We run outdoor sand leagues in the Spring and Summer and indoor leagues in the Spring, Fall, and Winter. Spring outdoor season usually starts in early May and runs through mid-July, and Summer starts around mid-July. Fall indoor leagues typically start in mid-October and finish up mid-December or early January. Winter usually begins mid-December or January and ends late February. Winter leagues do not play for two weeks around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Spring indoor starts late February or early March and goes until early May. All timeframes are subject to the weather cooperating.

Basic Info

Some league information appears on this page. More is found in our Frequently Asked Questions and the rulebooks linked in the grey menu bar toward the top of the page. General club policies can be found at the bottom of this page in the Info & Help section.

Format

• Teams are co-ed and consist of six players on the court - at least two must be female
• Registration fees are based on 8 players per team and include eight shirts. Extra shirts are available at an additional cost
• Shirts, equipment, and referees are provided by MSSC
• Matches consist of three sets played to 21 points and use rally scoring
• Download the rulebooks linked in the grey bar toward the top of the page for full details on formats and rules

Registration and League Capacity

All leagues have a capacity and generally sell out. Sign up early if you want to play. Registration deadline: Generally ten days prior to the start date (if not already sold out). Sand volleyball leagues have been selling out 3-4 weeks before the start date.

Skill Level and Divisions

Teams and free agents self-select their skill level during registration, subject to MSSC review. We use standard volleyball skill levels. We'll form appropriate divisions based on the skill level of registered teams and players. Explanations of each skill level:

• A: Highly skilled players who excel at all phases of the game (blocking, setting, passing, serving, and hitting). Most likely played elite club and/or collegiately at some level. Understand how to run any offense (5-1, 6-2, 4-2) and play with positions. They cover the entire court well defensively and hit with power
• BB: Very proficient at all phases of the game. Some teams understand how to run an offense and play with positions, although many do not. Cover the court well defensively. Generally make accurate passes to the setter and many players hit with power
• B: Thorough understanding of the rules. Rarely commit ball handling violations (lifts, carries, double contact). Passes usually make it to the setter, although not always in the ideal position. They don’t run an offense and usually have one position on the court be setter (rather than one player). They get their serves in play the majority of the time
• C: General understanding of how to play, but likely don’t understand illegal contact rules or other nuances of the game. They may not have a specific position for setter and don't always use utilize the bump, set, spike technique. Their goal is to get the ball back over rather than place it strategically or hit with power. Many serves are underhand and/or don’t consistently get over the net or land in bounds.
• D/NR: Absolute lowest level of skill. Generally pure beginners who are new to the game and likely don’t understand many rules at all. They miss a high number of serves and many times hit the ball back over the net on the first or second hit if it gets back over at all. Many points are scored due to errors by the receving team rather than a good hit by the attacking team.

Any team intending to play for prizes must register for at least BB.

We are welcoming of players of all skill levels. Overall, our leagues tend to be at a lower level of competition than some others out there. Our indoor leagues tend to be at a higher level of play than our sand leagues. There is no guarantee we will be able to segment any given league into separate divisions.

Please be honest about your skill level, as teams of low skill don't enjoy getting destroyed by teams who are much better than them. MSSC reserves the right to move teams if we know how good they are and believe they chose the wrong skill level.

Which nights are the most (or least) competitive?

This could vary greatly from season to season, but for Fall 2024, the indoor leagues were ranked from most to least competitive roughly as shown below. Rankings are based strictly on how captains registered their teams.

1. Monday East

2. Monday West

3. Wednesday East

4. Thursday West

5. Thursday East

6. Wednesday West

7. Tuesday East

8. Tuesday West

For sand leagues, Summer 2024 was ranked from most to least competitive roughly as follows:

1. Monday

2. Wednesday

3. Tuesday

4. Thursday

This doesn't mean a lower level indoor team can't sign up for Mondays, but teams seeking a higher level of competition may want to gravitate toward the leagues at the top of the list when registering for upcoming seasons. The vast majority of teams in any given league rate themselves as B level, and we encourage you to re-read the definitions above and be more discerning about your skill level. We have many teams rate thems incorrectly, which causes problems.

Individual Registration Details

Individuals may sign up and we will place you if we can. No payment is required at sign up; we will contact you if we have a spot for you and place you when payment is received

Do not register for multiple nights if you are not able to play on multiple nights. We count on all free agents being available for any and all nights for which they register. If you are able to play on multiple nights but only want to play one, register for the night you prefer and check the box for other nights you're available during registration.

Dates and Locations

• Spring and Summer sand leagues will be held at Olbrich Park and Demetral Park. Beginner level teams (C/D) will primarily play at Demetral. Some B level teams may play there as well depending on the composition of any given league
• Indoor facilities vary by night and location and are listed in the league details below. East side leagues for Spring indoor 2025 will be held at East High and LaFollette High most nights. West side leagues are held at West High and Memorial High

Scheduling

• Since it's asked all the time: Schedules are posted a few days after the registration deadline. If you signed up for Tuesday nights, your team plays on Tuesdays nights, and you should be available for any time slot
• We do not play on Federal holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, MLK Day, etc. Sand leagues don't play on July 4th, but do play every other day that week, so please take this into account when listing your team's availability during registration. Indoor leagues don't play the day before Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving. They also don't play for two weeks around the Christmas and New Year's Holidays when schools are closed

Prizes and Other Benefits

• These can change from season to season and will be communicated to all teams via email

For complete details, please download the Rulebook linked in the grey bar at the top of this page. When you're ready to sign up, click the blue "Team" or "Individual" button below to register. Click the "More Info" button below for the full details on dates, start times, locations, etc.

Questions? Check out our FAQ or Contact Us.

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