tryouts Details

Club tryouts will now be held on

Saturday, November 14th, 2026 &

Sunday, November 15th, 2026.

Tryouts Schedule (Saturday)

12s & 13s: 5–6:30pm

14s: 7–8:30pm

Tryouts Schedule (Sunday)

15s: 2:00–3:30pm

16s: 4:30–6:00pm

17s: 6:30–8:00pm

18s to be held on different date and location.

Can’t make your time slot? Please reach out to director@ridgelinevolleyball.com for options! We’re happy to work with your family’s needs.

Tryouts will be held at the Willson Gym in Bozeman, Montana.

We recommend parking in the Main Street parking lot and using the west-facing doors on South 5th Ave.

Click here for location details on Google Maps.

“Which age group should my athlete try out for?”

For the 2026–2027 season, age groups are based on your athlete’s birthdate, rather than their age on tryout day.

Use your athlete’s birthday below to identify their youngest eligible age group under the standard rules:

12s: Born July 1, 2014, or later.
13s: Born July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.
14s: Born July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013.
15s: Born July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012.
16s: Born July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.
17s: Born July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010.
18s: Born July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

“14s,” for example, means “14 and under.” Younger players may be eligible to play in an older age group.

Not sure which tryout to attend? Email director@ridgelinevolleyball.com with your player’s birthdate and current grade. We’re happy to help!

Tournaments

Each Ridgeline team will compete in a schedule of local and travel tournaments throughout the season. Tournament schedules are designed to provide the right balance of competition, development, and exposure appropriate to each age group.

Local vs. Travel Tournaments

• Local Tournaments: Played within Montana (typically Bozeman, Helena, Billings, Butte, or Missoula). These are single-day or weekend events.

• Travel Tournaments: Played outside of Montana and will require overnight stays. These events provide higher levels of competition, exposure to college recruiters, and a unique team-bonding experience. Travel costs (lodging, transportation, meals) are not included in club dues.

Tournaments will be discussed in finality at the first parent meeting, and the amount attended is dependent team to team.

Club Dues

We believe in transparency and fairness when it comes to the cost of participation. While our exact club dues for the upcoming season have not yet been finalized, we want families to know that we are working hard to keep costs as manageable as possible without compromising the quality of training, coaching, and opportunities we provide.

After tryouts are completed and athletes are chosen for their teams, dues are announced in the offer letters sent to an eligible athlete.

Club dues will cover essential expenses such as facility rentals, tournament entries, coaching salaries, uniforms, practice apparel, and other operating costs.

Payment Plans and Scholarships

We recognize that every family’s situation is different. Once dues are announced, we will share clear details on what is included, available payment options, and resources for families who may need additional support.

1. Who can try out?

   Any athlete within the eligible age groups (typically 12U–18U) is welcome to try out. This usually includes ages 10-18. You do not need prior club experience to tryout, just a passion for the game and a readiness to compete.

2. Do I need to sign up for tryouts beforehand?

   It is required that you sign up beforehand, as it helps us plan accordingly. Sign-ups will be accepted up until the start of the athlete’s age group tryout time.

3. How will players be evaluated?

   We look at technical skills (passing, setting, serving, hitting, blocking), game IQ, hustle, effort, coachability, and teamwork.

4. What do I need to bring to tryouts?

   We recommend checking out this list here.

5. Which team should I try out for?

   Please choose the tryout group that best aligns with the athlete’s age and USAV/AAU age eligibility.

   Our coaches and directors will help evaluate each athlete and place them with the team that is the best overall fit.

   If you’re unsure which tryout group to select, please reach out to director@ridgelinevolleyball.com and we’ll be happy to help.

6. How will I know if I made a team?

   All players will receive an offer or dismissal letter via email within 72 hours of tryouts.

7. What if I can’t make tryouts?

   Reach out to us before tryouts to arrange an alternative evaluation time or to submit film if applicable.

8. Does it cost anything to try out?

   Yes, we charge each athlete a $7 fee to help Ridgeline cover tryout expenses.

9. What’s the difference between school volleyball and club volleyball?

   Besides being a privately-owned organization and not being connected to any institution, club volleyball offers extended training, travel competition, and exposure to a wider variety of playing styles and coaching.

10. How long is the club season?

    It depends on the team, but all teams will start practice in late November and most will end in May.

11. What do I do if my question wasn’t included here?

    You can reach out to Co-Directors Nikki and Devon at anytime by email, director@ridgelinevolleyball.com, or by calling/texting Devon at (949) 910-4941.

Because Ridgeline tryouts are sanctioned through USA Volleyball and the Evergreen Region Volleyball Association (ERVA), every athlete must have a current 2026–27 USAV/ERVA membership before participating.

Athletes who already have an active 2026–27 junior membership do not need to purchase another membership. However, a 2025–26 membership is no longer valid because that membership year ended August 31, 2026.

If your athlete does not have a current membership, please purchase the $15 “26-27 ERVA Tryout – November-December” membership before her tryout date.

How to purchase the membership:

1. Visit the Evergreen Region membership page.

2. Click the Memberships button and sign in to your existing SportsEngine account. If you are new to SportsEngine, the parent or guardian should create the account in their own name.

3. When asked who the membership is for, select your athlete’s profile. If she is not listed, choose Add Child. Do not purchase the athlete’s membership under the parent or guardian’s profile.

4. Select Player/Athlete when asked how your child will participate.

5. Choose the “26-27 ERVA Tryout – November-December” membership.

6. Complete the requested information, electronically sign the required waivers on behalf of your athlete, and submit payment.

7. After completing the purchase, save or print the athlete’s membership card and have it available at tryout check-in.

Please note that purchasing a USAV/ERVA membership does not register your athlete for Ridgeline tryouts. Families must complete both the USAV/ERVA membership purchase and Ridgeline’s tryout registration.

The tryout membership is valid for tryouts only. If an athlete accepts a position with Ridgeline, her membership must be upgraded to a full-season junior membership before she may participate in club practices or tournaments. Luckily, ERVA applies a $10 credit from the tryout membership toward the full membership.

For assistance with SportsEngine or the membership-purchase process, contact the Evergreen Region office at office@evergreenregion.org.