How to get Recruited and Play College Volleyball

The college volleyball recruitment process has become an international search for the best players a coach can find. While recruiting used to be a constant search for players who were good enough, with the advantage of technology, coaches are now left to sort through hundreds of qualified student athletes. If you are looking to be a college volleyball player and possibly earn an athletic scholarship, you will have to be proactive and get the coach’s attention.

The Basics of College Volleyball Recruiting

College coaches assess potential volleyball players on their skill, potential, academics, and their fit with the program. It is important you address all of these areas throughout the volleyball recruitment process and understand how they can impact the way you are going to be recruited.

Getting Recruited Based on Skill

One of the most can’t-miss ways to get a coach’s attention is by having excellent skills. If you are a player who is highly skilled at a young age, it is critical that you find the right tournaments and club teams to display your talents. The top volleyball programs send scouts to the biggest tournaments every year with a list of players to go and watch. Here, they can compare your skills against other equally skilled players and get a really good idea on how you could perform at the college level.

If you are looking to play at the top level in college volleyball, you need to be at these tournaments and on the best club teams. If you are a late bloomer and need more time to develop, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to get recruited.

College Coaches Recruit Based on Potential

With the ability to bring players in on athletic scholarships and not have to have them contribute to the starting rotation right away, it is very common for coaches to take a chance on developing a player. If you are someone who didn’t get the chance to play in all of the biggest national tournaments and maybe doesn’t play for a top club team, it is critical that you let coaches evaluate you in other ways. You need to make a highlight video and have some really good references who can attest to the potential you possess. Also, you will want to make sure every coach you are interested in playing for know the few tournaments you will be playing in so you can be sure to get evaluated when you are playing.

Grades Matter for Every Volleyball Recruit

Whether you are a star or a star-in-the-making nothing will end your recruitment process faster than low grades. Don’t assume that just because you meet the minimum requirements set by the NCAA or NAIA that you’re going to get into the schools you want. While coaches can help you in the admissions process and give you a better chance of getting in, they aren’t miracle workers. Be sure to establish very early on with the coaches you are talking to what it will take academically to be part of their program.

Make the Team by Being a Better Person

It is critical that you fit the team dynamics of any program you are considering. This means that volleyball coaches will want to get to know you and ultimately try and bring you in to visit and meet the players on the team. All things being equal between two recruits, they will choose the recruit they think fits the team dynamics better.

College Volleyball Camps

If You Want to play College Volleyball You Must Attend College Volleyball Camps

A college volleyball camp is a great way to be seen in action by college volleyball coaches. So while you fine-tune your skills at a summer volleyball recruiting showcase, you may just earn a scholarship as well.

There really is no downside to attending volleyball camp. Even if you don’t land that scholarship at your first camp, you will learn what it takes to get there in the future.

Athleticscholarships.net is here to guide you every step of the way. All you have to do is click the athlete or parent button on the left to get started.

Many college coaches will advise you that if you are serious about playing college volleyball, you should play in a league all year round. Even if it is beach volleyball or a two-man game, this will help your development as a player.

Your camp coach may also ask if you are in some sort of jumping program. Jumping rope is a good place to start. They may also want to know if you play other sports because most believe the cross-training is good for volleyball.

Once you’re at college volleyball camp, it’s time to take your game to a new level. You will learn everything from defensive stance to proper technique on the jump serve.

After a review of the fundamentals, your college volleyball camp coaches will want to discuss footwork and posture and transitioning skills. You can be sure there will be drills to ensure you have the same contact point every time you hit the ball.

Whether you’re a setter, an outside hitter, or even a defensive specialist, the ability to focus will be a key to success as you progress in your volleyball career. Remaining confident and free of distractions can lead to peak performance, and your instructor will give you these tools.

The real fun begins when you can move beyond the basics and learn about ball control, keeping the ball in play or hitter coverage. As you discuss angles of approach and stack blocking, the game of volleyball becomes more cerebral and not just a physical exercise.

Now you start to learn strategy, different formations, maybe even the implications of deflecting the ball from different positions on the floor. Soon you’re anticipating an opponent’s shot and being more creative in your attacks.

As long as you learn from your mistakes, you will continue to get better and better, and this is all any coach can hope for. Next thing you know you’re swinging with power and accuracy you’ve never seen before.

The more volleyball you play, the better you get. As performance barriers continue to fall under the weight of your improved volleyball play, the coach may take it up a notch.

Practices may become more aggressive with simulated high-stress situations meant to bring the team together. A team that plays together and can make it through adversity together will win championships together.

But you have to get there first. Athleticscholarships.net is here to help. Just click on the athlete or parent button below, and our volleyball recruiting experts will help you get started.

College Volleyball Scholarships and Recruiting

How to Get a Volleyball Scholarship?

