The AVCA is bringing 36 student-athletes to its 2025 Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, to serve as demonstrators for on-court educational sessions during the event.

Now in its fifth year, the successful scholarship program has included more than 135 players. In addition to responsibilities during on-court sessions, the players will be able to attend other educational seminars—many of which focus on professional and personal development for coaches—and learn more about the profession by networking with the hundreds of coaches attending the Convention. One of the factors in the selection of the demonstrators was their interest in pursuing a coaching career.

The 2025 demonstrators are a diverse group that includes 31 indoor players and five beach players. They come from many levels of collegiate competition, as there are 16 Division I players, 11 Division II players eight Division III players, and one NAIA player. The demonstrators play for 31 different schools and represent a good mix of positions and classes.

The Demonstrator Scholarship program is a byproduct of the NIL landscape. Until 2021, it would not have been possible to pay to bring student-athletes to the event, but now the rules allow the AVCA to offer scholarships that cover event registration and hotel costs so the 36 players can attend the AVCA Convention.

This year’s AVCA Convention, to be held in Kansas City Dec. 17-21, will feature over 125 educational sessions with thousands of volleyball coaches expected to be in attendance.