Learning Volleyball

Volleyball is a thinking person's game. Simple is hard. Some will say, "Everyone knows that." Response? It's what we learn after we know everything that matters. 

1. Good teams win more points. 

"Active winning." Positive scores are points you win. They also arise from opponent errors (communication errors, shanks, mishits - e.g. downballs hit into the net.

Negative scores arise from points the opponent wins and from our errors.

How do you succeed? Control what you can control. 

• Win more points.
• Lose fewer points. DME - fewer poor decisions, mistakes, and errors. 

2. Where do you score positive points? 

• Aces
• Attacks 
• Block kills

Sustainable competitive advantage means continually putting opponents into negative situations...make them do what they don't want to do. 

3. Team coordination is paramount. 

• "Classic coordination" is "pass, set, hit."
• Less obvious is front row players getting 'hands on' attacks to allow defenders a better chance to "keep the ball up." 
• In some sense, you have two quarterbacks (QB) on the court - the setter who directs the offense and the libero who directs the defense. What makes a great QB - decision-making and accuracy. 

A recent conversation arose about coaching volleyball. I do not know enough about volleyball to burden myself and others. But this guy does. 

Lagniappe. Great stuff. Hint: watch at 1.5 to 1.75 normal playback speed. "Culture comes from consistency."