Volleyball Blog

On the beach:

• Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal won their match against Emiel Boersma and Bran Rommes of the Netherlands in two games. On Tuesday, they will face Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann of Germany.
• Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, the defending beach volleyball world champions lost their opening match to the Latvian team of Martins Plavins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs. In order to assure a place in the medal round the Americans must win their next two matches.
• Walsh and May-Treanor defeated the Japanese duo of Mika Saiki and Chiaki Kusuhara, which puts them off to a good start for defending their gold medal.

Indoor:

• The men's indoor team was successful in their match against Venezuela.
• The women's team defeated Japan 3-1, with sets of 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21.

Simply because a hit is blocked it does not mean the play is over. Most blocks are not roofs, which means that your team has another opportunity to play the ball. Properly covering the hitter will result in a lot of saves and second chances.

Here are some ideas on covering your hitter...

Volleyball saw its introduction to the Olympic Games by being featured as an American sports demonstration event in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. However, it was not officially introduced until 1964. This official introduction was in large part due to the founding of the FIVB and other formal confederations...

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Leadership is often seen as a solitary role to be assumed by one individual. He is to lead and the others are to follow. The captain is responsible for ensuring that the team is organized and motivated. He must ensure that the players know where they belong on defense and to where they will transition for offense. Traditionally, the setter fills the leadership position; in large part because of his natural role in orchestrating offense on serve receive...

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The Olympics are quickly approaching and the controversy over the host aside, they are shaping up to be great. The facilities are simply astonishing. The Beijing National Stadium, nick-named the bird-nest, is certainly a unique piece of architecture. Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, a Swiss firm, won the bid to begin construction way back in 2003. Their other notable works include the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Tate Modern in London. The venue will have a seating capacity of 80,000.

Volleyball has had a relatively short history in the Olympics. It certainly was not featured in the games in Olympia. But, as we go forward into the coming games it is nice to take a moment to look back on the games of the past.

As the cornerstone of every effective offense, the setter needs to be quick and precise. He needs to be able to chase a ball that is passed off of the net and still be able to place it exactly where the hitter needs it. A setter who places the ball in a different place every time, will quickly frustrate the best of hitters.

Find out what else to look for in a setter.

The outside hitter is of vital importance in every rally and on every team. They need to be excellent hitters and even better passers. In contrast to middle blockers or liberos, outsides need to be effective in the front row as well as the back row. Outsides play a versatile role within a team and it takes a talented player to fill the position.

Passing is very much a skill where repetition is crucial to success. Most college players will tell you that passing a few hundred balls a day is necessary to become skilled and comfortable. With this in mind, it is usually the most simple of drills which will get the most repetitions and, consequently, the best results for you.

Because of its simplicity, effectiveness, and versatility this drill should be a standard for most teams. It allows for a lot of passing and serving reps. Also, because the tempo of the drill is easy to tweak it can be used as a great warm up drill. If you haven't already integrated this drill into your daily practices, you need to do so.

If you are an athlete and you are not getting enough sleep, then it is crucial that you make some lifestyle changes. The average adult needs around 8 hours of sleep per night and teenagers need slightly more. If you aren't getting this much or if your sleep does not leave you feeling well-rested, then a few simple changes will go a long way. Adequate sleep translates into improved performance both in your physical performance on the court and in your mental game and concentration.

Get some sleep, your body will thank you for it.

If you are a recent college grad and you would like to continue playing volleyball, then you should go to Europe. European leagues allow for players to continue their volleyball careers while honing their skills by playing with some of the best players in the world. Also, you will be able to earn a little extra money along the way. Not to mention, having the opportunity to travel and see a beautiful continent.

Familiarize yourself with some of the details of playing in Europe.