Clinician: Mark Barnard, head women’s volleyball coach at Oregon State University
Purpose: To warm up while focusing on ball control and also maintaining an awareness of the extra balls introduced to each partnership.
How it Works:
Players partner up and orient themselves on each sideline, facing each other. Each partnership has two balls alive simultaneously. While one partner sets the ball to the other player, that player bounces the ball on the ground to their partner who just set the ball. Player 2 now sets the ball, while player 1 bounces the ball, continuing as long as the ball is alive and under control. For the second variation, the same rhythm is followed except the extra ball is rolled on the floor instead of bounced. For the third variation, the extra ball is rolled with the foot.
For the fourth variation, one partner has two balls, one between the knees and one in their hands. That partner sets the ball to player 2, and grabs the ball between his or her knees and holds it in their left hand. Before the ball reaches player 2, he or she will toss the ball in their left hand straight up, then set the ball that their partner fed them back to that partner, and catch their self-tossed ball. This will continue for as long as the balls are kept controlled.
Requirements: At least 2 players, 3 balls for each pair, a full court and a coach