International Volleyball Association (1979-1980)
Tombstone
Born: November 1978 – IVA expansion franchise
Folded: July 14, 19801Johnson, Ed. “Lasers Succumb, IVA Is Also Dead”. The Journal (Albuquerque, NM). July 15, 1980
First Game: May 18, 1979 (L 12-2, L 12-8, L 12-7 vs. Denver Comets)
Last Game: July 11, 1980 (L 12-7, L 13-11, W 12-9, W 12-10, L 6-3 vs. Denver Comets)
IVA Championships: None
Arena
Albuquerque Civic Auditorium
Opened: 1957
Demolished: 1986
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: Ed Elliott, et al.
Attendance
This is an incomplete report on Albuquerque Lasers attendance for the 1979 and 1980 seasons. We have not found any source for IVA league league-wide attendance figures during these years. The 1980 Lasers attendance in the chart below is missing one game as well, the team’s 5/31/1980 home opener.
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Sources:
- Scherr, Paul. “Lasers: What Did Happen?” The Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, NM). August 18, 1979 (1979 Lasers figure)
- Reconstructed from 1980 Albuquerque Tribune game stories (1980 Lasers figure)
Background
The Albuquerque Lasers were a co-ed volleyball team that played parts of two seasons in the International Volleyball Association (1975-1980) during the summers of 1979 and 1980. The club began life as an IVA expansion franchise in May 1979.
NBA Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain played in three matches for the Lasers in 1979. Chamberlain was involved with the league since its inception in 1975. He served as Commissioner during the late 1970’s and also made cameo appearances for various clubs between 1975 and 1979. The Lasers were the last club he suited up to play for.
Chamberlain’s only apperance in Albuquerque was at the Lasers’ debut home on May 18, 1979. A modest crowd of 2,726 showed up at the Civic Auditorium for the opener against the Denver Comets. That first match was … weird. IVA rules required two women to be on the floor at all times. Dawn Spurlock hurt her ankle early in the first game and the Lasers were caught without a female bench player. Albuquerque played the rest of the first game with only five players on the floor. For the second game, a beach volleyball player traveling in Wilt Chamberlain’s entourage named Jean Brunicardi came out of the stands to replace Spurlock. For game three, a University of New Mexico player named Billie Colborne, watching the game from the stands, volunteered to play for the home team. Colborne ended up playing for Albuquerque throughout the 1979 season.
The Lasers finished the 1979 season with a 9-31 record. The team averaged only 1,120 fans per match at the Civic Auditorium.
The End
The Lasers returned for the 1980 season, but spent most of the season searching for new investors. The club missed payrolls and ran out of money early in the season. The Lasers’ troubles were far from unique. The IVA lost multiple clubs in midseason and folded in July 1980 midway through the league’s sixth season.
The Lasers had a 9-11 record at the time the IVA collapsed in 1980, giving the club a two-year total record of 18 wins and 42 losses.
In Memoriam
Occasional Laser Wilt Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999 at age 63. New York Times obituary.
Downloads
1980 Albuquerque Lasers Results & Attendance
1980 Albuquerque Lasers Results & Attendance
Links
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One Response
I was involved with the Lasers as they used Sandia Prep for their practice facility and I also refereed in 1980 before the league folded. I do have a program from 1979. Also, former UNM Head Volleyball coach, Laurel Brassey (Kessell) played, I think, for Salt Lake.