Serving to WIN!!!!

1. Serving to WIN!!!! By: Coach Dede Bodnar Played competitively since I was 5 years old. Coached 28 years USA Olympic Committee: “ Developmental Coach of The Year” (1998) USA Volleyball: “Outstanding Female Coach of the Year” (1998) All-American (California Polytechnic State University) Professor and Head Volleyball Coach San Diego City College Coaching Experience - Coached Professional Beach Volleyball(6 years), Liz Masakayan & Elaine Youngs Liz Masakayan & Angela Rock - Collegiate (17years), - High school (5 years), - Club (23 years), - Junior high (4 years), - Elementary school players (3 years). *email address: dbodnar@sdccd.net

2. Serving Serving WINS games!!!!! The more effectively your team can serve • The more offensive you will become and the more successful you can become. • The more your players become vested in point scoring and taking responsibility for their serve.

3. Serving Rules: Simple rules help you team keep focused on what needs to be done! • 1st serve is in • Serve is in after a time-out • Serve is in after substitution • Serve is in after a ‘delay’ of game • Serve is in after an Ace • Serve is in after your teammate before you misses • Serve is in after you missed your previous rotational serve • Serve is in at Game-point • Serve is in after ……………………..

4. SERVING • The serve is used to initiate the rally. It is the most important skill in volleyball. A well placed serve can result in a point, a reaction that is difficult for the setter to set or a reception that is difficult for the passer to transition to an attack approach. • Strategically, the serve is an offensive weapon. It is the easiest way to score and the easiest way to disrupt the opponent’s offense. Psychologically, a game’s momentum can totally shift in favor of the tough serving team. • The serve is the only skill in volleyball where the play is in complete control of the skill. The server decides when to initiate the ball, where t o direct the ball and how to direction the ball. All other skills in volleyball are in reaction to or anticipation of a ball that is already in play. • Because of the importance of the serve and the server having complete control of the serve, it is essential to practice serving every day. Serving practice can be combined with other skills or practiced two or three different times during practice.

5. Serving Progression • Serving progression without a ball: • Footwork • Body Position • Contact • Follow thru • Eyes closed • Serving progression with a ball: • Throw a ball • Toss/Drop • Toss/ Step drop • Toss Contact

6. Placement of serving drills within a practice • At least 10-15 minutes every day should be given to the partner serving progression and a variation of the serve and chase drill. • The integrations of serving into other drills should be incorporated whenever possible. • Short periods of the serve and chase drill can be incorporated into the practice schedule. After high intensity drill and prior to getting a water break is a good place to insert a short serve and chase drill. • Ex. Each player gets 5 service attempts to get the ball into a designated target area. For each missed serve a penalty can be assessed. • Ex. Each player must achieve 5 points to get out of the drill. 1 points is assigned for serving into the designated target area. NO points are achieved if the serve is in the court, but not in the target area. A negative point is incurred if there is a service error.

7. Serving Choices • Cross Court Serve • Line Serve • Short Serve • Serving from Deep • Fast/Low Trajectory serve • Deep/High Trajectory • Topspin • Jump Float • Side Spin NOTE: if any of these are not being performed correctly there is always a cue that you can use to bring back your intended goal.

8. Strategy Progression • Area Serving progression: • 1st In the court Areas 3 and 6 • 2nd Corners Areas 1 and 5 • 3rd Seams Areas Depend on receive plan • 4th Short Areas 2 and 4 • Advanced serving strategy: • Once the players have the ability to serve any area of the court advance serving strategy can be a huge factor in affecting the outcome of the game. • Serve the weak Passer – make them move to pass • Serve the hot hitter – either short or deep, to make it difficult to make an approach after the ball is passed. • Serve in between Area 1 and 2 to make it difficult for the setter to set the ball because it is coming from over the setters’ left shoulder. 1 6 5 2 3 4

9. SERVING TARGETS Servers Servers Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Target Servers Servers

10. Serving Drills Player serves • Serving Target Drills • Serve and Chase Drill • Integration of serving practice in other drills. Serving should be incorporated into other drills whenever possible. It will release the coach from running the drill to observing and providing feedback to the players in the drill. • Rotation Group Drill Example: after the serve the player goes to the passing group. After passing the serve the player goes to the hitting group. After hitting the set the player chases the ball and returns to the serving group. This style of drill is game like in its flow. • Stationary Group Drill example: The players stay in the serving, passing, and hitting groups for a specific amount of time or repetitions then rotate. This style of drill is good fro focusing on learning correct skill execution. • Note: These concepts can be used in many different team drills. Setter Hitter hits the set and shags Ball to go back to serve again. Passer passes the ball to setter who sets the 4 set.

