Mollie Kavanagh, who built volleyball dynasties at Santa Fe High School in California and on club teams with future Olympians like Misty May and Keba Phipps, doesn't believe in teaching inexperienced players to pass, set and hit. She says it's far more effective to teach them to get the ball to the right, get the ball up and get it over the net.
In this video, you'll see a basic drill she recommends for young players. It starts with a coach tossing balls to a setter, who gets the ball up to the hitter. Next, the hitter puts the ball over the net with a bump or by using two hands. It's OK for the setter to catch the ball and toss it underhand to the hitter if that helps keep the play going.
The beauty of this drill is that it simplifies the basics of a volleyball play so inexperienced players can get a lot of touches without always having to stop for errors. As they get those touches, they begin to learn the rhythm and flow of the game.
