With its matches often running up to three hours and its rules too confusing for casual fans, collegiate women's volleyball has been given a major facelift.
The most noticeable of the new rule changes brought on by the NCAA and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports is the switch from sideout volleyball to a rally scoring format.
Matches used to be played best-of-five. The first four games were played to 15, and a team could score only on serve.
Now, the first four games will be played to 30 points, and a point can be won by either team regardless of which team is serving. The fifth and deciding game will remain first to 15, and the victor must win by two points.
UNC assistant coach Kiran Mistry said researchers decided the rules changes would shorten a match to less than two hours, fitting it into a two-hour television slot. He said he hopes the changes will increase the level of competition.
"It's a better game now, because there's more on the line," Mistry said. "You've got to be good, and it really shows who's good and who's inconsistent."
