UMaine holds out volleyball player NCAA ruling needed on Voss’ eligibility

Leah Voss, a senior on the University of Maine volleyball team, was held out of action last weekend after it was learned she had participated recently in at least one match for a team in a Brewer recreational league.

Such a situation may effect her eligibility at UMaine.

Coach Sue Medley’s Black Bears beat Drexel in four games Saturday, then dropped a close, four-game match to league-leading Towson on Sunday.

Voss, an outside hitter from Gettysburg, Pa., reportedly agreed to play at the spur of the moment one evening because one team did not have enough players. Thus, she assumed the match would not count toward the league standings, making it a scrimmage situation.

According to NCAA rules, “In Division I, a student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in non-collegiate, amateur competition becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition for the remainder of the year and the next academic year… unless restored to eligibility prior to that by the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet. A student-athlete is permitted to practice on such a team.”

UMaine athletics spokesman Joe Roberts said the university is preparing a report for the NCAA in regard to Voss’ situation.

“We’re in the process of gathering information, completing our self-reports, showing it to everyone on campus who needs to see it, and faxing it to the NCAA,” said Roberts, who explained Voss is being held out of competition, but may practice with the Bears while UMaine waits for a response from the NCAA.

Roberts said UMaine’s report will include a request to have Voss reinstated for competition.

“Part of our appeal to the NCAA to reinstate her is that we felt that either the rule didn’t apply to this situation or, if it did, that she already has faced the penalty for breaking the rule,” Roberts said.

Prior to each season, UMaine student-athletes meet as a group with a member of the school’s compliance staff and are informed about numerous NCAA eligibility rules in an effort to point out potential problems they could encounter, Roberts said.

“It’s hard to educate student-athletes on every rule, but we try to educate them on a lot of rules. This is one of the rules that student-athletes are notified about,” Roberts said of the “outside competition” prohibition.

He said gambling, banned substances and minimum academic requirements are among the many rules covered in the sessions.

Once the self-report and appeal for reinstatement are filed, all Voss and UMaine can do is wait.

“Obviously, we’re going to move as fast as we can on it,” Roberts said. “Looking out for the student-athletes’ welfare, I’m sure the NCAA will try to move as quickly as they can.”

UMaine has 10 more regular-season matches before the four-team America East tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 17-18. The Bears (8-9 overall, 2-3 AE) are in fifth place.