Season 20

Competitive League

Spring 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 Mar 5

D5, D6, D7, D8
Tuesdays
Starting Mar 3

D9, D10
Wednesdays
Starting Mar 4

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

DCPVL is expanding to 10 divisions this season!

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

You must select at least 4 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.

C NAGVA

Moderately experienced players with basic volleyball skills and knowledge, including some experience playing standard offenses (5-1, 6-2, etc.).

Skill breakdown

Serving

Semi-consistent serve.

Passing/defense

Semi-consistent pass against most serves; occasional digs.

Blocking

Semi-consistent 1-person block against most hits.

Setting

Semi-consistent sets to middle and outside, given a front zone pass.

Attacking

Semi-consistent offense with a good set, occasionally resulting in a kill.

Court position

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

B NAGVA

Moderately experienced players with basic volleyball skills and knowledge, including the ability to play standard offenses (5-1, 6-2, etc.).

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent serve.

Passing/defense

Consistent pass against some serves; occasional digs.

Blocking

Consistent 1-person block against most attacks.

Setting

Consistent sets to middle and outside, given a front zone pass.

Attacking

Consistent offense, occasionally resulting in a kill; ability to adjust to some sets.

Court position

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

BB NAGVA

Competitive and experienced players with advanced volleyball skills and knowledge, including the ability to play standard offenses (5-1, 6-2, etc.) and run advanced plays.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent serve resulting in occasionally disrupting opponent’s offense.

Passing/defense

Consistent pass for most serves; regular digs.

Blocking

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

Setting

Consistent sets to middle and pins, given a front zone pass.

Attacking

Consistent advanced offense, regularly resulting in a kill; ability to adjust to most sets.

Court position

In the proper position for defense/offense most or all of the time.

A NAGVA

Very competitive and experienced players with superior volleyball skills and knowledge, including the ability to play various offenses and consistently run advanced plays.

Skill breakdown

Serving

Consistent serve capable of disrupting opponent’s offense.

Passing/defense

Consistent pass directly to the setter; frequent digs.

Blocking

Consistent 2-person block against advanced hit.

Setting

Consistent sets to middle, pins, and back sets, even when having to take multiple steps.

Attacking

Consistent high-level offense, frequently resulting in a kill; ability to adjust to any set.

Court position

In the proper position for defense/offense at all times; capable of running advanced plays.

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.

Dates

See TeamArrange

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.