11. 6 on 6: Termination Drill • Start with 6 players on each side of the net. • Server initiates ball over the net and then opposing team passes, sets and hits the ball back over the net. • Key objectives of this drill: • 1. To terminate 1st ball over the net. If your team gets a kill or terminates the first ball they get 3 points. Or if the server aces the ball the serving team receives 3 points. • 2. If the opponent terminates the ball over the net they get 2 points. • 3. If the ball crosses the net for the 3rd time, no points are awarded. • Play a game to 7 points. After a team reaches 7 points they rotate. Winning team gets to serve.

12. Outside Hitter: Dig and Hit Drill • Outside hitter (OH) starts at the net. • Coach stands left front on a box on the opposite outside hitter position on the other side of the net. • Coach attacks a ball at the OH and the hitter digs and gets outside the court ready to hit. Note: If two hitters are used outside the drill is still very productive). • Note: the digger should be outside and stopped by the time the setter touches the ball. • Setter sets a 4 set and the OH hits the ball around a two person block. • OH needs 7 kills to leave the drill. (The number of kills should be relative to the level of team, for example: beginning teams can get 4-5 kills). • To make this drill more difficult make the hitter aim at a designated area. (For example: Make the blockers stand on a box and give 2 feet of line and then the attacked ball only counts if it is hit by the block, line, and lands in the court).

13. Outside Hitter Drill : OH Digs and swings outside (expects the set) and then hits to Target Area: • Outside hitter (OH) starts at the net. • Coach stands left front on a box on the opposite outside hitter position on the other side of the net. • Coach slaps ball as OH pulls off the net then the coach attacks a ball at the OH and the hitter digs and gets outside the court ready to hit. Note: If two hitters are used outside the drill it is still very productive). -Note: the digger should be outside and stopped by the time the setter touches the ball. • Setter sets a 4 set & the OH hits the ball around a two person block to a designated target area. • OH needs 7 kills to leave the drill. (The number of kills should be relative to the level of team, for example: beginning teams can get 4-5 kills). • To make this drill more advanced: 1. If the hitter hits a ball that skims the net, after they hit that ball they leave the court and do 1 up/down (1 block into a push up), if the hitter hits a ball into the net or out of bounds, after they hit that ball, they leave the court and perform 3 up/downs. 2. Another way to make this drill more difficult is to make the hitter aim at a designated area. (For example: Make the blockers stand on a box and give 2 feet of line and then the attacked ball only counts if it is hit by the block, line, and lands in the court). • To make this drill more focused on the hitters approach: • Coach should take out the dig and just have the hitters waiting outside for a 4 set. Coach will toss/bounce the ball to the setter and then the setter would set an outside set to the hitter who would take an explosive approach to hit the set to the designated area. Outside Hitters Setter Box Coach 2 Blockers stand on a box

14. How to Work the Middle Attack With the Server Aiming Middle Back or Middle Short Passer • Setter starts right back (RB) and Middle Blocker is stacked left front on the net. • The ball is served over the net to middle back passer (area 6) or middle short. The passer passes the ball to the setter who sets the middle attack. If the middle front passes the ball they can still attack a middle quick set (slide, 3, perhaps 1 and back1 depending on physicality). Note: (Coach states if they want the middle to pass) • Middle blocker gets off the net to the 10 foot line (the middle blocker’s goal is to be on the 10 foot line by the time the passer touches the ball) and then the middle blocker approaches to hit a 1 set as the ball is coming from the diggers arms. (NOTE: the middle hitter can also once this drill is mastered work on hitting 3’s, slides, back 1’s and 2’s). • One or two player stands on the other side of the net in blocking starting position, ready to block the attacked ball. • Middle hitter needs 7 kills to get out of the drill. (The number of kills needed can vary depending on the level of team you have). • To make this drill more difficult make the hitter only get a kill if the ball is hard driven, by a two person block or only if the ball is hit to a designated area (ex. Deep corners). • Note: this drill can be done with any of the zones: Area 1 (deep right back) and Area 2 (short right front), Area 5 (deep LB) and Area 4 (short LF) Setter Middle Front Blockers Servers