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 Diving Volleyball Drills I Do So Players Get More Balls In Defense

Remember when Rocky’s trainer had him chase chickens in the chicken coop to work on fast feet, read and react quickly, eye-hand coordination in a low position?

In some of my advanced diving volleyball drills I spend alot of time on digging practice drills teaching players how to hit the floor safely while moving to dig a ball that they have to run to chase down.

I know you're asking yourself what does that scene in Rocky have to do with practicing how to dive in volleyball?

You know me by now ..I like to think outside of the box when it comes to working on improving volleyball skills by tweaking volleyball drills that work on specific elements players need to improve upon.

ICYMI..oops let me say that in English...in case you missed it I'll repeat my question.

Remember when Rocky’s trainer had him chase chickens in the chicken coop…to work on

🏐fast feet
🏐quick read and react without thinking
🏐eye-hand body coordination in a low running position

✔️……..similar concept.

What Is The Goal Of Doing These Two Fast Paced Diving Drills?

The goal of these two diving volleyball drills is Not to be pretty while hitting the floor with a picture perfect or technically correct dive in this instance.

What I tell my players repeatedly is that we are just working on

✔️getting comfortable with becoming🙏🏾what I call "zen with the floor"

✔️in other words just becoming ONE with the floor and the concept of lowering your body to the floor after launching yourself in the air to dig a ball

✔️adopting “the floor is my friend” attitude ( my client Izzy isn’t crazy about hitting the floor if there’s sand on it🤣)

Instructions on How To Do These Fast Paced Diving Volleyball Drills

Player starts in defense position in front of end line and cannot take a first reactive step until they see the ball pass them.

👉🏾If I bounce the ball- player goal is to get it after only one bounce with the least amount of steps.

👉🏾If I roll-player has 3 steps or less, practicing how to lower themselves closer to the ground with each step so they’re inches above the floor before they sprawl/collapse while reaching for the ball

👉🏾If I roll lthe ball long-player tries to grab/catch/stop the ball with two hands BEFORE the ball passss the half court line..

I insist for younger players no penalty for not grabbing/stopping the ball .. just keep getting #repsonrepsonreps and keep that 💯energy up until they get faster footwork and build speed in that lower position.

Volleyball Diving Drills: The Coach on One Drill aka The Pit with My Client Jacob Ceci GCU Hitter

A volleyball dive or roll doesn't help you dig a ball but it helps you protect your body and land safely on the ground AFTER keeping a ball off the floor. Learn how to dive in volleyball because it will help you protect your body and land safely on the ground AFTER you've chased down a ball that's been hit into or around your court and you've deflected it into the air to keep it off the floor.

The focus of these diving volleyball drills is:

🏐on a Big fast first step
🏐run with sprinter armwork for first two steps to get you closer to the ball …faster
🏐run and stay on your feet for as long as you can and (if you don’t HAVE to hit the floor then don’t)
🏐scramble and work on building speed on each rep

Do You Follow Me on Pinterest?

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!

Follow me on Pinterest Volleybragswag 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.

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

Thanks for visiting. Be sure to check out more of my volleyball passing articles by clicking one of the links below! (April Chapple)

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.

You might like these volleyball training pages

Setter Volleyball Drills - How To Improve Your Setting Skills at Home
These setter volleyball drills are great for setters and non setters who need to work on getting soft setter hands and setting repetition touches.
13 Ball Control Drills Volleyball Players Use Pepper To Help Defense
One of the first ball control drills volleyball players learn is the pepper drill a warmup drill used to increase and improve your ability to control the ball.
Volleyball Serving Drills For Beginners Learning To Underhand Serve
Beginner players learn how to improve your serve with these volleyball serving drills for the underhand serve so you consistently get the ball over the net.
The Volleyball Pepper Drill: Partner and Three Player Pepper Drills
The volleyball pepper drill is a ball control drill using setting, digging and hitting skills usually done as a partner or three player person drill in warmup.
Best Volleyball Drills For Setters, Hitters, Liberos, Passers Blockers
Best volleyball drills are essential exercises in the learning process for players to improve your serving, hitting, passing, spiking, setting, blocking skills.
Serving Volleyball Drills For Beginners Who Want To Be On Varsity
Looking to make the varsity volleyball team? Discover essential serving volleyball drills for beginners that will elevate your skills and help you score points.
7 Youth Volleyball Drills How To Improve Ball Control Skills At Home
I have a series of youth volleyball drills you can use to improve your basic ball control skills like passing, setting and controlled hitting.
What're 5 Passing Volleyball Drills For Beginners To Be Better Passers
These 5 passing volleyball drills for beginners to improve their ball control, while reading the server's body and moving to beat the ball before it lands.
The Dig Volleyball Drills We Do In Training on Pinterest and Youtube
I gathered a collection of the dig volleyball drills we do in training that I explain how to do at home or in practice to my Pinterest and Youtube followers.

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 $17.99 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

I have my own special QR code to my Linktree profile!

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

Click For More Info

Affiliate Disclosure

If you make a purchase through a link on my site, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

I only recommend products that I believe to have good value. Click to read my

(affiliate disclosure).

Donations Welcome!

If my free social media online training and/or instruction on this site has helped improve your game or meet your goals CLICK the Cash App link below to make a donation!

Thank you!

cash.app/$apchapvcevbc

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?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vegas Volley (@vegas_volley)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vegas Volley (@vegas_volley)

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