There are many differences between club volleyball and high school volleyball. Club season can last up to eight months and as short as five months. High school volleyball only last up to three months. Both club and high school have one goal, and that is to get to state and win it and for club to make it to nationals and succeed at nationals. In high school to get to state all depends on how well they do in the beginning of the year. If the high school volleyball team has a winning start of the season they will have a better regional seeding to have their ride to state. Now club volleyball is all about the tournaments the team is in and how well they do. If they are in more qualifiers: tournaments with teams all over America to receive a bid to nationals. Teams can either receive a bid from a qualifier tournament or the state that team is from regionals. If they place first or second in either of those tournaments they will receive a bid to nationals. This is extremely exciting! It is an award of how hard you have worked.
High school state volleyball is short. It last for three days. Each class plays on a different day. There is 5a, 4a, 3a, 2a, and 1a. Volleyball, basketball and softball are the only sports in high school that have 5a. There is a total of three days for each class that the state tournament lasts. If the team makes it all the way to the championship they would have played a total of three matches, one match a day. This is a big thing to be apart of in high school. Going to state is the ultimate goal for high school athletes. State volleyball is hosted in the U.S. Cellular Center downtown Cedar Rapids. There are two courts set up right next to each other with a curtain between them, so the game balls won't be interrupting the courts. Once you lose you are done with that high school volleyball season. The girls cry and the seniors realize that they are done with high school volleyball and on to the next step in their lives.
Club nationals is a lot different than high school state volleyball. State volleyball is right after regional. Nationals are hosted in June and last about three weeks. There are multiple different age groups ranging from eleven year olds to eighteen year olds. Then on top of that there are different divisions in the age groups. There are five different divisions. Patriot which is the lowest, then there is USA, American, National, and Open. Open is the best of the best. Usually there are only 26 teams that are allowed to be in the open division. This is where most of the college coaches come to scout players. National division still has top teams, because the teams that didn't make open but at a national qualifier ended up in the top 5, but couldn't pull it through to receive a bid got pushed down to the national division. If you make the national division instead of open you still should be ready to compete, because there are tough teams and triple the amount of teams than in open. Winning or even placing in the top 15 at nationals is outstanding and will get your club name out there.
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