For many athletes, the dream starts in a noisy gym—serves echoing, sneakers squeaking, teammates shouting encouragement. As skills grow, that dream often evolves into something bigger: using volleyball to earn a degree, join a college roster, and open doors for life after sport. Turning that dream into a volleyball scholarship can feel confusing at first, but the process becomes manageable once you understand the steps.
This guide breaks down the journey into clear phases: building your game, maximizing academics, navigating recruiting, and evaluating offers so you can make confident, long-term decisions.
1. Know Your Landscape: College Volleyball Pathways
Before you aim, you need a map. In the U.S., opportunities typically fall into these categories:
- NCAA Division I – Highest visibility, demanding training loads, and highly competitive rosters.
- NCAA Division II – Strong volleyball with a more balanced athletic/academic experience for many players.
- NCAA Division III – No athletic money, but excellent academic and merit aid; competitive play plus strong academics.
- NAIA – Often smaller schools with competitive programs and flexible scholarship structures.
- Junior Colleges (NJCAA) – Powerful two-year launchpads for developing athletes and students before transferring.
The “best” environment is not always the biggest logo; it’s the one that matches your level, goals, and personality, and offers a realistic path to earning a volleyball scholarship.
2. Get an Honest Snapshot of Your Game
College coaches recruit what they can see—plus what they believe you can become in a few years. Begin with a realistic assessment of:
- Position and role – Setter, libero/DS, middle, outside, opposite, hybrid.
- Technical skills – Serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, floor defense.
- Physical profile – Height and reach, jump metrics, speed, agility, durability.
- Competitive background – Club level, high school success, tournament experience.
- Intangibles – Coachability, communication, leadership, resilience.
Ask trusted coaches or a performance program for detailed feedback and, if possible, a written evaluation. This will help you target schools where you can realistically compete for both roster spots and financial support.
3. Academics: Your Second Scoreboard
Athletic talent opens doors; academic performance keeps them open. Strong grades can:
- Make admissions easier for coaches.
- Unlock academic scholarships that stack with athletic aid.
- Signal responsibility and time management.
- Give you options if your path shifts due to injury, coaching changes, or new interests.
Key actions:
- Take core courses seriously starting in 9th grade.
- Track GPA and stay aware of eligibility requirements.
- Build study habits that can withstand travel and heavy practice loads.
Coaches love athletes who are “low risk” academically—students they know will qualify, stay eligible, and represent the program well.
4. Timeline: What to Focus On and When
Every athlete’s timeline is unique, but a general pattern looks like this:
Early high school (9th–10th grade)
- Focus on technical development and physical foundations.
- Explore different positions if you’re not yet locked into one.
- Learn basic terms about college levels; no pressure to choose yet.
Middle high school (10th–11th grade)
- Seek an honest evaluation of your current level.
- Start assembling a volleyball résumé and highlight video.
- Attend a limited number of targeted camps and showcases.
Late high school (11th–12th grade)
- Shortlist schools into “reach,” “match,” and “safety” categories.
- Communicate regularly with coaches who show interest.
- Visit campuses (virtually or in person) and evaluate offers holistically.
Starting with development and moving progressively into exposure and decisions helps prevent burnout and rushed choices.
5. Build Your Volleyball Profile and Video
Your profile and video are often the first impression a coach has of you.
Player résumé
Keep it simple and clear:
- Name, grad year, position(s), height, approach/block touch.
- Club and high school teams, jersey numbers, coach contact info.
- Tournament and showcase history.
- Academic info: GPA, test scores (if applicable), intended major.
Highlight video
Aim for 4–6 minutes of real match clips that show:
- Consistent execution of your primary responsibilities.
- Variety: serve receive, defense, transition, hitting, blocking, setting (as applicable).
- Good context: enough of the play to see your reads and decisions.
Coaches are busy. A clean, focused video and professional résumé signal that you are serious and organized.
6. Communicating With College Coaches
Effective communication is one of the most underrated skills in the recruiting process. Coaches want to hear directly from the athlete, not only from parents or third parties.
A strong first email should:
- Show you know something specific about their program or school.
- Summarize who you are: position, grad year, club, key stats.
- Provide links to your video and résumé.
- Include your upcoming competition schedule.
Follow up periodically with meaningful updates: improved jump numbers, new video, academic achievements, or strong tournament results. Polite persistence often separates athletes who stay on a coach’s radar from those who fade into the background.
If you’d like help crafting outreach messages or planning your recruiting communication strategy, you can contact us and our team can walk you through a tailored approach.
7. Training Like a Future College Athlete
Coaches are not just recruiting your current ability; they’re recruiting your habits. Daily behaviors that stand out:
- Consistency – Showing up ready to work, practice after practice.
- Physical preparation – Strength, power, and mobility work appropriate for your age.
