A volleyball drill will be successful only if it has a specific goal in mind when it is executed, according to the book "Volleyball Drills for Champions." Because volleyball players constantly rotate positions on the court, one of the most important goals for a coach is training players to perform at every position on the court. Performing drills for each of these positions allows players to better read the court and move the ball to the needed target positions.
Server
Servers must be accurate and consistent when putting the ball into play. A drill that will help servers control the direction and speed of the ball is the serving wall drill. Line up the players facing a wall five feet in front of them. Cut out a target roughly the size of a volleyball for each player and tape it to the wall so it is eight feet off the ground. Have each player serve a ball and attempt to hit the target simultaneously. Each time a player hits the target, she takes one large step backward. Each time she misses the target, she takes one large step forward. The player farthest from the wall at the end of two minutes is the winner.
Outside Hitter
Outside hitters have to be versatile, switching from defender to attacker at the front left side of the court at a moment's notice. Volleyball.com recommends the burn drill to help outside hitters quickly respond to defender positions. For this drill, a defender stands on one side of the net and an outside hitter stands facing on the other side of the net just behind the 10-foot line. A third player stands directly behind the outside hitter. The coach then tips the ball high to the front of the net. As the outside hitter makes her approach to the net, the player behind her reads the defensive player and calls out if she is deep or short. The outside hitter must respond to the call and decide if the ball should be tipped short or over the defender's head.
Setter
Being able to set the ball properly will give players a better opportunity to convert their attack strikes into points. Have three players lie face-down at the baseline on one side of the net, while the coach stands on the other side with the ball. The coach slaps the ball, and the players must get up quickly into position. As they get up, toss the ball to the player in the middle back row. She must set the ball to the front of the net on the right side, where the setter should be. The setter must then set the ball to the left, where the outside hitter is positioned. If done correctly, the outside hitter should have a clean opportunity to strike above the net.
Blocker
Blockers must work quickly at the net, which is the goal of the get out of the hole drill. For this drill, the blocker stands at the middle of the net. On the other side of the net, hitters stand four feet to the right and four feet to the left of the blocker. The coach stands behind the blocker in sight of both hitters. When the coach points to a hitter, she must slap the ball and then jump and attempt to tip it over the net. The blocker must move toward that hitter with the correct footwork and attempt to stuff the ball. The drill continues until a predetermined number of stuff blocks are reached.
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