BYU concludes 2012 season with nation’s best home attendance

BYU has won the national attendance battle for the 2012 NCAA men’s volleyball season.

The Cougars ended the season averaging a nation-best 3,192 people per home match — the only Division I-II men’s volleyball team in the nation to average more than 3,000 people in attendance per match.

BYU had at least 2,000 people attend each of its 17 home matches and opened its home schedule with four matches each with more than 4,000 people in attendance. In addition, the team’s home opener against USC was played in front of a sold-out 5,124 person crowd, which was the highest attended match in the nation during the regular season.

The Cougars (24-7, 17-5 MPSF) ended the regular season tied for second place in the MPSF and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals.

BYU in attendance beat second-place Hawai’i by almost a 300 people average. The Warriors ended the season averaging 2,902 people per home match.

BYU and Hawai’i were two of four teams to average more than 1,000 people in attendance per home match. USC finished in third place with a 1,555 home attendance average, while the NCAA champions UC Irvine had the nation’s fourth best home attendance average at 1,224.

UCLA in Hall of Fame coach Al Scates’ final season rounded-out the top five with a 950 home attendance average

Penn State finished in sixth place and led all non-West Coast teams with a 897 home attendance average. The Nittany Lions were the only EIVA team in the top 15 for best attendance.

Eight MPSF schools were in the nation’s top 10 for highest home attendance average. Lewis was the only MIVA school finish in the top 10 — coming in ninth place with a 706 attendance average.

Mount Olive led all six Conference Carolinas teams and ended 20th overall with a 250-person home attendance average.

2012 NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball home attendnace averages
1. BYU — 3,192
2. Hawai’i — 2,902
3. USC — 1,555
4. UC Irvine — 1,224
5. UCLA — 950
6. Penn State — 897
7. Long Beach State — 880
8. Stanford — 826
9. Lewis — 706
10. Cal State Northridge — 572
11. Ohio State — 529
12. Loyola — 493
13. IPFW — 482
14. Pepperdine — 480
15. Ball State — 426
16. UC San Diego — 361
17. George Mason — 301
18. UC Santa Barbara — 298
19. Cal Baptist — 254
20. Mount Olive — 250
21. Pacific — 243
22. Pfeiffer — 234
23. Lees-McRae — 226
24. Lindenwood — 202
25. NJIT — 194
26. Quincy — 188
27. Sacred Heart — 186
28. Barton — 180
29. Harvard — 160
30. St. Francis — 159
31. Grand Canyon — 152
32. Limestone — 141
33. Princeton — 106
34. King — 89
35. Rutgers-Newark — 88