Monthly Archives: June 2010

Jun 28

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!

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A player once told me, “Blocking is the biggest adrenaline rush in volleyball.” (Maybe that’s why we have hard core cheers like “the roof is on fire.”) She backs up her point by screaming and cheering every time she gets a touch in a game. In my mind (and hers), there’s no denying, blocking is a pretty big deal. Plus, it’s a mental game changer. One decent block can shut down a hitter for the game. “Yeah, that’s right. I just pwned you.”

Here are a couple videos to demo a style of block called “Swing.” Here are a couple of advantages:

  • Use your arms to jump higher: It’s physics.
  • Avoid tools (and I’m not talking Dewalt): Jumping straight up without the swing may put you at risk for an easier tool. The swing helps you angle your hands/arms toward the court more naturally, almost eliminating the chance for a tool.
  • Quicker movements: A few large, fluid steps will set up a quicker block than a little shuffle. It’s just like an approach to hit. Could you imagine shuffling to hit? Then, why shuffle to block?

We use walls as a good way to teach the girls where they should be facing in the footwork. For teaching sake, let’s say the net is North of the blocker.

The following video is for an outside hitter swinging to the left. (but just do the opposite for a right side blocker)

1. Move both your hands down your sides as you take a crossover step to the left.
2. As you bring your feet back together and plant to jump, swing your arms back and face the west wall.
3. Jump up and make a right hand turn to face the net. Reach your hands and arms over the net (some of us maybe just hands – we’ll talk about “soft blocks” later).
4. Bring your arms almost full circle, land on the ground facing the East wall.

Bonus video!!

This next video is of a middle hitter blocking on both right side and outside. If you’re thinking “Where have I seen that girl before?” She is the same girl who demonstrated the outside block in the above video. She’s just that awesome (It’s ok if you’re jealous).

The steps are the same but did you notice there’s another step in there? (It’s ok if you missed the step, go ahead watch again) See that? She takes one side step first. (This first step is key to getting all the way out to close the block.) Then she crosses over just like the outside block. “Close the block” means, get all the way over there, join your teammate, jump together and “roooooooof!” That’s why they call it a double block. Two girls jumping together make one big monster double block. If you don’t close the block, hope that you have smart diggers who can be in the right spot to compensate for your lack-of-closing-the-block-ness.

What’s your blocking cheer? Don’t be embarrassed, every team I’ve ever played on has a blocking cheer. In fact, “The Roof is on Fire” was a popular song when I played in high school. Enough said. Anyone looking for a good blocking cheer? Share yours in the comments section below.

Jun 23

Dead fish: not just in the Gulf

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Here’s a youth beginner drill called “Dead Fish.” This is a good one for the first year of volleyball. Once they learned to serve over the net, Donnie’s 12-year-olds really enjoyed this super fun game. (plus they got serving reps with little competitiveness).

The rules are simple.
1. Split the group in half and put a cart of balls on each side.
2. Everyone starts serving.
3. If a girl misses her serve, she runs to the other side of the net and lays on the ground flopping around like a fish out of water.
4. The rest of her team must then save her from being a “dead fish.” What better way to save her than by serving the ball at her?
5. If she gets hit, she’s saved!

The first team to lose all their players to the other side become “dead fish” and lose the game.

Have you tried this one with your youngins’? If not, try it, and tell me what you think.

Jun 21

Season your volleyball skills with basic Pepper

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Pepper is one of the most basic fundamental volleyball drills out there. I know what you’re thinking, “Danielle, why are you just now telling us about this fundamental volleyball drill?” Good question. Now, let’s talk about the greatest, most effective volleyball drill ever invented.

All you need is one partner and one ball and it’s simply: Pass, set, hit, pass, set, hit. To point out the obvious, there are only 2 of you and 3 types of hits. Which means, you’ll both get equal reps on all hits. i.e. perfect warmup drill.

Here are 4 reasons you should start “peppering” at your next practice (or even right after you’ve finished reading this post).

