15 club volleyball tryout tips from a Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee and elite club coach who's helped hundreds of athletes navigate tryouts successfully.

Two College Volleyball Setters Answer My Interview Questions

College volleyball setters Aubree Smith and Katelyn Steffan open up about life playing on a Division I team

Meet Aubree Smith one of the top college volleyball setters in the A-10 conference.

College volleyball setters run the show on their prospective teams.

I asked Aubree Smith, Rachel Vukson and Katelyn Steffan three top setters in volleyball to answer my interview questions about how athletes live learn and excel in Division I.

The College Volleyball Setters from the A-10 Conference Answer Interview Questions

Meet Aubree Smith one of the top college volleyball setters in the A-10 conference.

Improve Your Volleyball: What makes you special?

I can clap with one hand and make a three leave clover with my tongue.

I don't like new kneepads, I can't play in them. My favorite are when they are broken in and worn down a little.

Improve Your Volleyball: What accessories and/or equipment help you play your best?

I always listen to 'Whats Happenin' by the Ying Yang Twins before every game and I have to have Kathryn Traut tie my ribbon in my hair.

Improve Your Volleyball: What pregame habits, rituals, or superstitions do you have to do before every game?

Meet Aubree Smith one of the top college volleyball setters in the A-10 conference.

Improve Your Volleyball: Who or what inspires you to play well in each match that you play in?

My team inspires me to play well in each match.

College Volleyball Setters
Aubree Smith Volleyball Videos

What volleyball awards did Aubree Smith win this week?

Freshman volleyball setter Aubree Smith was honored as Rookie of the Week by the Atlantic 10 Conference for the second consecutive week in a row.

Aubree led the Xavier volleyball team to a 2-1 record at the Maryland Invite, helping XU to a pair of 3-0 victories over Quinnipiac and Virginia Commonwealth.

The St. Louis, Mo., native, tallied 98 assists in the Musketeers' three matches, along with 10 kills for a .320 hitting percentage, six serviceaces and 17 digs

She registered career-highs in assists (38) and aces (5) against VCU,after posting a career-high seven digs versus Quinnipiac.

The College Volleyball Setters from the Mountain West Conference Answer Interview Questions

Meet Katelyn Steffan one of the top college volleyball setters in the Mountain West Conference.

Improve Your Volleyball: What makes you special?

I'd say the fact that I'm 6-4.

Not a lot of girls have a height advantage on me.

Improve Your Volleyball: What accessories and/or equipment help you play your best?

I wear a hair tie on my left shoe. I always play with it there. That way, if one of my teammates or I need it, I'm always prepared.

Improve Your Volleyball: What pregame habits, rituals, or superstitions do you have to do before every game?

I always have to chew gum during warmups, but never during the game.

Improve Your Volleyball: Who or what inspires you to play well in each match that you play in?

I always play for my family, specifically my parents. And also to represent my hometown.

Colorado State Volleyball Coach Tom Hilbert Volleyball Quote about Katelyn

"Kate was the sole reason we won the match," Hilbert said after CSU's five-set thriller on Thursday. "That was the best I've ever seen her play."

College Volleyball Setters
Katelyn Steffan

What volleyball awards did Katelyn Steffan win this week?

Katelyn Steffan was voted the Co Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week by the leagues head volleyball coaches.

Katelyn Steffan had the weekend of her career, and in result, was honored with the Co-Mountain West Player of the Week award, the conference announced Monday.

Steffan, led Colorado State University to a 2-0 record last week, maintaining first place in the conference standings after recording 46 kills in two matches.

She began the week by setting a career high with 28 kills, shattering her previous high (21) in a 3-2 win over UNLV in Las Vegas on Thursday. She also had two blocks, five digs and an assist in the match. Steffan followed up that performance with 18 kills and five blocksin a 3-1 win at San Diego State on Sunday. She also had three assists, twoaces and six digs in the televised match from San Diego.

For the week, Steffan averaged 5.11 kills, 0.78 blocks, 1.22 digs and0.44 assists per set, while hitting .400. She averaged 5.72 points per set over nine total sets.

Do You Follow Me on Instagram?

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing time—this is the fix you’ve been looking for.

Struggling with passing consistency?

I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

utkaprilcollegepiconneylandstadiumvideoboard

Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

katepriorallwestcoastconferencebyufreshmanformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

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Scan to find out what you shouldn't be missing!

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021

Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

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Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

In It To Win It Tournament

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division

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Making A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division