Defense in volleyball is reading and reacting fast. The starting position is a low athletic stance. Lower than infield. Lower than basketball defense. The lower the stance, the easier it is to dig a hard spike.
What you need: Open space.
Setup: Kid in the back court of a volleyball court (or any open space).
How to run it:
- Show the stance: feet wider than shoulders, knees deeply bent (almost a squat), chest forward, hands out in front, weight on the balls of the feet.
- Hold for 10 seconds. Reset. 5 reps of holding the stance.
- Coach calls “right.” Player shuffles 2 feet right while staying in the low stance.
- Coach calls “left.” Player shuffles back.
- 60 seconds of shuffling in the stance.
What to watch: Does the stance break during shuffles? Some kids stand up to move. Stay low the whole time.
If they’re struggling: Reduce the depth of the stance. Or hold for shorter periods.
If they’ve got it: Add a tossed ball. Player has to dig from the stance without standing up.