Volleyball Recruiting

How to Stand Out to DI Coaches as a Men’s Volleyball Player

By Grant Osborne|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on February 23, 2022)

Only 4.6 percent of high school men's volleyball players go on to play in college, and only about 0.6 percent play for an NCAA Division 1 school. The biggest reason for this is many schools don't have a men's volleyball program. Because of this, men's volleyball has one of the most competitive recruiting processes in all of college sports. So, we're here to help you out along the way.

Play for a Club
One of the best ways to stand out to volleyball coaches is to play for a club. Most club teams travel around the country to competitive tournaments that host the best of the best. For this reason, before you sign up for a team, make sure that team enters the biggest tournaments and showcases that coaches and scouts will be at.

Playing club also shows coaches that you play the sport year-round compared to some athletes, who may only play during their school season. If you're serious about playing at the Division I level, playing club is very helpful.

Make a Recruiting Video
The next thing you want to do is make a highlight video that shows off your skills. The highlight video will be the coach's first impression of you, so it's important to take it seriously. Coaches like to see two different types of videos, the first being a skills video that shows your attacking, passing, blocking, and defense. They may also ask to see film of an entire game.

Reach out to Coaches
Reaching out to coaches is essential if you want to play men's volleyball in college. Since it is such a competitive sport to play and there are so many recruits, coaches don't come to the players, the players have to come to the coaches. The best thing to do is email coaches at schools you'd like to play for, and include an introduction about yourself, as well as your highlight videos and any important stats like your height, vertical jump, and club team names.

Playing men's volleyball in college may be challenging, but not impossible. If you reach out to coaches and join teams that will allow you to showcase your skills, your chances of getting recruited will be much greater.

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Photo source: Press-Telegram