MIAA Assistant Director and Liaison to State Volleyball Committee:

Kathleen E. McSweeney

Volleyball Sub-Committee:

Brian McCann – Joseph Case HS Principal and MIAA Volleyball Committee Chair

Tom Turco – Barnstable HS Volleyball Coach and Volleyball Committee Coaches’ Representative

Carole Burke – High School & College Volleyball Official and MIAA Volleyball State

Rules Interpreter

Jane Bergin – Lexington & Andover HS Volleyball Coach and Volleyball Committee Coaches’ Representative

Peter Boucher – Milford HS Athletic Director and MIAA Volleyball Committee Member

Abbreviated History of MIAA Volleyball

1972(ish) > Girls Volleyball instituted

Late 1970’s/Early 1980’s > Boys began playing on Girls Volleyball teams

1980’s > Boys Volleyball instituted

2005 > MIAA correctly, reasonably and safely adopted the modification to allow Boys to continue to play on Girls Volleyball teams, however only playing on the back row due to the documentation of the following:

Concussions to the girls (from spiked volleyballs from boys)

Broken fingers of the girls (from blocking spiked volleyballs from boys)

Broken noses of the girls (from spiked volleyballs from boys)

Eye injuries of the girls (from spiked volleyballs from boys)

Since then (2005) we have not been made aware of any requests for boys to play on the front

row. 2020 > request to allow boys to play on the front row???

Our Overarching Concern > Why would we now knowingly put the Girls back in harm’s way

when the genesis of the 2005 rule modification was correctly based on safety to keep the Girls from getting injured?

Volleyball Sub-Committee Presentation

Blue Ribbon Committee 5/28/20

RE: MIAA Rule #83.5.1

VISUAL AIDS

Net Height and Hitting Trajectory

AGE GROUP FEMALES / REVERSE CO-ED MALE / CO-ED

55 years and above 2.38 m (7' 9 5/8") 2.38 m (7' 9 5/8")

45 years and above 2.19 m (7' 2 1/8") 2.19 m (7' 2 1/8")

17-18 years and under 2.24 m (7' 4 1/8") 2.43 m (7' 11 5/8")

15-16 years and under 2.24 m (7' 4 1/8") 2.43 m (7' 11 5/8")

13-14 years and under 2.24 m (7' 4 1/8") 2.24 m (7' 4 1/8")

11-12 years and under 2.13 m (7') 2.13 m (7')

10 years and under 1.98 m (6'6") 2.13 m (7')

Historical Context