Decision Making Factors In College Volleyball Recruiting

When thinking about what to look for in a college volleyball school, there are a multitude of factors that go into each individual athletes decision making process. Here are some of the most common factors:

• Academic reputation of the school
• Strength and reputation of the program (you can check out college volleyball recruiting rankings for this type of info)
• Division of play (DI-III, NAIA, etc.)
• Relationship with the coaching staff
• Pipeline to professional leagues
• Location 
• Size (big football school? small liberal arts? etc)
• Specific area of study (Sport Management, Computer Science, etc.)

This list can go on and on, and it will be different for each individual that goes through the college recruitment process. The important thing to note for athletes going through this process is to prioritize the factors that mean the most to them. There are no set college volleyball recruiting guidelines, you will have to truly prioritize your own personal aspirations and put aside the outside perspectives.

Literally write out the things that would constitute your "dream school" and then prioritize them from #1 to #10. This little exercise should help you become more clear on what it is you are looking for. Are you looking for:

• The best D1 volleyball program in California that has a strong pre-Med program?
• The highest academic school you can get into while also playing at the highest level you can?
• A big school with a football team where you can enjoy your social life outside of your volleyball commitments?

Once you have your decision factors prioritized, draw out a venn diagram and see which schools meet the "standard" for your top three factors (check out the example below). This will help you see which schools are checking the most boxes.

Of course, the coaches of each program will have the ultimate say on whether or not they would like you on the team, but this exercise will help athletes narrow their focus onto the schools that align with their goals and aspirations the best. Side note: keep an open mind to the schools that don't hit the mark on every single on of your priorities. Especially if you have not been on campus for a visit. It is tough to get a true understanding of a program and school without experiencing it firsthand.

If you need help getting started on your college volleyball recruitment process, check out the free email template we give our Bay to Bay athletes to send to college coaches here.