Q: How is club volleyball different from recreational volleyball?

A: While we believe there is a place for recreation-style programs, we are passionate about playing volleyball year-round. The club plays indoor 6v6 and beach 2v2. We play inside via gyms, outside via grass, outside via sand – basically, whenever and wherever there are nets and friends, we play volleyball. Our practices, events, and leagues focus on players getting a large number of game-like ball touches, thus creating volleyball IQ (reading of the ball). The more you play, the more you learn, the more you grow. There are no shortcuts.

Q: How is outdoor volleyball different from indoor volleyball?

A: Indoor volleyball is played with six players per side. As the players develop and progress, each person has a specialized position, and there are complex rotations and switches going on throughout games to ensure that each person remains in their designated position. Outdoor (beach) volleyball is typically played in doubles. On grass and on the sand. There are no specialized positions, only a left and a right side. Most beach players are well-rounded and can hit, dig, and block.

Court sizes for indoor and beach volleyball are very different. Indoor courts are 60′ x 30′, with a parallel attack line that is 10′ from the center line. Back-row players must stay behind this line when attacking the ball. Beach courts are smaller, 26’3 x 52’6, and there is no attack line. A player may hit the ball from anywhere on their side of the net. If you wonder why the beach court is smaller, try a quick lateral sprint through the sand and see how much speed (and breath) you lose. A smaller court ensures that the ball will stay live longer and rallies will be more entertaining.

Indoor volleyballs are made of leather and are heavier than outdoor balls. Indoor volleyball is a game of power, and the heavier balls move quicker and can be hit harder. Beach volleyballs are softer, lighter, and a bit bigger than indoor balls. The lighter weight allows them to float more in the air, allowing good players to use the weather to their advantage.

Beach volleyball: there are no tryouts, and there are no cuts. Anyone is welcome to participate. We have plenty of space available.

Indoor volleyball: there are tryouts, and there are cuts. We are extremely limited on indoor court space.

Pro-Indoor
With 6 people on the floor and a massive block, it is much harder to score indoors.
There is more size and power involved indoors.
Indoor players are highly specialized in their skills and are very good at the skills required by their positions.
Indoor is a much faster game than beach, and is harder to keep up with.
Having a coach on the sideline makes it tougher on the other team because they are making analyses and adjustments with their teams during the match.

Pro-Beach
In beach, there is nowhere to hide. If you are struggling, there are no substitutions, so you either figure things out or lose.
There is no coach, so players have to make in-game adjustments on their own.
With only 2 people on the court, there is a lot more area to cover.
Beach is much more physically demanding than indoors.
There is more individual strategy involved in beach than indoors.
Beach is much cheaper, money-wise. Mix n’ Matches are usually $10-$20 per player. Events (tournaments) are typically $30-60 per player, and leagues, camps, and clinics are $40-$150 per player.

Indoor age divisions:
U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, U18

Beach age divisions:
U12, U14, U16, U18

Beach volleyball is recognized by the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and CCCAA schools as an emerging sport for women and is an equivalency sport, which means athletic scholarships can be split into partial awards in any proportion up to the maximum allowed.

Current beach program college statistics (2023):

CCCAA (44 programs)

NAIA (31 programs)

NJCAA (16 programs)

NCAA D1 (67 programs)

NCAA D2 (18 programs)

NCAA D3 (10 programs)

Common myths when it comes to indoor club volleyball:

• Bigger is better.
• A #1 team in any club is better than a #2 team in any club.
• Team labels can be misleading. “Elite”, “Select”, “National”, etc., mean nothing within the club volleyball world. It all boils down to which division you are playing in. The strongest teams will be playing events where an “Open” division is offered.
• More expensive is better.
• A paid coach is better than a volunteer coach.
• A coach who played DI is better than a coach who never played at a high level.
• If I play club volleyball, I will get a college scholarship.

