By Keith Grabowski

One concept that is universally true in any sport is that if your players have not been prepared for a situation and do not understand how to handle it, it’s not their fault. The coach is to blame.

Head Coach at Rice University Genny Volpe believes that players can be prepared for all they will face in a game by carefully planning practice to teach them how to handle those situations.

Coach Volpe has had a lot of success at Rice and it all starts with practice. She shares her philosophy here (click on image for video):

She points out that up to 60% of volleyball is played out of system attacking. Because of this, opportunities must be created in practice.

One way she likes to create these opportunities are in non-traditional plays/reaction drills.

She explains it in this video:

Working these things out in practice is very important.  It develops the communication necessary to handle the different situations that will occur during a game.

As you prepare for the season, be sure to plan all of the “out of system” and non-traditional plays that will occur this season.  

As a coach, you can have that peace of mind that you are doing all you can to have them ready for game day!

If you are interested in learning more about How to Implement Game Situations in Daily Practice you can get access to Coach Volpe’s complete here

4v4 Game-like Drills to Work on Passing Accuracy with Michelle Collier,

with Michelle Collier,
Georgia Tech University Head Coach;
2020 NCAA Tournament, second round;
2019 NIVC Champions;
2019 ACC Coach of the Year;
2019 AVCA Region Coach of the Year;
former Jacksonville University Head Coach;
2013 Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year;
played professionally from 2003-2006 in Spain, Netherlands, Cyprus, Indonesia and Puerto Rico;
as a player at the University of South Florida, was a 2x Conference USA Player of the Year, 2002 All-American, & league Player of the Decade

Step inside a Georgia Tech volleyball practice with head coach Michelle Collier! In this video, Collier not only coaches her players but also explains her drills to you as if you’re standing right next to her throughout the entire session. She shares the purpose of each drill, what to focus on, and what needs to be done in order to find success come game day. You’ll observe player-initiated warm-up drills with plenty of variations, high-energy practice drills, grueling and focused wash games, and more!

We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a YouTube video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block YouTube videos.

For more information about Michelle Collier: Player-Initiated Warm-Ups, Team-Oriented Wash Games + Base/Defense, Communications & Setter Hitting/Timing, Communication & Conditioning, click here: Michelle Collier: Player-Initiated Warm-Ups, Team-Oriented Wash Games + Base/Defense, Communications & Setter Hitting/Timing – Volleyball — Championship Productions, Inc.

Allison Lebar has enjoyed great success as the varsity girls’ volleyball coach at Riverdale Country School in New York. She has consistently led her program to the New York state tournament. Lebar bases her instruction on volleyball fundamentals.

Learn to teach the basics and beyond with this extensive coaching course that covers all aspects of the game in more than 35 volleyball drills and tips videos developed specifically for youth players. The Volleyball Drills and Tips Library provides parents, coaches, and team volunteers with all of the technical expertise you need to help kids develop essential skills and play better.

Whether you are a novice or veteran coach, these techniques will get the job done!

We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a Vimeo video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block Vimeo videos.

If you would like to see more information about Coach Lebar’s entire presentation, click this link: Volleyball Tips & Drills Video Library

Superman Passing Drill

Tummy Touch Passing Drill

2 on 2 Ball Control Drills with Nancy Dorsey,
St. James Academy (KS) Head Coach;
2015 AVCA National High School Coach of the Year;
2015 Kansas Class 5A state champions;
nine state titles in eleven years 2008-18 (finished runner up twice);
2x PrepVolleyball.com National Champions (2013, 2010);
VBM 2013 High School Team of the Year; American Family Insurance 2013 All-USA Volleyball Coach of the Year;
won 56 straight matches from 2012-13; lost only one set in 2013 (finishing 96-1); over 420 career wins

The emphasis of this video featuring the 2015 AVCA National High School Coach of the Year, Nancy Dorsey, is to demonstrate some of the most effective ball handling drills that you can use anytime in practice – from warm-up to competitive play. Most of the drills in this video emphasize not only the need for ball control, but add pressure on players to go after every ball.

Dorsey shows how you can get your players to compete while they learn valuable ball handling skills through the use of scoring systems. Many of her drills are also great for conditioning, as they are fast-moving and won’t end until a predetermined goal is reached.

We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a YouTube video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block YouTube videos.

For more information about 20+ Ball Control Drills for Better Movement, Communication & Conditioning, click here: 20+ Ball Control Drills for Better Movement, Communication & Conditioning – Volleyball — Championship Productions, Inc.

Back Row Quick Drill with Ryan McGuyre,
Baylor University Head Women’s Volleyball Coach;
2019 USMC/AVCA Div. I National Coach of the Year;
2019 Final Four;
2x Big 12 Coach of the Year (2017, 2019);
Big 12 Champions (first time in school history!);
former Cal Baptist University Men’s & Women’s Head Coach;
9x National Champions;
NCCAA Division I National Coach of the Year (2011);
Named AVCA’s Men’s & Women’s NAIA National Coach of the Year in the same year (2010)

A back row attack strategy can be effective for teams looking to expand their point scoring options; it will also complement a team’s strong front row.

In this video, Coach Ryan McGuyre includes multiple drills that will challenge your understanding of how effective the back row attack can be. McGuyre does an outstanding job of presenting his knowledge and philosophy of utilizing the back row attack. The drills shown can be successfully altered to fit the needs of any team at the high school level or beyond.
We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a YouTube video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block YouTube videos.

For more information about How to Effectively Utilize the Back Row Attack as Part of Your Offense, click here: How to Effectively Utilize the Back Row Attack as Part of Your Offense – Volleyball — Championship Productions, Inc.