VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL
Embedded Files
Post game report click above. Please submit if you give a RED card.
Optional - Great for a PRAISE sportsmanship report to be sent to the school leadership.
A copy of this report is sent to the official and Megan Cusick
Please register for the Girls 2025 Fall Volleyball Season. Click HERE
Trainers & Mentors - fill out evaluation reports as needed, click above
A copy of this evaluation is sent to Megan Cusick
2025 Game Assignment Timelines
2025 Game Assignment Timelines
Girls Volleyball Timelines:
2025 Season - Crew Assignments will begin in Spring 2026.*
NOTE: Additional assignments for crew, independents, and all qualified officials will start in mid to late spring 2026 with fill-in's in early August.
Boys Volleyball Timelines:
Assignments will begin around Mid-March 2026. Games typically start around the last week of March and league play after spring break in April.
*Reminder: There are 7 fewer schools in the OK Conference (aka 7 fewer varsity teams and 14 fewer sub-varsity teams). As an independent contractor, it is your responsibility to network with all assigners.
Communications NOTICE:
During the off season (Girls: Nov - Aug and Boys: June - Feb), refrain from texting or calling.
It is impossible to manage calls and requests from everyone. During this time, use email communication and expect possible delayed responses as not managing assigning daily. Thank you for your understanding. Texts and calls may be missed.
***Email is the primary form of communication always
Volleyball Assigners:
Volleyball Assigners:
Girls Volleyball Primary Assigner:
Megan Cusick, cusickfarms@gmail.com
***Email is the preferred method of contact, especially during the off season (offseason: Mid Nov - Mid August)
Boys Volleyball Primary Assigner:
Robert Wilson, rswilson04@aol.com
***Email is the preferred method of contact, especially during the off season. (offseason: Early June - Mid March)
*If you need a substitute please contact the correct assigner - do not contact the school*
Turnback Policy:
3 Days or less: Pease email the correct assigner.
Day of: Before 10 am, please call or text, AND email the correct assigner.
Weekend Tournament Policy:
The OK Conference Assigners strive to ensure arbiter is accurate. However when it comes to weekend tournaments, I encourage you, as independent contractors, to confirm the details with the school directly prior to the tournament if they haven’t reached out by the Thursday before. Most schools usually do send the format in advance.
Contact information for the schools is in Arbiter and tied to the respective game.
Sport Specific Details
High School Uniform Requirements:
White or Cyan Blue MHSAA Shirt, (One of each color, as you need to match your partner - can be long sleeve or short sleeve), Black Pants, All Black Shoes, All Black Socks, All Black Belt, Wrist Watch, Black Whistle (Fox40 brand), Red and Yellow Cards, Pressure Gauge and Pump, Net Chain - For Measurement, ½ dollar Coin, 3x5 Note cards, Mechanical Pencil or Pen. Line Judge Flags (optional for 1st year but recommended for future). **The CAAVO Store - works with a local supplier, if you want to Michigan support local. Please note - I do not get kickbacks or incentives just looking to support local Michigan sports
Girls Volleyball Play Dates:
High School games: Tuesday and Thursday typically 5p start
Middle School: Monday and Wednesday typically 4p start
Saturday tournaments usually 8/8:30 am starts, end around 3:30/4:30p
Volleyball Arrival Times:
Varsity: 30 minutes prior to the start of the match.
Sub Varsity: 30 minutes prior, but 20 works if running late. (Some freshman teams will run a 10 minute warm up (4,4,2) rather than a 16 minute warm up (4,4,4,4).
*Crew/Partner Communication, use arbiter sports cell phone app - Download it - Coordinate and communicate with your partner on or before game day by texting. I made a quick 24-sec “how to” video. LINK IS HERE. Scroll down, it's the 7th video posted.
Girls High School Volleyball 2025 Pay Scale (Remember you will start at low levels to allow for great learning experiences)
Middle School – about $45 per game (~ $85 for 2)
Sub Varsity - $63
Sub varsity + Varsity lines - $111 (for example: officiate the freshmen game then line judge the varsity game)
Varsity lines - $48
Sub Varsity Quad / Tri - $139.50
Varsity Best 3 out of 5 - $78
Sub Varsity + Varsity - $141 (for example: officiate the JV game then officiate the varsity game)
Varsity Quad / Tri - $153
High School Tournaments - Sub Varsity $35 per match (bracket, pool, line judging) & Varsity $39 per match (bracket, pool, line judging)
(*The exception for this tournament rate is: OK JV Invitational Scholarship Tournament, The WMVOA Varsity Scholarship Tournaments and Officials for Kids Tournament - those are set rates by the association or conference running them)
Middle School Tournaments: The suggested price per match can differ depending on the middle school, typically falling within the range of $30 to $35.
Boys High School Volleyball 2024 Pay Scale - High School Club Sport - Not MHSAA yet.
(*Remember Boys High School volleyball is still considered a club sport, not an MHSAA approved sport, so the pay and policies are different.)
$35 for best 2 out of 3
$52 for best 3 out of 5 - Recommends Varsity only.
