Serious About Playing in College??? So are we…
NFVB has a proud tradition and commitment to provide our athletes with a solid platform to achieve their dreams to become college volleyball players.
NFVB has alumni who have played college volleyball at the Division I, II, III, NAIA and Junior College levels across the nation.
This section of our website is a tool to provide NFVB players and parents a resource in their steps to become the next tier of players to represent NFVB and Western New York on the collegiate stage..
To prepare our members for college we have implemented our College Bound program.
Our program has been designed to provide players and parents with the necessary skills to find an institution which will best fit their needs. The information below should be gathered by athletes to use as reference points throughout their search.
Starting out:
List all the attributes you would like in a College
o Degrees offered
o Location
o Size of Enrollment
o Price of Tuition, Room and Board
List all the attributes you would like in an athletic Program
o Coaching Staff
o Facilities
o Level of competition (Conference/Division)
o Roster Size and Age make up
In completing the above attributes a search can now begin. Having a realistic goal of what level you can play in college is very important. Finding a level suited to you as a player/person is vital in your decision making.
There are numerous websites containing statistics and figures for College Athletes. In reality to play at the highest level you are competing with thousands of other players. In the table below we can see that there are thousands of colleges with volleyball programs, however with that we must remember each school on average will recruit about 3-8 players annually, meaning there are thousands of roster spots available each year.
In total for 2010-11 there are:
329 Women’s NCAA Division 1 Volleyball Programs
265 Women’s NCAA Division 2 Volleyball Programs
426 Women’s NCAA Division 3 Volleyball Programs
244 Women’s NAIA Volleyball Programs
299 Women’s NJCAA (Junior College) Volleyball Programs
For some great Statistical information regarding NCAA College volleyball please – Click here
The above information is displayed to make our NFVB players aware of how competitive college volleyball is to get into, not to deter any aspirations of playing.
The next step in college recruiting process is the contact. Once a college coach has initiated communication or vice versa, you can begin asking questions either on a visit or via e-mail/Phone calls.
About the College
- What is the campus like?
- How large is the school, what is the undergraduate enrollment?
- What are the strongest degree programs offered, and which are the best academic departments?
- What degree programs are popular with current volleyball players?
- Do most students live on campus or in off-campus apartments?
- What is the student housing like?
- Do the members of the volleyball team room together?
- Can freshman have vehicles?
- What resources and library services are available to students?
- Does the athletic program provide Tutors for student athletes
About the College Volleyball Program and the Team
- In what division does the school play? (NCAA I, II or III, NAIA, NJCAA)
- In what conference is the team?
- What important non-conference teams are scheduled?
- Can you provide a schedule for next fall?
- What was the team’s conference and overall record this year?
- How many players will there be on the roster next year?
- How many will travel with the team?
- What training happens between seasons?
- What is the pre-season schedule?
- What is the practice schedule after school starts?
- Including meetings, training, travel, and matches, how much time is required?
- What facilities and staff are available to take care of injuries and rehab?
- What is the style of play you want to see?
- What are your goals for the team?
What does the program need?
- How many seniors are graduating?
- Are there red shirt players returning?
- How much playing time should I expect as a freshman?
- How many other players are playing that position?
- How many other players have committed or are you recruiting?
- Where would I play if I was on the team today?
The next step . . .
- Where am I on your list for players you need?
- Where have you seen me play?
- Which tournaments will you be attending?
- Do you have our high school team’s schedule for this fall and our club’s for the winter and spring?
- Have you talked with my coaches?
- Do you have a copy of my playing resume and references?
- What’s the next step? What should I do? Do you see me as a serious possibility?
Useful Links
Evaluating a Player’s Potential (Great article on what college scouts see at tournaments)
Top 5 Things to Do to Get Recruited
Recruiting terms and Definitions
NCAA Division I recruiting Calendar
Becoming an NCAA Student Athlete
NCAA College Bound Student Athletes Eligibility Resource Center / Clearing House
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Volleyball