- Recovery – Sleep, nutrition, hydration, and prehab routines.
- Competitive mindset – Play hard in drills, scrimmages, and conditioning—every rep counts.
Ask yourself regularly: If a college coach watched me train today, would I look like someone ready for their gym? Building this standard now makes the transition less overwhelming later.
8. Evaluating Offers: Beyond the Numbers
When opportunities arise, it’s easy to focus only on percentages and dollar amounts. Instead, zoom out and consider:
- Athletic fit: Will you have a real chance to earn playing time, or be buried on the bench?
- Academic fit: Does the school offer programs and majors you care about?
- Coaching and culture: Do you connect with the staff? How do current players talk about their experience?
- Location and lifestyle: Distance from home, climate, campus size, and community.
- Total cost of attendance: Tuition, housing, meals, books, and travel—not just “scholarship” value.
A sustainable experience comes from aligning all of these factors, not just chasing the biggest offer on paper tied to a volleyball scholarship.
9. Role of Parents and Support Team
Family and coaches can be powerful allies when they understand their role:
- Parents: Provide structure, perspective, and support—but let the athlete lead communication.
- Club/high school coaches: Offer honest evaluations, references, and sometimes direct contacts.
- Strength and performance staff: Help manage the physical load and reduce injury risk.
The healthiest journeys are collaborative. Everyone is aligned around the same goals and understands that volleyball is part of a bigger picture that includes education and long-term well-being.
10. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Some patterns derail even talented players:
- Waiting too late to learn about the process.
- Overplaying tournaments and under-valuing structured training.
- Ignoring academics and hoping volleyball solves everything.
- Mass-emailing coaches with generic messages.
- Treating early interest as a guarantee and stopping development.
Avoiding these traps keeps your options wider and your stress lower as decisions approach.
11. Putting It All Together
Earning a volleyball scholarship is not about one big weekend or one perfect video. It’s the result of years of deliberate development, smart academic choices, well-timed exposure, and honest conversations with programs that truly fit.
When you view the journey as a structured project—rather than a chaotic race—you can make calm, confident choices that serve both your athletic dreams and your long-term future. If you’re ready for a clear, personalized snapshot of where you stand and what needs to happen next, you can contact us and our staff will help you map out your next steps above the net.
Frequently Asked Questions About Above the Net: The Path to a Volleyball Scholarship
1. What level do I need to be at to play college volleyball?
The level varies by division and program. Top Division I schools often recruit athletes with high-level club experience, strong physical profiles, and national or regional recognition. Many excellent D2, D3, NAIA, and junior college programs look for solid club players with good fundamentals, strong competitiveness, and clear growth potential. A good benchmark is how you perform against older age groups and current college players at camps or clinics. Honest feedback from experienced coaches is essential for targeting schools that match your current and projected level.
2. When should I start the recruiting process?
You don’t need to panic in middle school, but awareness helps. In early high school, focus on improving your skills, athleticism, and academics while learning how college volleyball works. By around 10th grade, it’s wise to begin building a résumé, collecting match video, and doing basic research on programs. Serious outreach to coaches often ramps up between 10th and 11th grade, depending on your development and the rules for your graduating class. Starting with learning and preparation—rather than last-minute scrambling—usually leads to better outcomes.
3. Do I need to play for a big-name club to get recruited?
A well-respected club can help with exposure and level of competition, but it’s not the only path. College coaches care most about your ability, potential, and habits. If you’re in a smaller or less-known program, you may need to be more proactive with video, communication, and selective attendance at camps or showcases where coaches can see you. Many successful college players came from smaller clubs but consistently improved, played hard, and took ownership of their recruiting process. Your development and initiative matter more than the logo on your jersey.
4. How important is my height compared to my skills?
Height matters more at some positions (like middle blockers and certain outside hitters) than others, but it’s never the only factor. Coaches recruit setters, liberos, and defensive specialists with exceptional skills, leadership, and volleyball IQ at a wide range of heights. Even at height-sensitive positions, jump ability, timing, arm speed, and reading the game can offset physical differences. Focus on maximizing what you can control: technique, athleticism, communication, and consistency. Coaches often say they’d rather work with a slightly smaller player who competes hard and learns quickly than a taller player who doesn’t.
5. What if I don’t get the offers I hoped for?
It’s common for initial dream schools to change as you learn more about your options and receive real feedback. If the first offers don’t match your expectations, treat that as information, not failure. You may find a better athletic and academic fit at programs you hadn’t considered, or use junior college as a development step before transferring. The goal is not just a name on a sweatshirt—it’s finding a place where you can grow, contribute, and graduate with experiences and a degree you’re proud of. Flexibility and open-mindedness often lead to better long-term outcomes than chasing a single “perfect” option.