Girls Championship

Championship Club Level

These teams are for athletes who want to pursue the highest level of play, including promotion to an Open team, Junior National Bids, future Collegiate Scholarships, and Junior National team rosters.  

Skill levels range from Intermediate to Intermediate Advanced, with the desire and ability to progress.  

Teams will practice four to six hours a week and will compete in the Championship Division of the Arizona Region of USA Volleyball, which provides 6 weekend tournaments each consisting of 3 matches. Championship teams will also compete in 2 National Qualifiers and several multi-day tournaments during the season. The season runs from November to July. These are elite-level teams offering the highest level of competition and training, requiring the highest level of commitment. Championship-level teams require each player to place volleyball before any other sport or activity.

Age Classifications: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Level Description: National = Championship

Championship-level teams are highly competitive, and limited roster spots are available. You must be able to commit to the entire season, which ends in July.

  • Tournaments: Championship Division, Cactus Classic, Festival Fiesta, Arizona National Qualifier, West Coast National Qualifier (Ahahiem, California) or Far Western National Qualifier (Reno, Nevada), or Salt Lake City Showdown National Qualifier (UT), Summer Soiree (Ahahiem, California)
  • Extra Tournaments: Holiday Heat, Stars and Stripes, Volleyball Festival, and AAU Nationals (Orlando, Florida) or USAV Nationals.

Our goal is to earn a bid and qualify for USAV Nationals. If we qualify, we will pay that fee at that time to secure our spot. If we do not qualify, we will register to attend one or more end-of-season national championships, such as the USAV Invited bid category, or AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida. This means that our season does not end until late June or early July.

Characteristics

An intermediate to advanced level volleyball player has moved beyond the basics and can execute fundamental skills consistently, but is still developing advanced techniques, game awareness, and competitive readiness.

1. Skill Mastery and Consistency

  • Can pass, set, and hit proficiently, with most of their passes getting to the setter and most hits going in bounds.
  • Has good control of momentum and lands safely after going up for a hit.
  • May not yet use a standard hitting approach, but can still score points through solid execution.
  • Possesses reasonable consistency in skills, with only a few points lost to execution errors.

2. Positional and Strategic Understanding

  • Understands offensive concepts (e.g., 6-2, 5-1 sets) and defensive positions.
  • Plays the position they rotate into rather than being strictly assigned.
  • Can attempt to block when a hitter is in front of them.
  • Begins to integrate more advanced skills, such as defensive positioning, offensive plays, and blocking, into their game.

3. Game Awareness and Teamwork

  • Shows good sportsmanship and encourages teammates.
  • Communicates effectively on the court, calling for the ball and understanding rotations.
  • Works on teamwork and communication to support more collaborative play.

4. Physical and Technical Development

  • Has 1–2 years of team experience and plays positional volleyball.
  • Focuses on refining techniques and improving game-speed decision-making www.volleyballertrainingacademy.com.
  • Works on serve receive consistency, attacking footwork, and defensive positioning.
  • May still be working to solidify skills, especially if they’ve had a break from playing.

5. Competitive Readiness

  • Competes in some travel, local tournaments, club teams, or recreational leagues with a higher level of competition.
  • Can handle the pace and demands of organized play but may still need reps to reach advanced levels.

In summary: An intermediate player is confident in their fundamentals, can execute most skills reliably, understands basic strategies, and is ready to take on more complex game situations. They are in the process of building advanced skills, game awareness, and competitive endurance, bridging the gap between recreational play and higher-level competition.