THE PLAYBOOK | September 2026
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From Wells Wells Kane · Class of 2030 · Setter · Salt Lake City Hey everyone — Wells here. High school season has kicked off and is basically my whole life right now. Practices, weekend tournaments, JV games and then varsity call-ups when I'm lucky. First week back was rough in a good way, new lineup, new rotations, my legs were so sore. How's your high school season going? Let me know. I'd love to hear. Our Set Point team took a trip to Vegas last month to watch Nebraska, Texas, TCU, and UNLV all play. Seeing that level up close, how fast the serves come in, how quickly the setters read a block, was kind of unreal. If you ever get the chance to watch a college match in person instead of just clips, take it. It changes how you watch your own film afterward. Honestly there's so much good volleyball happening right now, high school games, college games, everywhere you look volleyball is on tv and being played at such a high level. September might be my favorite month for that reason alone. Last week was a big week if you're older than me. As of September 1, coaches can start showing up to watch matches and practices in person again. My travel coach says gyms get a lot more crowded with staff this month. If you're not old enough for that yet, like me, remember it still works both ways, you can always email a coach first. What's the best match you've watched or played in so far this season? Hit reply, I read every one. — Wells |
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September 1 doesn't sound like a big date. No deadline, no rankings, nothing to refresh on a website. But it's the day the Contact Period opens, and it runs through November 30, the longest stretch of in-person recruiting activity all year. Here's what changes: coaches can now watch practices and matches off campus, introduce themselves in person, and start building the kind of relationship a phone call can't. August was a Quiet Period, technically alive but off-limits for face time. September puts staff back in gyms. The mistake families make is treating this like background noise, something happening to other people's daughters. If your athlete is in a class that's already contactable, this is the month recruiters are physically watching her play, not just reading a highlight reel. Two things to do this week: confirm which tournaments or matches your target schools' staff are likely to attend this fall, and make sure your athlete's team and club rosters online list her correctly, name, class, position. Coaches check before they show up. |
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Contact Period is officially open September 1 through November 30 is a Contact Period for NCAA Division I women's volleyball, per the official recruiting calendar. Coaches can now make in-person, off-campus recruiting contact and evaluations, meaning watching practices, attending matches, and introducing themselves face to face. If your athlete's class is already contactable, this is the busiest evaluation stretch of the fall. UCLA opens its first season under a new staff UCLA named Matt Werle head coach in February, and the Bruins opened their season August 15 with an exhibition against Pepperdine. Werle spent a decade building Grand Canyon's program before serving as associate head coach at Kansas, and he's brought a relationship-first approach to Westwood. New staffs usually mean new recruiting priorities and new fits at a program, worth a second look if UCLA has been on your list. The transfer portal is still shut Women's indoor volleyball gets one transfer window a year, and last cycle's ran December 7 through January 5. The portal has been closed since then and stays that way through the fall season. If you're hearing chatter about players entering the portal right now, treat it as speculation, not fact. A smaller program, a bigger staff New Hampshire added two assistant coaches, Chris Gil and Matt Bozek, on August 3, rounding out its staff ahead of the season. Moves like this happen at dozens of programs every fall and rarely make headlines, but a new assistant often means a new set of eyes on evaluation film and a fresh set of contacts in the recruiting pipeline. Pro volleyball sets its draft date Major League Volleyball, the pro league formed from last year's merger of the PVF and the original MLV, holds its 2026 draft November 24 in McKinney, Texas. Expansion team Dallas PULSE picks first overall. Worth watching if your athlete is tracking what a path beyond college can look like. |
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September 2026 NCAA Calendar D1 coaches are in a Contact Period through November 30, meaning in-person, off-campus contact and evaluation are back on the table for the first time since spring. For 2027 grads: contact has been open all year. Expect more in-person conversations now that coaches are back in gyms. For 2028 grads: you became contactable this summer. This month is when coaches start showing up to watch, not just call. For 14s (class of 2029-2030): the rules haven't changed for you, coaches still can't contact you first. But you can always email or call them. Most families wait. That's still a mistake. |
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Two things to do in Set Point this week. Start here →Update your profile. Classes are back in session, so log your new courses and current GPA now while it's fresh, not in November when you're scrambling. A complete, current profile is what keeps your matches accurate. Set a number. Contact at least 2 of your matched schools this month. Not a someday goal, an actual target on the calendar. The families who log in once and never come back are the ones who stall out. That's what we built it for. |