Volleyball was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981-82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the AIAW for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA prevailed over the AIAW acquired its membership.
In the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship, separate tournaments are conducted for Division I, Division II, and Division III institutions. This differs from NCAA men's volleyball because there are far more NCAA member schools offering women's volleyball. Until the 2011–12 school year (2012 men's season—NCAA women's volleyball is a fall sport, while men's volleyball is a spring sport), there was no official divisional structure in men's collegiate volleyball, and all men's teams, regardless of their divisional affiliation, were eligible to compete for the same NCAA championship. Since 2011-12, the NCAA has truncated the championships, with the National Collegiate Championship (previously, the only men's tournament) open to schools in Divisions I and II, and the Division III Championship for Division III schools.
In the sport of beach volleyball, the NCAA conducts a women-only, all-divisions championship. The inaugural championship was held in spring 2016.
