The championship
Paul Quinn’s first volleyball national title
For Carrie Weston, a Paul Quinn College volleyball player, this issue is personal. Her team defeated Florida National University in four sets to win the 2025 USCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship. The USCAA described the victory as the program’s first volleyball title.
Behind the win were practices, travel, discipline, and trust. Players balanced school responsibilities with the demands of competition and represented their teammates, coaches, and college.
“A national championship is still a national championship. The athletes who earn it deserve to have their story shared.”
The research
Who gets seen in college sports?
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics describes itself as a governing body for small athletics programs. Its overview, as cited in the essay, gives a sense of how many athletes and schools compete beyond the most familiar major-university programs.
≈250 member institutions
89,000 student-athletes
31 national championship sports
Source: What Is the NAIA?
Major universities often have established media relationships, dedicated communications staff, and large alumni networks. Smaller colleges may have fewer people and resources to share schedules, results, and athlete stories. Consistent coverage helps families follow teams from home, gives recruits a clearer view of their options, and helps local supporters learn about programs.
What would fair recognition look like?
Media outlets have limited time and naturally cover events with big audiences. Fair recognition can start with a local feature, a dependable livestream, or a championship recap. These are practical ways to give athletes visibility and connect with people who already care about their teams.
The solutions
Four changes that would help
Make games easier to watch
Schools and athletic associations can publish reliable livestream links, current schedules, results, and replays. A clear camera angle and accurate scoreboard can make a game easier to follow from home.
Tell athlete stories throughout the season
Athletic departments can share player profiles, short interviews, and highlights. Student journalists and local outlets can cover practices, games, and the people behind the results.
Build community partnerships
Colleges can work with local newspapers, radio stations, youth sports organizations, alumni groups, and businesses to share results and bring more people to games.
Support the resources athletes need
Schools can review equipment, facilities, athletic training, travel, coaching support, and academic assistance, then communicate how they prioritize available funds.