Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the 2020-2021 club/travel volleyball season will be like no other. Team practices and competitive matches will need to adjust to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Many clubs may not even organize a full roster of teams this season due to a lack of available gyms -- as of Oct 2020, most public and private schools are not open to outside groups, including many volleyball clubs, that have traditionally used their gyms. Governing organizations, such as USAV/CHRVA have not committed to a set structure for tryouts and tournaments due to the different government rules and regulations across the region (VA, WV, MD, DC, DE). Check with club directors on the latest plans. |
Updated October 2020 for the 2020-2021 club season
This document serves as a guide to those interested in joining a club (aka "travel") volleyball program in Northern Virginia. It is an unbiased opinion based on the experiences of several volleyball coaches and organizers in the area. For additional information, see the Youth Club page.
To help place club volleyball in context, here are the categories of volleyball programs available to junior (i.e. grade school) athletes in Northern Virginia:
RECREATIONAL VOLLEYBALL is open to everyone regardless of skill level and past experience. Programs are typically run in spring and/or fall, and are divided by age/grade: Elementary School (4th - 6th grades), Middle School (6th - 8th grades) and High School (9th - 12th grades). Teams practice 1 - 2 days per week with 1 match per week. In addition to instructional “House” leagues for beginner and intermediate players, some programs also offer “Select” and/or “Travel” leagues for more advanced players. For additional information, visit the Youth Recreational page.
SCHOOL-SPONSORED VOLLEYBALL for girls are mainly in High Schools (grades 9th thru 12th). It is a selective program run in the fall with tryouts in early August to fill two or three teams: Varsity, Junior Varsity (JV) and often Freshmen. Immediately after tryouts, teams practice or play 4-6 times a week until school begins and continue after school all the way through playoffs in November. Matches are typically scheduled twice per week against local schools. For boys, volleyball is no longer a varsity sport or school-sponsored club. Instead, it operates through the Northern Virginia High School Boys Volleyball League (NVHSBVL) during the fall season. Most teams hold tryouts in late summer, practice 2 to 3 times each week after school, and play roughly 2 matches per week against other league teams between mid-September and early November. For additional information, visit the High School page.
CLUB VOLLEYBALL, also known as Travel Volleyball, offers the most advanced and competitive youth volleyball in the area. Most girls on high school varsity teams also play club volleyball. Club teams are available for both girls and boys starting with Elementary School (U11, U12) going through Middle School (U13, U14) and High School (U15, U16, U17, U18). In Northern Virginia, most clubs are members of the Chesapeake Region (CHRVA) of the USA Volleyball (USAV) governing organization. Participants must be USAV members and coaches must be certified. Some clubs are also members of the American Athletics Union (AAU) and/or the Junior Volleyball Association (JVA).
Club volleyball is a two-season commitment: winter and spring (6+ months). Boy’s tryouts are always in October with girl's tryouts always in early November. Teams practice 2 - 3 times per week for about 2 hours in the evenings or on weekends.
The playing season starts in December for boys and January for girls and runs through May or June with teams competing in single-day or multi-day tournaments on weekends 1 - 3 times each month. Single-day tournaments are usually local within a 1-hour drive. Some multi-day tournaments are also local but many are outside the region requiring overnight stays. Tournament days are LONG, running from 7 to 10 hours (no kidding) so this is a commitment for the whole family, not just the player.
Players are expected to attend all practices and tournaments. Playing time is earned during practices and is never divided up evenly. Some teams have “practice players” who do not attend matches in exchange for a reduced fee and a chance to attend practices to improve skills and experience.
Teams within clubs are broken down by age. The table below lists the official CHRVA Junior Age Definitions for the 2020-2021 season. A few exceptional athletes play up a level, but most stay with their age peers.
