How to Run Volleyball Tryouts: A Coach's Guide

Running volleyball tryouts well is harder than it looks. Most coaches have a general sense of who they want to keep — but without a written framework, volleyball tryouts can drift into picking athletes who look the part rather than the ones who'll help you win matches. Here's a system that works.

Before Tryouts Start: Write Down What You're Evaluating

This sounds obvious and almost no one does it. Before the first athlete walks in, write a one-page rubric that lists what you're scoring for each position. When you're tired at the end of the second day and two outside hitters look equally good, you'll need something to look at besides your gut.

The rubric should answer: What does a good rep look like? What counts as a deposit for this position, and what counts as an error? A libero's job is not a hitter's job. Score them accordingly.

What to Evaluate by Position

Outside Hitters

Focus on two things above everything else: approach and passing. Run four-step approach footwork through Approach Footwork Lines (4 players, 10 minutes) before anything else so you can see who's bringing their last two steps through. Then put them in Servers vs. Passers (8 players, 20 minutes) and grade every reception out loud — 0 for a shank, 3 for a perfect pass. You want to know who holds their serve-receive grade when the server is targeting them.

Out of system, watch whether they have more than one shot. A 14U OH who swings full power on every ball is predictable; by 16U that habit becomes a ceiling. Watch for the tip, the high-hand, the deep corner — even if they don't execute it yet, you want to see them try.

Middle Blockers

Middles don't pass serve receive, so your evaluation time goes entirely into block footwork and quick-attack timing. Run Block Footwork Along the Net (4 players, 10 minutes) and watch whether their hands stay above their shoulders the entire trip and whether they're landing square. Then move to Quick Attack Timing (3 players, 15 minutes) — you're watching whether the middle's last step hits the floor as the pass reaches the setter. If they're jumping after the set, they'll be a step slow all season.

Watch what they do between plays. Middles who stand and watch rallies instead of resetting their feet and fronting the offense are telling you something about their habits.

Setters

Setting tryouts are about hands and decisions, in that order. Start with Wall Setting (1 player, 10 minutes) — the same contact point every rep, ball-shaped hands, nothing else. Then run Setter Decision Game (8 players, 15 minutes) and watch where their eyes go. Are they peeking at the block during the pass? Do they have a go-to option when the pass is off-platform, or do they get fancy at the wrong moment?

A setter who can run a clean high-ball outside from a bad pass is more valuable at tryouts than one who only looks good in system. Also listen — setters who communicate during drills are showing you something that's hard to coach later.

Liberos and Defensive Specialists

Liberos need to be evaluated almost entirely on serve receive and pursuit, with nothing about attacking. Grade every pass they take in Servers vs. Passers and note who's calling "mine" early and who's arriving after the ball. Then run Run-Throughs (4 players, 10 minutes) — who chases the ball outside the court and plays it mid-run? Pursuit range and willingness to go to the floor are things you can see on day one.

Evaluation Stations: Structure Your Tryout Like This

Run three skill stations in sequence, then finish with a team drill. Suggested flow:

1. 1Approach Footwork Lines (10 min) — catches hitters and middles; liberos do Lateral Movement Passing simultaneously
2. 2Servers vs. Passers (20 min) — passers graded 0–3 out loud on every rep; rotates everyone through
3. 3Box Blocking (15 min) — middles and outsides; Watch: Box Blocking focuses on jump timing and spread fingers
4. 4Queen of the Court (20 min) — teams of three; every player touches, no one can hide

Queen of the Court is your best tryout closer because it shows decision-making, communication, and next-ball mentality under fatigue. Track who calls for the ball after a mistake.

How to Score Fairly Across Positions

This is where most tryout processes break down. If you use one universal score sheet and rank everyone together, you'll systematically undervalue liberos and middles. A libero who passes a 2.3 average and digs seven balls is doing elite work — but if she's on the same sheet as an outside hitter and she has no kill column, she looks thin on paper.

Use separate score sheets by position. SpikeLedger's Bank Account approach is built on this idea: each player is measured against what their position is actually asked to do, so a libero's deposits are passes and digs (never kills), and a middle's deposits are blocks and efficient quick attacks. That's position-fair evaluation in practice, and it changes who makes your roster.

Numerical criteria should be simple: score each skill 1–3 per station, add a notes column for intangibles (communication, coachability, effort after errors), and total per position group separately. If you're evaluating 14U outsides, "solid" passing is a 1.8 SR average or better; at 16U, that bar moves to 2.0.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-weighting height and athleticism. A tall athlete who can't pass or read the game is a project. A shorter player with quick feet and a consistent approach may contribute in week one. You can coach skill faster than you can coach feel.

One-day snap judgments. If tryouts are only one day, you're seeing who is comfortable in tryouts, not who is a volleyball player. Two days minimum — the second day shows you who learned and adjusted from day one.

No written criteria before you start. Decide what matters before you see the athletes. It's easy to reverse-engineer justifications for the players you liked immediately. Written criteria make your decisions defensible to parents and fair to the athletes. For more on building tryout structure into your full program, youth volleyball coaching tips for first-year coaches is worth reading alongside this guide.

Evaluating everyone on the same skills. Run serving, passing, and a team drill for everyone — but your position-specific rubrics must be different. Comparing a libero to a hitter on the same sheet penalizes the libero for doing her job.

After Tryouts: Communicate Clearly

Post your roster with a clear timeline and a way for players or parents to ask questions privately. If a player is cut, they deserved a fair evaluation — and your written rubric is what makes that true. Athletes who know the criteria, even when they don't make the team, tend to respect the process. That reputation matters for next year's tryouts too.