More VBR Articles
- Attacking the Process
- Contacting College Coaches
- Do I Need a Highlight Reel?
- Facts about Scholarships
- Fall Recruiting Initiatives
- Follow Up Message Before Tournament
- Go On A Campus Visit
- Guide to Video Volleyball
- How Often To Contact Coaches
- How to Pick Highlight Clips
- How To Shoot A Skills Video
- Identifying the Right School
- Importance of Game Video
- Improve Recruiting Profile
- Introduction Letter
- My Club Coach Will Get Me Recruited
- Part 1: Parent's Role
- Part 2: Player's Role
- Part 4: College Coach's Role
- Part 3: Club Coach's Role
- Preparing For A Phone Call
- Presenting Youself To Coaches
- Should I Play Club Volleyball?
- Tips for Club Tryouts
- Tips for Success at Tournaments
- Unofficial vs. Official Visit
- Video Equipment Guide
- Video Tutorials
Facts about Scholarships for Women's and Men's Volleyball
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
NCAA PROGRAMS (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
Division I – There are 329 NCAA Division I schools sponsoring women's volleyball. Up to 12 full ride scholarships are available per team. Division I women’s volleyball is considered a "head count" sport, meaning that the scholarships must be awarded in full to one athlete or not at all.
Division II – There are 286 NCAA Division II schools sponsoring women's volleyball in 2010-2011. Up to 8 full ride scholarships are available per team. Division II women’s volleyball is considered an "equivalency sport", meaning the scholarships can be broken down and distributed among the team per the coach’s discretion.
Division III – There are 437 NCAA Division III school’s sponsoring women’s volleyball for the 2010-11 academic year. There are no athletic scholarships awarded at the Division III level. However, athletes can receive academic or need based scholarships.
NAIA PROGRAMS (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
There are 244 NAIA schools sponsoring women's volleyball in 2010-2011. Up to 8 full ride scholarships are available per team. There are no division separations between NAIA schools.
NJCAA PROGRAMS: (National Junior College Athletic Association)
Division I - There are 97 schools sponsoring women's volleyball. Up to 14 full ride scholarships are available per team. Scholarships at the NJCAA Division I level can cover everything including tuition, fees, room, board and books.
Division II - There are 124 schools sponsoring women's volleyball. Like NJCAA Division I, up to 14 scholarships are available per team. Unlike NJCAA Division I, scholarships at the NJCAA Division II level can cover only tuition, fees and books. Room and board is not covered under the scholarship.
Division III – There are 84 schools sponsoring women's volleyball. There are no athletic scholarships awarded at the NJCAA Division III level. However, athletes can receive academic or need based scholarships. Separate from the above junior college numbers for women are the CCAAA (California Community Colleges) and NWAAC (Northwest Community Colleges), many of which have volleyball programs.
NCVF (National Collegiate Volleyball Federation)
There is a very large club volleyball scene with over 150 women’s volleyball programs. No athletic scholarships are offered, but players are still eligible for need-based or academic scholarships, and have the opportunity to play competitive volleyball in college and represent your school. To learn more, visit: http://ncvfvolleyball.org/default.aspx
NIRSA – The National Intramural and Recreational Sports
NIRSA also has a program and national championships for women’s school club teams. See www.nirsa.org for more information and to see if your school has a club program.
MEN'S VOLLEYBVALL
NCAA PROGRAMS (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
Division I – There are 23 schools sponsoring men’s volleyball. Up to 4.5 scholarships are available per team. Coaches can divvy up these scholarships among the team per the coaches discretion. It is important to understand that not every program is "fully funded," which means they may not be able to offer the maximum 4.5 scholarships.
Division II – There are 16 schools sponsoring men’s volleyball. Just like NCAA Division I, there are up to 4.5 scholarships are available per team. Coaches can split up these scholarships among the team per the coach’s discretion. It is important to understand that most programs are not “fully funded.”
Division III – There are 57 schools sponsoring men’s volleyball, and that number is rising with the recent announcement of an NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship starting in 2012. This is the first National Championships the NCAA has added since the mid-1980s. There are no athletic scholarships awarded at the DIII level. However, athletes can receive academic or need based scholarships.
NAIA PROGRAMS (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
NAIA Men’s Volleyball is considered an “emerging sport” which follows all the NAIA regulations, but there is no sanctioned NAIA National Championship. However, there is a NAIA National Invitational Championship which was hosted by St. Ambrose University in April 2011. As an emerging sport, each school has the option of offering 0-9 scholarships for men’s volleyball. Athletes are also eligible for academic and need based scholarship. There is a separate conference in California for Junior College and Community College men's volleyball, http://cccmensvolleyball.com/, which is affiliated with the CCCAA. There are 13 men's teams competing at this level in two different conferences.
NCVF (National Collegiate Volleyball Federation)
Obviously there are fewer opportunities to play men’s volleyball in college on an athletic scholarship; however, there is a very large club volleyball scene with over 300 men’s volleyball programs. No athletic scholarships are offered, but players are still eligible for need based or academic scholarships, and have the opportunity to play competitive volleyball in college and represent their school. To learn more, visit: http://ncvfvolleyball.org/default.aspx.
NIRSA – The National Intramural and Recreational Sports
NIRSA also has a program and national championships for men’s school club teams. See www.nirsa.org for more information and to see if your school has a club program.
How Can I Increase My Odds of Getting a Scholarship?
The best way to increase your odds of getting a volleyball scholarship is by getting as much exposure as possible. Put your name, your video, your stats, and your academics in front of as many coaches as possible! Coaches can’t and won’t recruit you if they do not know who you are. Therefore, players need to take a proactive role in their own recruiting process by emailing and calling coaches to let them know you are hungry for one of the spots on their team.
Learn about how to properly contact college coaches and access more free recruiting advice by visiting the Recruiting Guide at VolleyballRecruits.net. VolleyballRecruits.net, The Official Recruiting Tool of USA Volleyball, is an online recruiting tool that streamlines the recruiting process while maximizing a player’s exposure throughout the process.
Take a tour of VolleyballRecruits.net: click this link. Student-athletes and their parents should also refer to the NCAA Eligibility Center Web site and consult with their high school counselor to obtain the most current NCAA guidelines and explanations.