Season 21

Competitive League

Fall 2026

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Cost

$120 per player

Financial aid may be available (see FAQ)

Location

Catholic University

DuFour Athletic Center
4400 John McCormack Rd NE, Washington, DC 20011

Dates

D1, D2, D3, D4
Thursdays
Starting Aug 27

D5, D6, D7, D8
Tuesdays
Starting Aug 25

D9
Wednesdays
Starting Aug 26

Registration

Registration will occur in three rounds.

You must have a TeamArrange account in order to register.
Make sure to complete your TeamArrange profile (including accepting the annual waiver and uploading a photo) before registration opens, to save time during checkout as spots can fill up extremely fast.

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Divisions

You must select at least 2 divisions when registering. The more divisions you select, the more likely that you will be drafted.

Wednesday divisions do not have captains. Instead, each team has a Coach, to help players learn DCPVL rules for playing and reffing, develop volleyball skills and form lineups... not to mention being the team's #1 cheerleader! Also, most weeks, a free skills clinic will be held before Wednesday matches, allowing players to immediately apply the skills they just learned.

See the charts below to understand which divisions might be right for you.

Divisions roughly correspond to NAGVA ratings, but an official rating is not required.

D8 - D9

Moderately experienced to newer players. Players should be familiar with rotating positions, and be able to perform basic skills.

D9 will provide coaches to help players become acclimated to the sport and learn basic skills.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Most serving over the net.

Passing/defense

Passing for some serves in the direction of the setter/target; occasional digs.

Blocking

1-person blocking against most attacks.

Setting

Somewhat consistent setting to middle and outside when given a pass in the front zone.

Attacking

Perform 3-touches on most plays, occasionally resulting in a kill.

Court position

In the proper position for offense/defense some of the time.

D5 - D7

Experienced to moderately experienced players with basic to intermediate volleyball skills and knowledge.

Players should be familiar with 5-1 and 6-2 rotations, execute basic skills consistently, and be able to run standard plays.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent overhand-serving.

Passing/defense

Passing for some serves towards the setter/target; some digs.

Blocking

Consistent 1-person blocking against most attacks with occasional 2-person block.

Setting

Consistent setting to middle and outside when given a pass in the front zone; can back-set.

Attacking

Mostly consistent offense with ability to adjust to some high sets, occasionally resulting in a kill.

Court position

In the proper position for offense/defense most of the time; able to perform standard plays.

D3 - D4

Competitive and experienced players with advanced volleyball skills and knowledge.

Players should know 5-1 and 6-2 rotations, have the ability to perform consistent offensive attacks, and be able to run advanced plays.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent overhand-serving that occasionally results in disrupting opponent’s offense.

Passing/defense

Consistent passing for most serves towards the setter/target; regular digs.

Blocking

Consistent 1- to 2-person blocking against most attacks.

Setting

Consistent sets to middle, outside, and opposite/right-side (including back setting) when given a pass in the front zone.

Attacking

Mostly consistent advanced offense with ability to adjust to most sets, regularly resulting in a kill.

Court position

In the proper position for offense/defense most or all of the time; able to perform advanced plays.

D1 - D2

Highly competitive and experienced players with advanced volleyball skills and knowledge.

Players should know 5-1 and 6-2 rotations, have the ability to run various offensive attacks at high intensity, and consistently execute advanced plays. Includes collegiate athletes and players of similar level.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent overhand-serving that regularly results in disrupting opponent’s offense.

Passing/defense

Consistent passing directly to the setter/target; frequent digs.

Blocking

Consistent 2-person blocking against high-speed attacks.

Setting

Consistent setting to middle, outside, and opposite/right-side (including back setting) even when having to take multiple steps.

Attacking

Consistent advanced offense with ability to adjust to any set, frequently resulting in a kill.

Court position

In the proper position for offense/defense at all times; capable of executing advanced plays; aware of where players on the opposing team are positioned.

Skill exhibitions

Skills Exhibitions allow captains to observe players doing drills, followed by playing mini-games. These sessions are split into 2 skill levels, for players to showcase their serving, setting, passing, hitting and blocking.

‍New players are required to attend a skills exhibition to be eligible to be drafted and play.

Spots are limited, you should only attend one exhibition.

More info coming soon on TeamArrange

Dates

Tuesday, August 18
Session 1 from 7:00 - 8:30PM
Session 2 from 9:00 - 10:30PM

Wednesday, August 19
Session 1 from 7:00 - 8:30PM
Session 2 from 9:00 - 10:30PM

Thursday, August 20
Session 1 from 7:00 - 8:30PM
Session 2 from 9:00 - 10:30PM

Frequently Asked Questions

Given the new division structure, what divisions should I register for?

As we grow from 6 to 10 divisions, it's impossible to predict exactly where the growth will occur. But here is our estimate of where most players will land.

Note that, because of the uncertainty this season, we will require players to select 4 divisions they are willing to play in during registration, to ensure players are drafted.

How do I become a captain?

In consultation with division representatives, the Board approves all captains for the Competitive League. The Board selects players who have demonstrated leadership skills, a dedication to the organization, and a commitment to promoting a safe and fun playing environment. If you’re interested in serving as a captain, please reach out to your division representative. Note that you are only eligible to be a captain in the division you played in the season prior.

Financial assistance

DCPVL is committed to making volleyball accessible to everyone. If you are facing financial challenges that might prevent you from participating in DCPVL, please let us know and we will work with you to schedule a payment plan for this season.

What rules does DCPVL play by?

You can find our league rules on our resources page.

What is the season format?

Here's the typical season flow:

Skills exhibitions
Captains draft teams
Team Announcement Party
8 weeks of regular season play
2 weeks of playoffs, with only winning teams playing the second week

Matches start at 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM
1-hour time slots: 5 min to warm-up, 50 min to play, 5 min to clear the court
Play 3 sets from 4pts to 25pts, win by 2pts, or capped at 27pts

Schedule subject to change.

How are teams selected?

Before the main Draft, Skills Exhibition sessions will allow captains to observe players doing drills (serving, setting, passing, hitting, etc.), followed by playing mini-games. While these are optional, we highly recommend that new players attend to increase the likelihood of being drafted. This may sound intimidating, but it's not! Players can register for the skills exhibitions on the events page.

Afterwards, Captains draft teams of 8 players. The Draft starts with D1 captains selecting players for their team, following a snake draft format. Then, any player who wasn't drafted but also selected D2 will be eligible to be drafted by D2 captains. And onward for the other divisions.

Note that, for example, a player who selected D1-D2 only, and is not drafted in D1 or D2, they are out of the draft. For this reason, we encourage players to select multiple divisions as a safety net, if they really want to play.

Players who are not drafted in the main draft can either get a full refund, or remain in the pool of players that can be selected during the Supplemental Draft, for teams that may lose a player (due to injury, moving, etc.) If selected, players will start playing Week 4, and will receive a partial refund for the weeks missed. If not selected, they will receive a full refund.

It's the off season!

Cost

$120 per player

Location

Catholic University

Dates

Serving

Passing/defense

Blocking

Setting

Attacking

Court position

Serving

Passing/defense

Blocking

Setting

Attacking

Court position

Serving

Passing/defense

Blocking

Setting

Attacking

Court position

Serving

Passing/defense

Blocking

Setting

Attacking

Court position

Skill exhibitions

Dates