February 2, 2022
Inside Hitter completed an analysis of inter-division games for the entire month of January 2022, and here is what we found. There were 128 inter-division games that took place during the month. D1 teams strayed out of their division 47 times, D2 had 73 inter-division games, D3 wandered 60 times, and NAIA teams played a whopping 76 times against non-division foes. Here are their records when playing out of division:
These games are the most important in our ranking analysis as they collect comparative relationships and data that allow us to assess the entire college volleyball landscape. It was not a surprise that D1 teams collected a .787 win percentage against inter-division foes. Going 27-9 against D2 schools was somewhat expected. Some of the NAIA schools have been relentless when facing D3 foes, amassing a .705 win percentage. Teams like Menlo, Vanguard and Georgetown have shown they can stay with some of the top teams in the country. D3 teams hold a slight edge over D2 teams which is a surprise but it is a small sample size. It will be interesting to measure this at the end of the season.
The top down hierarchy of D1, D2, D3, and NAIA gets thrown out the window based on this analysis. It’s great to see the level of competition high in inter-division games as teams jockey for bragging rights. Having options outside your division facilitates scheduling and also helps coaches create competitive games to increase and develop players skill levels.
What are your thoughts? Comments welcome!
Inter-Division Game details (Winning division is highlighted)
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