Division |
Age Requirement |
Target School Grade |
12 and Under (U12) |
Born on or after July 1, 2008 |
6th Grade and under |
13 and Under (U13) |
Born on or after July 1, 2007 |
7th Grade |
14 and Under (U14) |
Born on or after July 1, 2006 |
8th Grade |
15 and Under (U15) |
Born on or after July 1, 2005 |
9th Grade |
16 and Under (U16) |
Born on or after July 1, 2004 |
10th Grade |
17 and Under (U17) |
Born on or after July 1, 2003 |
11th Grade |
18 and Under (U18) |
Born on or after July 1, 2002 (or after July 1, 2001 and in 12th Grade) |
12th Grade |
The CHRVA region has defined windows when club teams can hold tryouts -- however, for the 2020-2021 season, clubs are not obligated to hold tryouts. Based on the CHRVA Recruiting Policy for the 2020-2021 season, clubs can make offers to players on the following dates.
In addition to club websites, you can learn more about tryout dates and times by linking to CHRVA’s official club tryout date page. Note that the weekend of the tryout period is packed. Most candidates attend multiple tryouts, so you will need to plan accordingly.
Most teams begin practices as soon as the team is finalized. For boys, practices begin in late October with tournaments starting after December 1. For girls, practices begin in late November with tournaments starting after January 1.
There are over 30 volleyball clubs for girls in Northern Virginia, each with its own selection criteria, coaching philosophy, practice facilities and fees. Some have only one team per age group while others are large enough to support multiple teams per age group.
There are two broad categories of club teams:
Some clubs have both regional and travel/national/open teams.
There are so many dimensions in determining the right club for an individual. Key factors you may consider include:
In evaluating clubs, you’ll discover that there is a great deal of variety without easy standards to measure and compare. Some clubs only target the most elite athletes and coaches, while others are more open to a variety of experiences and skills. Some clubs provide a consistent level of services from year-to-year, while others see fluctuation. Without recommendations from insiders or an exhaustive review of information published on websites, it’s hard to know where to start.
To help you evaluate clubs in an unbiased manner, the next sections list club teams in Northern Virginia using the AES Power Ranking for comparisons. The ranking indicates how well each club team did at competitive tournaments last season. The information can help provide a sense of the caliber of players and coaches that may be attracted to the club during the 2019-2020 season. Clubs with multiple entries in the same age group typically offer separate teams for top talent and emerging talent.
The list also includes the clubs primary practice location. Although specific facilities are identified, there is a general shortage of available volleyball gyms in the area so teams may end up practicing at other facilities during the long season.
NOT UPDATED FOR 2019-2020 SEASON -- Many Practice Locations Have Changed
AES Power Ranking – Chesapeake Region - 2019 Season | |||||||
Club Name and Primary Practice Location |
U12 |
U13 |
U14 |
U15 |
U16 |
U17 |
U18 |
Alexandria Titans @TC Williams HS in Alexandria |
42of 54 |
28 of 82 |
55 of 113 |
18 of 119 |
104 of 126 |
43 of 60 |
|
American @a dedicated facility in Manassas |
29 of 54 |
18 of 82 65 of 82
|
11 of 113 37 of 113 42 of 113 |
6 of 119 19 of 119 |
11 of 126 36 of 126 |
Team Planned |
12 of 60 |
Apple Valley @Body Renew in Winchester |
38 of 54 |
41 of 82 |
59 of 113 |
10 of 119 |
24 of 126 |
|
|
Areyto (AVA) @Potomac Athletic in Ashburn |
48 of 54 |
Team Planned |
32 of 113 |
31 of 119 |
73 of 126 |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Blue Ridge (BRVA) @BRVA facility in Winchester |
5 of 54 32 of 54 |
4 of 82 10 of 82 |
14 of 113 41 of 113 |
