About The Back Row

The back row doesn't get the spotlight. Liberos, defensive specialists — the players doing the unglamorous work that makes everything else possible. Division III volleyball is the back row of college sports media: full of real competition, real stories, and real athletes, and almost entirely uncovered by anyone outside the programs themselves.

The Back Row exists to change that.

We cover Division III volleyball across the Midwest — game recaps, photography, and season-long storylines from programs that rarely see a camera outside their own athletic department. Our coverage spans Aurora University, North Central College, Wheaton College, Carthage Collage, Loras College, and other conference programs throughout the region, with an emphasis on consistent, original, match-by-match reporting rather than occasional highlights.

The Back Row is published by Papa Claes Visuals (PCV), an independent sports photography brand built around the belief that D3 athletes deserve the same quality of coverage as their D1 counterparts. What started as game photography has grown into a full publication — because the games themselves are worth writing about, not just shooting.

Interested in contributing coverage of a program in your area? Get in touch.