Recruiting Guides

Are you interested in or considering playing volleyball at the collegiate level? Below are some need to knows and resources to assist you in your journey of deciding if college volleyball is right for you and the recruiting process! We are here to be an advocate for you through this process!

Getting started while keeping realistic expectations

Before diving head first, you should ask yourself the following questions—and be as honest as possible about the answers.

Remember it is important for high school players wanting to play at the collegiate level to have realistic expectations of what level they can play. Only one percent of high school volleyball players will go on to play NCAA Division I college volleyball. If you do not have realistic expectations the recruiting process might pass by and you could miss out on a chance to find the right fit.

    • Am I ready for the demands of being a college volleyball player?
    • Am I good enough to play college volleyball?
    • What division level(s) am I qualified to play at?

I determined what levels I can compete at, what's next?

Research schools and create a target list of 30–40 colleges and universities to reach out to.

If you know what you want to study in college, make sure your list has schools that offer that major/minor. Figure out if you want to have a big or small campus, go to a school in the city or rural area, live close or far away from home. Think about if you'll play as a freshman or not and how that will impact your experience. Research if the program needs the position that you play by looking at their roster. Determine the type of culture and community you want to be a part of not only through athletics but the campus. Once you have an idea of the school you're looking for, it's time to start you're recruiting process!
Complete list of colleges with women's volleyball teams.

What's the first step toward becoming an NCAA student-athlete?

If you want to compete in NCAA sports, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Click the link to help guide you through the registration process - Click Here!

How early can college coaches contact athletes?

NCAA recruiting rules vary throughout the Division 1, 2, 3, and NAIA levels. 

NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 volleyball coaches cannot contact athletes until June 15 after an athlete’s sophomore year of high school. However, college coaches at the Division 3 and NAIA levels do not have limits on phone calls and electronic communications. To learn more about the NCAA volleyball recruiting rules - Click Here!

College Coaches can't contact me, should I reach out to them?

Yes! You can—and should—reach out to college coaches.

Once you have decided that you are committed to playing college volleyball, you should do your research, figure out which schools you're interested in and then start proactively contacting coaches. You should fill out the program’s recruiting questionnaire (see below) to get on the coach’s radar and start getting alerts from that coach. You can also send initial emails with information such as who you are as a student-athlete, a recruitment video, and your club or high school schedule. Learn more about how to contact college coaches - Click Here!

Recruiting Questionnaires
When you think of college recruiting, many student-athletes and families think it’s all about getting seen by college scouts at high-profile events. While that certainly helps, the truth is that for most prospective student-athletes, college recruiting is a long process and includes a lot of communication with many college programs.

Filling out a recruiting questionnaire is one of the first steps in the recruiting process. You’ll want to use college questionnaires to your advantage to have a successful college recruiting experience. A recruiting questionnaire is a form that prospective student-athletes fill out to share information about themselves with a college program. It is usually located online but sometimes it is mailed. College coaches use this information to see if student-athletes meet basic standards and are potentially a good fit for the program. Recruiting questionnaires serve several purposes, including:

  • Adding student-athletes into a coach’s database
  • Getting student-athletes on the recruiting radar of a college coach
  • Sending necessary information directly to a college coach
  • Used as a reference by college coaches before they follow up with prospects

These days, recruiting questionnaires are mostly found online on college programs’ websites. While not every team has one, they are very common.

Academic Requirements 

Every school requires you to meet academic standards to be able to receive athletic scholarships, practice, and compete.

Division I and II schools have laid out academic standards that must be met. To view these standards - Click Here! Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA have their own admissions and academic requirements. Contact these individual schools for more information on their admissions and academic requirements.

Maximize Your Recruiting Exposure

Get to the next level by joining our SportsRecruits network to be seen and get recruited!

SportsRecruits profiles are built to college coach specifications. They contain your athletic, academic, and personal information, and even allow you to upload film - allowing coaches to evaluate you and learn if you're a good fit for their program.

  • Contact any college in the country with one click.
  • Filter your college search results to uncover over 5,000+ open roster spots.
  • Know which colleges view your profile, videos, and documents.

To join our SportsRecruits network email our recruiting coordinator, Ellen Cvelbar - ellen@teamecv.com.