D2W Weekly Training Plan - Week Five

Fixing stuff according to stats

Rough weekend for all our Dalkey Devils adult teams this weekend. Last year we rarely faced a day after a loss, and Sunday we had three of them! All three teams are new to their divisions, so obviously it shows that we’re in a new level and need to adjust.

The D2W team played well, especially in the first game, and then dipped as the match wore on. Hitting errors outnumbered kills as each set progressed, passing errors stayed about the same in each set, even the one we won, and our serving wasn’t as strong in the last 3 games as it was in the first. Our middles were super active in the match and played their socks off against a very good opponent in the Aer Lingus D2W.

So we’ll start with a manufactured service reception disadvantage like the one we faced on Sunday by lowering the net, and then raise it up to get some sideout offense work in. In the second session this week it will be all attack, all the time, with pool noodles and the rest to get us thinking about making smart shots.

I stood in for the D1W and, like many teams I’ve coached, the thing that shocked them, more than anything, was the new speed of the game, particularly when it came to receiving serve. By some weird coincidence both teams wound up passing a pretty abysmal 1.60 for the matches and while the D2W squeaked out a 0.00 hitting efficiency (23 kills, 23 errors), the D1W were slightly in the red, with -0.01 (14 kills, 15 errors). We’ve got to go out and win the game, rather than wait for it to be won for us by the other team.

Dalkey Devils D2W Training - 03/10/2023

Theme: Error Reduction when Passing/Serving

Setup: Lower the net to 200 (from 224 for women, usually)

AB Warm-Up - 15 minutes

Ball warm-up

• Bagherone

  • 2 players on the court, 1 touch and over and next player washes on

  • Variation: “The Middle is Lava” - don’t allow passes in the middle of the court. Set up discs to mark the lava channel down the middle of the court (net to end line).

Training:

• “Beat the Passers”

  • 3 servers vs 3 passers, 3 waiting off the court

  • Bucket or setters target at zone 6 on the net, 3-6 feet off

  • Passers stay on while they can hit the target

  • Scoring:

    • Servers:

      • +1 for servers moving on the passers (not a perfect pass or within 3 meters of the target)

      • +2 for an ace

      • No penalties for hard missed serve

    • Passers:

      • +2 for perfect pass (hits the target)

      • +1 for within 3m of the target

      • Off for missing the target or 3m zone

    • Game is to 15 points for the servers or 11 for one passing team

    • Rotate teams around, gather winning serving teams vs best passing teams

- Raise the net to 224

• Serving practice

  • Kneeling, right knee down, left knee up, at the 3m line, practice toss 10 times

  • Hit the ball 10 times into the net (if they miss, no big deal… working on contact)

  • Get a partner, hit the ball over to each other 10 times

  • Then stand, on left foot, 10 times over to each other.

  • Then stand, two feet, 10 times over to each other.

  • Step back, serve 10 more

• Sideout Offense

  • On defensive side: 3 Blockers

  • On offense: Setter in rotation with hitters around her, everyone minus back row outside hitter (libero and front row outside to pass) and back row opposite

  • Setter to organize hitters prior to serve

    • Offensive calls:

      • Call to outside: “4” (four fingers)

      • Call behind: “Back” (thumbs up)

      • Calls in middle: “One”, “2” (1 or 2 fingers)

      • Middle back: “Pipe” (line down the middle of their shirt)

      • Right side back: “D” (line down right side of shirt)

      • Left side back: “A” (line down left side of shirt)

  • Note: If enough players, run on both sides, everyone serving

  • Rotate after 5 serves

  • Blockers call out hitters each time

• Scrimmages

  • 6 on 6 if we can

  • Focus on serving in, setting up the offense

Dalkey Devils D2W Training - 05/10/2023

Theme: Defensive positioning and attacking

AB Warm-Up - 15 minutes

Ball warm-up

• Bagherone

  • 2 players on the court, 1 touch and over and next player washes on

  • Variation: Two touches, second is an attack

Training:

• Serving Progression

  • Start with a slam and catch with the serving hand

  • Toss and catch at the wall, standing on one foot, the opposite to the hand you serve with

  • Step back, 2m from the wall, serve and catch the rebound, standing on one foot

  • Step further back, serve from two feet

  • Keys: strong hand, balance, consistent toss

• Serving Small Targets Competition

  • Water bottles on the court, split the player into two groups

  • Half the group back serving, the other half at the net

  • 1 ball per group

  • The server at the line serves at a water bottle, gets to base immediately, then joins the group at the net

  • As the ball hits the ground, first person at the net chases the ball down, delivers it back to next server, joins the group at the service line

  • Scoring:

    • +2 for a target hit

    • +1 for serve in

    • -1 for not going to base

    • -1 for service error in the net

    • 0 for service error out on the other side of the net

    • Winner is first to 11

• 4 on 4

  • 3 players in the back row, one in the front

  • Free balls from coach or player (preferably) to each side, one after the other

  • Play out the ball: pass to front row player, who sets someone in the back row, who attacks

  • Play out the point, next free ball or rotate if both have been given

  • Rotate players in from off court to become free ball-givers

  • Variation: Have the players hit a down ball, and have them enter the ball this way

• 3 Defenders vs Hitters Sideout Drill

  • As above, but the defending side serves, server runs to their defensive position after service, plays out like above

  • Same rotation, serve once, next person serves

  • Note: Also run middle attack

• Scrimmages

  • 6 on 6 with a focus on defense and break phase

  • Free ball to the winning side