College sand volleyball is no day at the beach. Well, it is. Sort of. But it's definitely no walk in the park, so there. If you want to play NCAA sand volleyball, you'll need superb athletic abilities. You'll need determination. You'll need height. And you'll need to live somewhere sunny…with a beach. Aw, poor you.

Help! Quicksand! (Source)

You probably already know a little something about volleyball. It's possible, however, that you know a little less about sand volleyball. Contrary to popular belief, they're actually different sports. Whereas traditional volleyball is played on an indoor court, sand volleyball—or beach volleyball, as it's called in the Olympics—is played outdoors on…wait for it…sand. In sand volleyball, there are only two players per team, as opposed to indoor volleyball's six players per team.

While both men's and women's indoor volleyball have been NCAA sports for quite some time, sand volleyball is new to the college sport mixer. Sand volleyball is like that mysterious cousin who came fashionably late to the party. Who is she? Where is she from? Well, she's related to volleyball, so she can't be too strange, right?

Right.

Official play began in 2012, but only at the end of 2014 was it approved as an NCAA Division-I championship sport (source). As of now, it exists only as a women's sport. Sorry, bro.

There aren't many colleges out there with sand volleyball programs yet. There are only 44 teams at the D-I level, and only 4 more in D-II (source). But have no fear, sand volleyballers: this sport is hot and it only continues to gain more popularity. It's very likely that the first official national championship will be played as soon as 2016 (source).

Looks like Wilson got a makeover. (Source)

For schools that offer sand volleyball in addition to indoor volleyball, there's some decent overlap between the rosters. While many athletes either stick to one or the other, it's possible to play on both teams. This situation makes divvying up scholarships a little tricky.

Women's volleyball at the D-I level is what's called a "head-count sport;" each member of the roster is provided a full scholarship. Sand volleyball, on the other hand, is an "equivalency sport." This means that, as of 2015, each school is permitted the equivalent of six full scholarships to allocate however it chooses between its players (source).

But while student-athletes with indoor scholarships are permitted to play sand volleyball as well, the same can't be said going the other direction: student-athletes with sand volleyball scholarships are not permitted to play indoor. Say what? Crazy, we know.

Anyway, we're going to be real with you (as usual). The likelihood of you playing at the next level on any team, let alone getting a scholarship, is very slim. There are over 240,000 girls under eighteen playing sand volleyball nationwide (source). With approximately 550 available roster spots at the college level, your odds are not exactly promising.

With the equivalent of only six scholarships per team, your chances of landing any scholarship dough aren't so hot either—very unlike the sand volleyball court.

Yep, you've got it right: there'll be a lot of scrubs who won't make the cut. But you're not a scrub. As a non-scrub, what exactly is it that you have going for you? First of all, you must have a terrific all-around skillset. Unlike indoor volleyball, you'll be only one of two individuals on the sand per team. That means you'll have to do a little of everything.

Second of all, the ability to communicate and work as a duo is essential for any sand volleyball team. You've got to jump, pass, serve, block, and even set efficiently as a team. Setting is much harder to perfect in sand volleyball than the indoor game. Remember, you're outside and have to adjust…to the wind. And the sun.

But we're sure diving is more fun and less painful on that cushy, warm sand stuff.

Given the amount of open space on the sand court, ball placement is the name of the game. Well, not literally. Size is a major plus, but you can't rely solely on your height. Misty May-Treanor is "only" 5'9" and she does okay for herself. Although, she's a freakishly amazing athlete and has won the beach volleyball gold every time she's competed in the Olympics. So there's that, too.

Talk about mad hops. (Source)

So, how exactly do you get your foot in the door? Well, high school athletes need to be ambitious and self-motivated when it comes to getting recruited. Begin the conversation with college recruiters and coaches as soon as possible. Don't wait for them to call you. This isn't a bad romantic comedy from the '00s with staunch gender stereotypes. Be diligent. Put yourself out there.

You need to have a competitive track record, too. Have you been playing beach tournaments and attending camps and showcases? Are you involved with the USAV? The more experience you have in tournaments, the more interested coaches will be in your application. An edible arrangement bouquet wouldn't hurt, either.

No coach is going to hand you a spot on the roster. Do more than what's asked of you. Go above and beyond the minimum. Be bold. Be beautiful. But don't be a bad soap opera.

Are you starting to under-sand? (Sorry…not.) Think you've got what it takes to play collegiate sand volleyball? Get out there and show 'em what you're made of, ladies. We'll do our best to provide a good set, but you have to be the one to spike it.

Mainly because you're way taller than us.