Frequently Ask Questions

How do players get to the tournaments?

 Parents are expected to get their player to every tournament.  Some parents and team coaches may elect to organize carpools.  The parents are expected to pay for all travel expenses.  FAVA is not liable for players during travel to and from tournaments.

How long is a tournament day and what should my daughter bring to a tournament?

 Tournaments play starts at 9:00am sharp, and can end anytime from 3:00pm to 10:00pm, depending on the amount of teams in the tournament, if you make the playoffs, etc.  Because you don't know how long a tournament day can be, you should send your daughter with plenty of water and food. A large water jug is recommended.  She should also bring a small cooler filled with extra water, juices, fruit, sandwiches, and other healthy foods. Some team parents arrange for lunch to be delivered (Subway,Jersey Mikes, etc. ).   Players also need to bring their complete uniform: extra spandex, socks, shoes, team T-shirt and kneepads.  There will be downtime during the day so bring homework, reading material, movies, music.  During downtime your daughter needs to rest, so she will need flip-flops, baggie pants, sweatshirt, sleeping bag, and a pillow.  The teams make a "camp site" in a classroom or the hallway.  There will usually be pools of 4-5 teams on one court for pool play.  Some events may use different gym sites for the same event requiring teams to move from one gym to another usually within close proximity.  Players will be expected to come early to warm-up, play and/or officiate throughout the day.

How often do we play in tournaments?

 Teams usually participate in an average 2 tournament days per month over the course of a season -- with January, February, and March, being the heaviest months.   The tournaments are played on either Saturday or Sunday, sometimes both.  Ultimately, how often you will play in tournaments will depend upon which team you are on.

Where are the tournaments held?

 Tournaments are held at a variety of locations throughout the State.  Every team is afforded at least two travel or overnight tournament.   Many teams travel to Richmond Virgina, Roanoke Virgina, or Atlanta Georgia for a two-day tournament.  Most teams choose to finish their season at the Hi-Neighbor Tournament in Asheville, NC.

What happens in Inclement Weather?

The Carolina Region website and your Coach are the sources of information on inclement weather.  The Carolina Region trys to play all tournaments on a given weekend.  Remember, it could be snowing in the western part of the state, but clear in the east.  www.carolinaregionvb.org.

Are there skill levels?

Junior Olympic volleyball has 5 skill levels.  The skill levels are Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Copper.  Teams that play in the Platinum division are at the highest skill level and also play at national events.  Your daughter’s team is evaluated at the beginning of the season and given points.  Example: FAVA 14 is given 1400 points at the start of the season, and will play in the Bronze division.  If the team plays out of the pool, and makes the championship round of the tournament they receive points.  Example: FAVA 14 wins the championship of that weekend tournament they receive 120 points.  That will give the team a total of 1520 points.  The next weekend tournament they could play in the silver division.  If they did not do well that tournament they could have points taken away.  Example: FAVA 14 win only 1 out of 6 games that tournament.  80 points will be subtracted giving a total of 1320 points, so they could play in the copper division in the next tournament.  The point system works well; it keeps the competition fairly even throughout the season.

IMPORTANT- Teams usually are required to officiate the game following a loss in the championship brackets and ALL team members are required to stay until ALL officiating duties are completed and until released by the coach of the team