Jul 15, 2010 8:56:19 AM

The NCAA Men's Volleyball Committee at its recent annual meeting recommended changing the amount of points it takes to win a set to 25 instead of 30.

The proposal must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before it becomes effective for the 2011 season.

Committee chair Brian Summers said the recommendation came after a survey of NCAA coaches this summer showed that 64 percent of respondents favored the change.

If approved, the first four sets of a men's volleyball match would be to 25 and the fifth set would be played to 15. A team must have at least a two-point advantage for the set to end.

"Men's collegiate volleyball was the only stakeholder in the world playing to 30 points," said Summers, assistant athletics director at Lewis. "That includes everyone from club level and junior level to international and Olympic competition."

NCAA women's volleyball also uses a 25-point format for the first four sets and 15 for the final.

The men's committee considered the possibility of remaining unique with the 30-point sets. But after discussing the matter and reviewing survey results, the recommendation to change was clear.

"The greatest impetus was the survey results," Summers said, noting that the issue had been a point of discussion in each of his four years on the committee.

In another item on the agenda, the committee talked about the plan for the inaugural Division III Men's Volleyball Championship in light of two conferences' intent to submit legislation for the division to begin conducting such an event in 2012.

Committee members believe another men's volleyball championship is good for the sport.

"It is good for men's volleyball to show growth and that a number of schools around the country have realized the value that men's volleyball can provide to their universities," Summers said. "You are typically talking about student-athletes who have a good academic profile."

He also pointed out that athletics departments may find it appealing to add the sport, which has low costs since most schools already have a women's program. That also means the basic equipment needed to compete in the sport is already in place.

Currently, 23 Division I institutions, 13 Division II institutions and 53 Division III schools sponsor men's volleyball.