DENVER, Colo. (April 18, 2019) – More than 430 women’s and men’s collegiate club volleyball teams began play on 63 courts on Thursday at the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) National Championships at the Colorado Convention Center.
Many volleyball players coming out of high school don’t even know club volleyball is an option and think their competitive days are over if they aren’t with a varsity-level team.
We took the opportunity to find out what the players think about competing in club volleyball:
University of Maryland
Princess Achobang
What do you like about club volleyball and competing in this event?
“It’s a great stress reliever in coming here and having the competitiveness and the sense of family with Maryland. Making new friends all the way around is really great. It’s like a little vacation. It’s nice to get a break from school.”
Did you want to play at the varsity level?
“I wanted to play at the varsity level but, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t good enough; especially for Maryland. So it was nice to have the balance there. I wanted to focus more on my education rather than go to school just for volleyball.”
Zoey Stump
What do you like about club volleyball?
“I like the balance of club volleyball. It’s got the competitiveness – almost to the level of a varsity sport but obviously not really – but there’s also the chillness. You can get your homework done and have a life outside of the sport but also play at a high level.”
Did you want to play at the varsity level?
“I had the option to play at a few DIII schools but I decided I wanted to go to a big school with football and basketball. I’m really glad I did it. School is a lot and doing a varsity sport would be a lot.”
Missouri State University
Taylor Covington
What do you like about playing club volleyball?
“It keeps me active and it’s a good stress-reliever from school. It doesn’t have the same demand that being a college athlete does. You still have time to focus on school.”
Emma Borcherding
What do you like about playing club volleyball?
“I agree with Taylor and you also get to meet new people.”
Did you want to play DI volleyball?
“In high school, it was a goal for sure. Everyone wants to play the game they love in college. But it got too busy with academics. Having club was good.”
Michigan State University
Keenan Eadelman
What do you like about playing club volleyball?
“It’s nice because in Michigan we don’t have high school volleyball so I had to play club. It’s nice to be able to keep playing.”
Did you want to play at the varsity level in college?
“A little. But my goal was my education.”
What do you like about the National Championships?
“It’s just great to see how many teams are out here.”
Lewis University
Jordan Hodges
What do you like about club volleyball?
“The people that I meet have been amazing. I’ve made so many friends in volleyball. It’s actually crazy. Everyone is so nice and we all have something to talk about. It’s a really great atmosphere. No beef. It’s awesome all the time.”
Did you play in high school?
“I played sophomore through senior year. I didn’t start playing until sophomore year. I’ve love the game ever since.”
Did you ever consider joining Lewis’s varsity men’s program?
“When I first went to Lewis, I went to try out for the team. Obviously, I needed to do some work. I’ll be doing jump training over the summer and getting my vertical up so I can try. That’s a goal for me for sure.”