Posts Tagged ‘Serve-Receive’
Three Ideas Newsletter – 11/27/25
Most people probably don’t recognize the name Kirk Hammett. If you do, you’re either into heavy metal music or you’ve got pretty wide-ranging music tastes. Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist for Metallica, but he wasn’t always in the band. He joined in 1983, after they’d already blown up internationally. So what did he do once he landed a spot in a supergroup? He kept taking guitar lessons at Joe Satriani’s shop in the San Francisco Bay Area—and he was getting his butt kicked in the process!
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter 11.11.25
n the early ‘90s, we had some really strong teams at Ohio State—making the Final Four in 1991 and 1994. But no matter how much talent we had, I remember getting frustrated with our defense one day. I was trying to figure out possible remedies and Yao offered this simple suggestion: “If we want to get better defensively, we need to focus on being a stronger attacking team. Better offense will force the defense to improve.” So even though my first instinct was to spend more time on defense, we worked on offense instead—and, sure enough, our defense had to get better just to keep up.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter – 10/21/25
Hey everyone! State tournaments are around the corner for high school programs. A frequently asked question from many coaches is how to best prepare their teams for the competition. First of all, there isn’t a best single way to prepare your team for the state tournament. Each team has their own personality, along with many variables such as injuries, experience, etc. But, here are a few items that I’ll present as food for thought.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter – 10/7/25
Hello, everyone! Steve Martin has long been one of my favorite comedians and actors. The range of characters he’s portrayed throughout his career is truly remarkable. In his autobiography, Born Standing Up, Martin shares his journey to success—a path marked by failures, missteps, and rejections. He embodies the idea of “working your way to the top.” This…
Read MoreRethinking Serve-Receive Patterns
Former men’s Olympic coach Doug Beal revolutionized serve reception by installing serve-receive patterns using only two passers, Karch Kiraly and Aldis Berzins. Karch and Aldis were exceptional in many ways. They were great athletes, mentally tough, and had exceptional technique. Coach Beal took advantage of those individual abilities and developed a system allowing his best passers to receive the most passing opportunities while simplifying the reception pattern.
Read More“Not Everything That Can Be Counted, Counts”
Observing your team in action can be a powerful way to evaluate progress. It is important to incorporate statistics into the process. Critical thinking is needed to use all the observational and statistical information appropriately.
Read MoreIt’s Easier to Move If You’re Already Moving
Volleyball is a game of movement. The entirety of the game involves moving from Point A to Point B, then executing a skill. The faster you can move to the ball, the chances of a successful contact are increased. At all levels, volleyball is being played at a faster tempo. Players are serving at an…
Read MoreAdditional Thoughts on Serve-Receive
As a follow-up to my recent article on serve-receive, I’ll present some additional items I value. Why the continued focus on this component of the game? In conversations with coaches, serve-receive is the one component of the game that is a never-ending challenge for players. Part of the challenge is the improved ability of the…
Read MoreThe Misuse of a Bell Curve for Determining Your Target Area in Serve-Receive
It is common for many coaches to have their passers target an area 6′-8′ off the net when receiving a serve. The thought is to build in a buffer area to avoid a pass that either goes too close or over the net. Some will use a bell curve to validate this approach (excuse the…
Read MorePassing Techniques and Systems- One Size Does Not Fit All
Coaches must guard against automatically mirroring other teams’ or coaches’ techniques and tactics. Many factors should influence how the skills are taught and the systems implemented. The game is different at the collegiate or national team levels compared to a 14-under club team. The men’s game at the international level is a beast unto itself—the…
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