College statistics when it comes to indoor volleyball:

• % of US high school female volleyball players competing at any college level 5.7%
• % of US high school female volleyball players competing at NCAA DI schools 1.1%
• Odds of a US high school female volleyball player making an NCAA or NAIA roster are 23:1
• Odds of a US high school female volleyball player making an NCAA DI roster: 92:1

Questions to discuss as a family when deciding on a club:

• How serious is my daughter about volleyball? How much does she love to play?
• How much time do I have to dedicate to volleyball? Will it interfere with other school sports? Yes, some clubs play indoors year-round, and that can disable the ability to play other sports.
• How much can we afford: dues, travel, family travel?
• How important is it that I am on the same team as my friend(s)?

Q:  How many indoor teams do you anticipate having (offering) for the 2025-2026 season?

A: Galaxy will run Girls U12 to Girls U18. How many teams per age group is not yet determined until we get closer to tryouts and have registration numbers. If we have enough Boys interested this season, we are also prepared to offer Boys teams.

Q:  How large are our indoor teams?

A: Gaston Galaxy tries its best to cap teams at 9-10 players. In order to form 2 teams for an age division, we will need at least 9 qualified players committed to those teams.

Q: What is your policy on playing time?

A:   Everyone plays. Yes, some play more than others depending on positions, and the strengths and weaknesses of players, and those decisions are left to the coach.  Galaxy caps our teams at 9-10 players so everyone can play in a rotation (5-1 or 6-2, for example). If you are not playing, you are not learning. You are also paying our club to play volleyball, not sit and watch. We strongly believe it is important for each player to have the opportunity to play in matches.

Q:  When do our indoor teams practice?

A:  Club teams practice 2 nights a week.

Q:  How long does our indoor season last?

Q: Do teams scrimmage other clubs?

A:  Absolutely. We are always looking to set up scrimmages and even host some small indoor tournaments with clubs within our area.

Q:  What are the fees for our indoor teams?

A:   Gaston Galaxy Volleyball is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Gym rental, coaching, tournament entries, business/Website fees, insurance, equipment, etc., require money. 2025-2026 club dues:

2025-2026 ALL TEAMS: $1275

*Club fees do not cover USAV yearly junior membership, AAU yearly junior membership, and personal travel expenses. Fees do include 1 new indoor volleyball and 2 jerseys.

Q:  Is my child too old to play U12/U13/U14/U15/U16/U17/U18?

U12 – Players born between July 1, 2013, and June 30,  2014: Class of 2032

U13 – Players born between July 1, 2012, and June 30,  2013: Class of  2031

U14 – Players born between July 1, 2011, and June 30,  2012: Class of 2030: If you are class of 2029, we recommend that you register for 15’s and play by grade

U15 – Players born between July 1, 2010, and June 30,  2011

U16 – Players born between July 1, 2009, and June 30,  2010

U17 – Players born between July 1, 2008, and June 30,  2009

U18 – Players born between July 1, 2007, and June 30,  2008, or are a Senior in HS -Class of 2026

USAV 2025-2026 Age Definitions

Tryouts U12, Saturday, November 1st, 9 AM – 10 AM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 4, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U13, Saturday, November 1st, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 4, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U14, Saturday, November 1st, 12 PM – 1 PM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 4, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U15, Saturday, November 1st, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 4, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U16, Saturday, November 1st, 3 PM – 4 PM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 4, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U17, Sunday, November 2nd, 4:30 PM – 6 PM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 1 – 2, 30-minute warm-up window before tryout*

Tryouts U18, Sunday, November 2nd, 4:30 PM – 6 PM *Belmont CityRec Center, courts 3 – 4, 30-minute check-in and warm-up window before tryout*

*For those who make teams, a mandatory parent-player/meeting on Sunday afternoon or evening, November 9th, dues are required (full or partial) at this time*

*All club practices will start the first week in December*

TRYOUT COST: $20

COST COVERS gym rental and coaches/staff