Coach outreach

Emailing college volleyball coaches

The emails that get opened are short and specific: grad year, position, height and reach, club team, high school, a clickable highlight link and where a coach can watch you next.

Who to email

Email the head coach and the assistant who handles recruiting (many staff pages say who that is). Use the "Coaching staff" link in the directory; make sure you open the women's or men's page that matches your team.
Fill out the school's recruiting questionnaire too.

When to email

You can email coaches at any grade. D1 coaches can read your emails and watch your film before they're allowed to reply.
D1 women's and men's volleyball coaches can reply starting June 15 after sophomore year. D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO coaches can reply sooner. See the timeline.
The best time to email is 1-2 weeks before a club tournament or college camp a coach is likely to attend.

Subject line formula

Grad year, position, height, club team, high school and state, and where you'll be playing next.

Subject: [Grad Year] OH | [Height] | [Club Team] | [High School], [ST] | Highlights
Subject: [Grad Year] Setter | [Club Team] | Playing at [Tournament], Court [#], [Date]

Sample coach email

Keep the body under about 150 words. Put your highlight link near the top. Never attach video.

Coach [Last Name],

My name is [Full Name]. I am a [Grad Year] [position] for [Club Team] and [High School] in [City, State]. I am interested in [University] volleyball, specifically [one real reason].

Player snapshot:
- Position(s): [ ] | Height: [ ] | Approach touch: [ ] | Block touch: [ ]
- Highlights: [link]  (best clips in the first 30 seconds)
- Full match film: [link]
- Upcoming tournaments: [Event, dates, court/time, jersey #]
- GPA: [unweighted] / [weighted] | Test score: [if any]
- Academic interest: [ ]

I have completed [University]'s volleyball recruiting questionnaire.

Club coach: [Name, cell, email]
High school coach: [Name, cell, email]

Thank you for your time.

[Full Name]
Class of [Grad Year] | [Position] | [Club Team]
[Cell] | [Email] | [NCAA ID if any]

Send it from the player's own email address, one school per email. College volleyball coaches usually call the club director or club coach first, so make sure your club knows you're reaching out.

Follow-ups

Before every tournament: a two-line email with your court, first match time and jersey number.
After a camp or tournament: a short thank-you within a day or two, with a clip if you have one.
Every 3-4 weeks in season: something new, like new film, a measurables or grade update, or your updated schedule.
Keep a tracker: school, coach, date sent, questionnaire done, reply, next follow-up.

College Volleyball Recruiting Playbook · $29.99

Get the step-by-step volleyball playbook

Everything on this page is free. Want it all in one place? The 40-page playbook and Excel tracker cover men's and women's D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO dates by grade, club volleyball and college camps, email templates, a 30-day quick start and 1,796 programs.

See the Playbook