November 15, 2023

The American Volleyball Coaches Association has established Volleyball 4 All as the collective philanthropic fund to support the association’s scholarships, social programs, and grassroot initiatives. Read the press release. The association’s current scholarship programs (Diversity Awards, Coaches 4 Coaches, and Student-Athlete Demonstrator) which bring recipients to the AVCA Convention, will now fall under the Volleyball 4 All umbrella. Additional programs and collaborations with other organizations to provide skill instruction to athletes, education to coaches, and accessibility to those in low-resource communities will be expanded and introduced in the new year. Those interested in donating to the Volleyball 4 All Fund should reach out to Kathy DeBoer.

The AVCA is partnering with Rivals Media to begin a bold, new fan engagement program. The initiative taps into the passion and loyalty of volleyball community, as well as reaching a wide audience of supporters through Rivals’ mobile platform. Fans can participate for free in the sweepstakes by predicting outcomes of matches during the 2023 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. When fans register, they have the option to make a tax-deductible donation to AVCA Volleyball 4 All fund, which supports the association’s scholarships, social programs, and grassroot initiatives.

After spending 17 years as the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s executive director, Kathy DeBoer will join the association’s Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place Thursday, Dec. 14, at the AVCA/USMC Honors Banquet during the 2023 AVCA Convention in Tampa, Florida. Her storied career in collegiate athletics started during her undergraduate days at Michigan State, where she was a volleyball and basketball player. After graduation, she was a highly successful volleyball coach at Ferris State (1980–83) and Kentucky (1984–92), before moving into athletics administration for nine years with the Wildcats. She took over as the executive director of the AVCA in 2006 a position she held until she retired this June. Across the years, DeBoer has been a leading voice for the sport who has worked tirelessly to create more opportunities for players and coaches. A couple of the major highlights were seeing volleyball experience unprecedented growth across all levels and working to help women’s beach volleyball become an NCAA championship sport. Click here to see the full list of AVCA Hall of Fame members.

Register today: 2023 AVCA Convention in Tampa, Florida!

Recruit & Learn All in one Experience
The AVCA Convention is a one-stop shop for taking your program to the next level. In one 4-day trip you can learn new training concepts for your current athletes and recruit for your future! Check out all the recruiting opportunities:

College Coaches: RSVP for the 2023 AVCA Phenom College Prep Program Showcase! The Showcase will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16 in the Tampa Convention Center West Hall. The Showcase is only open to current collegiate coaches who are registered for Convention. New this year, we are partnering with University Athlete: player contact information, wave assignments, avcaVPI™ and physical metrics data, TAP Behavioral Assessment results, etc. will be all available on the University Athlete platform.

The NCAA DIII tournament bracket is out – take a look here! 

Check out the field for the 2023 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship! The tournament begins this Saturday with 24 opening-round matches. Winning teams head to Sioux City for pool play and knockout rounds from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5.

For the first time ever, the NCAA DI Women’s Volleyball Selection Show will be broadcast on ESPN! Make sure to watch on Sunday, November 26 at 6 PM ET.

AVCA Announces 2023 Board of Directors Election Results
Shelby Forchtner of New Mexico Military Institute starts her first full term as the Two-Year College Board Representative. Erica Rau of Oberlin College was re-elected for a second three-year term as NCAA Division III Women’s Representative. The AVCA Board includes elected representatives, appointed voting members for Diversity Development and Legislation, and non-voting members for Education and Awards. Read the full press release.

AVCA Award Certificate Database

Download athlete and coach award certificates here! Categories include: All-America, All-Region, USMC/AVCA Team Academic, Best and Brightest, and Player of the Week.

Women’s Division II All-Region/All-America: Nominations now open!

Athlete and Region Coach of the Year nominations are due November 19. Head Coaches vote for All-Region Teams Monday, November 20 through Wednesday, November 22. Contact Alice Rogers with questions.

The AVCA is proud to announce its 2023 Division III Women’s Volleyball All-Region teams and award winners!

Division III All-Americans will be announced November 28, and the Division III National Coach, Assistant Coach, and Player of the Year will be announced November 29.

New AVCA Logo

In case you missed it: the American Volleyball Coaches Association unveiled its new logo and marks, providing a fresh look for the 42-year-old organization. You can download  the new logo in the AVCA Brand Kit.

Congrats to Dallas College Eastfield (35-0), which claimed the NJCAA Division III national championship this weekend! Coach Phil Nickel’s team beat Century in the final 25-19, 25-11, 25-22 to earn the school’s second NJCAA D3 VB title.

Two New Division I Men’s Volleyball Programs Announced:

Northern Kentucky University will be expanding its sports offerings with six new programs including men’s volleyball, which will compete in 2025-26. NKU becomes the fifth Division I school since 2018 to add a men’s team.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore announced the addition of men’s volleyball, to compete starting in 2025-2026 in the NEC (Northeast Conference). UMES becomes the first NCAA Div. I HBCU to add men’s volleyball and the 68th school to sponsor the fast-growing sport at the NCAA DI-II level.

The First Point Volleyball Foundation partnered with both programs to provide grants for scholarship support, facility improvements and other services to volleyball athletes.

