The 2026 AVCA Phenom College Prep Program will be held on December 17-19, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. All programming will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
For the fifteenth year, the AVCA will host the invitation-only Phenom College Preparatory Program. Since the start of the program, 80% of participating athletes end up on college rosters! The Phenom Program is the only showcase that consistently has 200+ college coaches in attendance, with a four-year attendance average from 2022-25 of 280 coaches.
Who is invited?
The AVCA Phenom College Prep Program is an invitation-only event for uncommitted seniors on the AVCA All-American Watch List and uncommitted underclassmen on the AVCA Phenom Watch List.
Athletes recognized on the AVCA Phenom Watch List have been identified by the AVCA as elite rising high school volleyball student-athletes (2028, 2029, and 2030 grad years in the Fall of 2026). These athletes have received some significant external form of recognition for their outstanding play (i.e. All-Region, All-District, All-State, Prep Volleyball, USAV NTDP or Regional High-Performance Team, etc.). The athletes are nominated through the AVCA Nomination form, which is then evaluated by the AVCA.
Additionally, the Phenom Watch List nominee’s high school coach, club coach, or club director must be an active AVCA Member under the High School/Interscholastic, Club Coach, or Club Director AVCA membership categories in order to be placed on the Phenom List and receive an invitation to the Phenom College Prep Program.
Athletes recognized on the AVCA All-America Watch List have been identified by the AVCA as elite Senior (2027 grad year in the Fall of 2026) high school volleyball student-athletes. These athletes are underclassmen who have received some significant external form of recognition for their outstanding play (i.e. All-Region, All-District, All-State, Prep Volleyball, USAV NTDP or Regional High-Performance Team, etc.). The athletes are nominated through the AVCA Nomination form which is then evaluated by the AVCA.
In order to be eligible for the AVCA All-America Watch List, an athlete’s High School Head Coach must be an active AVCA member. Nominations can be submitted by the player’s club coach or director, but eligibility is tied to the membership status of their High School Head Coach.
2026 Phenom Program participants will receive or participate in:
- AVCA Phenom Talent Showcase, where athletes will demonstrate their skills in front of the college coaches in attendance in person.
- On-court positional training: learn from the best of the best as AVCA coaches lead you through positional training on Friday ahead of the Showcase on Saturday. This will be open to college coaches as well.
- TAP Assessments: learn more about your athlete behavioral style and strengths!
- Player educational sessions regarding recruiting, life as a college athlete, careers in volleyball, etc.
- Parent-specific educational sessions about recruiting rules and what to expect during the process
- Parent education session with the Hospital for Special Surgery (NY) Sports Medicine division regarding sports injury prevention
- Parent and player education session with NeuroFuel, regarding athlete mental health, visualization, and how to sharpen your mind in order to perform at your best. Players will also receive a free one-year subscription to NeuroFuel.
- Nutrition sessions to learn how to properly fuel your body on and off the court.
- Nike T-shirt
- Personalized badge + welcome packet
- A list of college coaches who attended or viewed the Talent Showcase provided after the event.
- AVCA is partnering with University Athlete in order to provide access to player information to college coaches onsite using the UA database.
Registration Information
Being on the AVCA Phenom List does not automatically secure a spot in the Phenom College Preparatory Program. Invitations to athletes on the list will be emailed on September 23, 2026.
Registration is first-come, first-served for uncommitted athletes on the AVCA Phenom List or AVCA All-America Watchlist. Registration will close in November or when capacity has been reached.
Registration for the 2026 AVCA Phenom Program will be $259. In addition, players can purchase one (1) NCAA Match Ticket book for themselves, and up to two (3) NCAA Match Ticket books for their parents or guardians, for a maximum of four (4) total ticket books. Ticket pricing is listed below. Each ticket book contains one ticket to the NCAA D1 Women’s Semi-Final matches and one ticket to the NCAA D1 Women’s National Championship.
200 Level Ticket Books: $139
300 Level Ticket Books: $99
As a reminder, the $259 base fee does not include a ticket to the NCAA Semi-Final or Final matches. These must be selected and purchased directly through the NCAA. Within 24-48 hours of registering for the Phenom Program, the NCAA will activate each email in their ticket system. From there, players will receive a link from the AVCA to log in, select, and purchase their tickets directly from the NCAA, at a special AVCA Phenom ticket rate.
NCAA match tickets will be distributed electronically ONLY via NCAA Ticketmaster. No printed ticket books are available. Tickets will be sent out via e-mail in early December.
Cancellation requests will be accepted through November 13, 2026. All refunds of Phenom Program registration packages are subject to a 25% processing fee. NCAA tickets are non-refundable and cannot be resold above face value.
FAQs
Is a hotel block available? Registered athletes will be able to view the private event page for hotel room block links. It is not a stay and play event, but we will have discounted room rates available for those who need accommodations.
Do I need to purchase a separate NCAA match ticket? YES! Players may select and purchase up to four total ticket books. Each ticket book contains one ticket to the NCAA Semi-Final matches (which allows for entry to both matches on Thursday) and one ticket to the NCAA National Championship match on Sunday. For example, if an athlete wants to purchase tickets for themselves and one parent, they would need to purchase two ticket books in total. These will be purchased directly through the NCAA. Players will receive a link to log in to the NCAA Ticket Portal and select their tickets after registering for Phenom.
Why are there so many college coaches in attendance? The AVCA also hosts the annual AVCA Coaches Convention the same weekend and location as the Phenom College Prep Program. The Talent Showcase is advertised to and on the schedule for Convention attendees. The AVCA Convention attracts hundreds of college coaches from all divisions, from all across the country!
What if I am on the Watch List, but don't receive my invitation in September? Please contact the AVCA!
TESTIMONIALS
“My favorite part was the NCAA matches. Being around the high-quality players was inspiring to want to be one of them.” – Athlete
“Participating in the showcase was awesome, seeing so many college coaches together was surreal. There were soo many. It was a really cool program that tested me, and my abilities.” – Athlete
“The Phenom Program definitely created exposure with college coaches. I am now corresponding with 3 DII schools and 5 NAIA schools that I had no previous contact with.” – Athlete
“Since attending this event, my daughter was immediately contacted by college coaches before we even got on a flight back home and has been receiving emails ever since. She now has more choices than ever.” – Parent
“I loved the All-American Panel. It really helped me figure out what is important when looking for a college.” – Athlete