Earning a volleyball scholarship has a lot do with finding the right program. With hundreds of programs, chances are good that there is a school looking for a player like you, but the chances that a coaching staff will find you are very low. Learn more about how to communicate with coaches the right way and get the opportunities you deserve.

Getting College Coaches to Watch You Play

Volleyball coaches use large tournaments to go out and watch the players they have already been in contact with. Lots of players ask coaches to come to their games, but few succeed. Set yourself apart from the competition with this strategy.

How the College Volleyball Recruiting Process Works

Success in the volleyball recruiting process relies heavily on gaining the right exposure. Athletes who play club volleyball assume that coaches are watching them at their tournaments, but the reality is that there are too many players at each tournament for coaches to be able to focus on any one person. If you want the opportunities you deserve, here are the steps you need to take.

Making Sure You Meet the Academic Eligibility Requirements

Volleyball coaches want to keep their team GPA high. The only way to show them that you can help them toward this goal is to be well above these basic standards.

How Good do You Have to be?

These are the general guidelines for what coaches look for in volleyball players at each position. You will find players that don’t meet these standards at every level, but these are the averages.

Women’s Volleyball

NCAA DI

• All-American
• All-Region
• All-State
• All-League/District
• Club team experience at the national level
• All-State
• All-League/District
• Club team experience at the state level
• All-League/District
• Club team experience

NCAA DII

NCAA DIII/NAIA

Men’s Volleyball

NCAA DI

• All-American
• All-Region
• All-State
• All-League/District
• Club team experience at the national level

How Many Volleyball Scholarships are Available at Each Level?

Volleyball can offer some of the best scholarship opportunities if you know where to look. Each division level and school has a different amount of scholarships to offer.

Not all colleges that are eligible to offer scholarships will choose to do so. For example, Ivy League schools choose not to offer athletic scholarships.

Men’s volleyball is an equivalency sport which means all scholarships are not full scholarships. For example, in NCAA DI, men’s volleyball coaches can divide the value of the 4.5 scholarships available to them between as many players as they see fit.

Women’s volleyball is a head count sport in NCAA DI only, which means all scholarships in NCAA DI are full scholarships.

Women’s Volleyball

NCAA DI: 12
NCAA DII: 8
NAIA: 8

Men’s Volleyball

NCAA DI: 4.5
NCAA DII: 4.5

Number of Programs by Division Level

Men’s Volleyball

NCAA DI: 25
NCAA DII: 10
*NCAA DIII: 46
Total: 113

Women’s Volleyball

NCAA DI: 327
NCAA DII: 271
*NCAA DIII: 414
NAIA: 243
NJCAA: 412
Total: 1,667

*NCAA Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but do offer other forms of financial aid.

What Are the Top Programs in Each Division?

On any given year, different programs can make a run at a conference or national championship. The following programs have consistently finished near the top and are home to some of the top recruits at their division level.

Women’s Volleyball

NCAA DI: Florida, Stanford, Nebraska, California, USC, Texas, Hawaii, Penn State, UCLA, UNI, Washington, Minnesota, Dayton, Illinois, LSU, Iowa State, Colorado State, San Diego, Arizona, Cincinnati, Tulsa

NCAA DII Concordia-St. Paul, Tampa, Wayne State, Southwest Minnesota State, Washburn, Cal State Bernadino, Minnestoa Duluth, Hillsdale, Central Missouri, Nebraska Kearny, Lewis, Grand Valley State, Metro State, Seattle Pacific, Western Washington

NCAA DIII: Calvin, Emory, Washington- St. Louis, Juniata, Christopher Newport, Wittenberg, St. Thomas, Eastern, Wisconsin Platteville, Hope, Cal Lutheran

NAIA: Southern Oregon University, Lee University, University of Texas at Brownsville, Fresno Pacific University, Northwestern College, Columbia College, California Baptist University, Biola University, Azusa Pacific University, Lewis-Clark State College, Taylor University, Concordia University

Men’s Volleyball

NCAA DI and DII: Stanford, BYU, Cal State Northridge, Hawaii, Penn State, Pepperdine, USC, UC Irvine, UCLA, Ohio State, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, Loyola, Ball State, UC San Diego

NCAA DIII: Springfield, Juniata, UC Santa Cruz, Philadelphia Biblical, Rivier, Nazareth, Baruch, Carthage, MIT, Milwaukee Engineering, Medaille, Endicott, Vassar, Ramapo, Stevens

NAIA

IMPORTANT: NAIA Rule Changes. You must now register with the NAIA Clearinghouse.

NCAA Volleyball History

Beach Volleyball History

If you are a female or have a daughter who plays sports, you should be aware of an alarming statistic – 30,000 females in high school and college will injure their knee this year.

Attending a college volleyball summer camp could be the best recruiting move you ever make.