  1. Warm-up – This is the most common form of warmup in volleyball. You’re working all the movements necessary to play the game.
  2. Overall ball control – Hitting, setting and digging directly to your partner requires great skill, concentration and constant communication.
  3. Improve communication – Constant talking creates the most effective Pepper session and good communication among 6 players is an underrated quality in a volleyball team.
  4. Repetition – Back and forth, back and forth. You’d think it’d get boring but your partner is always there to challenge you.

It’s obvious I LOVE the game of Pepper. But what do you think? Can anything top Pepper as being the most effective volleyball drill ever invented?

Jun 17

How important is a vertical in volleyball?

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So I’m in my body design class at the YMCA and I’m feelin’ the burn. Squats, lunges, plies, box jumps, leap frogs, quick feet, jumping-jacks-turned-squats (how many leg exercises does this instructor know??). I. am. burnin’. But then I thought, “My vertical will thank me later for this.” And that’s all the motivation I needed to keep going.

We talk a lot about skills and tips and technique, but we’ve never really mentioned the importance of strength and conditioning. Back-to-back games all day long (typical in club volleyball tournaments) can be exhausting. There are tons of exercises you can do to stay in peak volleyball condition but, let’s talk about improving/maintaining your vertical.

A big vertical leap is not absolutely necessary in volleyball (like if you’re 6’9″ and you can reach right over the net). But for the rest of us, we gotta be able to jump! And don’t think that because you’re a back row player, you don’t need to vertical work. What about back row attacks? Jump serves? Plus, the leg workouts you do to increase your vertical can also contribute to diving, lunging and sprawling actions that rule the back row.

So… how important is a vertical in volleyball? It’s crucial.

How high can you jump? Or… more importantly, how high can you reach?

Click here for tips on how to increase your vertical.

Jun 13

Strategic replays

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“Strategic what?” you ask. A replay, like most officiating calls in volleyball, is subjective. Usually, the ref calls a replay if no one on the officiating team sees the play, a disagreement between R1 and R2 or a ball interrupts play. In games without a neutral officiating team (recreational or most club tournaments), replays occur more often.

And, of course, I’m writing about this because it recently happened to me (and because it happens all the time in recreational volleyball).  Any arguable play can be a replay because technically we’re officiating ourselves.

In club, another team – that you either already beat or you will play next – officiates your match. Is that neutral? (USAV likes to think so). In rec, one player can usually coerce the opposing team to agree on a replay.

For example, it’s game point and I hit a (smart) deep shot that bounces right on the end line (I have witnesses who are willing to testify to that). My team (knowing it was in) starts cheering. Then one lady on the other team yells, “Out!” and tosses the volleyball to their next server. Wait a minute, wait. a. minute. That ball was in. So we state our dissent. The lady quickly suggests a “compromise,” “How about a replay?” DOH! We begrudgingly agree. No sense in arguing (we’re adults, right?). Her team went on to win that set.

Strategic? Sure, one play does not make a game but it can change the momentum. We had it in the bag before that replay. I may be slightly cynical but I believe that she was thinking “strategically” in calling that ball out. She had a good case and she knew we wouldn’t argue.

  1. She was the closest to the action.
  2. She yelled out pretty confidently before the ball landed.
  3. She tossed the ball to next server assuming we’d agree with her call.
  4. Allegedly, no one else on her team saw the play. (this is easy to claim after one person takes the lead on the strategic replay)

The replay may or may not have changed the game for us. But it did pause our momentum, stop the flow and create a little more tension.

Why do people do that? Desperate measures? I’ve heard of tying your shoe and walking slowly back to serve, etc., to slow the other team’s momentum. But strategic replays can be a key game-changer in rec or club volleyball. Other strategic replays?

– net or center line violations

– touches

– doubles

– lifts

– back row attack

– ball enters the court

– pretty much anything an official would be responsible for calling

Is it illegal? Of course not. Is it unethical?

I think it’s taking advantage of another team’s desire to play fair. There are teams out there who just want a fair game and there are teams who just want to win. I think it’s totally unethical to resort to a tactic like this. But some keep in their back pocket as a desperate measure for game point situations.

It’s 22-24 in a match against a team that always beats you. You finally have chance to change the game. Do you take it?