Watch as Coach Luka Slabe explains, and players demonstrate a setting drill focused on getting the hands up on time. Coach emphasizes the importance of always being ready to go with big hands, waist-high, and […]
Mental Toughness: A Skill That Can Be Developed with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that mental toughness is a skill, and it can be developed. It is about how an individual responds to adversity, difficult situations, setbacks, and failure. Mental toughness is not […]
Jack and Jill Setting Drill with Natalie Reagan – Long Beach State Univ.
Watch as Coach Natalie Reagan explains, and players demonstrate this flexible setting drill that works both short ways, with the flow, and long ways, against the flow. The focus will be on body position, balance, […]
Full-Feature! Winning the Sideout with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
We are releasing a FULL 36-minute session from the 2025 AVCA Coach of the Year Virtual Super Clinic, available in our Volleyball Coaches Insider +Plus video library. Free access to this video will expire on […]
Match Video Review: Coaches & Players with Ted Kopacz – Colorado State Univ.
Watch as Coach Ted Kopacz explains how to review footage with athletes to get the most out of their learning experience. Analyzing footage should be efficient and quick. When they can physically see their movements […]
Hands Over the Net: Adding a Middle Blocker with Mackenzie Nelson – Northeastern Junior College
Watch as Coach Mackenzie Nelson explains a blocking drill designed to improve athletes’ performance. This drill keeps them engaged by being mentally stimulating along with training blocking footwork.
How Coaches Can Develop an OUTSTANDING Working Relationship With Your AD
By: Kevin M. Bryant, CMAA Many times, in my 35-year career in college and high school athletic administration I have heard coaches share their frustrations about their athletic director. While I would like to […]
Hitting Around the Block Drill with Phil Nickel – Dallas College Eastfield Campus
Watch as Coach Phil Nickel explains, and players demonstrate this hitting around the block drill that uses pool noodles instead of live blockers. He uses different colored noodles to make it easier for the hitters […]
Unwritten Culture Rules with Joe Sagula – (Retired) Univ. of North Carolina
Watch as Coach Joe Sagula talks culture and discusses how it all starts in the locker room. Each team has a set of player-enforced “unwritten rules” that have been passed down. Coach explains that when […]
Serving Warm-Up with Megan Lenhart – Cornerstone Univ.
Watch as Coach Megan Lenhart explains, and players demonstrate, this partner serving warm-up drill. The drill starts with servers working on tosses, establishing routine muscle memory. Their hitting arm is in the proper position for […]
Reps Digging Drill with Carrie Lehocky – Hope College (MI)
Watch as Coach Carrie Lehocky explains a digging drill she uses to get a lot of reps off a live attack from all positions. Keeping the ball coming from each position keeps the players on […]
1-on-1 Blocking Eye Sequence Drill with Julie Jenkins – Trinity Univ.
Watch as Coach Julie Jenkins explains how to train 1-on-1 blocking so players can commit to a dominant hitter. This drill helps with reaching over the net and being decisive when blocking.
Coaching and Social Media
By: Rainer Martens and Robin S. Vealey Originally Published in: Successful Coaching Provided by: Human Kinetics When we think of coaching, we think of face-to-face interaction, but of course coaches communicate by phone, email, […]
Base Release Drill with Kellen Petrone – Univ. of Pittsburgh
Watch as Coach Kellen Petrone explains, and players demonstrate this base release drill that focuses on moving backwards as well as forward. The defender will execute the base release on the hitter’s toss and be […]
Blocking Vision: Don’t Close Your Eyes with Rocco Lucci – Niagara Frontier VB Club
Watch as Coach Rocco Lucci explains, and players demonstrate this blocking vision drill. Blockers will first focus on ready position, making sure they are elbows-distance from the net. Keeping thumbs up and fingers out wide, […]
Shuttle Passing Drill with Melissa Wolter – Univ. of West Florida
Watch as Coach Melissa Wolter explains, and players demonstrate the Shuttle Passing Drill. This flexible drill can be timed or completed through a certain number of touches. Players will group in threes and the outside […]
Timing Drills for Pins & Middles with Erin Glickert – SUNY Cortland
Watch as Coach Erin Glickert explains how to work on timing with attackers. Athletes work on timing, footwork, and step-close in this drill.
Pre-Game Pass & Shuffle Drill with Becky Edwards – Lancaster High School (NY)
Watch as Coach Becky Edwards explains her pre-game drill. There are multiple variations to warm up different game-like movements and skills. Getting many touches and reps in quickly is important.
The Decisive Intangible for All College Athlete Recruits
Originally published in an Adam Sarancik Book Most college coaches have similar goals, philosophies, and priorities when recruiting athletes for their program. In short, they want people, athletes, and players who tangibly have sports skills […]
Hula Hoop Setting Drill with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
Watch as Coach Renee Saunders explains, and players demonstrate this hula hoop setting drill. Two players standing on boxes and holding hula hoops above their heads are the targets. The objective of the setters is […]
Training Outside Hitters Using Pool Noodles with Lyndsey Oates – Univ. of Northern Colorado
Watch as Coach Lyndsey Oates explains, and players demonstrate how they use pool noodles to help train their outside hitters. Using pool noodles is great if you are short on bodies or to save your […]
Drill to 15 with Kayla Allen – LC Anderson High School (TX)
Watch as Coach Kayla Allen explains, and players demonstrate the Drill to 15 warmup drill. This drill is used at the beginning of practice, has high reps, and the players practice all skills regardless of […]
Setting Routine with Kamalani Akeo – Univ. of Pittsburgh
Watch as Coach Kamalani Akeo explains the setting warm-up routine used to prep their setters for all the skills they’ll be using. This drill is useful to learn footwork, warm up the arms/hands, and get […]
Out-of-System Hitting Drill with Jen DeJarld – Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School (IL)
Watch as Coach Jen DeJarld explains the out-of-system drill used to improve players’ skills in challenging situations. Players switch around positions after certain touches, making it so everyone gets reps in different positions, and it […]
Parents and Guardians
By: Rainer Martens & Robin S. Vealey Originally Published in: Successful Coaching Many coaches find that the most challenging relationship to manage is their relationship with their athletes’ parents. This includes guardians, but we will […]
Out of System Around the World Drill with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
Watch as Coach Renee Saunders explains the “Around the World” Drill. This drill includes multiple progressions for ball control and out-of-system training, as well as encouraging loud communication and hand control.
Double Blocking Drill with Louis Mitchell – Renaissance High School (MI)
Watch as Coach Louis Mitchell demonstrates double blocking and how to train closing the gap between a middle blocker and a right-side blocker.
The Sports Nutrition Challenge Hiding in Plain Sight
By: Greta Jarvis, MS, MPH, Founder of: Center for Active Women It was around sophomore year of high school when my classmates, teammates, and friends started restricting their eating: the Flat Belly Diet, the Cabbage […]
Pre-Match Shuttle Warmup with Zoe Bell – Ardrey Kell High School (NC) and Corey Sarubbi – Carolina Juniors Volleyball
Watch as Coaches Zoe Bell & Corey Sarubbi explain, and players demonstrate this pre-match shuttle warmup. The drill is used in a half-court setting before high school and club games and usually takes 3 to […]
Consistent Parent Communication with Nathan Emrick – Carterville High School (IL)
Watch as Coach Nathan Emrick discusses the importance of consistent parent communication: Communication must be consistent Everything goes back to your standards and focus Positive & Negative Feedback Encourage parents when their kid does something […]