https://taso.org/rule/volleyball/nfhs-2023-volleyball-rule-changes/

As many may have heard, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has changed the rules for college volleyball. According to the NCCA, the new rules require women’s volleyball players to contact the ball more than once on a team’s second contact when the ball is played to a teammate. But in this scenario, if the ball were played over the net, it would be ruled a fault, resulting in the team losing a point.
The NCAA committee had a meeting and debated this topic in person before making the change. The double contact rule has sparked discussion between coaches and volleyball officials during matches. Committee members thought that this regulation would bring more consistency to the game, and it would carry on the play, making the game a lot more enjoyable for players and audiences. There was data collected in the spring of 2022 that showed it would only change a small number of calls. The rules also included each team being allowed to have two liberos (which are usually the best defensive players on the team), in a match when originally there was only one. There would only be allowed one libero on the court at a time, and they would have to serve in one position. The reasoning is to allow players the chance to improve the game,their play, and increase the action on the court.
Yahoo news interviewed a College volleyball player Brooloke Mosher who’s a setter on the U of I team and has been trying to perfect her technique her whole career, and here she said, “I think it does take away a little bit of the craft that setters have worked so hard to put in,” Mosher said. “Now, for it to just be taken away is a little bit not demoralizing, but it’s kind of like tough that it’s just gone. All that work that I put into that.”
After hearing the main rule changes in volleyball, high school volleyball players probably have an opinion on this. Although this doesn’t affect high school volleyball teams, let’s hear how the high school volleyball players feel about this.
Evelyn Watts says, “Of course, I’ve heard about the new rules! It’s been a big conversation topic with my club team. I think that this rule is great in some ways because there are lots of questionable double calls, and it really can slow the game down. At the same time, setters have worked very hard to perfect their technique.” Setters are a really big part of the game of volleyball, they set up the plays and have worked really hard to perfect their technique to get the ball where the hitter needs it. Watts continues, “The rule seems pretty vague, and I feel that there are lots of ways people can manipulate the rule or interpret it.”
Here’s what she thought of the changes, whether they were positive or negative. “I think it changed in a good way. It’s always nice to see rule changes within the volleyball world, but it seems to make lots of people upset, especially setters who have worked so hard. But it is nice to see the rule be more flexible because there are times when the double rule is definitely abused by the refs. I don’t think it “ruins” the game of volleyball. I think it was a smart idea that unfortunately is incredibly unclear and frowned upon. I think before it was very frustrating to have a double called on you because there are times where it’s not only the setter setting and other positions don’t have as much training.”
After hearing from a high school volleyball player’s perspective it’s difficult to determine whether or not these new regulations are benefiting colleges.