Volleyball Analogies

All opinions expressed on the blog are solely my own. 

Thomas Edison said three keys to invention were imagination, perseverance, and analogies. Here are a few volleyball analogies: 

Countdown to liftoff. NASA has a countdown to the liftoff of its Saturn V solid rocket booster. Tryouts are just around the corner. 

Cut corners. Cutting corners means giving less than full effort, to take shortcuts. When Ralph Labella and I watched the future four-time consecutive NCAA champion UCONN women practice, they began practice with two laps (after stretching) at Gampel Pavillion. Nobody cut a corner. "Champions don't cut corners."

Cannonballs. Some players hit the ball so hard that it makes a different sound. 

Pancake. The 'pancake dig' is one of the exciting plays in volleyball, keeping the ball alive. 

Pogo stick. Some girls seem to have big vertical jumps, as though on a pogo stick. A few who come to mind included Gia Vlajkovic, Elena Soukos, Sarah McGowan, and Paula Sen. 

Great wall. Rachel Johnson and Kayla Wyland earned the blocking reputation of 'the Great Wall'. The legend is that the Great Wall of China is visible from space. False. 

Cheddar biscuit. A great set that allows for an easy kill is a 'cheddar biscuit'. If you've ever eaten at Red Lobster, you know the real deal. 

Setting machine. Be so consistent that you function like a machine. 

Floor cleaner. I heard of a coach who gave out the "floor cleaner of the week" award, a floor tile on string. Dive on the floor and you're a floor cleaner. 

Campfire. "A ball that falls to the floor in an area that’s surrounded by two, three, four or more players. At the instant after the ball hits the floor, it appears as if the players are encircling and staring at a campfire." 

Trash talking. If you're going to do it, you better back it up. 

Lagniappe. Coaches like to vary drills. Competitive serving and passing drill