Two Conferences to Add Beach Volleyball:

The Big 12 will add beach volleyball and women’s lacrosse starting in 2024-25. With the addition of four new member institutions, the Big 12 lineup in beach volleyball will include Arizona, Arizona State, TCU and Utah. More here.

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) has announced the addition of beach volleyball to its list of sponsored sports beginning with the 2025 season. The inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament is scheduled for April 2025. Read more.

The new USMC/AVCA Battles Won Award recognizes players and coaches who are overcoming obstacles. The AVCA is presenting the stories of 12 individuals — this week we feature Steve Grotowski and Jenna Schulte — who have faced hardships and come back strong. At the AVCA Convention in Tampa this December, one player and one coach will be presented with the 2023 USMC/AVCA Battles Won Award.

Did your team set an attendance record? Share with the AVCA!

The AVCA is seeking to promote schools breaking program, conference, or overall attendance records during the 2023 season! We will share social media posts and are creating a special page on our website listing attendance records. Email Pat Henderson or tag AVCA on social media!

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. Free for AVCA members who register in advance!

Boys Virtual Clinic

A new, on-court virtual clinic tailored to the boys high school and club game.
Saturday, January 6, 2024 from 9:00am – 4:00pm PST. Watch live or on demand! Get 20% off with promo code JVABOYS20. Register here.

Funding a Scholarship Program for your Volleyball Club
No club director intends for the cost of their travel program to prohibit the opportunity for a player to join their club. Therefore, as the fees for club volleyball increase, there is an intensifying need for clubs to have scholarship programs that allow athletes of all socioeconomic classes to participate. Here are some steps your club can take to fund a scholarship program.

Pro Volleyball Federation has announced the nickname and branding for its West Coast team –  the San Diego Mojo. The announcement was made by team owner and United States volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings, along with General Manager Jeremy Waller, Head Coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park and multiple players. PVF will begin play in January 2024.

AVP Announces Professional Beach Volleyball League
Beginning in September 2024, shortly after the 2024 Summer Olympics, the AVP League will launch with eight founding teams playing head-to-head in a regular season spanning September through November. Prior to the inaugural 2024 season, there will be a player draft in Manhattan Beach. Full press release here.

The AVCA Boys Talent Showcase is a recruiting event designed to provide high school boys the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the collegiate coaches that attend the AVCA Convention in Tampa, Florida. The cost $99 per athlete. Athletes that choose to register will participate in the talent showcase on Saturday, December 16, complete athletics metric testing, and receive insight into the collegiate recruiting process and tips to improve their visibility. Learn more and register here!

The MasterCoaches College Transfer Showcase is a recruiting event open to uncommitted college student-athletes who have officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, junior college transfers who have completed their two years of eligibility, as well as NAIA and international athletes. Any coach registered for the AVCA Convention can attend for no extra charge – register here. Athletes interested in participating can register here. There will be one wave of student-athletes participating on Dec. 16. Click here for more information, and here for an informational flyer.

AVCA/GameChanger National Players of the Week

• Division I Women
• Division II Women
• Division III Women

MaxPreps/AVCA High School Player of the Week

• Nov. 13
• Nov. 6

The polls below are conducted by our collegiate partners, and not managed by AVCA.

NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches Top 25

• Final – Nov. 8
• 2023 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Players of the Week

For the first time in association history, the AVCA has over 9,000 members!

Want to join this growing community? Learn more here! 

Big Ten Network and ESPN analyst Emily Ehman and VolleyballMag.com editor Lee Feinswog go it alone this week, regaling you with their usual travel stories — Lee has a doozy — and a breakdown of all things NCAA Division I women’s volleyball as the season heads into the home stretch. Watch here.

Six Rotations: Nebraska & Stanford then Everyone Else? Penn State’s Big Upset

Daniel and Mick have some BIG news to share about this upcoming weekend, and then they break down the newest AVCA Taraflex Top 25 Coaches Poll, with another weekend filled with wall-to-wall upsets. Watch here.

MasterCoaches Wednesday Weekly Buzz: This week’s show is “All About the PVF Draft.” We will be interviewing Jen Spicher from The Pro Volleyball Federation. Jen is the CEO and will be outlining the PVF’s Draft – when, where, who will be involved. It will be a major event that you are going to want to get some of the inside information. . Watch live on Facebook Nov. 15 at 2 ET, or check out past episodes at volleyballmastercoaches.com!

Volleyball Coaches Insider – latest educational content includes:

• Serving Stats That Matter the Most with Emily Kohan – Colorado State

• Bucket Passing Drill with Jen DeJarld – Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School (IL)

• Step Close Drill with Dan Fisher – Univ. of Pittsburgh

• Click here for more Volleyball articles and videos!

Need information for your contract negotiation or job hunt? Click here for the latest AVCA Salary Survey and AVCA Career Center resources.

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. Recent posts include:

• Head Coaches & Assistant Coaches – Pro Volleyball Federation (Multiple Locations)
• Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach – University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX)
• Head Women’s Volleyball Coach – Knox College (Galesburg, IL)
• Academic Counselor for Football & Volleyball – Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)

Cairn University Athletics is excited to announce that Shea Scott has been named Head Coach of the Cairn Men’s Volleyball team.

Chris Seiffert named Interim Head Coach for Concordia Irvine Men’s Volleyball.