August 16, 2023

REGISTER TODAY – 2023 AVCA Convention in Tampa, Florida!

AVCA Convention registration for our event in TAMPA, December 13-17, is now open! Sign up by 9/15 to save $100, plus get early access to discounted hotel rooms and NCAA match tickets.

The AVCA is now accepting applications and contributions for the 2023 AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship program! Coaches 4 Coaches provides scholarships, through contributions from AVCA members, to young coaches and recent college graduates who are interested in pursuing a career in volleyball coaching & attending their first AVCA Convention. Scholarships will cover convention registration and hotel for the 2023 AVCA Annual Convention in TAMPA, December 13-17. Applications are due by 5:00 pm ET on Monday, October 2. Not eligible? Consider donating to helping another coach get started.

AVCA.org Has a Brand New Look!

The AVCA is excited to officially launch our new website. Over the last year AVCA has completely revamped the look, feel and functionality of avca.org. We put a focus on showcasing the excitement of our sport and breadth of our community with most photos used on the site being submitted by members. Check out the NEW avca.org:

Groups pages with resources, news, events and awards curated for your needs.
Interactive poll dashboard where all poll information can be accessed from one place. Plus AVCA poll archives dating back to 1982!
Filterable awards directory where you can find awards accepting nominations that you or your athletes are eligible for. You can also explore past awards recipients.
An ever-expanding resource library featuring a collection of seminars, webinars, drills and more (created by coaches for coaches) that curates and filters content.
Access to the latest news across the sport of volleyball from all disciplines.
A sortable event calendar so you never miss an opportunity to watch volleyball, or participate in educational & networking opportunities
AND SO MUCH MORE!

For the latest updates, follow AVCA on social media via the links below. Plus, check out our new TikTok account!

AVCA/Taraflex Division II Pre-Season Poll: August 22
AVCA/Taraflex Division III Pre-Season Poll: August 23
AVCA/USA Today Girls High School Super 25 Pre-Season: August 23

Six Rotations – DI Pre-Season Poll Reveal

Who will be the preseason favorite to take home the trophy in December in Tampa? Daniel Gillman and Mick Haley break down the newly announced AVCA Taraflex Preseason Top 25: watch here. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes!

NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches Top 25

Preseason Rating, August 16

NJCAA Volleyball Rankings

Division I: Preseason, August 14
Division II: Preseason, August 14
Division III: Preseason, August 14

*Collegiate Partner polls are conducted by their respective organizations, not managed by AVCA.

ESPN Reveals Most Expansive NCAA Women’s Volleyball Programming Lineup on Record

More than 2,500 women’s volleyball matches are set for ESPN platforms this fall – the most in ESPN history. Games are slated for ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and Longhorn Network, with thousands more hours streaming live on ESPN+. In September alone, more than 945 college volleyball matches will be exclusively carried on the platform.

The 2023 season will conclude with the 2023 NCAA Tournament Presented by Capital One, with action shown in its entirety across ESPN platforms. The national semifinals are set for Thursday, Dec. 14 on ESPN, with the first semifinal airing at 7 p.m. and the second semifinal airing 30 minutes after the completion of the first. The national championship will be broadcast live on ABC for the first time, with the last two teams standing facing off on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Much more here.

NCAA Championship Bid Process Changes

The NCAA Championship bid process has been adjusted from a four-year process to a two-year process, with hosts and sites being awarded for approximately 88 of the 90 NCAA championships for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. Additionally, the opening of the bid portal and publication of bid specifications have been rescheduled for Sept. 6. None of the other key dates have been adjusted. The timeline for the bid process is as follows:

Aug. 29, 2023: Host symposium at the NCAA national office.
Sept. 6, 2023: Bid specifications published; bid portal opens.
Feb. 7, 2024: Bid responses due.
March-September 2024: Committee deliberations, recommendations and approvals.
Oct. 2, 2024: Hosts/sites announced.

NCAA DII, DIII Celebrate 50th Anniversary

NCAA Division II and Division III have kicked off a campaign to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The divisions were was founded Aug. 6, 1973, when NCAA members voted to reorganize into three divisions at a Special Convention. The celebration will last through the 2023-24 academic year. Schools and conferences are encouraged to participate in the celebration and create plans to honor their division history.

Supporting Maui Wildfire Victims

University of Hawai’i Women’s Volleyball and UH Athletics shared resources to support those affected by the wildfires on Maui:

Register for the 2023 USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge

September 15-17, Owings Mills, MD at Stevenson University
Cost: $200 + fees per team & 1 coach
The Beach Collegiate Challenge will provide student-athletes the opportunity to be scouted for future Beach National Team Development Programs. In addition, participating athletes will earn both USAV and AVP points.
The competition will consist of a 32-team main draw. (8 pools of 4 pairs.) Top three pairs from each pool will reach knock-out round. Each pair is guaranteed at least three matches.
Click here for eligibility requirements and to register.

What Does Conference Realignment Mean for NCAA Beach Volleyball?

Larry Hamel, for Volleyballmag.com, examines how recent conference realignments may affect Beach volleyball: “The top teams all pretty much play each other in multi-squad weekend competitions, so realignment likely will have little effect on scheduling. Programs are limited to 16 competitive events during the regular season, which many collegiate coaches contend is not enough, and teams typically will play around 30-32 duals. In the short term, the 2024 beach season should be business as usual, since the Pac-12 exodus won’t hit until the 2024-25 sports year that begins in the fall.” Much more here.

