The Middle School Select (MS Select or MSS) league provides a more competitive volleyball experience that prepares players for high school volleyball tryouts without the cost and time commitment of a club program. It is ideal for players looking to play volleyball in high school and also for multi-sport athletes that do not yet "major" in a sport.

Please note the following important details about MS Select before proceeding further:

• Active club players are NOT eligible to play MS Select. This exclusion applies to practice-only club players as well.
• MS Select is NOT a club volleyball program.  For information about club volleyball opportunities in the area, visit the NoVA Volleyball Alliance website.
• Friend and carpool requests are not honored in MS Select.

In MS Select, players will learn a standard volleyball formation (6/2, 5/1, or 4/2) along with other skills to prepare them for playing high school volleyball. Many of our players eventually play for their high school team and then decide to play for a club volleyball program, or we see them again in our High School Select or High School Travel leagues. 

Unlike the inclusive nature of our House program, MS Select coaches draft players after a tryout and callback process. Tryouts are open to girls in grades 6 through 8. For the spring 2026 season, we will have 5 MS Select teams of 10 players each. Typically, the league is comprised of roughly 70% 8th graders, 25% 7th graders, and 5% 6th graders. 

Players that are drafted onto a MS Select team have some or all of the following characteristics:

• ⁠Solid passing technique, able to handle serve receive consistently and pass the ball to a target. 
• Ideally a consistent overhand serve, or a very reliable underhand serve. 
• Multiple seasons of prior volleyball experience, and/or selection to an all-star team in a previous season.
• ⁠Some experience, or at least an understanding, of striving to use all 3 touches to generate a hit.

If your daughter struggles with serving consistently or with serve receive, that is fine! Our House league is the ideal place to improve these core skills while also playing with friends. Every year, we also have players in our House league go on to play for their high school team, typically because the players can serve consistently and are strong at serve receive.

MS Select Commitment

• Two 90-minute practices during the week - all 5 weekday nights will be used amongst our coaches.
• One 90-minute match each Saturday during the season.
• Players are expected to attend all practices and matches. This is crucial! Our coaches expect players at every practice to teach them a formation and the skills necessary to play high school volleyball. We understand that illnesses and "life" happens and your daughter may miss a practice or two. But if two nights a week of practice will be difficult for your daughter to attend, then MS Select is not the right choice. 

Tryout Process - Spring 2026

• STEP 1: Register for the appropriate grade (6th, 7th or 8th) for the spring season
• STEP 2: In the second half of February, we will send out information to all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who have already completed step 1 above (and this includes players on the waitlist) with instructions for registering in OTTO SPORT to attend ONE of the six Round 1 tryout sessions.
• STEP 3: After the tryouts, we will invite roughly half of the players to callbacks.
  • After callbacks, MS Select coaches will use a draft to select players onto their teams.
• STEP 4: If selected onto a team, congratulations! You will hear from your MS Select coach via email.
  • If a player is not invited to callbacks or not selected after callbacks, the player will be assigned to a House team based on the player's grade and friend and coach requests.

For the 2026 Spring season, we will charge an additional $20 via OTTO SPORT to players selected for an MS Select team. This is to help cover the gym space required for teams to have 2 practices instead of 1 practice for House teams. If your daughter is selected, you will receive an email notification with a link to OTTO SPORT for paying the additional $20. 

Comparison of Select vs. House

For those new to the Select program, here are some quick comparisons with the House program.

• Key differences:
  • Select Program = A more intense volleyball experience comparable to the competitive programs in High School and Club Volleyball.
  • House Program = A more casual volleyball experience geared towards learning the sport and/or having fun playing with friends and classmates.


• MS Select follows standard USA Volleyball Rules
  • No Special Rules such as continuous substitution, service re-dos, lax foot faults, or extra points for 3 touches.


• MS Select players DO NOT have equal playing time
  • MS Select playing time is determined by Head Coaches as part of game strategy.
  • There is no guarantee of a set amount of playing time. Some players will play more than others. 
  • The unbalanced nature of playing time should be considered prior to attending a tryout or accepting a position on a team.
  • Parents must agree to the MYA Volleyball Playing Time Policy prior to the first match. 

If you have any questions, please email mcleanvb@gmail.com.