Francisco Volleyball League – IVLSF

Been playing in this IVL volleyball league for many many years — I had no idea it was on Unilocal,or else I would have reviewed it long ago. It’s a great time with nice folks and offers various skill levels.
Tell Commissioner Gary that Sean sent you.

I just relocated to San Francisco from AZ and really want to find a league or group of people to play either indoor or sand. I have been playing for many years and consider myself to be an above average playing, mostly outside hitter. If anyone is looking for a sub or just to get out and play let me know… Also looking to join a team in a league or two so if you know anyone looking I am more than willing to come and «try-​out».
Michael

Hi! I’ve lived in SF for about a year and haven’t been able to find a vball league! I used to play year round where I used I live, so I miss it! I’d love to be able to get in contact with Gary. Where can I find his contact info? Thank you!

I moved to SF and i’m looking for a volleyball league to join. I used to play a lot of volleyball back in Chicago and I want to keep playing it but I don’t see how I can contact you guys! HELP PLEASE!

Is there a SF City component to this anymore? This league seems to be south bay/​peninsula only. At least thats what the website says and lets you sign up for.
Are there any Men’s or Co-​ed leagues, drop-​ins, pick up, etc that is reasonably accessible by public transportation (bus is fine) and a short walk (less than ½ a mile)? Help I am desperate and new to the city.
Jboat

Does the Francisco Volleyball League still exist? I could only find info on the South Bay league through IVL but am looking for something in the city. If anyone knows of any competitive leagues or is looking for someone to join their team, I would appreciate some info :) I play at a B to BB level. Thanks!

I have a coed group that plays on grass and sand on the weekends and sometimes during the weekdays. Generally, pickup games and we play 2×2 or 4×4…never sixes. We play out in the GGP or elsewhere in SF. Our games are competitive but our level range from A to B. If you’re interested and love outdoor volleyball or want to try adapting from indoor to outdoor, leave me a message here… We’re always looking for fun players who got skillz.

Was looking for an SF league after playing many seasons of IM’s at Cal. I tried emailing Gary, the league’s organizer many times but he’s very hard to contact. Fortunately, my friend asked me to sub for her team in the Francisco league and I soon joined the team!
I played in the B league last season and it was a blast! We ended up winning the championships though the competition was not as competitive as we hoped. The B league is mostly older (30’s) people that are there playing for fun. This season I’m playing in the BB league and the teams are MUCH better. Younger teams and definitely more experienced. Many are ex-​college players. Being part of the Francisco league was a great way to join the volleyball community! I’ve met tons of new friends who are always looking to play! I’m superexcited for the rest of the season!

This is the best indoor league in SF by far, Gary is a class act all the way.

Hey! I was so delighted to find these reviews for Francisco Volleyball league. I love playing volleyball and have been playing competitively all my life and in college. I would love to get involved in a league that takes the sport a little more seriously than your average rec group. Please let me know some info!!!
Thanks so much!
Katie

I just moved to SF from LA where the vball community is completely different. In LA, you can find a competitive game anywhere. In SF, not so much. I’ve tried almost every league in SF and IVL is pretty much the best out there. As mentioned in the previous review, the other leagues are more social than competitive. At IVL, there are definitely some players.
Getting into the league is a bit challenging since it’s packed. Gary does a great job at running the league, but getting a new team in is challenging. Your best bet is joining an existing team.
Also, this league is goes on much longer than other vball leagues, which gives you more bang for the buck.

Francisco Volleyball League used to be known as IVLSF (Industrial Volleyball League, San Francisco) and was affiliated with IVL South Bay, although no longer. For the purposes of this review and mostly just because I’m used to the old name, I’m going to call it IVLSF.
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I’ve played in a lot of volleyball leagues in San Francisco over the past years. Actually, at some point in time I’ve played in every one of them as well as some that are no longer in existence. And I can now say without any equivocation that IVLSF is the best overall volleyball league in the city. The other leagues are fine if you are a beginner or like goofing around more than playing or are only joining in hopes of picking up a date. This is particularly true of the larger sports organizations like Golden Gate Sport & Social Club or Sports4Good. They’re great at getting lots of people to join and then taking your money but they suck at ensuring skill level or quality of play. Admittedly there are a few smaller groups that can run a decent league like some local churches and recreation centers. But they tend to have logistical problems like never having enough teams or the season is short or the gyms sucks or… well, I think you get the picture.
Gary W. has been running IVLSF for a long time. The league has four levels: B, BB, A, and Open.* The format is regular coed sixes which means teams need to have at least three women on the court but none of the other usual coed playing rules apply. There are no refs and the «honor system» applies to any calls made by either team. Matches are held at Francisco Middle School in North Beach. The address listed on Unilocal is not correct because the gym doesn’t have its own address but the entrance is on Francisco between Stockton and Powell. Depending on your team level, games this season are either on Mondays or Tuesday between 6 — 10PM. Team fees are fair at $ 510. There’s no website but if you contact me, I’ll let you know how to get in touch with Gary. Oh, and despite the tone of this review (I tend to take my volleyball seriously), don’t get me wrong… we definitely have a lot of fun in this league! It’s just that we know how to play hard and enjoy ourselves at the same time. I guess those other leagues can’t multi-​task? ;)
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*In case you want a more detailed explanation of the levels, here you go:
B — beginner, mostly social or work teams
BB — intermediate, some individual players may be good but teams are still not very strong, equivalent to maybe a junior varsity level
A — advanced, a mix of varsity/​club/​college level play
Open — could also be called AA, most players are former collegiate players and there have even been former pros and Olympians in the league… yes, I said Olympians! :)