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The Dig and Dive Volleyball Digging Using The Sprawl And The Extension

The "sprawl" and the "extension" are two advanced dig and dive volleyball skills where you take one step while lowering your body to the floor before digging.

In advanced volleyball ball dig defense training my coaches and I spend many hours on digging practice drills teaching the sprawl, the extension
the barrel roll.

In advanced dig and dive volleyball defense training my coaches and I spend many hours on digging practice drills teaching the sprawl, the extension the barrel roll.

In advanced volleyball defense training my coaches and I spend many hours on digging practice drills teaching things like..

the sprawl
the extension
the barrel roll

Dig and Dive Volleyball
How Does A No Step Sprawl Help You Dig in Volleyball?

Dig and Dive Volleyball Using The No Step Sprawl Technique

This requires a digger to quickly sink their hips below the level of the ball once the ball has been hit at them so they can position their angled platform directly underneath the path of the oncoming ball and control the ball up into the air.

The sprawl is a quick way to drop to the ground faster than an oncoming ball in a way to get your defensive platform arms underneath the ball to deflect it back up in the air before the ball hits the floor.

Use the sprawl when you don't have time to take a step to a ball before digging it because its dropping very quickly to the floor.

Practice Tips For The Sprawl and The Extension

The Sprawl:

1. Use a mini trampoline or have someone throw a ball at a faster speed, aiming the hit right at you. This exercise will help you practice lowering your hips quickly and getting under the ball.

2. Start in your ready position, then practice dropping to your knees quickly, placing your forearms on the ground. This way, you get the feel of how fast you need to be.

The Extension:

1. Set up a line of balls to the left and right of you. Starting from your ready position, move laterally, make a giant step towards each ball, lower your body and extend your arm.

2. Use your non-reaching arm as a balance. Practice touching the ground with it as you reach to dig the ball, to simulate how you would need to balance yourself in an actual match situation.

Common mistakes to avoid:

- Don’t stand straight. Always be in your athletic stance - knees bent, hands out front, ready to move. Standing straight can compromise your speed and responsiveness.

- Don’t lunge at the ball. Keep your movements controlled and precise. Lunging could make you lose balance and decrease your accuracy in digging.

- Do not panic and adjust too much for the ball. Remember, the ball should bounce off your platform, and if you keep it angled to the target, theoretically this is where the ball will go.

Lastly, remember that every good dig starts with good positioning and great anticipation. Practice reading the opposing team's formation and the hitter's arm swing in order to get a good idea of where you need to be. With time, this reading of the play will become second nature and your dives and digs will be more successful.

Dig and Dive Volleyball
How Does A One Step Extension Help You Dig in Volleyball?

Dig and Dive Volleyball Using The One Step Extension

Using the extension digging technique requires a digger to take one or two steps to get closer to the ball before digging it.

Usually players will use an extension technique if they need to hit the ground after deflecting the ball in the air because they are off balance after digging the ball.

This way they can quickly get back up unhurt and continue playing.

We teach the one step extension digging method for balls that fall to the right or the left of a player in defense.

You take one big step towards the ball while lowering yourself to the floor so you can get one arm under the ball to deflect it back up before it hits the ground.

If the ball is falling to the right side of your body

you take a giant step with your right foot
lowering yourself to the ground while your left hand is placed on the ground to help you lower your body
your right arm extends under the ball with a closed fist turned sideways that helps deflect the ball back into the air high enough for a second player to get to the ball to make a play.

Quiz Time! Test Your Skills: Interactive Volleyball Quiz Section

Let's put your knowledge of "Dig and Dive Volleyball" to the test!

The following 12-question quiz tackles everything from the definition of the terms to the proper execution practices.

Let's see how much you know about these important volleyball moves!

So, let's jump right in it!

1. What is a 'sprawl' in volleyball?

a) A serve technique
b) A type of attack
c) A defensive technique to quickly lower the body to the floor to dig the ball
d) A blocking technique

2. True or False: The sprawl technique is used when there is plenty of time to move to the ball?

3. When should you use the 'extension' digging technique in volleyball?

a) When the ball is directly in front of you
b) When the ball is falling to the right or left of your body
c) When the ball is far behind you
d) When the ball is above your head

4. Which action does NOT form part of the 'extension' technique in volleyball?

a) Taking a big step towards the ball
b) Lowering your body to the ground
c) Jumping to reach the ball
d) Using your non-reaching hand to balance

5. True or False: For the extension technique, if the ball is falling to the right side of your body, you take a giant step with your right foot?

6. 6) What does the term 'dig and dive' in volleyball refers to?
a) The act of celebrating after scoring a point
b) The techniques to quickly lower your body to the floor to keep the ball in play
c) The strategies to confuse the opponent team
d) The style of hitting a ball high and hard

7. True or False: An effective 'dig and dive' player needs to pay attention to the opposition's tactics and positioning?

8. What’s a common mistake volleyball players should avoid when performing a dig and dive?
a) Keeping eyes on the ball
b) Standing in an upright position
c) Being ready to move in any direction
d) maintaining low gravity center

9. True or False: During the extension technique, it's not important to keep your body low?

10. Where should your non-reaching hand be when executing an 'extension'?

a) Behind your back
b) Reaching up
c) On the ground for balance
d) Holding the reaching hand

11. The Sprawl is typically used when:

a) The ball is too high
b) There is not enough time to take a step before digging the ball
c) The player needs to serve the ball
d) The ball is too far to reach

12. True or False: For executing an effective sprawl, the digger should quickly sink their hips below the level of the ball once the ball has been hit at them?

Remember, these quizzes are all for fun! There's no need to worry if you find some answers tricky.

The most important thing is to enjoy the challenge and learn more about the wonderful sport of volleyball.

Share your answers with friends and challenge them to beat your score! Are you ready to dig deep and explore the fun of volleyball? Let's play!

Quiz Answer Key:

1. b) Gator
2. b) Flipper
3. b) The ball is just about to hit the floor
4. b) J
5. b) Made a digging error
6. b) Advanced beach players
7. a) Flipper
8. a) A player is nailed in the chest by a hard spike
9. a) Defend a ball aimed towards your head by using a bent elbow
10. a) Libero/digger/backcourt specialist
11. c) Made an error in passing, causing the ball to go out of bounds
12. b) Heels of hands together, forming the shape of an alligator's mouth

We hope you enjoyed this quiz and learned something new!

Whether you're playing in the school team or practicing your skills on the beach, understanding the volleyball dig pass and its different types can take your game to new heights.

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Keep digging and improving those volleyball skills and techniques, and don't forget to have fun along the way!

1: c - A defensive technique to quickly lower the body to the floor to dig the ball
2: False
3: b - When the ball is falling to the right or left of your body
4: c - Jumping to reach the ball
5: True
6: b - The techniques to quickly lower your body to the floor to keep the ball in play
7: True
8: b - Standing in an upright position
9: False
10: c - On the ground for balance
11: b - There is not enough time to take a step before digging the ball
12: True

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Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!

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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.

Defense is an attitude!
Watch Japan dig after dig, amazing volleyball defense!

Varsity Volleyball Training:
Where To Go From Here

Alright, alright, alright! Time to study something something. You still have those three options:

Let's learn more about defense, digging and how to defend your court by exploring the Related Links below.
Or you can choose the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the How to Play Volleyball section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started.

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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.

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Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

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former USA National team member
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Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

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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

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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

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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

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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