5 of 119 |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
8 of 60 |
BRYC @various gyms in Fairfax/Burke/Springfield area |
27 of 54 |
51 of 82 |
5 of 113 52 of 113 |
11 of 119 46 of 119 |
48 of 126 57 of 126 |
|
23 of 60 |
Cyburi @gyms in Fairfax | 24 of 54 | 50 of 82 | 91 of 119 | ||||
DSYS @The BeanTree Pavilion in Ashburn |
|
47 of 82 |
25 of 113 |
23 of 119 62 of 119 |
33 of 126 |
8 of 60 |
|
Dynamix @Providence Christian Academy in Warrenton | Team Planned | 31 of 82 |
65 of 113 |
73 of 119 | 111 of 126 | ||
Evolution (EVO) @a dedicated facility in Alexandria off Eisenhower Ave |
Team Planned |
38 of 82 62 of 82 |
99 of 113 |
96 of 119 106 of 119 120 of 119 |
81 of 126 98 of 126 128 of 126 |
Team Planned |
31 of 60 |
Go Volley @Hoops Plus in Sterling & Sportsplex in Winchester |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
52 of 119 |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
36 of 60 |
Grit (formerly Dulles) @Cassel’s Sports in Herndon |
Team Planned |
12 of 82 20 of 82 |
57 of 113 |
67 of 119 |
19 of 126 53 of 126 |
52 of 60 |
40 of 60 |
Libero @Libero Sports Center in Sterling |
Team Planned |
39 of 82 |
Team Planned |
51 of 119 |
93 of 126 |
|
|
Loudoun Elite @The Pavilion in Ashburn |
12 of 54 |
|
12 of 113 |
40 of 119 |
13 of 126 22 of 126 |
|
|
Major Impact @Lake Ridge MS in Woodbridge |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Team Planned
|
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
Manassas @a dedicated facility in Manassas |
Team Planned |
79 of 82 |
Team Planned |
56 of 119 105 of 119 |
83 of 126
|
39 of 60 |
50 of 60 |
MB @The BeanTree Pavilion at in Ashburn |
|
|
54 of 117 |
84 of 119 |
Team Planned |
|
|
Metro (South) @Holmes MS in Alexandria |
|
34 of 82 63 of 82 |
87 of 113 |
71 of 119 |
35 of 126 40 of 126 |
|
42 of 60 |
Mojo Elite @Redeemer Church in McLean |
3 of 54 17 of 54 30 of 54 |
33 of 82 |
24 of 113 60 of 113 |
64 of 119 |
25 of 126 |
32 of 60 |
32 of 60 |
Monument @USCG TISCOM in Alexandria |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
82 of 113 |
81 of 119 |
43 of 126 |
30 of 60 |
Team Planned |
No Panic @Cassel's Sports in Herndon |
Team Planned |
29 of 82 |
97 of 113 100 of 113 |
72 of 119 93 of 119 95 of 119 |
114 of 126 |
42 of 60 |
58 of 60 |
Northern Fauquier (NFVBC) @Village Green CC in Warrenton |
|
57 of 82 |
51 of 113 |
74 of 119 |
|
44 of 60 |
|
NOVA @Key MS in Springfield and Hoops Plus in Chantilly |
|
|
Team Planned |
77 of 119 |
69 of 126 117 of 126 |
29 of 60
|
|
NVVA @VA Volleyball Center (VVC) in Sterling |
15 of 54 |
15 of 82 25 of 82 35 of 68 49 of 82 72 of 82 |
44 of 113 64 of 113 89 of 113 |
28 of 119 29 of 119 70 of 119 87 of 119 108 of 119 |
58 of 126 87 of 126 88 of 126 |
20 of 60 21 of 60 |
Team Planned |
Paramount @Cassel's Sports in Herndon |
|
|
Team Planned |
16 of 119 |
7 of 126 |
Team Planned |
2 of 60 |
The St. James @The St. James Sports Complex in Springfield |
8 of 54 |
13 of 82 60 of 82 |
9 of 113 56 of 113 |
21 of 119 34 of 119 75 of 119 |
16 of 126 45 of 126 |
11 of 60 |
5 of 60 17 of 60 |
SYA @various gyms in the Clifton/Centreville area |
|
|
66 of 113 |
82 of 119 |
67 of 126 |
54 of 60 |
|
Tier One @Potomac Athletic Center in Ashburn |
|
|
Team Planned |
39 of 119 |
85 of 126 |
|
Team Planned |
VA Juniors @Cassel's Sports in Herndon |
|
7 or 69 |
2 of 113 |
20 of 119 |
5 of 126 |
5 of 60 |
3 of 60 |
VA Volleyball Academy @Cassel's Sports in Herndon |
|
|
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
92 of 126 |
41 of 60 |
|
Vienna Elite @Flint Hill School in Oakton & The Campus in Sterling |
2 of 54 37 of 54 |
9 of 69 27 of 82 |
10 of 113 33 of 113 |
15 of 119 37 of 119 |
4 of 126 15 of 126 |
Team Planned |
7 of 60 |
Virginia Elite @The Madeira School in McLean |
|
19 of 69 |
17 of 113 |
12 of 119 |
49 of 126 |
14 of 60 |
16 of 60 |
Virginia Fusion @The Campus in Sterling |
|
|
|
Team Planned |
42 of 126 |
Team Planned |
|
