Dear Volleyball Mom, Do You Know What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas? I invite You to read what my private volleyball training mission says before considering hiring me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.

Nina Matthies, Womens Pro Beach Volleyball Association's Founder

Pepperdine head volleyball coach Nina Matthies created the WPVA, America's first pro beach volleyball tour for women

Dear Volleyball Mom, Did you know your player can Upgrade their volleyball skills with an expert college volleyball prep coach Las Vegas based April Chapple (that's me!) creator of the Breakfast Club for College Players.

Volleyball Stories Nina Matthies

I am not sure that I had any huge hurdles during my career in volleyball, because of the time and era things have changed so much and with four decades of being involved I am not sure where to start!

But here is a little piece of "My Story".

There were no organized sports for girls when I was growing up, no volleyball, no soccer, no softball/baseball no nothing.

My only options were to be a cheerleader or work in the snack bar with my Mom while supporting my older brother, Greg, in his athletic endeavors.

I thank my father for including me in every work out at home.

We would run pass patterns for hours, shoot hoops, throw baseballs, run sprints and the mile in the soft sand at the beach.

Whatever it was, I tried to be better, faster, stronger. I competed with my brother in everything that he did.

I would race home from school, I would race anyone.

I knew that I was faster than most of the boys, so we would race off the bus, up the stairs anything!

Needless to say I was very competitive and enjoyed winning at a very early age.

I started playing volleyball in the seventh grade.

We had a great PE teacher, Mrs. Morton who set up a girl's doubles ladder where we came and played volleyball before school, during recess, after school, on the asphalt courts with nets that were strung quite haphazardly.

It meant everything to win that ladder and I had fallen in love with volleyball.

We lived at the beach so I played some doubles with my parents and watched a young Kirk Kilgour and his friends play beach volleyball in front of my house.

Volleyball Stories
Nina Matthies

I was hooked. I started playing in USVBA and beach volleyball tournaments when I was 13 and I am still coaching and playing at 48.

Volleyball for me has always been my outlet, release, what I do for pure enjoyment.

I love and respect the volleyball game, all aspects of it. The teamwork that it takes, the hours and years that it has taken to perfect volleyball skills.

I have always loved to work out and I try to make everyday fun, different and challenging.

I was the one at our volleyball workouts with a smile on my face yelling "What else do you have? Is that all we're doing?".

I was taught to always give 100% and to never let on that I was tired or fatigued but always be ready for the next play or ball.

Since I grew up with relatively little organized coaching I have had to be very self motivated. I hold myself accountable for my actions at all times, both on and off the volleyball court.

Volleyball Stories
Nina Matthies
Practice

I truly believe that you practice volleyball how you play volleyball, so how you practice must be very intense and have meaning everyday.

Volleyball Stories
Nina Matthies
Advice To Young Players

If I have any advice for young athletes, it is to follow your heart, enjoy what you do, play because you love it, not for the money you think you can make, college you can get into, or where you think it can take you.

After 35 years in this silly game I still love what I do.

I come to work everyday with a huge smile on my face, every morning I run 3 miles at Zuma Beach in Malibu watching the dolphins and whales cavort in the waves.

I have a wonderful husband/best friend of 21 plus years and two beautiful sons.

Life is good.

This story was written by one of America's famous beach volleyball players Nina Matthies exclusively for the Volleyball Voices project created and produced by April Chapple.

No reproduction is allowed.

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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.

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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

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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