Whether you're a beginner or an advanced player, these 6 volleyball training sessions can help you level up your game. From mastering basic skills like serving and passing to advanced tactics and team strategies, this guide covers it all. Here's a quick breakdown of what you'll learn:
These sessions are designed for 2-3 weekly practices, balancing skill-building with the fun of the game. Ready to get started? Let’s dive into the details.
Mastering volleyball starts with building a strong foundation. A 90-minute training session focuses on serving, passing, and setting - the core skills every player needs.
Knee pads, athletic shoes
"The serve is the first contact in a volleyball game, and it's an important opportunity to gain an advantage over the opposing team." - Javelin Sports [1]
With over 37 million Americans actively playing volleyball, mastering these basic skills is the first step toward excelling in the sport [2].
This 120-minute session builds on your core skills, focusing on precision drills that mimic real game scenarios.
Strategic placement
Equipment Needed:
"We have found the T7 device to be very advantageous in monitoring the daily and weekly workloads for our team. It allows us to see more detailed metrics, giving us a better understanding of the game's demands and allowing us to make more informed decisions regarding practice planning and return to play." - Greg Piteo, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Maryland Women's Volleyball team [3]
These drills are designed to prepare players for in-depth performance evaluation.
Use wearable technology to monitor key training metrics. This helps adjust intensity and ensure proper recovery:
Primary Goals:
Fitness and agility are the backbone of strong on-court performance. This 90-minute session focuses on building stamina and improving quick, precise movements through targeted exercises.
Kick things off with explosive movements that translate directly to volleyball performance. Focus on exercises that improve jumping ability and upper-body strength:
These drills simulate real volleyball movements, helping you react faster and move more efficiently. As Kelsey Robinson puts it:
"In volleyball, there are so many different movements. There's lateral, there's diving forward, jumping to attack, jumping to block, and your body is constantly moving in different ways. The point of training speed and agility for volleyball is to be as efficient and explosive as you can be in those movements. The more you train it, the more your body adapts to what it needs to be doing on the court." [4]
Focus on exercises like lateral scissor steps, T-drill patterns, block jump–lateral shuffle combos, and cone drills to mimic game-like scenarios.
Build stamina with interval-based exercises designed to reflect volleyball's stop-and-start rhythm:
To avoid injury, always land softly on your toes, maintain proper form, and increase intensity gradually. Keep hydrated throughout your session.
Incorporating this workout 2–3 times per week will sharpen your speed, boost endurance, and complement your technical skills, setting you up for better overall performance on the court.
This 90-minute session is designed to improve team coordination and communication, ensuring better performance during matches.
Clear communication is key to effective teamwork. Use standard calls and hand signals to coordinate setting choices and serve-receive formations. Assign court zones and roles to minimize confusion. Strong communication lays the groundwork for more advanced tactical drills.
Try the 'Down Ball, Down Ball, Free Ball' drill [5]. It’s a three-step exercise: first, receive a down ball; second, repeat the down ball; and third, execute a set play on a free ball. Success in all three stages is required to earn a point.
Strengthen defensive strategies by analyzing tactics and integrating them into your regular training. This ensures seamless teamwork during matches.
Key areas to work on include:
This session builds on the foundational skills and agility developed earlier, bringing individual strengths together for unified team play.
"The implementation of Catapult offers a comprehensive solution for coaches and staff to gain deeper insights into individual and team dynamics. This platform's capacity to delve into the intricacies of Purdue Volleyball's current training methods and its potential to enhance future training endeavors serves as a fundamental basis for integrating Catapult within the program." [3]
This 75-minute session hones the specific skills required for each volleyball position. While teamwork and general skills are the foundation, this session sharpens the unique abilities needed for individual roles.
Each role is addressed with drills tailored to its demands, complementing earlier team-based skills.
The setter acts as the team's strategist, requiring both technical precision and leadership. Training focuses on mastering a variety of setting techniques and keeping ball control consistent.
"In the world of volleyball, the setter holds a unique and crucial role. Often compared to the quarterback in football, the setter is the orchestrator of the team's offense, responsible for delivering perfect sets that enable their teammates to launch powerful attacks." [6]
Key aspects for hitters include:
Libero training emphasizes sharp passing skills and quick reactions. Drills focus on reading serves and attacks while maintaining strong defensive positioning.
Terry Liskevych, a three-time U.S. Olympic Coach, highlights the importance of anticipation for setters:
"Good setting depends on focusing on the next play. Where are the blockers? Where are the hitters? Where is the pass going? Anticipate plays and move decisively." [8]
To support this focused training, you'll need:
This structured approach ensures position-specific skills contribute to the team's overall success.
Practice matches are a great way to test skills in a game-like environment. This session blends competitive play with coaching feedback, helping players put their training into action.
These matches are designed to suit players of different skill levels while keeping the competition balanced. Players get structured chances to use their training in realistic scenarios, improving both individual techniques and teamwork.
Coaches provide feedback at three stages: during play, during breaks, and after the match. This approach ensures players can quickly adapt and integrate what they’ve learned into the game.
"Being good at providing meaningful feedback is definitely a key coaching skill. This is true both on an individual level and on a team basis." [9]
To keep sessions productive for everyone:
In addition to live feedback, video analysis highlights areas for improvement. Players receive clear, actionable advice based on their decisions and execution during the match [10].
Coaches keep the session effective by:
Practice matches are where training meets performance. They round out the training process, reinforcing technical skills, tactical awareness, and communication in a way that aligns with the session's objectives.
This section highlights the main points for enhancing adult volleyball training. Improving in volleyball as an adult requires a thoughtful combination of training sessions tailored to skill level and goals.
For beginners, prioritize fundamental skills. Intermediate players should mix drills with competitive play, while advanced players can focus on refining specialized techniques. Each session builds on the previous one, enhancing your overall strategy and enjoyment of the game, while ensuring steady progress.
"Joshua Aycock, Director of Agility and Strength at WAVE Volleyball, emphasizes that talent can be developed on-court, but longevity has to be done behind the scenes" [12].
Stick to a consistent practice routine and evaluate your progress regularly to boost athletic performance. Adding cross-training activities not only improves physical fitness but also keeps your routine engaging [13]. Whether you're part of Javelin Sports' community programs or working with a coach, balancing your training is key to achieving your volleyball goals.
Adjust your training plan as your goals and competition levels change [11]. Competing in leagues and tournaments offers valuable experience, helping you identify areas to work on for continued growth.
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