Check out the event web site for more information and to see the eight matchups that will take place over the four days of 2025 First Serve to open the season.
Congratulations to LOVB Austin for winning the inaugural LOVB Finals!The 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 victory on Sunday saw fifth-seeded Austin wrap up the exciting tournament that included a reverse-sweep victory over fourth-seeded LOVB Salt Lake, and the upset of the season – knocking out top-seeded LOVB Atlanta.
Championships
Check out the 2025 NCAA DIII Men’s Volleyball Championship bracket! The tournament consists of 14 automatic qualifiers through conference play and five at-large bids. The action starts on April 17 with the play-in rounds and runs through April 27 with the championship at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. All matches will be broadcast live on NCAA.com.
The 2025 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship brings the heat with a high-stakes, single-elimination showdown featuring sixteen elite teams. Don’t miss your chance to witness the action May 2-4 in Gulf Shores, AL – get your tickets today!
The NAIA has announced the 2025 NAIA Women’s Beach Volleyball Invitational qualifiers. The eight teams will Battle for the Red Banner in Greeneville, Tennessee April 24-26. The tournament will begin with play with pool play rounds on day one.
The NAIA has extended its agreement with Cedar Rapids Tourism and Mount Mercy University (Iowa), naming them hosts of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship through 2026. The championship gathers 12 teams to compete in a five-day tournament. The 2025 event will take place April 29 – May 3 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.
Around the Court
Spartanburg Methodist College is proud to announce the addition of men’s volleyball as an intercollegiate sport, beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. SMC will compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, joining 13 other Pioneer programs.
Lexi Rodriguez Wins Prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award. The four-year Nebraska libero is only the third volleyball player [2016 Lauren Carlini, 2018 Kathryn Plummer] to win the award for the most exceptional athlete at the collegiate, Olympic, or other similarly elite level in the United States.
LA 2028 Olympic organizers announce updated venue plans, including: Alamitos Beach in Long Beach is set to host beach volleyball after talks between LA28 and Santa Monica ended. Anaheim will host indoor volleyball competition, and Paralympic venues have yet to be announced. Opening ceremonies are set for July 14, 2028.
The home of Nebraska Volleyball will now officially bear the name of one of the legendary coaches in the history of the sport, as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Friday approved the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Cook retired in January following a 25-year run as the Huskers’ head coach, with four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinal appearances and 14 conference championships.
NCAA Settlement News:
Yahoo Sports:College football transfer portal, House settlement and more: With NCAA sports on brink of massive change, here’s how it all fits together
AP: Roster limit changes not offered in latest filing on NCAA lawsuit settlement
New York Times: New filings in House v. NCAA maintain roster limits as settlement awaits final approval
Sportico: House v. NCAA Settlement Lawyers Stand Firm on Roster Limits
HBCU Gameday: HBCUs to be tested in vulnerable area by NCAA House Settlement
Online nominations accepted April 21 through April 28 at 2pm ET.
STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to only nominate athletes from 1’s or 2’s pairs. The committee will only consider 2’s or lower if your 1’s players are selected as All-Americans.
A specific pair of athletes must play at least 15 matches at the same flight, and win at least 75% of their matches at the specific flight. Nomination Deadlines:
NCAA Division III & II – Monday, April 14
NAIA & NJCAA/Two-Year College – Monday, April 21
NCAA Division I – Monday, April 28
Nominations for the 2025 AVCA Hall of Fame are now being accepted. Please help in determining who will be the next group of volleyball coaches and administrators to be inducted at the 2025 AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Nominations are due by Friday, May 30.
Save the Date: AVCA Team Academic Award nominations open May 29, 2025!Get ready – FAQs here.
Submissions now accepted for the 2025 AVCA Victory Club! Celebrate your milestone career wins – High School and Collegiate (indoor and beach) AVCA member head coaches are eligible for recognition at the 2025 AVCA Convention.
AVCA Events
The seventh edition of the AVCA Small College Beach Championshipsis April 17–19 in Gulf Shores, AL, bringing together top beach teams from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. 33 teams will compete in 455 total matches, making the 2025 championships the largest collegiate beach volleyball event in the United States. Team champions will be crowned in each of the three divisions, and there also is a Pairs Challenge event for participating teams. Follow the results as the Championships progress at VolleyballLife.
AVCA Coach of the Year Super Clinic: July 25-30
Register today for the 2025 Coach of the Year Virtual Super Clinic, powered by Coaches Insider. This coaching education experience is designed to add value and help prepare you for the upcoming season. It will feature current and past coaches of the year and volleyball practitioners from our community.Learn more.
2025 AVCA Match Point Mentoring Program Designed for volleyball coaches at all levels of expertise, our program centers on creating mentoring trios where these coaches serve as both mentors and mentees to create a collaborative learning experience. Applications due May 9.
Submit a proposal to be considered as a speaker for on-court, beach court or classroom presentations at the AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, December 17-21, 2025. Applications due May 7.
Upcoming Webinars – free for AVCA members who register in advance!
Prospective student athletes, parents, and club/high school coaches: don’t miss the AVCA-USAV Regions Men’s College Coaches Recruiting Panel, LIVE on Zoom! Head college volleyball coaches from all divisions will answer Q&A about recruiting and scholarship opportunities in their division.
Partner Highlights
Align Volleyball Summit Almost Sold Out Align ’25 is the premier educational summit designed specifically for junior volleyball club leaders! USA Volleyball, AAU Volleyball and JVA are coming together May 13-14 at the InterContinental Downtown Chicago! Align your vision, strategy, and leadership with the future of junior volleyball! Register today.
Take your beach program to the next level with the Beach Club Management Guide
In partnership with the Art of Coaching Volleyball, the Beach Club Management Guide Volume 1 is a comprehensive resource for club owners, directors and coaches currently operating or planning to run a junior beach volleyball program. Learn more.
Changing Up Your Favorite Drills with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
Serving Breakout Sessions with Kaylee Prigge – Univ. of Wyoming
Rock, Paper, Scissors Drill with Felipe Coronel – Houston Juniors and Lauren Carlini – USA National Team
Volleyball Media
The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN) profiled a hometown star:Emily Ehman, a standout voice in women’s professional volleyball broadcasting and Big Ten Network analyst. She shared her volleyball media career journey including studying and competing at Northwestern University, to creating her own web show that highlighted Big Ten volleyball players and coaches.
This week’s episode features U.S. Women’s National Team Coach Erik Sullivan.Last week, the MasterCoaches interviewed John Foreman, Strategic Manager for Talent and Indoor Performance with Volleyball England.Next week: Annemarie Hickey will discuss statistics around the women’s pro volleyball scene. Watch live on Wednesdays at 2pm ET!
Coaching Careers
NCAA Division I
App State announces Chad Sutton as Head Volleyball Coach.
NCAA Division II
Lake Superior State University Athletics has selected Eric Snyder to be the next head coach of the Laker volleyball program.
NCAA Division III
Alexis Emanuelnamed women’s volleyball head coach at UDallas.
