Trying to figure out what college volleyball coaches are thinking during the recruiting process is confusing and a guessing game. How do you know WHY they are looking for certain positions and WHEN they will decide to offer players in those positions? From the college coaches perspective, they do have an idea of what positions they need in which graduation class.
The transfer portal adds an element to the recruiting process that didn’t exist when I played in college!
Now, all players in the recruiting process are, in essence, competing with the transfer portal. Here is the Wikipedia definition of the transfer portal. I think recruits need to have blinders on and move forward being the best recruit and 4-year prospect for a volleyball program they can be. I don’t want you to “worry” about transfers or even have that whole concept in your mind…which is why I don’t talk about it that much. It’s something volleyball recruits and parents have ZERO control over. It’s a factor to understand and then leave it at that and focus on YOU. The transfer portal contributes to why coaches, sometimes, may take longer to know their recruiting needs and they could change at any time. High school players are competing with transfer players for roster spots and athletic scholarships, that’s a fact. Again, you have no control over this! A huge thing recruits have going for them is more years and time for development…AND college coaches have to wonder WHY a player is transferring and vet that situation, before they bring them into their program. Good college coaches who want to develop great volleyball programs inside their conference and win, STILL want to create and foster a great team culture and work ethic. Bringing in a transfer that doesn’t mesh with this can turn into a huge problem.
General overview and insight concerning timing for taking certain positions.
College volleyball coaches can only take so many players on their roster in a given year and they usually have anywhere from 15-21, or so, players. Roster management is difficult for coaches due to many factors including their budget/scholarships available, injuries, current players transferring, players becoming ineligible due to grades, etc.
Division 1 college coaches usually know what positions they are looking for in the 17s age group (juniors) and many times have a good idea in the 16s age group (sophomores). For seniors in high school, top-ranked D1 programs will almost always be done recruiting their class. Many D1 volleyball programs (except possibly smaller, lower ranked conferences) will not still be recruiting seniors. For the 15s age group, coaches like to start watching them to see the talent level and can make some guesses about what they will be looking for in the high school freshman class. For D2 coaches, they are looking for players that fall through the cracks with D1 or are “diamonds in the rough” that want to attend their school. D2 coaches aren’t in a rush and offer players later in their junior year and into their senior year. Most of the D3 coaches are looking for high academic players, specifically, that want a balance of academics and athletics and a smaller student population. Also, with admissions into D3 schools, it takes longer and the coaches need to know how the athlete trends into their junior and senior year with grades. D3 and NAIA programs are usually still recruiting some roster spots during the athlete’s senior year because they are not in a rush. However, top D1 and power 5 conference programs are working to get top-tier recruits in the country, as soon as they can, the summer after June 15th of the player’s sophomore year and fall of their junior year. The timing of committing D1 recruits trickles down from there.
NOTE: How many players a college program takes in any given year is volleyball position-specific depending on their needs in each class. The timing of when they recruit certain positions is similar for all of the divisions, but can change depending on different factors pointed out below. These are what I believe to be general to most college volleyball programs in all NCAA divisions and NAIA.
SUPER IMPORTANT: The “timing” of receiving an offer(s), as I discuss below, is based 100% on the player starting the recruiting process during their sophomore club season at the latest. Meaning the player is reaching out to coaches, sending intro emails with highlight video and contacting coaches consistently expressing interest in their program and asking coaches to watch them play!! Players must be proactive in their recruiting process. If they aren’t reaching out to college coaches at all during their sophomore and junior year, this most likely will not happen as early as I state below. The earlier the player starts reaching out to college coaches (earliest as a high school freshman) the earlier they will receive offers in my experience!
RECRUITING TIMING BY VOLLEYBALL POSITION
SETTERS go early and usually first. College volleyball coaches usually take setters every OTHER year. Most rosters carry three setters depending on the system they run and the type of offense the coach likes to have available. You need good starting setters running the “A side” in practice, but you also need really good setters on the team running the “B side”. College practices consist of A LOT of 6 vs 6 drills and good setters that help the “B side” and challenge the “A side” are crucial. Also, they consider the team culture they are building and look at the setter recruit’s personality as he/she will most likely be a leader on the team. They must be coachable and willing to run the style/speed of offense depending on what the coaching staff wants.