Lynchburg to Add Men’s Volleyball

University of Lynchburg will add men’s volleyball in the 2024-25 academic year. The team begins practices November 2024 and will play its inaugural regular-season schedule in January 2025. The Hornets will be the seventh ODAC school to sponsor men’s volleyball. The ODAC intends to sponsor the sport in 2024-25 complete with a conference championship. Lynchburg embarks on its search for a head coach immediately. Read more.

Wheaton College to Add Men’s Volleyball

The Lyons’ men’s volleyball team is slated to begin competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Wheaton will be the fourth member of the New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference to sponsor men’s volleyball. The College will conduct a nationwide search to hire a Head Coach in early 2024. Read more.

2023 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship – Coming to West Virginia!

2023 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship presented by USA Volleyball is coming to Charleston, West Virginia on Sept. 5-10, 2023. Teams competing at the Continental Championship will receive points toward their world rankings, which will help determine who qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets here.

On-Demand Access: 2023 AVCA Coach of the Year Super Clinic

Missed the Coach of the Year Super Clinic? Access to watch all sessions on-demand is available for purchase! Check out the on-court virtual sessions created by current and past AVCA Coach of the Year award winners, plus all attendees receive access to Volleyball Coaches Insider +Plus, which is the home of 2021 and 2022 AVCA Super Clinics and other great full-length clinic sessions. Want a preview? Check out this clip: Hourglass Ball Control Drill with Jenny Glenn – Metropolitan State Univ. of Denver

Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a sports development model that focuses on the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of athletes over a prolonged period of time. The goal of LTAD is to promote lifelong physical activity and athletic performance while reducing the risk of injury and burnout. Register here! Presenter: Mario Raden, Coastal VA Volleyball/Tidewater Volleyball Association Strength & Conditioning Coach

Nomination due August 25: AVCA All-America and Phenom Watchlists

The AVCA Phenom Watch List is for the top underclassmen high school athletes who have received some recognition for their outstanding volleyball play. All uncommitted athletes on the Phenom Watch List will be invited to participate in the AVCA Phenom College Prep Program, which will take place December 14-16, 2023, in Tampa, FL.
The AVCA High School All-America Watch List is for the top Seniors who have received some recognition for their outstanding volleyball play. These athletes must have earned some form of recognition such as, but not limited to: All-District, All-Region, All-State, PrepVolleyball Ranking List, USAV HP Volleyball Team, etc. Learn more here.

Prevent AVCA newsletters, awards information, educational offerings and other updates from going to your spam folder: Fill out this form and designate mailer@infusionmail.com as a safe sender to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your membership!

JOIN THE JVA EXPERIENCE! 7 Girls Events and 3 Boys Events Are Coming to You in the 2023-2024 season!

High level competition for girls and boys 11U-18U
Any team can participate in a JVA Girls Event and will be insured
Partnership with AAU for all Boys Events
Discount on team entry fees for all JVA Member Clubs
No Stay to Play Policy
Special offers and contests for players, coaches and families
The best mascot in all the land…. JINX! …. AND MORE!

Learn more and register here.

We had a mission when we developed the MasterCoaches Wednesday Weekly BUZZ… to provide our viewers a chance to hear from our leaders in our sport who would come on our show to answer questions that address current issues and trends in volleyball. Check out the latest MasterCoaches content on Facebook or volleyballmastercoaches.com. Catch our next live show on August 26, just at the start of the Women’s NCAA season!

Volleyball Coaches Insider – latest educational content includes:

Chip-Chip-Bounce-Bounce Competitive 6-on-6 Drill with Jacob Thompson – Rouse High School (TX)
Reading Serves Early with Hugh McCutcheon – (Retired) Univ. of Minnesota
Team Defensive Scouting with Alyssa D’Errico – Univ. of Utah
Click here for more Volleyball articles and videos!

Murray State volleyball head coach David Schwepker has received a new contract extension that will see him at the helm of the program through the 2024 season. Schwepker enters his 25th season as head coach of the Racers in 2023. He is the winningest coach in program history and the top coach in longevity in program history, boasting a 384-331 overall record.

Need information for your own contract negotiation or job hunt? Click here for the latest AVCA Salary Survey and AVCA Career Center resources. (2023 salary surveys will be conducted this summer.)

AVCA Career Center: Find Your Next Job or Hire a Coach

The online AVCA Career Center allows job posters to advertise a job opening, search resumes, manage candidates, and market open positions. Job seekers have the opportunity to post a resume, search for open positions, create job alert notifications, and access free career management resources. Click here to get started! Recent job listings include:

Head Girls Volleyball Coach – Rankin High School (Rankin, TX)
Women’s Volleyball, Assistant Coach, Part-time Adjunct Pool – IWV Kern Community College District (Ridgecrest, CA)
Women’s Volleyball, Head Coach, Part-time Adjunct Pool – IWV Kern Community College District (Ridgecrest, CA)
Volleyball Instructor – The University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)

Contact Alice Rogers to report a coaching transaction for publication in At the Net.

Cooper Martin announced as Head Beach Volleyball Coach/Assistant Volleyball Coach at Southwest Baptist University.

Lauren Havill Tabbed Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Lees-McRae.

Elizabeth City State University is excited to announce the addition of Jeannette Downer, Head Volleyball Coach.

Olivet Nazarene University announced the hiring of Aleksander Malinic as the interim head men’s volleyball coach.

Ryan Thompson, who has spent the last two years as an assistant coach for Missouri S&T’s volleyball programs, has been elevated to the head coaching position for the Miner men’s volleyball program.