NCAA DIII Volleyball 101 with Nebraska Wesleyan University
With recent conference changes and new teams to face, the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairiewolves Volleyball Team ended its 2019 campaign at 20-8 and made it to the semifinals of their conference tournament. With only two seniors on the roster, their…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith recent conference changes and new teams to face, the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairiewolves Volleyball Team ended its 2019 campaign at 20-8 and made it to the semifinals of their conference tournament. With only two seniors on the roster, their future looks bright.
In 2016 the University with approximately 2,000 students in Lincoln switched from the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference with in-state teams from Doane, Hastings, Concordia, and Midland to name a few to the NCAA Division III Iowa Intercollegiate Conference which is now the American Rivers Conference that includes Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Dubuque, Loras, Luther, Simpson, and Wartburg, all teams in Iowa. A switch that did not change the recruiting process for the Prairiewolves volleyball team.
College Levels:
- NCAA DI – Ex. UNL, UNO
- NCAA DII – Ex. UNK, Wayne State, Chadron
- NCAA DIII – Ex. Nebraska Wesleyan University
- NAIA – Ex. Doane, Concordia, Midland, Peru
- NJCAA – Ex. Central Community College
Before the switch in conferences, the programs at NWU were dual NCAA Division III and NAIA. Each sports team had the option to compete in either of the divisions in the postseason. Volleyball consistently opted for NCAA play and followed those guidelines and rules during the season prior to the switch.
The largest membership division of the NCAA levels, Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships. With the main focus on academics, student-athletes apply for the same scholarships as the other students on campus.
Eight-year head coach Rayna Cain comments, “We do not give athletic scholarships but we do offer academic scholarships as well as opportunities to earn more scholarship money through admission events on campus, TeamMates, Legacy Scholarships, and many more which can make NWU affordable and comparable in price to UNL and NAIA Schools.
In addition to the difference in scholarships, some rules differ on the volleyball court between DIII and NAIA. Specifically substitutions – NAIA is unlimited while DIII only allows 15 per set. High school is 18.
Per Coach Cain, “With limited subs, we are looking for 6 rotation players and those that can play more than just one position. Well rounded on the court as well as in the classroom.”
So, the switch in conferences for volleyball proved to be more geographical.
In comparison, the University of Nebraska switched from the Big 12 to the B10 in 2011. With the geographical change, more athletes to the east of Nebraska from Indiana (Knuckles, Miller), Tennessee (Hames), Kentucky (Maloney), and Illinois (Robinson, Werth, Albrecht, Haggerty(s)) started showing up on the roster.
Coach Cain, “There is a ton of talent in the state of Nebraska so the majority of our roster is from Nebraska. However, we are pursuing athletes in the Colorado and Iowa areas more. Iowa definitely due to our conference location.”
With the increase in miles traveled for the team, NWU works with the student-athlete to make their schedules work.
“We make degrees work with athletes that are hard to complete while doing both – for instance, we have an accelerated nursing degree and with clinical’s, it can be hard for those students to play in a sport, but at NWU we make it work. This is also important with our Athletic Training degree which is a certified program.”
The academic success at NWU is apparent. The Prairiewolves Athletic Department is #8 ranked in CoSIDA Academic All Americans which includes all 4-year colleges in the US (NAIA and NCAA) along with a #5 ranking in producing NCAA Posts Graduate Scholarships since 2001.
Some intense rivalries and college “pranks” were lost when the Prairiewolves switched conferences. Most Doane and NWU graduates prior to 2016 can elaborate more on these. Without an apparent rival in the ARC yet, Coach Cain feels the volleyball team looks at Buena Vista as a tough test with the largest crowds at home games. The Prairiewolves beat the Beavers this season during an away match 3-2; last set score of 15-12.
With their college season in full swing during the high school season in the fall, Coach Cain and her assistant coaches Jenna Jones and Abbie Parde recruit heavily during club season in the winter and spring. With the assistant coaches being associated with local clubs and NWU offering multiple JVA tournaments on campus, they have opportunities to view many talented players.
Nyah Chambers, freshman from Norris High School, starting middle for the Prairiewolves, “I chose Nebraska Wesleyan because of their high success rates for such a small school. From athletics to academics, Nebraska Wesleyan is a top competitor in both categories. They offer a high level of academics in a very personal smaller sized classroom. I think that Nebraska Wesleyan being Division 3 is great for high school volleyball athletes to carry on playing a sport they love at a high level without a 5-6 month season. College athletics is a big commitment no matter what level and Division III makes that commitment very manageable.”
As Coach Cain reflects on her student-athletes as a tight-knit group she is also excited of their journey beyond the volleyball court, “The volleyball seasons are always tough when they come to an end but as a coach, you hear one of your players will graduate with their pharmacy degree and was accepted into UNMC in Omaha – makes you very proud to be a part of their journey.”
For more information on the Nebraska Wesleyan University Volleyball program:
http://nwusports.com/
Facebook @NWUVolleyball
Instagram @NWUVB