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Originally Posted by Scrapper1
1) Would I start out as a line judge? Or are college officials only used as R1 or R2?
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Depends. I normally am an official, but I will line judge from time to time. Ask the assignor.
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2) What kind of travel is involved? For basketball, I sometimes travel 2 or 3 hours to get to the game site. Is this normal for volleyball as well?
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Depends on how far you're willing to go. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to go.
I live in Illinois, I got my PAVO National rating in Texas this year, but that's an anomaly. I have two matches in Tennessee, otherwise, all my matches are either in Illinois or bordering states. But that's because that's where I indicated I was willing to go, and the further ones are Division I, for which I'm willing to travel further.
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3) What level of games would I get? Is there a significant difference in level of play between junior college and D3 schools?
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Could be junior college, could be D-III, there's not a huge difference between the two. Frankly, NAIA is a much higher level than D-III IMO.
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4) How does "moving up" work? In basketball, to work D1, you have to go to camp and get hired by the league's assignor. Is this also true in volleyball? Or is there simply a regional assignor who can assign you to whatever level he/she thinks is appropriate?
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Can be a mix of both. Going to a camp can get you feedback that would be valuable, and can sometimes get you seen by the right people. But your assignor can/will also assign you to matches (or with partners) that are best for your skill level.
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5) What are the game fees for college ball? This is not the primary factor in my decision, but I make $125 for a JV/V doubleheader 20 minutes from my house. If I have to travel 2 hours for $150, it's not worth it to me.
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It all depends. If you're looking to get better, sometimes you have to see a better level of play (and travel to see it) for a lower rate.
If pay is your foremost concern, then you may want to stay where you are.
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6) What is the biggest adjustment that you make as an official between a high school match and a low-level college match (which is what I assume I'd start with)?
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Since you (IIRC) deal with college rules presently, the rules differences wouldn't be an issue. Understand that a college coach *is* that person's job, as opposed to a high school coach for which they probably have another full time job and this is a stipend. Give some leeway to the fact that the college coach may fight a little harder for a call, since his/her job just may be on the line. Don't let them get overboard, though.
R2ing is extremely important at the college level. Get better at it (and before someone takes that as a negative, we can ALL get better at R2ing). A bad R2 can kill a match; a good one can make things much better.