Dr. Cecile Reynaud is a well-known volleyball educator and a retired coach of the Florida State Lady Seminoles volleyball team. She believes there are some basic keys to a great team defense. Coach Reynaud’ CoachTube course is called 20 Keys to a Great Team Defense.

The course has several lessons. There are two clip below. The first covers The simple concept of covering 120-degrees. The second found at the bottom is a short clip on defending the middle hit

The videos have sound so please make sure that your sound is turned on.

Further explanation of Keys to A Great Team Defense can be found below the video

120-DEGREES

Coach Reynaud believes that all great defenses follow three fundamental guiding principles.
1. Put your best blocker in front of their best hitter.
2. Put your best digger in position to receive the most digs.
3. Serve tough to set you team up to have a defensive advantage.

Further more she believes that you should get your defense into a basic set. One in which each defender is spaced such that the team can cover any ball hit by their opponent by having a defender move no more than three steps. For example two outside blockers each each placed an arms length from the side and a third blocker in the middle. The left and right back positioned 2.5 steps in from the side and in the middle of the middle. The middle back should be positioned a bodies length from the end line.

Now assume the opposition is hitting from left side. If the defense moves into position to cover,each player will move themselves so that the are in position to be responsible for covering a 120-degree range. They should be able to get to any ball in their area in three steps or less.

In the example the left outside would cover up the side and back towards the middle. The left back would have up the sideline and the end line. Right back position would have up the sideline and the end line. Middle back would up behind the block. Each player is responsible for using their arms to indicate the 120-degree area the are responsible for covering.

DEFENSE VS MIDDLE HIT

This clip is from Championship Productions . This series features former Louisville Head Coach Anne Kordes. Coach Kordes was also the 2010 and 2011 USA Select National Team Coach as well as the former President of AVCA.

The video is a YouTube video, so you will need to be able to access that site.

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Click this link to find out more about purchasing the DVD that this sample came from: AAU Coaching Girls volleyball Series: Winning Offenses

There are more notes below this video.

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

Keys to the 5-1 Offensive System

In this series Coach Kordes does a great job explaining the basics of the 4-2, 6-2 and 5-1 offenses. Explaining that all there are appropriate for every skill level. She explains all of the rotations in each system, expertly demonstrating how to line-up as well as various transitions into attack. She will also help you to match your offense to the skills and attributes of your setter or setters.

In the clip below Coach Kordes focuses on the 5-1 offense. Coach believes the 5-1 offense is the most popular offense. The 5-1 is typically utilized when a coach feels that they have one very good setter and they want that person to remain in that role and stay in the match at all times. Typically you are looking for a very skilled player. One whose setting skills are superior to all of the other potential setters on the team. In addition the setter in the 5-1 offense should have great communication skills, be aggressive and demonstrate tremendous leadership. The setter should be someone that can lift her team up and change momentum by talking to her team. If you have that setter then the 5-1 might be right for your team.

Coach Kordes explains how to line-up in each rotation in the 5-1. She also shows how to avoid overlapping so as not to give away out of rotation points.

She also demonstrates various attacks from different serve receive formations in the 5-1.