What to Expect at PCJ Girls Club Tryouts: A Skill Guide by Age Group
One of the questions we hear most often this time of year is some version of: "What should my daughter be able to do before tryouts?" It's a great question, so we wanted to answer it here for everyone thinking about Girls Club this season.
The goal of this post isn't to intimidate anyone or talk any player out of trying out. It's the opposite: we want families to walk in with a realistic sense of what "club-ready" looks like in Park City at each age, so tryouts feel less like a mystery and more like a fair chance to show what your athlete can do. Every player develops at her own pace, and coaches are evaluating athleticism, coachability, and attitude, not just polished volleyball skills.
12s-13s
At this age, we're looking for the foundation: can she pass a serve with a stable platform, serve consistently underhand or overhand from behind the line, and get herself into ready position without prompting? We want to see basic positional awareness (knowing roughly where to go on the court) and, just as important, a willingness to move her feet, communicate with teammates, and take coaching in stride.
14s-15s
By 14s, we expect serve-receive to be more consistent and directed, not just controlled. Overhand serving should ideally be the norm. Athletes should understand the basic concepts of rotational positions and basic system play (where to be on offense and defense), be developing an approach for hitting, and possibly show some early specialization; a player starting to lean toward setter, middle, outside, or libero. Communication on the court should be more proactive than reactive.
16s-17s
At 16s, we're evaluating players who mostly know their positions and can execute their roles under moderate pressure: setters running a basic offense with tempo, hitters approaching and attacking with intent (not just contact), back-row players reading and passing hard-driven serves, and everyone understanding rotational responsibilities. We also look for competitiveness: does she compete for every ball, and does she recover well after a mistake?
18s
For the oldest group, we're looking for players who can execute their role at a competitive club pace: consistent, placed serving; hitters who can adjust shots and attack out-of-system sets; setters managing tempo and matchups; and defenders who read and adjust rather than just react. We're also weighing leadership, court IQ, and how she handles pressure; qualities that matter as much as skill at this level.
Tryout Day Tips
A few practical notes to help take some of the nerves out of the day:
Bring the basics. Athletic clothes, knee pads, indoor court shoes, and a water bottle.
Expect drills, not scrimmages only. Coaches usually run a mix of ball-control drills, position-specific reps, and some live play so we can see both fundamentals and game instincts.
Attend both dates if possible. The tryout fee covers both sessions, and more reps in front of our coaches means a more informed placement. If only one date works, let us know, and we'll do our best to evaluate fairly either way.
Ask questions. If you're unsure which age bracket your daughter falls into (we use AAU brackets based on age as of July 1 of the following year, not grade or school year), just email us before tryout day so there are no surprises.
A Note on Placement
We want to be up front: our Girls Club teams are our most competitive track, and roster spots are limited by design. We are aiming to build small, complete rosters (9–11 athletes per team) so that everyone who makes a team gets real playing time — which also means we can't offer a spot to every athlete who tries out. Last season, we had close to 80 athletes come out for 28 spots across two teams. This year we're hoping to expand to four club teams, but the math is still the same: not every player will be placed, and that's true at every competitive club.
If your daughter isn't offered a spot this season, that's not the end of the road. Our Foundations program and camps are built to inspire continued development, and many athletes who don't make a club roster one year come back stronger the next. There are also many club opportunities in the SLC area, and we intentionally timed our tryouts to make it possible for athletes to explore other options in our area if PCJ isn’t the right fit.
Above all, we want tryouts to be a positive experience. Trying out takes courage, and every athlete who shows up has our respect before she ever touches the ball.
If you have questions, reach out any time at coach@parkcityjuniorsvolleyball.com.
