BOONE, N.C. –– As Appalachian State University volleyball approaches its 40 day countdown until the start of preseason, there are changes coming that will impact the 2017 Mountaineers.
"All three of these changes are huge positives for the sport of volleyball," said head coach Matt Ginipro. "I'm looking forward to their implementation this season because I think it makes the game better."
EXHIBITION GAMES APPROVED: The NCAA added the ability for volleyball programs to play an exhibition game and get in some competition before the start of the season. App State has taken advantage of this and has scheduled a date with the South Carolina Gamecocks on Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. inside the Holmes Center.
Ginipro's Comments: "I always thought it was strange that we were one of the only team sports that didn't get to play an exhibition game, especially since we are a fall sport and have to jump immediately into our season. Getting to play a scrimmage against a quality team, like South Carolina, allows us to see things in a competitive environment before we play a match that counts. It also allows us to play with some lineups before the official season starts up the next weekend."
CHALLENGE REPLAY SYSTEM: Appalachian will employ the Challenge Review System which provides the ability for coaches to challenge plays. Coaches will be allowed three (3) challenges per match and will have a green card they will hold up when they choose to make a challenge.
A head coach can challenge the following four decisions:
• A ball that is called in or out, including pancake digs
• Whether a ball is touched by a player before it goes out of bounds or there are four hits
• Whether or not there was a net fault
• Whether or not there was a foot fault
Ginipro's Comments: "The challenge replay system is something I was a big supporter of getting passed. Our game has gotten faster over the years and sometimes the human eyes of officials make the wrong call. The research of the teams who experimented with it showed that there were a significant number of calls overturned which is why coaches thought CRS was important. When every point matters, getting it right was a priority."
NEW NIVC (NATIONAL INVITATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP) TOURNAMENT: A 64-team tournament with 32 automatic-qualifiers and 32 at-large bids will be combined into a supplemental tournament to the NCAA Tournament.
All matches will be hosted by participating schools with the championship televised by ESPN3. It is a great way to grow the sport locally and nationally with as many as 17 additional days of practice and game action.
Ginipro's Comments: "When I started my career, the NIVC existed and I'm excited it's back. Having another post-season opportunity is a bonus for mid-major programs and their players. While we will be pushing for an NCAA berth, it's great to also have this tournament to put as an annual team goal."