Virginia Top Team @Cassel's Sports in Herndon |
|
|
88 of 113 |
76 of 119 |
20 of 126 |
Team Planned |
19 of 60 |
Virginia United @Bishop O'Connell HS in Arlington |
Team Planned |
Team Planned |
|
114 of 119 |
46 of 126 |
Team Planned |
|
WYSC @Vint Hill CC in Warrenton |
43 of 48 |
73 of 82 |
Team Planned |
|
|
|
|
Western Loudoun (WLVBC) @Foxcroft School in Middleburg |
|
45 of 82 |
20 of 113 |
43 of 119 |
17 of 126 |
Team Planned |
30 of 60 |
So what does "xx of yy" mean? From the AES Power Ranking, "xx" is the ranking of an individual team based on tournament results and "yy" is the total number of regional teams ranked during the season. Remember that CHRVA has teams in MD, DC & DE in addition to Northern VA. Also, "Team Planned" means that the club is holding tryouts to form a possible team for that age group in the upcoming season.
AES Power Ranking - Not Updated for 2020 | |||||||
Club Name and Primary Practice Location |
U12 |
U13 |
U14 |
U15 |
U16 |
U17 |
U18 |
Areyto Volleyball Academy@Potomac Athletic Center in Ashburn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monument @USCG TISCOM in Alexandria |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NVVA @VVC in Sterling |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The St. James @The St. James Sports Complex in Springfield |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Western Loudoun @The Campus in Sterling |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Below are sample schedules for different club teams from the 2017 season. It should provide a sense of the number and scale of events with corresponding time commitments.
Team |
Practices |
Tournaments |
NVVA U12 (Regional Team) |
|
|
Vienna Elite U14 (Open / National Team) |
|
|
Mojo Elite U16 (Travel Team) |
|
|
As mentioned earlier, each tournament day can run 7 to 10 hours. Some multi-day events even have morning and afternoon shifts to accommodate all teams. For out-of-town tournaments, teams usually travel the day before and return home on the last day of the event.
Club fees vary widely from as low as $1,200 a season to $7,000+ for the most elite clubs. While that might sound like a lot of money, if you divide that by the hundreds of hours of quality practice/tournament time experienced over the course of a 6+ month long season, it really is worth the investment. Here are some general guidelines to consider:
A majority of clubs are within a $2,000 to $4,000 range (boys are always less). Club fees pay for uniforms, practice equipment, gym space, coaching expenses, tournament fees, and sometimes hotels for overnight stays. In most cases at least one parent will accompany his/her player to out-of-town tournaments and those travel/lodging costs are not covered in the player fees. You can find detailed information (costs and tournament schedules) on club websites.
There are some harsh realities about earning a spot on a club volleyball team:
Having said all that, if you’re committed, you can optimize your chances of making a team. Here are some strategies to consider:
Clubs usually communicate with candidates during the tryout, by email, or by posting tryout numbers on a website. Candidates typically fall into three categories: (1) in, (2) out and (3) waitlisted. Because so many players are shopping around clubs, teams usually keep some candidates on a rank-ordered waitlist while they wait to hear back on offers. It can be a challenging time for those on the waitlist hoping for a chance to say yes. The waitlist is released once all open spots are filled.
Finally, if you are fortunate enough to receive an offer, take the time to have a full conversation with the head coach to make sure all expectations are clearly communicated and understood. Also review the CHRVA Juniors Recruiting Policy and FAQs on your rights to respond to an offer. It’s a big investment of time and money so there’s no need to rush in unprepared.
Good luck!!