50-Play "Friday" Part 2

Attack and Block

If you didn’t see Part 1 on Friday, check it out.

Otherwise, we’ll keep it rolling here with some attack and block example videos. In all of these montages, each of the 5 plays is shown 3 times. I tell players to follow the ball the first time, but watch the player on the next 2.

Outside Hitter Toolbox

We always want our outside hitters to go up and rip the ball high and hard. That’s always a good thing. But it’s also good to have a few other tools in the toolbox. These 5 clips show 5 of the other tools I like a hitter to have:

1. Soft throw at the “branches”. You might get a recycle, it might bounce over for a kill, and if it doesn’t catch fingers, it’s going to come in lower and harder to dig than a tip that goes “up and over” the block. I don’t like players tipping over the block. I like to aim for the fingertips and if it clears the block, okay fine.

2. Fast jam. This is better when the block is late and there’s daylight. Just dunk it in there.

3. Wipe off the block. Absolutely deadly in juniors volleyball because almost nobody has this done to them until they get to college.

4. High line chop. Self-explanatory.

5. Pot Roll. Again, the key for me is to not be afraid to catch fingertips. So many players roll these balls 12’ in the air and then it’s such an easy dig.

Scrape Tips

For balls set into the center of the court, I like this idea of a “scrape” tip that goes from inside out along the net. To repeat, the idea isn’t to tip over the block, it’s to go laterally and put the defender in a tough spot near the sideline. Obviously, this is more relevant against a double-block, although there is an example where Jackson throws a ball toward the sideline and gets a kill even though there’s no double-block.

If you had me for an Offensive Concepts clinic, you know I love this play.