College Volleyball - NCAA Division I vs Division II time commitment

What is the athletic time commitment for a small Div 1 school vs a Div 2 school. Can an athlete participate in other activities at a Div 2 school (ie sorority, etc)? 

C.H.


With the vast majority of NCAA Division I schools, volleyball is the life.  The only non-volleyball part of life that can be accepted by college volleyball coaches is academics (does not matter small, large, city, country, etc).  All other activities are not going to be allowed or supported (no matter what is being told to you in the recruiting process).  And, to a certain extent, this makes sense because the Division I athlete is on a Full Scholarship to play volleyball, and not on a sorority scholarship, a science scholarship or young thespians scholarship, etc.  This is a sweeping statement and may have exceptions based on the school's characteristics, but is often the truth.  In NCAA Division I, your time is Volleyball, Volleyball, Volleyball and Study.

NCAA Division II schools tend to be much more accommodating to life outside of volleyball, because this life outside of volleyball may be providing scholarship support or is one of the primary reasons an athlete is at that school.  DII volleyball programs will package their scholarships with academics, merit and need based resources.  These merit scholarships can include drama, sorority, religious, sleeping, nacho scholarships which must be supported/respected by the college volleyball program.

Division II volleyball is the way Division I volleyball used to be 20 year's ago.  Players have the ability to enjoy a complete collegiate experience, to have their summers off to travel or go home and sleep all day, to join different campus organizations, to have balance….

If your daughter wants this total collegiate experience, but also wants to play collegiate volleyball, then I would focus on programs outside of Division I.

Coach