The Art of Coaching Volleyball

How to build self-esteem and confidence by controlling the factors you can

Juliann Faucette Johnson — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 23:12:00 +0000

Julianne Faucette, former athlete with the Women's U.S National Team, talks about fostering individual confidence: a critical component of building a strong athlete. Whether you are the tallest or shortest player, the weakest or strongest player, the player with the highest volleyball IQ or the lowest volleyball IQ, Faucette says to ground your confidence in […]

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End-of-set pressure game

Russ Rose — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:53:00 +0000

Purpose: To put teams in pressure situations to score in the final points of the game How it works: Start with evenly matched teams on both sides of the net in base position. Three games to 15 are played out, the beginning score of the first is from 9-9, the next from 11-11, and the […]

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Advantages of having a tall blocker on the right side

Jim Stone — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:40:00 +0000

What are the advantages of putting your tallest block on the right side? Jim Stone describes just a few ways a tall right side blocker can be the secret key to a great blocking lineup: Most of the opponent's attacks will be hit by the outside hitter, so your biggest blocker should be on the […]

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Passing and setting progression with beginner players

The Art of Coaching — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Ruth Nelson of Bring Your Own Parent walks players through a passing and setting progression. One player (or a parent or coach) starts with their back to the net facing a young player on the 10 foot line. The person at the net alternates tossing short and "deep" balls (for younger players, this is about […]

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Diagonal attacking drill for young hitters

The Art of Coaching — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 09:12:00 +0000

Purpose: Interactive hitting and digging drill to practice proper hitting form and location. How it Works: Two players are self-tossing and attacking from left front. Two players stand diagonally from the attackers in left front on the opposite side of the net: these two players are digging and then catching the attacks coming from the […]

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John Dunning’s 3-box drill

John Dunning — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The drill you’ll see here, where three coaches initiate the action from boxes at the net, is a great example of a training exercise that emphasizes teamwork and serves multiple purposes at once. As coach John Dunning explains, his team uses this drill to work on specific areas of the game based on notes they’ve […]

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First team challenge drill

Jim Stone — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Clinician: Jim Stone, head coach of the US girls' youth national team Purpose: To challenge the first string players to put the ball away quickly and efficiently. By allowing the second string of players more opportunities to create points, the need for two equally-matched teams is eliminated. How it Works: Have your first string of […]

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Preparation during the 90 minutes before a game

Championship Performance — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000

During pre-match preparation (90 minutes prior to competition), one of your goals is to help players achieve the right frame of mind. You want players "psyched up" to meet the physical demands of the game, but also mentally attuned to the complexities of the match. Athletes preparing for a match are under real pressure. As […]

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Zero rule drill for a fun, competitive warmup

Holly Motheral — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Holly Motheral teaches a 4 v 4 warmup drill in this video that rewards teams that don’t let the ball hit the floor without a touch. Play can begin with a coach initiating either a free ball or a down ball. Once the rally starts, teams rotate every time they put a ball over the […]

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Handle the heat, hit the box

The Art of Coaching — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000

In this drill, introduced by La Jolla Country Day High coach Peter Ogle, players are challenged to pass tough serves to target -- in this case, a box that's positioned where the setter would stand.

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Russ Rose: 5 v 5 drill

Russ Rose — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:27:00 +0000

Russ Rose shares a 5 v 5 drill in this video that emphasizes one-on-one blocking and digging behind a one-person block. On each side, there are two outside hitters, a back-row setter, a libero in left back and a middle back. Hitters are not allowed to tip or hit roll shots. Coaches enter the ball […]

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Half-court volleyball drill

Michael Henchy — Sun, 31 May 2026 07:01:00 +0000

Michael Henchy shares a 4 v 4 drill in this video where hitters can only score on one side of the court. This drill also works as a 3 v 3. Ball entry can be a serve, free ball or down ball. In this video, the drill starts with hitters being restricted to cross-court shots, […]

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