I hear from many volleyball parents and players that they are getting stressed about the recruiting process! They aren’t sure when to start and what to do in order to get going and make sure they have covered their bases. The June 15th rule (explained in this article) is impactful to younger high school players AND all players need to get ready before big club travel tournaments. When the quiet period ends (Feb. 18th), all college coaches can watch you play at your place of competition.
Here is my newly updated 2-page PDF College Volleyball Recruiting Checklists. I have created specific checklists for 2026s/2025s and 2024s/2023s based on the NCAA June 15th recruiting rule timeline, which is a huge game changer in college volleyball recruiting!
The June 15th rule is basically saying that college coaches cannot communicate directly about recruiting with the athlete or the athlete’s family prior to June 15th after their sophomore year. So, basically, all the way through the athlete’s freshman and sophomore year, then all of a sudden when school is out their sophomore year, communication opens up at 12:01AM June 15th, then player’s CAN talk to college coaches on the phone and receive emails directly from coaches concerning their school, their volleyball program, and recruiting them specifically.
This rule is meant to slow down the recruiting process and NOT allow athletes to verbally commit to play volleyball in college as a freshman or sophomore. The NCAA basically is trying to put athletes on the same timeline for making decisions about where to go to college as a regular student. I like the idea of this and it makes sense because the athletes are more mature and have a better idea of what they want in a college and a volleyball program when they are beginning their junior year. It’s a major life decision and when the athlete is older and deciding, then it’s better for both the school and the athlete to know they have made a solid decision and thought it through.
FRESHMAN (2026s) & SOPHOMORES (2025s): CHECKLIST for you
All of this being said, this is why I think it’s really important for 2026s (freshman) and 2025s (sophomores) to start their recruiting process NOW, if they haven’t already, by reaching out to schools. The checklist for 2025s and 2026s will help get you started. We have the upcoming club season and starting Feb. 18th college coaches can watch players of all ages play live at tournaments! Coaches will be watching 2025s and 2026s compete, for sure. When you email the coaches, they know you are interested in their program. IF they need your position in your class, and like your highlight video…they WILL mark you down on their list of players to watch play at the big club travel tournaments. I’ve included in the checklist an ending to your emails, which asks coaches to respond to your club coach or your club recruiting person. College coaches can contact them after receiving your email and express their interest in you in a vague way…”yes, we need a 2024 setter (for example)” or “she’s a good athlete” or “we like her as a player out there”. They can’t talk about recruiting you specifically to your coach, but they can respond to them about you. They can’t talk about scholarships to your coach or recruiting timelines to your coach, BUT just to know who is interested and responding tells you that you need to keep emailing them. As June 15th after your sophomore year approaches, you will ask them for a call for after June 15th!
JUNIORS (2024s) & SENIORS (2023s): CHECKLIST for you
It’s not too late for 2023s! You may be applying to colleges and want to play there. Coaches may say they will consider you if you get in (high academic). Have your back-up schools you are applying to in case playing volleyball in college doesn’t work out. Consider playing at a Junior College or playing club volleyball in college also and consider ALL NCAA divisions including NAIA. The fact that current college athletes can take an extra Covid year and stay has changed the recruiting needs of so many programs! In addition, the transfer portal is very active and these players are competing for roster spots for 2022s and 2023s, which is a bummer! But keep going anyway and move forward until you have to make a decision based on the choices in front of you! And 2023s need to get on it NOW! Coaches can respond to you directly. I’ve included phrases for your emails in the checklist. You need to find out if they are recruiting your position in your grad year and if they think you are a possible fit for their program. Ask coaches to watch you play at tournaments and email them before and after tournaments and send them new video as often as you can. Coaches will respond more to players that reach out more, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Email them every 2 weeks with some type of update, with, or without video. Work to set up phone calls and talk about visits…try to find out what they have to offer in the way of a scholarship or walk-on roster spot and decide if it is in line with you and your family’s situation.
I hope you find the checklists helpful! It’s a 2-page PDF and the first page is for freshmen and sophomores before June 15th with emailing tips specific to them. The second page is for juniors and seniors (which the freshman and sophomores should keep!) and the action items and phrasing in emails that work well for them!
I encourage you to keep emailing and keep working to move forward in your recruiting process. You got this!