Coaching Volleyball 2.0 CVB2.0 Special Issue 1 | Page 10

that early tracking and leading with the platform will
produce better contact. We focus on this more than the
feet. We do always want our passers facing the server, and
while liberos may be able to take a short drop step before
they pass, a front row outside hitting a quick set will lose
time with that move. We also ask a lot of questions when
we’re analyzing video with a player because it helps us
know what they are seeing.
Luka Slabe: I look for her eyes to be on the server and
looking at the toss. We want them to ‘pick a side’ to pass
on as early as possible. The ball knows angles, so we want
a simple platform. We’ll talk about the feet but passing is
about platform, so we don’t spend much time on the feet
unless the movement is inefficient. We look for and train
‘repeatability.’
Outside Hitter Attack at the Pin:
J.J. Van Niel: We always start with the feet; we know that
to hit with range you have to have good footwork. Our
initial evaluate is pass-no pass decision and how quickly
that is made. If no pass, we want a five-step shuffle to get to
the sideline for the attack approach. We use all the cliché’s
around the four-step approach: slow-to-fast, small-to-big,
but we have started to talk more about acceleration because
it’s an easier concept to internalize. What we have tried
with player video is grading each part of the preparatory
and approach patterns with zeros and ones and showing
the player how they correlate with their hitting percentage
– that’s been a powerful tool because the differences are
so stark. On swing preparation we want a big, full-arm
backswing and we look for the elbow to go way back behind
the head. A player with a great arm can still hit with good
power even if their footwork is not what it should be.
Gary White: My first evaluation is how an attacker is
responding in pass-to-hit situations, i.e. how does she
10 | Special Issue No.1
“We always talk to our players about
their eye work, and try to get them to
look at the right things, we never ask
if we, as coaches, are looking at the
right things when we evaluate video
and break it down with them.”
Giuseppe Vinci
respond to serves coming to different parts of her body.
Video allows us to do precise work on time and tempo
with our hitters to specify where they are in their approach
when the setter contacts the ball. I evaluate the line of an
attacker’s approach and assess whether she get to a position
where she can hit with range. Then I’ll pick apart the
jump mechanics and arm swing; does she start far enough
off the net that she can swing through the ball? Does she
finish over the top of the ball with her hand so the topspin
takes the ball to floor faster.
5-1 Setter entering from Rotation 1:
Gary White: The first thing we look at is the speed and
efficiency with which the setter can get to the ‘setter pocket.’
This is most difficult for a 5-1 setter in rotations 1, 3 and
4 so we work on those entry patterns a lot. When they are
balanced and loaded, they can read the pass. The second
look is the path she takes to get to the ball – is it direct.
Our last evaluation is her hands, specifically the height at
which she is taking the ball. We divide the hand position
into three levels: the basement – contact at eye level, the
first story – contact at the hairline, and the second story –
contact above the head. International setters have strong
enough wrists to set all balls from the second story, but
most college setters will work from the first story where they
can use their elbows and shoulders in the setting movement.
The last look is the follow through, do the hands move in
tandem through setting window.
Luka Slabe: One major point of emphasis for us is that
setters commit to face the passer’s platform, so they do not
take balls over their shoulder, but square to the attacker
while setting. We also ask our setters to stay three to five
feet off the net as that is our target passing zone. We want
the fulcrum to be around the right foot. We ask our setters