Two hours before each game, senior Jackie Harvey plays her volleyball game in her head. She steps out on the court and aligns herself up for the perfect outside hit. Screaming for the ball, she runs and jumps, allowing perfect form and concentration to take over.

When game time finally comes around, Jackie steps out on the court and already knows where, when, and how she will strike that volleyball so she can deliver the perfect blow to her opponent.

This mental preparation is just one of the things that makes her an elite athlete and separates her from the rest of the "wanna be" college volleyball players.

Fueled by her desire to become a college athlete, Jackie knows what is at stake every time she plays a game.

With growing competition for spots on limited college rosters, many athletes are looking to set themselves apart from the rest and stand out in the highly competitive world of college recruiting.

Jackie is not the only student athlete taking strides to improve her game and catch the eye of college scouts.

In fact, at Laguna Blanca School, many high school athletes just like Jackie are trying to get themselves out there, get noticed, and above all, get recruited to play a college sport.

Ranging from lacrosse, to volleyball, to basketball, and to soccer, Laguna students are beginning to venture into the world of the college recruitment process.

Already, juniors Fletcher Sipple and Katie Schuster have dipped their toes in this process, which includes, other than being great academic scholars and athletes, making a skills video, making a résumé, and emailing and meeting with coaches.

Outside of school, both Katie and Fletcher are members of traveling, competitive club teams, which can play a vital role in catching the attention of a college scout and being recruited.

Fletcher, who is a member of the Los Angeles All Star Lacrosse Team, finds club sports a much better environment to be recruited from because it provides a higher level of competition where players can showcase their own abilities against the best of the best. Although intense, and, yes, sometimes cutthroat, "Playing on a club team not only makes you play better and improve, but also helps you get noticed quicker" said Fletcher.

Depending on the division, many coaches must abide by certain recruiting rules and guidelines, which in some cases restricts a coach’s ability to contact a player he or she is interested in.

"Because of all the NCAA restrictions, it’s really up to the athlete to make the effort, contact the coaches, and put him or herself out there," said Fletcher.

The best way to be recruited depends on various contributing factors, but none as important as time: the best chance athletes have to get recruited is by starting as early as possible.

The best thing an athlete can do is to start assembling his or her résumé early.

This means providing a document that describes the athlete’s academic performance, including GPA, Honors and AP courses, and SAT score, as well as providing information about his or her high school and club sport achievements and background.

During sophomore year, it is suggested that athletes start making visits to schools and become familiar with the schools they may be interested in begin to email coaches.

Junior year is reserved for formal meets and visits with the coaching staff and the university.

For some students, playing in a college sport revolves around the school itself, meaning that students choose a school first, then decide if they can fit playing a sport into that, whereas for others, choosing a college based on sports comes first.

"I just want to get into the best college I can," said Fletcher, who aspires to play college lacrosse. "If lacrosse fits, then great, but if it doesn’t then too bad."

The recruitment process is a perilous journey and a tough one at that.

If there’s one thing that is needed to survive it’s perseverance, for the winners of the recruitment game are those who are willing to set themselves apart, and go where no one else will go, push themselves where no one else will, and call themselves what everyone wants to but only few actually get to: a college athlete.