Volleyball Skills to Improve Defense

Volleyball skills for playing defense. When playing defense, you often get caught having to dig balls that are tough to intercept.

The following are skills for playing balls hit low to the ground. 

Low position skills are movement skills necessary for taking balls low to the ground. These techniques will help you make plays on balls hit low to the ground. 

Defensive skills for getting low, making tough plays, and emergency situations

Low Position Skills for Playing Defense

Single Knee Drive 

Step out to the ball and get knee and hip around the ball. Make the knee go to the target and pop up using the other foot. 

Double Knee Drive 

This is for when a ball is hit low in front of us. Play the ball then drive knees down which brings hips down below the ball. 

Extension Rolls 

The most important part of the extension roll is how you recover. Recovery is important because you need to be in position to play the next ball. Push off lead foot extending forward. Step and push forward extending arm out in front of body. To recover, tuck the knee up and roll over. 

Roll from shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. Cushion on ground with arms and hands. You don't want to slam hips on to the ground. Find ways to protect your players when they are doing repetitive drills that stress a certain area. You can wrap towels around arms to help protect from getting bumps and bruises. 

Emergency Skills

Not all skill in volleyball is pretty. The following volleyball skills are for emergency situations. 

Net Recovery 

When playing a ball out of the net, get your foot parallel to the centerline. Also get into a low and balanced stance. You need to learn how the ball is going to come out of the net. 

If the ball hits near the bottom of the net, it's going to come out a little bit. If the ball hits near the top of the net, it's going to come straight down. 

When playing this ball, you want to get low and play this ball with a down up motion. Drill: Coach tosses the ball into the net. Player then does an up down motion to pass the ball up. 

Pancaking a Volleyball

Block Recovery 

This is for when the ball comes down between the blocker and the net. The ball goes into the net and the blocker has to step off the net and play the ball with a down up motion passing the ball into the center of the court where a teammate can set it. Drill: Coach is on other side of the net and reaches under and tosses ball into the net. Player then lands from blocking and does an up down motion to play the ball. 

One Arm Recovery 

Reach out with one arm and play the ball with a curling motion as the player reaches out for the ball. Drill: Coach tosses the ball and the player steps and curls arm up when contacting the ball. 

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Other Volleyball Skills for Defense

One Hand Dig 

Reach up and play the ball with one hand. Close fist and push ball up contacting on the wrist. 

Chicken Wing 

Make a level platform between bicep and forearm. Drill: Coach tosses and player pops the ball up and passes back to the coach. 

Low Recovery 

Do an extension and reach out and pop the ball up doing a curl up with the arm. 

Net Chase Recovery 

Recover the ball along the net passing the ball with one arm over the net. Drill: Coach tosses the ball along the net and the player chases the ball along the net, catching up to it and playing it over with one arm. 

Low Net Recovery 

This is for when the ball is blocked straight down and can only possibly be played up with one hand curling the ball up. Of course if you can get two hands on it, then do it. But if you can't, you need to develop one hand volleyball skills. 

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