The Playbook: June 15, Transfer Portal & Tournament Recap | Set Point
Jeremy Kane
April 30, 2026
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From Wells Wells Kane · Class of 2030 · Setter Hey everyone — Wells here. I just got back from the Far Western Qualifier in Reno and I'm already prepping for Salt Lake this weekend, so my legs are pretty much done. But honestly? Reno was incredible. Watching Coast VBC and the Mad Frogs battle it out for the championship on Sunday was one of those matches you don't forget — both teams left everything on the court. Something my coaches and I keep coming back to is how the best players lead without being asked to. Not just calling the ball — actually setting the tone when things get hard. Who's your favorite leader on the court right now? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one. — Wells |
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June 15 is 46 days away. That's the date D1 and D2 coaches can start calling, texting, and making verbal offers — and the programs that have been watching your athlete since January are already deciding who's on their list. Most families don't realize coaches have been in evaluation mode since mid-January. June 15 is when the phone rings, not when recruiting starts. If your 2027 or 2028 athlete hasn't been reaching out to coaching staffs since her sophomore June 15, she's starting a conversation everyone else already had. Even if your athlete is a 2029 or 2030 grad — a 14 right now — this is the year to understand how the process works. The clubs getting D1 attention at 14s aren't lucky. They're building profiles and tracking eligibility from day one. |
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Salt Lake Showdown wrapped up this weekend Some of the top 15-18 club programs in the country competed at the Salt Palace across two weekends. College coaches were in attendance both weekends — USAV posts the check-in list publicly. If your athlete competed, this week is the best time to send a follow-up email to programs whose coaches were on site. Far Western 14s: strong field in Reno The 14 Open and 14 USA divisions ran hard across the weekend. Results are posting on AES this week. If your 14U athlete competed in a qualifying division, document those results in her Set Point profile now — D2 and D3 coaches actively search 14s results when building long-range recruiting boards. Transfer portal is open May 1–15 Scholarship gaps are opening in real time right now. For families with 2026 and 2027 grads, this is the most overlooked recruiting window of the year. A coach who just lost a setter or libero needs to fill that spot before fall camp. They're not waiting until August. Texas A&M won nationals. Here's what that changes. The Aggies return most of their 2025 roster heading into 2026. Nebraska brings back Harper Murray, Pitt returns Olivia Babcock, and Kentucky's Brooklyn DeLeye is back. If any of these programs are on your athlete's target list, the roster picture is clearer now than it will be once the portal closes. GJNC is coming fast 18s just wrapped in Reno (May 1-3). 14-17s head to Indianapolis June 25–July 3. At-large bid notifications go out no later than May 15. If your club director applied for an at-large, that email arrives this week. If you're not sure whether your team applied — ask now, not next week. |
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May 2026 NCAA Calendar D1 coaches are in a full contact period through July 31 — they can call, text, DM, and make verbal offers right now. The transfer portal window (May 1–15) runs at the same time, so coaches are juggling portal and high school recruiting simultaneously. For 2027 grads whose June 15 has passed: this is your most active window. 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. |
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If your athlete is a 2027 grad, run the Roster Intelligence scan this week filtering for programs that lost a player to the transfer portal in the last 10 days. A scholarship that opened in May is one a coach needs to fill before fall camp. Those families who find it in May are having conversations in June. Start here →If your athlete is 14U, use this month to complete her Set Point profile and enter her results from Reno or Salt Lake. Building that record now means she shows up in coach searches two years before most families start paying attention. That's what we built it for. |