Brazilian ball control drill
Purpose: Teach players to play the ball out in a controlled and cooperative way; Keep players active by requiring them to hustle under the net after each contact. How it Works: Three players start on...
View ArticleTraining your middles: The guessing game
John Dunning has young players set and hit the "1" ball out of the middle hitting position. Timing the "1" attack can be challenging, especially for young players. Teach them to start their approach...
View Article5 v. 5 v. 5 competitive drill
Purpose: Focus on the connection between a setter and one designated hitter position while competing in a competitive, rapid drill. How it Works: 5 players will be on each side of the court (there...
View ArticleHitting warm-up: Toss, turn, face, swing
Jim Stone of USA Volleyball goes over hitting mechanics. He advises players to fully rotate their shoulders as they swing, exaggerating the movement to practice the motion. Having players practice...
View ArticleDon’t sugar coat things for your players
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Head Coach at Creighton University, talks about being honest with her players about where they need to improve, both skill-wise and emotionally. She has learned over her years...
View ArticleSetting fundamentals: Shaping the hands
Gina Schmidt, Head Coach at Simon Fraser University, discusses the fundamentals of hand contact for setting. She compares the shape of the hands to lifting up a gallon of pop and chugging it; the hands...
View ArticleDefending the quick
Russ Rose of Penn State and John Dunning of Stanford talk about how to defend quick sets, including both the middle and the outside quick sets. The middle setter must stick with the middle hitter on...
View ArticleAlternative serving statistics
Kirsten Bernthal Booth and John Dunning explain their various styles of recording serving statistics. Booth explains that her program will track how long of a run a player can have or who gets the most...
View ArticleGetting players comfortable with hand control
Jim Stone explains why we need to get our hitters comfortable with hand control. As he demonstrates, he talks about the various individual drills your players can do before practice to really get...
View ArticleThe 3 defensive postures and when to use them
There are three different passing postures that defensive players need to know when defending an attack. There is "on ball" posture, "off ball" posture and "half off" posture. Each one is required with...
View ArticleAttack approach landing: “Accordion it”
John Dunning of Stanford University explains proper approach mechanics to protect a player’s joints. First and foremost, safety is the priority when dissecting a hitter’s approach. When a hitter is...
View Article“Oh shoot!” attacking drill to overcome failure
Purpose: Teach hitters to rebound from not having a high kill percentage by creating consequences. How it Works: 6 players are on each side of the court. One outside hitter will be waiting off the...
View ArticleFloor work for defenders: The collapse dig
Dani Busboom Kelly, head coach at the University of Louisville, goes over the “collapse” dig for a hard driven ball that is too fast for any lateral movement. Most importantly, the player must drop...
View ArticleCommunicating with athletes: Using mantras and analogies
Every coach needs to find effective ways to motivate and push their team. Glenn Hoag of Volleyball Canada explains that he's had to find innovative ways to communicate with his team, since open...
View ArticleReading the play at different levels
Russ Rose of Penn State University distinguishes between different levels of play based on a team's ability to read the play and dissect a setter's tendencies and decisions. "Game IQ" becomes...
View ArticleCross court drill for outside hitters
Purpose: Challenge outside hitters to not only attack sharp cross but also defend the sharp cross. How it Works: An outside hitter and a setter set up on each side of the court. The outside hitters...
View Article5 hitting options: Kill, recycle, tip, use block, in play
Jim Stone of USA Volleyball talks about the five options a hitter has when attacking the ball, depending on the set and their strengths. The most preferable is getting a kill that cannot be dug by the...
View ArticleWhy athletes are stiff, and why stretching is NOT the answer
Chiropractor Abe Avender debunks the myth that stretching helps players decrease muscle stiffness. He explains that stretching won't solve the problem; instead, strengthening those muscles will solve...
View ArticleHow to chart your opponent during games
Mike Sealy of UCLA talks taking stats on the opposing team during live matches. He highlights several charts he religiously makes during matches: where the other team’s serves land, where they attack...
View Article4 requirements of a great Libero
Mick Haley discusses what he looks for in a Libero, as well as how to develop a Libero that is quick, explosive, controlled and intuitive. Haley lays out four requirements for a great libero: Range:...
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