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- Improve Your Volleyball with Coach April
- The Best Volleyball Drills
- Effective Volleyball Spike Drills Improve Hitting Against A Big Block
Effective Volleyball Spike Drills To Improve Hitting The Ball Against A Big Block
Check out these volleyball spike drills we do to practice scoring points against a two person block on the opposing team.
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This is a point for Jacob's team because the opposing blocker was the last person to "touch" the ball before it went out of bounds.
Smart hitters "use the block" also called "wiping the ball off the block" which is purposefully tipping the ball into the blockers arms with a wiping motion (without lifting the ball) so after making contact with the blocker..the ball falls to the floor out of bounds.
3 Volleyball Spike Drills to Improve Hitting Efficiency Against A Big Block
You can practice wiping the ball or using the block in one on one situations or in live game like team vs team scrimmage situations.
Watch as outside hitter Jacob swings hard and purposefully wipes the ball against the outside arm of Tommi's block to score a point in this rally during volleyball practice.
On the court for Breakfast
Club class Kate Prior (BYU), Kamry Baily (Utah), Brooklyn (Univ of Connecticut), Tommi Stockham (Cal Poly) Sierra Leone Sanchez (Adam State), Ken Buen (Vanguard Univ), Jacob Ceci (GCU)
Volleyball Spike Drills: Hitter vs Blocker
In some practices I'll set up a left side hitter on one side of the net who's competing against a right side blocker on the other side of the net.
Both players start at the net with the Coach in the setter's position ready to toss balls to the hitter who will start the drill.
Lets say the left side hitter starts first.
When Coach slaps the ball left side hitter transitions off the net and has been instructed to only hit the ball down the line.
Volleyball Spike Drills: Skinny Court
Two vs. Two
Creates a hitter vs blocker situation and depending on how many touches I tell all the players on each side they can take..will depend on the quantity of block touches and block attempts made during each rally.
In the Skinny Court drill below there are three hits (or less) to a side.
In the drill seen below that both sides were only allowed two contacts per side...which speeds up the game and forces players to decide and react quickly to what plays they're going to make.
In the drill seen below...both sides were only allowed two contacts per side...which speeds up the game and forces players to decide and react quickly to what plays they're going to make.
So blocks, digs and hits have to happen fast...
Watch how Sophia, the only female and the smallest on the court..has no problem attacking the ball aggressively against a big block.
Wiping off the block is a big focus in two of these volleyball drills to improve hitting especially for shorter attackers looking for point scoring strategies when up against big blockers.
Volleyball Spike Drills: 5 vs 5 No Middle
Five vs Five No Middle Drill
I LOVE this drill.
It pits both the outside blockers and opposing hitters against each other which creates many one on one opportunities where hitters practice seeing and hitting to the open spaces on the court while testing their ability to get the ball past the one opposing blocker.
Watch how Brooklyn (big white tshirt right front on the other side of the net) the shorter hitter blocker has to hit past and then block #83....using a quick armswing, aggressive spike approach and a high reach so she hits the ball before the block stops her.
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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.
AUTHOR BIO
April Chapple is an elite private volleyball trainer, former USA National Team member, and University of Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee who has coached in Las Vegas for 15+ years, training hundreds of athletes and helping numerous players reach college volleyball, including Division I standouts.
She's also the head coach for girls and boys 18s at Squad VBC and offers coaches consulting on technical teaching and player development. Connect with April on LinkedIn or at ImproveYourVolley.com, where her eye for overlooked talent sets her apart.
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.
- 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 2026-27 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training
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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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Hi there!
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you learned something today that will help you reach your volleyball goals.
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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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