When my older daughter, Avalon (who is now a senior in college), first started the college volleyball recruiting process, I had never heard of the NCAA Recruiting Calendar. I had no idea there are certain dates/months in the year when D1 college volleyball coaches can AND cannot watch players in a place of competition and evaluate them for their program.
The NCAA Women’s Volleyball D1 Recruiting Calendar outlines WHEN these coaches can evaluate players for their program during the 2022-2023 club season. This PDF defines the quiet period, contact period, dead period, and evaluation period and includes a full color-coded calendar. There is a “quiet period” Dec. 1st, 2022 – Feb. 16th 2023, for D1 college volleyball coaches. This means they CANNOT watch players play at club tournaments during that time. D2, D3, and NAIA volleyball coaches CAN watch players play at club tournaments during this time. This is good for you to know, so you can focus on getting coaches ready to watch you play LIVE and get on their radar during the “quiet period”.
When college volleyball coaches start recruiting next club season, they will have a list of players marked down to watch at tournaments. Players they started watching last club season, players that have reached out to them since nationals or AAU’s, and players that start reaching out to them now. By “reaching out” I mean emailing the coaching staff at the schools on your target list….introduce yourself, include highlight video, express your interest, and why you want to go to their school and play for their program.
For volleyball players targeting D1 programs, coaches can start watching them the Friday before President’s Day weekend, Feb 17th, 2023. It is a big tournament weekend when college coaches are let out of the gates, ready, and primed to watch players play LIVE! Between now and then, volleyball recruits should be emailing coaches, working to move forward in the recruiting process, and setting up phone calls. This holds true for all divisions – D1, D2, D3, and NAIA on your target list.
Get the ProActive Volley College Volleyball Recruiting Checklist specific to your recruiting class to help you get started in the recruiting process.
HERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR JUNIORS(2024s) AND SENIORS(2023s)
Scenario 1: The player has emailed the coaching staff consistently and worked to move forward to a phone call before Feb. 17th 2023:
If a coach thinks you could possibly make their team better, your grades are good (you check that box), they like your personality, and you connected on the phone…AND they know you are interested in their school and program….ALL before Feb. 17th? Then, the coach and/or their staff will watch you play LIVE, probably several times throughout the tournament. They will be watching you with intent, focus, and anticipation to see your athleticism, skill level on the court, and how you play with your team. You will email them after the tournament thanking them for watching you play. The coach will continue to move forward in the recruiting process and you will learn more about their program.
Scenario 2: The player has NEVER contacted the coach before Feb. 17th 2023:
The coach doesn’t know you at all and just happens to be watching another player on your court. They notice you’re a skilled player, but they don’t know anything about you. They don’t know if you have ANY interest in their school or their volleyball program. They don’t know your personality. If they choose, they can look up your grades on University Athlete (make sure you’re on UA!) and write an evaluation and make notes on you. Maybe the college coach will reach out to you after the tournament or maybe not.
FOR FRESHMEN (2026s) AND SOPHOMORES (2025s), HOW DO THESE ABOVE SCENARIOS CHANGE?
- Because of the June 15th rule, D1 and D2 coaches CANNOT respond to your emails before June 15th after your sophomore year. STILL, email them and reach out during the “quiet period” before Feb. 17th of 2023. Send your intro email with video and then update/check-in emails, every few weeks. The college coaches will know everything about you that I state in the good scenario above, except they would not have talked to you on the phone. They will know you are diligent and hard working because you keep emailing, even with no response from them! They will get to know your personality a little bit through your emails. You will be setting yourself up for success in the recruiting process and, most likely, phone calls after June 15th of your sophomore year!
- D3 and NAIA do not have the June 15th rule, so they can respond to your emails. Reach out and move forward in the recruiting process with as many of these schools as possible. Keep in mind, D2 coaches DO have to follow the June 15th rule!
NCAA COLLEGE BEACH VOLLEYBALL RECRUITING CALENDAR
The NCAA BEACH Volleyball Recruiting Calendar for 2022-2023 is different because the collegiate beach volleyball season is in the spring. The recruiting periods are defined in the PDF, including a full color-coded calendar. Keep emailing during their “quiet periods” to prepare them to watch you play LIVE! The June 15th rule and 2 scenarios above also apply to the beach volleyball recruiting calendar, just with different dates to keep in mind.
As I always say…keep going, keep emailing, and stay strong in your recruiting process…you got this!