks, with age-group tournaments in a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, softball and golf, since

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted most restrictions on youth play.

Add the 47th annual AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships to that list. The tournament, billed in past years as the world’s largest volleyball event, began Tuesday and is set to run through July 22 at the Orange County Convention Center with girls and boys age divisions ranging from 12-and-under to 18U.

The tournament, which was postponed two months ago due to COVID-19 concerns, is only a fraction of its former size.

There are 326 boys and girls teams signed up for an event that boasted a record 2,805 entries a year ago. The 2019 competitors included the girls international division, but this year no one from outside the United States will be competing in the event.