MIDDLE BLOCKERS also go early, same as, or after setters and most rosters carry 3-4 middles. Top-tier middle blockers that approach jump touch 10 ft or higher and play for top club teams in the country get snatched up more quickly. In my opinion, being a middle blocker is the most difficult position in volleyball (setters may argue with me on this:) because they have to be a workhorse and control the net. Good middles block the entire net, transitioning quickly, and are up and available to be set every time, working to make themselves part of the offense on EVERY decent pass. Undersized middles (6ft and under) that are athletic, work their tails off in transition, and are good blockers will go earlier to mid major or lower level conferences and D2/D3 – which is amazing and can be a perfect fit!
OUTSIDE HITTERS go next and most rosters carry 4-5, but this can depend on a few things. If an outside hitter is a great all-around volleyball player, can pass consistently, and is tall (over 6 ft with an approach jump touch 10 ft or higher) this will be a highly sought after player. If they are a dominant player on a top club in the country, then they can also handle a high level of play and will receive offers soon after June 15th of their sophomore year and early in their junior year. This is a very small number of players in the country relative to how many outside hitters there are in total! Another type of outside hitter that starts getting offers during club season of their junior year are the smaller players under 5’11” that are great volleyball players, high VB IQ, good ball control, hit hard, jump well, touching 9’10” and below. These players are cagey, tooling the block and smart tipping, don’t make many unforced errors and pass consistently. There are many outside hitters in club volleyball to choose from, so this is a huge reason they are offered later into their junior year or summer between junior and senior year. Sometimes, depending on the division(s) they are targeting, into their senior year they will receive roster spot offers, if they are targeting the right level for them.
OPPOSITES are a toss-up depending on their dominance at the net and most rosters take about 3, but they could also be outside hitters. Many outside hitters can play opposite and then become a “pin hitter” because they hit at both pins or antennas. True opposites are hitters where their arm swing and timing are better on the right side. If they are left-handed, the right side is their natural side and they are a true opposite/right side player. If the opposite is over 6 ft, touching 10ft or higher, and they are a good blocker, they will receive offers earlier in the recruiting process, soon after June 15th of their sophomore year and early in their junior year and club season. Opposites are important in blocking the other team’s outside hitter and it’s also very important to be a dominant point-scoring hitter. They don’t normally pass, but the opposites that can pass consistently are a huge asset to their team and this will help their recruiting process move along more quickly!
LIBERO/DS’s usually are the last position to be recruited on most college volleyball rosters. This is because there are so many good libero/DS’s in the club volleyball world! Smaller setters and outside hitters that want to pursue a college volleyball career may switch positions and become a libero/DS, which also increases the number of liberos college coaches have to choose from. If a libero/DS is a very consistent passer playing for a top ranked club team in the country, college coaches may offer them earlier in the recruiting process, meaning soon after June 15th of their sophomore year or into the fall of their junior year. In general, most liberos (if they are targeting divisions, conferences, and schools that are likely their level of play) will become verbally committed late in the club season of their junior year and into their senior year of high school. AND this is OK! All of this being said, libero/DS’s should still definitely start their recruiting process and contact college coaches during their sophomore year of high school and even their freshman year, just to get coaches eyes on them and make themselves known. The most important skill for liberos is serve receive/passing consistency. I have heard college coaches say that almost all libero/DS’s are fast and can play good defense. The liberos that are consistent passers (with passing stats for entire matches above 2.0-2.5 range) are the ones that set themselves apart. In addition, the higher the level of play the libero is competing against, the better for college coaches to evaluate and imagine them competing at the collegiate level. The tougher the serves the libero can handle (consistently), and the harder hitting and better hitters the libero/DS can defend, will showcase their ability in college coaches eyes. Just as libero/DS’s have to be tough as nails and work horses on the court, they must also be persistent, resilient, and remain positive in their recruiting process to find a great fit.
My advice is to start your recruiting process by contacting college coaches no later than the start of club season of your sophomore year in high school. I like players to start before club season of their freshman year, if possible, though! Just to get on college coaches radar. Study the college volleyball rosters to have an idea of their timing in your position. I’ve created college volleyball recruiting checklists for freshmen/sophomores and juniors/seniors, specifically, because they are on slightly different timelines due to the June 15th rule. If you want to play volleyball in college, I believe there is a program out there for you. WHATEVER your grade in high school, get started in the process! I hope this article has provided you with some insight into the timing, positions, and how it relates to the college volleyball recruiting process. Keep emailing, keep reaching out to coaches, and be proactive in your recruiting process…YOU GOT THIS!