When can college volleyball coaches contact you?

Rules depend on the level

NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III each set their own recruiting calendars. NAIA and junior college (NJCAA) programs follow their own, usually more open, rules. A date that applies to one level often doesn't apply to another.

What we track

Our recruiting rules page lists each rule we've researched, with:

• the level it applies to,
• a link to the source,
• the date we last checked it, and
• a TODO(verify) label when we've only found it in secondary sources and haven't confirmed it with the governing body yet.

We don't repeat unverified dates as fact in our guides. Rules change, and some changes apply only to certain graduating classes, so always confirm with the official source or the school's compliance office.

What you can do before coaches are allowed to reach out

Families can always take the first step, at any level:

• Email coaches. A short note with the player's position, graduation year, club team, measurables and a link to video. Coaches can usually read it even when they can't reply yet.
• Fill out recruiting questionnaires on athletics websites.
• Attend camps and clinics.
• Keep video and measurables current. Approach touch, block touch and standing reach matter, and so does honest reporting.

Make outreach count

Reach out where your position is actually needed. A setter writing to a program whose 5-1 starter graduates the year before she'd arrive is a far stronger fit than a setter writing to a program that just signed two. Program pages show those openings by arrival year, so outreach can be targeted instead of mass-mailed.