Denver Comets

Status:  Defunct
Sport:  Volleyball
City:  Denver
Venue:   Denver Auditorium Arena
Seasons:  4 - 1977 to 1980
League:  International Volleyball Association
Owners:  Robert and David Casey (1977 to 1979)
  Bill Johnson (1980)
Head Coach:  Jon Stanley 

A Brief History

The International Volleyball Assocation began in 1975 hoping to capitalize on the sport's popularity during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The IVA was a co-ed league, with rules that stated at least one woman must be on the floor for each team at all times. Players did not rotate positions during the matches. The Denver Comets were a 1977 expansion team. The Comets were a success on court and in the stands. The Comets management was another story. After their July 14th, 1979 game vs the Albuquerque Lasers, warrants were served on Robert and David Casey, the ticket director, and the concessions manager for a multi-million dollar international cocaine and marijuana trafficking ring run by the Caseys. The Comets returned in 1980 with a new owner, but the league was close to folding. The IVA was dealt a lethal blow by U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s decision to boycott the 1980 Moscow summer Olympics, denying the sport a major platform of exposure that IVA proponents had been counting on for years, forcing the IVA to fold during the season.

Season Won Lost Finish
1977   22 14 1st in Continental; lost in playoffs
1978   14 22 3rd in Continental
1979   29 11 1st in Continental; lost in playoffs
1980   ??   ?? League folds during season

International Volleyball Association logo

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Nathan@ColoradoProTeams.com