Eligibility: AMB Volleyball-Lewington

2021-22 Season

December 20, 2021 

Facts:

Willow Lewington is a former Ambrose Women’s Volleyball player who is currently playing professional volleyball in Salzburg, Austria.

According to Ambrose, during the past summer, fearing that the current ACAC season might not take place due to Covid-19, Ms. Lewington elected to take the year off school and play professionally in Europe.

Ambrose seeks a ruling that Ms. Lewington be eligible to compete for Ambrose from the commencement of the 2022-23 ACAC season.

Ruling:

Article I Section 5 Rule 1.2 of the ACAC Operating Code states as follows:

1.2. Amateur Status

The ACAC follows the CCAA Amateur Professional status rules as stated in Article 5, Section 12 of the CCAA Operating Code with the following modifications:

As per CCAA Approval: If a student-athlete decided to play professionally in 2020-21, since there were no opportunities to compete in the CCAA and because the CCAA indicated that it would waive its eligibility requirements for CCAA student-athletes in 2020- 21, they would not be charged a year of eligibility by the CCAA and would not be required to sit out 365 days from the last professional competition.

Article 5 Section 12 of the CCAA Operating Code is worded as follows:

12.1 Any professional athlete may participate in CCAA competition one year from the date the athlete last participated in a professional game or event in a recognized sport of the CCAA. (emphasis added)

The exception noted in Rule 1.2 of the ACAC Operating Code was clearly intended to apply only to the 2020-21 academic year. While I appreciate that the pandemic remains ongoing, the ACAC has consciously elected not to extend the exception for the current academic year. Therefore, while I am sympathetic to Ms. Lewington’s circumstances, I do not have the authority to deviate from the wording of CCAA Rule 12.1. Accordingly, Ms. Lewington will not be eligible to compete within the ACAC until 365 days has passed from the date of her last professional match.

Sincerely,

Bill Hendsbee 
ACAC Commissioner