ITS launches volleyball housing and event tech platform with SportWrench partnership

ITS has launched a volleyball-focused housing and event technology platform for tournament operators, clubs, athletes and families, starting with 35 tournaments across two major U.S. regions. The founders also joined OTTO SPORT AI as strategic advisors to shape future tools for tournament operations, club management and recruiting.

Why it matters: - Volleyball tournament housing is one of the sport’s most complicated operational problems, especially for large events that must coordinate lodging and registration at scale. - ITS is designed to combine event management and hotel reservations in one workflow, which could reduce friction for directors, clubs, athletes and families. - The launch starts with 35 premier tournaments, signaling early adoption across a meaningful share of the volleyball event market.

What happened: - Veteran volleyball event operators Kathy Lietzke, Ted Wade, Ryan Bozell and Scott McQueen, along with AES founder Brad Preston, launched ITS, a volleyball housing and event technology platform. - The platform is built to simplify tournament operations by integrating tournament management with hotel reservations. - The rollout begins with 35 tournaments, primarily in the Hoosier and Lone Star USA Volleyball Regions. - The initial list includes nationally recognized events such as the Mideast Qualifier and Lone Star Classic. - The founders also partnered with SportWrench by OTTO SPORT AI. - Lietzke, Wade, Bozell, McQueen and Preston are joining OTTO SPORT AI as strategic advisors.

The details: - ITS is designed specifically for volleyball tournaments rather than as a general event platform. - The company says the launch represents one of the largest initial deployments of an integrated housing and event technology platform in volleyball. - Kathy Lietzke said ITS continues a legacy of innovation in the sport while focusing on the experience of tournament directors, clubs, athletes and families. - OTTO SPORT AI said the advisory group will help guide its technology roadmap across tournament operations, club management, recruiting and AI-powered products. - Eugene Tichenor, head of SportWrench at OTTO SPORT AI, said the company wants to build technology alongside the people who use it every day. - OTTO SPORT AI’s volleyball portfolio includes SportWrench, University Athlete and OTTO SPORT Club.

Between the lines: - The launch pairs a niche operational product with an established sports technology company, suggesting a push to make volleyball infrastructure more integrated and harder to replace. - The advisory role gives OTTO SPORT AI direct access to experienced operators who understand the pain points of tournament logistics. - The focus on AI-powered solutions suggests the companies are positioning for broader automation beyond housing and event coordination.

What's next: - ITS will expand through the 35-event initial deployment and test how well the platform performs across major tournament markets. - The strategic advisors will help shape future OTTO SPORT AI products across volleyball operations, club tools and recruiting. - More integrated volleyball technology products are likely as OTTO SPORT AI builds on the advisory partnership.

The bottom line: - ITS is entering volleyball with a focused housing-and-operations product and an immediate footprint in major tournaments, while OTTO SPORT AI gains experienced advisors to steer its next phase of product development. - More information is available on ITS and OTTO SPORT AI.