Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can be on the team?
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Any undergraduate or graduate U of M student. Former varsity or junior college players are eligible. Through NCVF, players have 6 years of eligibility. If you are a former college varsity athlete, those years of playing on your college team count toward your NCVF 6 years of eligibility.
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How many teams do you have and how are they different?
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Our club has 2 teams: Maize and Blue. Each has 10-12 players, and teams are chosen based on ability–so the top 12 are on Maize and the next 12 are on Blue. Maize and Blue practice together and typically travel to the same tournaments. During the regular season, the teams compete at the same level, but at Nationals Maize competes in Division I and Blue competes in Division III. All non-playing club activities such as fundraising, study nights, team dinners, etc. are done together.
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What positions are you looking for at tryouts? |
We're looking for all positions! Only the five/six officers are guaranteed a spot on one of the teams, and all other returning players must try out again. Each fall there are around 19 spots open. |
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How competitive is the team? |
Most members played on their high school varsity team or a competitive club team but everyone is encouraged to try out. Each year both teams are very competitive on the National level in their respective divisions. We host open gyms before tryouts to give players a chance to get back in the swing of things and understand the level of play that we will field that year. |
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What is the time commitment? Would I have time to be in another club or join a sorority and play volleyball? |
The season is from mid-September to mid-April. All practices, tournaments, and fundraising events are mandatory. We practice every Tuesday and Thursday night in the fall (historically 7-9:30pm) and Monday and Wednesday in the winter (historically 9-11:30pm) with the exception of holidays and school breaks. Our fundraising activities vary depending on the events, but may be about 1-5 hours each semester. We have 1-2 tournaments a month (4 total each semester), usually on Saturdays, and a few tournaments a semester will require staying overnight. We also host 2 home tournaments: one each semester. Many of our players have been in sororities and other organizations along with volleyball. However, missing practices or a fundraising event for another club or activity is not excused and players will lose playing time as a consequence. All tournaments in the Fall Semester are chosen to not conflict with football games, so do not worry about having to miss any of those! Let us know if you're concerned about time conflicts. |
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Is there a coach? |
Our program does not currently have any coaches. Our 5-6 person Executive Board is in charge of the club logistics and ensures that everything from tournament planning, finances, rules, and more are taken care of. Beyond the Executive Board, each team has 3 captains to handle practice planning, lineup voting, and overall team functions. One captain per team is automatically the highest ranked Eboard member on that team, and the other two are voted on by team elections and voting. |
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How much does it cost to be in the club? |
Club dues are around $800 for the entire season. This fee covers uniforms, travel expenses, hotels, tournament entry fees, food on tournament days, university fees, coaches (if applicable), and more. We give players the option of paying all at once or in increments throughout the year. |
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Is the club affiliated with a league or conference? |
We're members of NCVF and attend their national tournament, but we aren't in a particular conference. We play a wide variety of other club teams from around the country and from all different sized schools. See our Full Results documents on the Schedule/Results page for a list of past competition. |
