Teamwork is essential for all team sports, but especially in volleyball, where one wrong hit can make the difference between setting your player up for a successful spike and leaving your teammate hung out to dry thanks to a nasty block by the defense. Using drills will help your players learn how to play together as one unit.
One-Point Drill
There's no better way to draw a team together than when the game is on the line and there's something to play for. Use the one-point drill to help players communicate and get a point on the board -- or face the consequences. Line up six players on each side of the net and toss the ball across the plane of the net. Have blockers joust at the ball. The winner of the joust earns the right to serve. Use side-out scoring, with the winner of the first actual point the winner of the game. The losing team must perform wind sprints or some other similar form of physical exertion as a result of losing the game. Repeat the drill several times until players are communicating and using team concept to work together.
Talk Drill
One of the main elements of teamwork is being able to communicate during the game to let teammates know where you are on the court and what's going on. The talk drill is an effective way to instill that attribute in your players. Initiate a simple 6v6 scrimmage drill, but on each hit of the ball, at least one player on the team must yell out a command or what's going on with the ball, such as "set," "pass," "dig" or "over." If at any time, no players from the team call out a command or action, that team must stop and run laps. Continue the drill as you watch for errors in fundamentals and give instructions for proper communication.
Three-Pile Drill
Reacting quickly as a set of players to what's going on during the game is essential for taking advantage of scoring opportunities in volleyball. The three-pile drill helps establish this teamwork fundamental. Have three players lie down on the floor on top of or directly next to each other. On the whistle, toss the ball and have the players immediately jump up and start moving and communicating to get the ball over the net. Players must call out who has the first hit, where to set the ball and who is going to hit the ball over the net. After the play, have the players immediately return to the spot and lie down, waiting for the next repetition of the drill.
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