A clarification. When I mentioned hard work, I wasn’t referring to playing hard or an ambitious lifting program. I assume that your daughter – like many high school athletes – works her butt off. I also assume that she has the academic and athletic resume that would get her where she wants to go. The “hard work” differential is the work it takes to be recruited. It really entails a significant effort at: filming, camps, visiting schools, OVs, questionnaires, and countless emails and communications.
Although the myth has largely been busted, there are still kids who think the colleges and coaches will come to them. It may from the sidelines look like mostly luck (and luck does play a part), but if you know a kid on one of your teams that is not as talented as others but gets recruited to a good team, it is probably more than luck. That kid probably sent and received hundreds of emails to a range of college coaches. That kid probably took unofficial visits and (depending on division) met with the coach more than once. That kid probably went to lots of camps.
Employers want employees that want the job – employees that politely express their interest in employment. The same is true for college coaches. Why wouldn’t they recruit athletes that REALLY want to attend the school. Then the coach won’t have to convince the kid to apply. It takes polite but assertive efforts to convey that desire to a college coach. Luck, yes of course, but also recognize that effort often trumps luck.