We run outdoor sand leagues in the Spring and Summer and indoor leagues in the Fall and Winter. Spring season usually starts mid-May and runs through mid-July, and Summer starts in mid-July. Fall Indoor leagues typically start at the end of October, with the first session finishing up in mid-January and the second beginning in January and ending in Mid-March. Depending on facility scheduling, there may be another session from mid-March to mid-May.

Basic Info

Some league information appears on this page. More is found in our Frequently Asked Questions and the rulebooks linked in the grey menu bar toward the top of the page. General club policies can be found at the bottom of this page in the Info & Help section.

Notes for 2019 Fall Indoor Leagues

The Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Fall leagues all have multiple locations so that we can accomodate more teams and try to offer both Upper and Lower divisions. They are all within a 2-4 mile radius of the Boys & Girls Club, so travel time to any given location should be roughly the same, and teams will only play at one location each week. Teams will be asked during registration if they have a preference between the two main locations, but could play at any of them any given week. Locations are as follows:

• Tuesday: Fitchburg Boys & Girls Club and Hamilton Middle School
• Wednesday: Boys & Girls Club, Hamilton, Wright Middle School, and Midvale Elementary. There are only two weeks at Wright and one at Midvale
• Thursday: Boys & Girls Club, Hamilton, Midvale

What's the difference between the locations? Notes on the main gyms are below:

• Boys & Girls Club: One court in a large gym. The floor is wood, but has not been refinished in a number of years and is somewhat slippery. The net and poles are newer, but the net does not have a cable across the bottom. It's currently held in place by rubber straps and is somewhat loose. The height of the net is probably closest to women's height and cannot go any higher. The net does have antennas. The gym has locker rooms available for use and has enough space for teams to warm up before matches
• Hamilton: Can be set up as one court in a large gym, or divided into two smaller courts with a divider between them. We will most likely just set it up with one court in a large gym, which should allow space for warmups. It has a wood floor that is the best of any of the gyms available. It has a pretty new set of padded poles and the net can be set at the correct height.
• Midvale: The gym itself is very similar to Hamilton, although older. The nets and poles (if not replaced since last year) are old and not in great shape. Nets are pretty loose and do not have antennas.

Format

• Teams are co-ed and consist of six players on the court - at least two must be female
• Registration fees are based on 8 players per team and include eight shirts. Extra shirts are available at an additional cost
• Shirts, equipment, and referees are provided by MSSC
• Matches consist of three sets played to 21 points and use rally scoring
• Download the rulebooks linked in the grey bar toward the top of the page for full details on formats and rules

League Capacity

All leagues have a capacity and many sell out. Capacity for our outdoor sand leagues tends to be higher than our indoor leagues, but both usually have nights that sell out. Do not wait to sign up if you want to play.

Divisions

Teams self-select their division during registration, subject to MSSC approval. Not all leagues will have three divisions, depending on space available and the mix of teams who sign up. Our indoor leagues tend to be at a higher level of play than our sand leagues, and we are not always able to segement indoor leagues into more than one division when there are space limitations. This is the best way we can define our divisions:

• Lower: Teams with little-to-no playing experience. They don't pass well (or even understand what a pass is) and do not utilize the bump, set, spike technique on each play. Most players serve underhand and teams are generally called for a fair number illegal hits during the course of a match. Most players on the team cannot spike well, if at all
• Intermediate: Teams who have some volleyball experience, but generally do not have any players who played in high school or college. They understand the basics of the game and fall somewhere between Lower and Upper. When only Lower and Upper divisions are offered, Intermediate teams should probably register for Upper
• Upper: This is MSSC's highest level of play, but is probably not considered "Power" (for those who understand the term). Many players on the team played in high school or college or otherwise have a fair amount of organized playing experience. They understand the bump, set, spike technique and try to employ it whenever possible. Most players serve overhand and can spike fairly well if they are tall enough

Overall, our leagues tend to be at a lower level of competition than others out there. Please sign up for a higher division whenever possible, as teams who actually belong in Lower do not enjoy getting destroyed by teams who are much better than them. MSSC reserves the right to move teams if we know how good they are and believe they are in the wrong division. There is no guarantee we will be able to segment any given league into separate divisions. All teams may be placed in one division, or at least fewer than originally offered.

Individual registration details: Individuals may sign up and we will place you if we can. No payment is required at sign up; we will contact you if we have a spot for you and place you when payment is received. With six leagues available for Winter 2019, there is a good chance we will be able to place a lot of free agents for the season.

Do not register for multiple nights if you are not able to play on multiple nights. We count on all free agents being available for any and all nights for which they register. If you are able to play on multiple nights but only want to play one, register for the night you prefer and indicate in the comments section that you would be able to play on others.

Dates and Locations

• The regular season is typically 6 games, followed by playoffs. The 2019 Fall Indoor leagues will be held at the following locations:
• Monday: Hamilton Middle School
• Tuesday: Fitchburg Boys & Girls Club and Hamilton Middle School
• Wednesday: Boys & Girls Club, Hamilton, Wright Middle School, and Midvale Elementary. There is only one week at Midvale
• Thursday: Boys & Girls Club, Hamilton, Midvale

See the notes at the top of the page regarding locations

Prizes and Other Benefits

• Champions t-shirts will be awarded to the league champions
• Gift cards or cash prizes will be distributed as well

For complete details, please download the Rulebook linked in the grey bar at the top of this page. When you're ready to sign up, click the blue "Team" or "Individual" button below to register. Click the grey "League Details" button for the full details on dates, start times, locations, etc.

Questions? Check out our FAQ or Contact Us.