Dig and Pursuit Drill
This drill improves ball pursuit response.
Player begins with back to coach. Upon hearing her name, she will turn and defend the attacks from the coach. The coach will enter two balls. First, a hard hit ball directly to the player who digs the ball. Immediately, the coach will tip a ball to any part of the court. The defender must pursue the second ball and attempt to keep that ball off the floor. The goal is for the player to successfully play both balls entered by the coach. Every successful dig counts as a point. To complete the drill, the player must get 10 points.
Six-Person Pepper
This drill improves ball control for each skill: dig, set and attack.
Players at the left-front and right-front are the attackers, middle-front sets and the back-row players defend. Attackers will hit the ball to any of the defenders, ball is dug to the setter, who sets attackers. The ball is kept in play continuously. After each contact, players rotate. The digger rotates to the setter position. The setter follows the set and becomes an attacker. The attacker rotates off to the line of waiting players. The next player in line comes in as the new digger.
In the diagram, the left-back digs and goes to the setter position. The setter sets left-front and follows and replaces the left-front player. The left-front hits to any of the defenders and goes to the end of the line. If a ball is not kept in play, the coach will introduce another ball.
Deep Court Triples, One Setter
This drill improves ball control, efficient attacking, setter accuracy and physical endurance.
Defenders will play deep court triples. All sets must be behind the 10’ line. The defenders attempt to dig and go to attack, jump and swing.
The setter is responsible for ALL second contacts on both sides. They set and quickly go to the other court to be ready to set. The setter has every second contact, regardless of where the first contact puts the ball. The defenders must accurately dig the ball so the setter can successfully set both sides. Goal: Set 10 balls in a row
Set and Chase
This drill improves strength to push the ball to target, moving feet to align body with the target in advance of contacting ball.
Players line up at the corners where sidelines meet 3m line and back line. Players set the ball attempting to keep the ball on the white lines. Players follow their set and rotate. Challenge: Coach calls "reverse" and the players set in the opposite direction without catching the ball. Focus: High set, square body to face where the ball is going, not where it is coming from.
Foot Movement to Set
This issue's drill is provided by Jim Stone, former Ohio State University Head Women's Volleyball Coach and founder of Volleyball Training Solutions
Player (P) stands balanced and square facing target/coach (C). Coach bounces ball off floor at intervals around a 360 degree circle. Player (P) must move to the ball, square up feet and shoulders to face coach, set the ball back to the coach. Coach controls the tempo and speed of movement by the height of the toss or bounce.
