NAIA and JC Volleyball Questions

A combo play of recruiting questions:

My daughter 17 and I are going to visit her top college picks in March and April.  She has been offered Div 1 scholarships as well as NAIA.  The Division 1 trips are unofficial visits.  My question has to do with the NAIA visit.  They explained to me that they are picking up our hotel room, she will play with the team and she will have dinner with the team.  Because this is a different division does it in anyway compromise her D1 status? S.B.


You are OK with any NCAA issues.   

The NAIA (click to be taken to home page) is a different governing body for college sports than the NCAA.  The NAIA has traditionally been associated with religiously affiliated schools or those schools which don't want to sponsor the minimum number of sports mandated by NCAA membership.  As a governing body, the NAIA will determine its own rules and it is my understanding they have begun to 'tighten' up some of these rules with regards to initial eligibility.

The NCAA would only be concerned with if your daughter received a cash payment to participate (paid to play) with any team before college, as a result of any trips or participation.

Have a safe trip(s)!



Coach, We Appreciate Your Web Site!

My high school senior daughter's club team ended up only playing locally this year so has not had high exposure.  She would eventually like to end up transferring, hopefully with a scholarship to a D2 school after two years at community college.  She is a 5'8 and 1/2 inch libero; fearless, with quick lateral speed, leadership and enthusiasm.  She was a team captain, awarded first team all-conference and their school placed 4th, then 3rd in state playoffs.

How likely are D2 scholarships for a successful community college player, and how soon after she is in college should she try to get recruited to a D-2/or NAIA college?

Thank You, SGJ


More and more 4 year schools are looking into the JC's for future players, so I think the odds are good that a NCAA Division II or NAIA scholarship could come to be (please remember that the majority of DII Volleyball players are on some level of a partial scholarship, but you can package other scholarship sources than just athletic).

I am not familiar with the NAIA to JC transfer rules, but the NCAA allows a Division II transfer after just one year at a JC, provided the PSA can transfer 24 hours into the DII school.  Also, should the PSA be a Qualifier, and decides to spend two years at a JC, then they do not need to graduate to be eligible at a DII school, but would now need to transfer in 48 hours of credit.

Liberos/DS's tend to be the last of the positions scholarship'ed, so if the PSA wishes to spend two years at the JC, there is no rush to do anything her first year in college other than just play and have a great season.  At the start of her second year of JC, she should reach out with an introductory email, film clip (of the second season early play/practice) and list her first year accomplishments, along with an attached JC transcript.

Before January 1 of her second year, she should send out a second round of emails with current transcript (including anticipated classes for spring), most current video clips, any year end awards, along with all her contact information. 

The goal is to get her name out to 4 year schools during the JC season in case they want to swing by practice/matches in the fall, and then to resend this updated information out to 4 year schools before they start full go on their spring recruiting efforts.