5 John Mayer
Pro beach volleyball player, head beach coach at Loyola Marymount University
“In our sport, we spend only a tiny portion of our court time actually making contact with the ball. Most of the time, we’re reading and anticipating the actions of our teammates or oppo- nents. This is why reading is the most important skill in our game. It’s what Karch Kiraly says made him the player he was. It’s im- perative that we see the right actions at the right times so we can get a glimpse into the future. If I’m playing defense on the beach and I stare at the ball, my opponent could be doing a bicycle kick and I’d be clueless. To be a high-level defender, I need to be able to read my opponent’s dominant shoulder. When I do that, I can see, for example, if his elbow is back, which would mean a hit is likely coming. This anticipation tool gives me a better chance to dig the ball.”
Joe Trinsey U.S. Women’s National Team Technical Coordinator
“Know your opponents. Having an idea of what they will do before the play starts helps focus your attention on the right things. Does the setter like to set the middle from off the net? Does he/she like
to save tight passes with one hand or turn and attack them? Does this hitter like to tip short or will he/she chop it deep? Top players watch hours of video to see the small tells that even the best play- ers have. Studying video of your opponents is like getting extra reps defending them before you step on the court.”
Aly Dahl
Head varsity girls’ coach at Pacifi c Ridge School (California), former team captain and all-conference player at Fairleigh Dickinson University
“I think Joe Paterno said it best: ‘The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.’ Preparing your team to be suc- cessful is so much more than reps and touches; it’s teaching your players what to look at and also what to do with that information. As coaches, we need to prepare our athletes to anticipate the play
24 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
TEACHING THE GAME
keys to anticipating what will happen next
as opposed to reacting to it. Video is a great teaching tool. It’s im- portant to really know your opponents before you play them, know what is going to happen before it happens. You want to pick apart players’ tells, habits. Does the go-to outside hitter drop her shoul- der when she’s about to tip or roll? Does the setter jump every time she sets a quick? What does the team do when it’s out of system? What are the setter’s cues? Seeing these tendencies, visualizing them and practicing what to do against them will help keep you ahead of the game. Then when you play a team, you’ll be confi dent and prepared. ”
Heather Hughes Pro beach volleyball player, former all-conference opposite at Loyola Marymount University
“Oftentimes it’s important to be able to anticipate when your teammate might be in danger of getting into a rut on the court and giving up lots of points. Usually you can tell that a teammate’s going down that road if they start getting a ‘deer in the headlights’ look, or they go into panic mode and try to do things outside of their ability. It’s good to be aware of your timeout situation so you can stop the bad mojo before it gets worse. If you don’t have any timeouts available, fi nd a way to stall time and try to pick up your teammate’s confi - dence. Come up with a plan of attack for the next play so that
you’re back in the driver’s seat instead of the defensive mode. Do anything you can to help your teammate out and take the pressure off them, either by giving them a good set, a good hitting call, or going over on two.”
Lizzy Stemke University of Georgia women’s head coach
“Soft vision is an important key to anticipating what is going to happen next on the volleyball court. If we are focusing strictly on the ball itself, we only gather information on part of the story and, more often than not, we’re left chasing the ball. Instead, it’s better if we keep a soft vision – or a vision with a wider focus. This lets us start to put many pieces of the story together that will help dic- tate when and where we need to be before the ball arrives.”
PHOTO: USAV/JAY METZGER
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