Volleyball World Spiked Over Rule Change

The women’s volleyball world has been in an uproar over recent rule changes in women’s college volleyball.  

On February 20,  the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) ruled that in women’s volleyball players  are now able to contact the ball up to 2 times with any part of the body, in a single attempt on a team's second contact. This is only allowed when the ball is played to a teammate, not over the net.

A decision which was implemented to bring positive change to the game is expected to do anything but.

“Through the years, officiating double contacts has sparked intense debates between coaches and volleyball officials during matches. Committee members thought the elimination of this judgment call would bring more consistency to the game,” The NCAA reported.

          After an experimental trial of this rule in the spring of 2022, it showed that the change should not affect the play of the game to an extreme extent. However, with this addition came lots of controversy from women’s volleyball players around the country.

“It does take away a little bit of the craft that setters have worked so hard to put in. For it to just be taken away is a little bit, not demoralizing, but definitely tough that all of that work is just gone that I put into that,” University of Illinois setter Brooke Mosher said

          For setters and non-setters alike, the mutual belief is that with this rule change, will bring a completely different game.

“By the NCAA creating this new rule, setters now don’t have to put as much work in to make the set perfect. Now the game will start to become lazy, and honestly I think this rule will make fans and coaches more irritated,” Newtown High School junior volleyball player Gianna Galassi said. 

Women’s volleyball players are in a dispute whether the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel made the right decision.

“I disagree with the NCAA’s decision to allow double contact. At the collegiate level, players are playing at their hardest and going all out making sure they win every point, set and game they possibly can. Allowing double contact, although it does not occur that often at this level, could be angering to both players and the coaches since it took so much hard work to previously not get the double contact call,” NHS sophomore volleyball player Nicki Kaplan said.

Similarly to the shot clock being implemented into high school basketball, some high school coaches are worried this rule may come into play for their fall 2024 season. 

“Newtown has been blessed with highly skilled setters who committed a lot of time and energy into developing their skill. This new ruling will significantly change the quality of volleyball, not for the better. It will lessen the skill necessary in one of the most critical positions on the court,” NHS JV Girls volleyball coach Lisa Burbank said.

This wasn’t the only rule change the NCAA approved. Each team is now allowed 2 liberoes (defensive specialists) on each team. Previously, you were only allowed one libero on the roster. Another rule disliked by the volleyball community. 

“They said they made this for more players to have more playing. I think that's absurd. Sports are about competition, putting the work in to obtain a spot on the team, so why is the college level making the sport “easier” and making it for everyone to have fair playing,” Galassi said. 

The 2024 fall women’s college volleyball season will prove many new challenges for the athletes, coaches and officials as they adapt to these changes.