To become good at something we spend more time doing it, after all, practice makes perfect. Passing is a crucial part of volleyball. So why not learn ways to become a better passer?
Purpose: To give the players serving repetitions, and to force them to focus on a serving tactic.
Set-up: Three passers on each side, a target on each side (can be a setter who sets to the outside for repetitions), two or three servers per side.
1. The object is to score 15 points. The servers and passers on one side of the net are on the same team.
2. The servers have to tell each other where to serve the ball. If the server serves an ace, the server’s side gets a point. If the serve is missed, then the server’s side gets minus one point. If the passers pass a perfect ball their side gets a point.
3. The coaches should give the servers a tactic to focus on. Either they should try to serve one player the entire time, serve the seams to cause confusion, mix up the serves to catch them off guard, etc. This should put the servers into a competitive situation where they have to focus on a certain tactic while penalizing them if they miss their serve.
Often teams run into an opponent with a dominant middle blocker that seems to be everywhere and block every ball that (almost) comes over the net. Coaches must recognize a dominant middle blocker and have tools for their team to neutralize her. A basic offensive play, and its effect on the defense, will be discussed.
All defenses have their strengths and weaknesses. Coaches choose their defensive schemes based on the abilities of their own athletes and the offensive tendencies of the opposition. Playing a rotation defense denies the offense from tipping directly over the outside blocker, while also defending the line with a digger. However, as with any defense, the rotation defense has its weaknesses to attack.
At any level, a team cannot succeed without a setter who is able to “run the show.” In order to be effective, a setter must be willing to put in the extra time it takes to develop mental and physical skills. This article outlines the essential components to developing a successful setter.
To develop a game plan, the setter and coach have to assess the strengths and weaknesses of both the team and the opponent. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses, the setter must then formulate a plan to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses with her team’s strengths. Strategy can begin to be developed as the team begins to define its offensive characteristics, and the other teams are scouted and evaluated.
This third installment in the setter development series will focus on developing proper reactions in a setter. Each offensive system is slightly different, so you will have to modify these suggestions for your specific needs. Also, the setter should have developed her/his consistency and know the strategy you wish to employ in your offense. Without these two foundational elements established first, she/he will not be able to effectively develop her/his proper reactions.
We will now look at the importance of developing the ability of deception.
A setter needs to develop the ability to “fool” the opposition, creating 1-on-1 situations for the hitters. To fool the blockers, a setter must show consistent body posture in delivery (making all sets look the same), have an effective strategy, and make correction reactions to what the defense gives her. It is important to remember that deception should not be sacrificed for consistency of the location and pace of the set.
This is the fifth and final installment in the Setter Development series. Previously, we discussed consistency, strategy, reactions, and deception. The culmination of the previous components is execution. Without the four previous elements, execution cannot occur at a high level. It is vital the setter fully develop all four components before execution can be expected.
I often hear coaches ask, “Where should I start my blockers?” I always answer, as with most volleyball questions, “It depends.” Most of the time it “depends” on what the opposition can do, and what your team can do. We’ll look at three blocking bases and their advantages and disadvantages.