$30 for line judge
Quad - $105
Tri - $105
High School Tournaments - $35 per match any level for best 2 out of 3 (Typically they use 1 official per court, sometimes 2)
Middle School: 1 official - $35 (2/3 or can play all 3 sets 25,25,15) per game. (*The suggested price per match can differ depending on the middle school)
Boys Volleyball NOTES:
MS boys is one official per game.
Boys HS is two officials per game with no LJ's or home team providing LJ's. Two or three games per game night, best 2 out of 3.
Pay Policy's
Unable to Staff: If 2 officials are required and we are unable to provide 2 officials (R1&R2) due to a staff shortage, the official working alone will receive 1.5 times the pay.
No Show: If 1 official is a “no-show” on the day of the event, the official working alone as R1 will receive 2 times the pay.
Payment: Schools usually pay within a week. Some still process checks. This can delay your payment, if you have pay issues (after a week or more), please reach out to the correct game assigner and they can help.
Arbiter Sports Reminder:
Ensure your schedule blocks are up-to-date. If you require a reminder, you can access it HERE.
New Officials to OK Conference but NOT new to Volleyball Policy:
Before receiving a varsity assignment, new officials to the OK Conference (but not new to volleyball officiating) must submit the following information to the assigner, Megan Cusick:
1) Provide a referral from your past assigner
2) Submit game film to Megan Cusick or have been observed and approved at the Freshman/JV level by appropriate trainers/observers
3) Have a profile picture in arbiter of yourself
4) Have a current phone number in arbiter
Varsity Crew Formations and Alignments:
To facilitate networking and coordination:
Please utilize the OK Conference Facebook group to connect with other officials. [link here].
Reach out to crews directly to inquire about any officials who may be relocating/shifting/free agents.
Contact your local training association Trainer or Recruitment/Mentorship Coordinator for assistance in aligning skill sets (association links in next section):
WMVOA: Betty Near (Trainer) or Jeff Harp (R&M Coordinator)
USAOA: Lori Spelde (Trainer) or Jack Vanderboegh (R&M Coordinator)
MMOA: Ray Bauer & Chris Calkins (Trainer) or Ron Mousel (R & M Coordinator)
Names of all officials in the O-K Conference as of Feb 2025 for brainstorming/alignment ideas. OK Conference Official Roster
All contact information can also be found on the MHSAA officials directory.
After your crew is formed, provide all the necessary details in the volleyball registration form, link at the top of this site. There will be a dedicated section for crews, and the registration information you provide will be used to update the arbiter crew list. Please refrain from sending separate emails.
Disclaimers: Assigners do not participate or advise in crew matchmaking or alignments, as cannot assure compatibility or success. Officials are expected to take initiative, conduct their own research, and make informed decisions.
Also, while the OK Conference will attempt to utilize crews as an initial assigning process, officials please know the following:
1) Crews are assigned as a collective group - (i.e. if one official is blocked by a particular school, or your crewmate has a date blocked, or if one of your crew members has has notably different ratings, the entire crew will be impacted at assignment time). Choose your crews wisely. **The OK Conference has no role in crew formation. If you need advice, please work with your peers and local associations for recommendations.
2) Assigners retain the sole discretion to opt out of utilizing a crew and/or individuals. This could be based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, past performance, feedback from coaches or ADs, or historical turnback's/needs for reassignment.
3) The number of games and 'quality' of assignments are based on a multitude of factors in no particular order, including, but not limited to:
film analysis
observations
coach ratings
coach feedback
AD feedback
association trainer feedback
MHSAA ratings
late MHSAA registration
failure to watch the MHSAA preseason meeting
failure to be an active member of an officials association
participation in camps/training
willingness to mentor younger officials
support of recruitment
support of training others
willingness to travel to all OK Conference schools
declines from past seasons
failure to manage Arbiter
failure to have a picture and/or phone number in Arbiter
etc.
4) IMPORTANT: You need to have realistic expectations of communication from your assigners. There are over 175 volleyball officials in the OK Conference system. Too often, we get individuals seeking individualized guidance, feedback, or requesting special treatment or accommodation. Nearly every official believes they are deserving of more games and "better" assignments. Unfortunately, the OK Conference assigning team is not resourced to be able to have individualized conversations, nor manage the expectations of each of these people.
If you are unsatisfied with your games, here are the recommended steps you should take:
A) Self reflect - many officials believe they are better than others/compare themselves to other officials they see. This is dangerous and will cause frustration. Review your film and challenge your own perception of yourself. Where do you need to improve? How do you look on the court (confident? over-confident? are your calls actually usually correct as you review? what can you improve? etc.)
B) Take care of business. Keep yourself off the "causing extra work list" Have Arbiter up to date, try to avoid turn backs, and especially avoid declined games/needed swaps as much as possible. You do not want to be known as an official or crew that creates more headache and rework than your peers.
C) Attend camps - which creates networking opportunities
D) Extend your assigning network. We have fewer OK schools than we did in 2023 - there are fewer OK games to go around.
