LYV is a recreational league. We take every child who registers as long as we can recruit the necessary coaching personnel. Elementary school, middle school, and high school players must attend the appropriate skills assessment at NVVA’s Virginia Volleyball Center (VVC) to get placed on a team. Please see the schedule for the specific dates and times.

Skills assessments are how LYV assigns the players to teams based on location and skill. Assessments are held before teams are formed and practices begin. Assessments consist of drills and game-like situations that every participant will be asked to perform. These drills provide an objective set of measurements so that all athletes are scored fairly. If your athlete is new to volleyball, they should not worry about assessments, they will simply help us place the athlete on the best team for them to learn the game. If your athlete has played volleyball before and has a goal of playing on a more competitive team, they should view the assessment as a tryout.

Times for the assessments are organized by school, so be sure to check the schedule on the LYV website or your schedule in your League Apps account. Every athlete who wants to participate in the LYV season must be assessed. If your child can not make their scheduled assessment date or the makeup date, we can arrange a private assessment at another time. Please reach out to support@loudounyouthvolleyball.com to request an individual assessment. The timing of this assessment will be important to athletes interested in playing on the more competitive teams.

All volleyball equipment, including volleyballs, are provided by LYV. Participants are asked to wear appropriate athletic wear. If desired, knee pads can be obtained using this link, we do not recommend a specific brand. Your child will be provided with a team t-shirt before your first match. Many coaches like to coordinate matching shorts and/or socks, but they are not provided or required.

Elementary Division (3rd -6th graders):

If you want to become a great volleyball player, the earlier you start the better. The LYV Elementary school league is adapted for player development and enjoyment. The rules are modified and the ball is lighter in this division. Elementary Division teams only play against other Elementary Division teams. On these teams, athletes rotate through all positions on the court.

Middle School Division (6th-8th graders)

Open-1 Division: Has players of generally advanced level who try-out for and are accepted on the team. Open-1 Division teams play

against other Open-1 Division teams. These teams utilize a competition rotation style.

Open-2 Division: Has players of generally intermediate to advanced level who try-out and are accepted on the team. Open-2 Division

teams play against other Open-2 teams. These teams utilize a competition rotation style.

House Division: Has players of generally beginner level who try-out for and are accepted on the team. House teams only play against

other House teams. On these teams, players rotate through all of the positions on the court.

High School Division (9th -12th graders): Has players of all skill levels who are not playing on one of their high school's volleyball teams. HS Division players are also able to register as a team. A team has a minimum of 8 players and a coach. These teams utilize a competition rotation style.

Yes. Typically, 4th graders will not play up but are allowed to do so. 5th and 6th graders are allowed to play up. In certain cases, 5th and 6th graders might be needed to play up to fill out a house team. A 4th, 5th, or 6th grader will not be pulled up to a House team without consulting with the parents first.

No. Assessments are divided by age group and athletes are assessed on developmentally appropriate metrics.

Elementary school athletes will be evaluated on their coordination and volleyball skills. We will start the assessment with coordination exercises and volleyball drills, then they will finish with some fun activities.

Middle school assessment will be evaluated on their volleyball skills. All players will set, serve, pass and hit. Also, we will evaluate important performance skills for volleyball players including vertical jump and their ability to change direction quickly. Each player will have 5 attempts on the volleyball skills, and will be graded by an NVVA coach. Once they finish all the assessments, they will have the opportunity to play. This allows us to see them in action in a game like setting.

Older athletes begin to specialize in their position, and so high school assessment will be divided by position. If your athlete does not have a specific position, that's OK. We have a plan for newer athletes at the high school level.

• Setters will be assessed on their setting, serve, and agility skills.

• Liberos will be assessed on their passing, serve and agility skills.

• Middle blockers will be assessed on their hitting, serve and vertical jump skills.

• OH/RS will be assessed on their hitting, passing, and vertical jump skills.

Once they finish all assessments, they will have the opportunity to play. This allows our coaches to see the athletes in action in a game like setting, and make any additional observations about their skill level.

Schedule a phone call with our Athlete Success Manager.