Club season's almost over. What happens next matters most.
Jeremy Kane
May 22, 2026
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Wells Kane · Class of 2030 · Setter · Salt Lake City Hey everyone — Wells here. And if you're new, welcome. Seriously. The fact that you found Set Point and signed up means you're already thinking about the process differently than most families. That means a lot to me personally. My dad and I built this because we were frustrated by the same walls you're probably hitting right now. So glad you're here. If you run into any problems with Set Point or have ideas for how we can make it even better reach out. I read every email. I don't know about you but May has been busy. My team qualified for Nationals. I still can't believe it. It's been an up-and-down season but our team finally earned our bid. Honestly, the week after we found out felt surreal. All those practices, all the long drives to tournaments, the losses that stung — it led somewhere. How did your team do this year? But here's what I keep thinking about: the season isn't over. There are still tournaments to play, and the teams that show up flat in May are the ones who show up unprepared in June. My coach says the best athletes don't coast into Nationals — they use the last few weeks of club to get sharper. So what are you doing to finish strong? And for the athletes whose seasons are wrapping up — how are you thinking about summer training and getting ready for the high school season? Hit reply. I genuinely want to know. — Wells |
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The six weeks between your last club tournament and high school tryouts are the most underused stretch in a volleyball athlete's year. Most families treat it as downtime. The best athletes treat it as an edge. College coaches recruiting the class of 2027 and 2028 are still watching — not at tournaments, but at summer camps, high school showcases, and through profile updates and outreach emails. The athletes who stay active in those six weeks show up to fall with momentum. The ones who go dark show up having to rebuild it. Two things matter right now. First, if your athlete competed this spring, document those results — tournament placements, bid levels, division — while they're fresh. Coaches ask about spring results in recruiting conversations and families who can't recall specifics lose credibility. Second, if your athlete is a 2027 grad who hasn't had a verbal offer yet, June and July are the most active contact months of the year. The end of club season is not the end of recruiting season. |
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GJNC at-large bids dropped last week USAV announced 14-17s at-large bids last week. The notification goes to your coach and club director at the email registered in AES. The 14-17s event heads to Indianapolis June 25-July 3, expanded to 1,216 teams this year across a 9-day format with a rest day between the 14-15s and 16-17s splits. Congrats to all the teams that qualified. That's a big deal. The spring transfer portal just closed — here's what that means The women's volleyball spring portal window ran May 1-15 and is now closed. This spring saw massive movement — setters and liberos especially. For families with 2026 and 2027 grads: programs that lost a player in the portal are the most motivated recruiters in the country right now. They need to fill a spot before fall camp and they're not waiting for the showcase circuit. That gap is the opportunity most families miss. Coaching staff changes are still moving The 2025-2026 jobs thread on VolleyTalk crossed 1,100 replies this week and it's still active. New coaching staffs evaluate rosters differently than the staff that did the original recruiting — a school that just hired a new head coach isn't working from the same list. If any of your target programs made a change this spring, that's worth a follow-up email. A new coach building her own roster is often more open to late-cycle recruits than an established staff with a full board. Summer AAU circuit is starting The AAU Fun at the Sun Super Regional runs May 23-25, one of the first major events of the summer circuit. AAU events draw D2 and D3 coaches heavily — a different pool than the USAV circuit and worth the exposure for athletes who haven't found their fit yet. If your club competes on the AAU side this summer, document every result in your Set Point profile. The coaches watching at these events search profiles during and immediately after the tournament weekend. LOVB's Spring 2026 season is must-watch for serious athletes The combined MLV + LOVB schedule thread on VolleyTalk has nearly 40,000 views and the professional league is drawing real attention from the club community. More than entertainment — athletes who watch LOVB are seeing what elite setting, passing, and defensive systems look like at the highest domestic level. Wells watches it. A lot of the athletes who get recruited early do too. If you haven't tuned in yet, the Spring 2026 season is a good place to start. |
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May–July 2026 NCAA Calendar D1 coaches are in a full contact period through July 31 — calls, texts, DMs, and verbal offers are all live right now. The spring transfer portal closed May 15, so coaches are now focused entirely on fall rosters and high school recruiting simultaneously. For 2027 grads: this is the most active window of the year. Use it. For 2028 grads whose June 15 contact date is approaching: get your intro emails into coaches' inboxes now so they know who you are before they're allowed to call. For 14s (class of 2029-2030): coaches can't contact you yet, but you can contact them any time. Most families don't know that. The ones who do are already ahead. |
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Two actions depending on where your athlete is right now. Start here →If she's headed to Nationals: update her Set Point profile with this spring's results before June 1. Coaches who see her in Indianapolis will search her name that same day. What they find — or don't find — shapes whether they follow up. If her club season is wrapping up: run the Roster Intelligence scan this week filtered by programs with portal departures at her position in May. A coach who just lost a starter needs to fill that spot before fall camp. The families who find those gaps in May are having conversations in June. The ones who wait until fall are joining a crowded room. That's what we built it for. |