E) If you choose to work outside of the OK , which you should if you’re seeking more games or faster assignments — please understand that we cannot schedule you for games if you already have games from another assigner. When we begin assigning and your selected dates overlap with existing commitments by another assigner, we move on to the next available crew/official. We don’t replace those games or search for new dates during the initial round, as that causes too much shifting. We do our best to make up for it in future assignments, but cannot guarantee.
F) Your officials association is designed to support you. Association leadership can guide you and answer questions about how you can improve, etc.
Thank you for your cooperation, your collaboration is essential to our success.
Local Training Associations
For additional training, both on and off the court, the OK Conference highly recommends officials join local sports associations for training and mentorship. Here are associations serving West Michigan.
WMVOA - For West Michigan Officials looking for training.
MMOA - For Muskegon and North Officials looking for training
USAOA - For Lakeshore Officials looking for training
Others:
CAAVO - For officials east of Grand Rapids, towards Lansing
KOA - For officials south of Grand Rapids, towards Kalamazoo
The purpose of the WMVOA shall be the promotion of the welfare of high school volleyball and higher education by:
Recruiting, assisting and encouraging an adequate membership of outstanding men and women to serve as well-trained volleyball officials for the benefit of the school systems and youth of the area which this organization services.
Improving the quality, efficiency, consistency and uniformity of officiating by providing planned training programs, study meetings, practice sessions and rules interpretations by means of which new and prospective officials shall be instructed and experienced officials can increase their knowledge and officiating skills.
To encourage the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship.
To uphold, encourage and promote high ethical and professional standards among the association’s members.
To establish, maintain, and distribute funds to provide scholarship(s) to student volleyball player(s) to promote higher education.
The USA Officials Association is an MHSAA Approved Association that continues to build on the venerable tradition started by the original Umpires of the Shoreline Association more than 20 years ago.
Our Mission: Is to train, promote, and maintain professional standards in sports officiating for interscholastic contests between MHSAA member schools, and to create a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation between sports officials, coaches, athletic directors, and other parties of interest throughout the greater West Michigan area.
MMOA b is a non-for-profit, approved officials’ association (#1025) of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Our Purpose: The purpose of this association shall be to promote better and more uniform officiating of all sports, to aid new officials in getting started, and to serve as a central source of scheduling officials for schools who are in need of officials.
Off Season 2025 Training Opportunities.
For those looking to train in the off season - below is what I know of so far:
WMVOA Summer Slam/Showcase at Aquinas College – Trainings 2 Fridays in July 2025 - ****Email Contact: the.wmvoa@gmail.com (***very good training event***) This camp emphasizes NFHS mechanics and rules, providing dedicated trainers on every court.
New official free training at early season freshman quads at East Kentwood - 8/21 & 8/28. Plan for open gym format, new officials only can come for 1 game and leave or stay for the duration - this is non paid and free training. If interested email Megan Cusick (Cusickfarms@gmail.com)
New official free training at Officials for Kids Tournament Saturday 8/23. 9-11 Plan for open gym format, new officials only can come for 1 game and leave or stay for the duration - this is non paid and free training. If interested email Megan Cusick (Cusickfarms@gmail.com)
RefReps - Intro to Volleyball Officiating Education Course. Self paced online, life time access, highly recommend, $50. https://learn.refreps.com/
Register with MHSAA
Register with MHSAA
Sport Deadlines
• August 2025 – Football and Volleyball
• November 2025 – Basketball, Competitive Cheer, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Swimming and Wrestling
• March 2026– Baseball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Cross Country and Track
Volleyball Training Links
Volleyball Training Links
NFHS Alignment Training - VERY GOOD
NFHS Volleyball Ball Handling - VERY GOOD
MHSAA Volleyball Sport Specific Content
Volleyball Summary Rules Comparison
NFHS Volleyball Scoresheet Instructional Video
MHSAA Referee Magazine (Mhsaa#8122)
Scoring (sample sheet), Line-Up, & Libero Tracking Tips
NFHS Volleyball Scoring - Sample Sheet
Net Fault Sequence - Pic-O-Gram
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to ensuring our games run smoothly and fairly. Your hard work and expertise are invaluable to the sport, and we greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into each match.
Your role is crucial in creating a positive experience for players, coaches, and fans alike. Thank you for your continued support and contribution to the success of our volleyball community.
Lastly - Keep recruiting. 🏐
OK Conference Volleyball Assigning:
OK Conference Volleyball Assigning:
Assigner and Supervisor of Officials for Girls Volleyball:
Megan Cusick, cusickfarms@gmail.com
Assigner and Supervisor of Officials for Boys Volleyball:
Robert Wilson, rswilson04@aol.com
Note if you are interested in Girls AAU/Club During the "off season" here is contact information for Local Assigners
Lake Michigan Group (Lakeshore area):
● Ray Bauer - raybabyref@gmail.com
● Dean Duchemin - diggerdean22@gmail.com
MSA Fieldhouse and locations:
● Kelly Delacher - kellyd@michigansportsacademies.com
● Chip Will - cwill@grcc.edu
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