Category: Volleyball

Kerri Walsh Jennings and Daughter Scout give Clinic at King of the Mountain Tournament

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The 41st annual King of the Mountain Volleyball Tournament kicked off with a junior clinic directed by AVP stars Kerri Walsh Jennings, Angie Akers, Ryan Mariano, Dax Holdren, and USAV Director of Sport Development, John Kessel.

As part of the event, Walsh-Jennings, along with newly born daughter Scout, provided the group with the following words of advice:

  • People ask me what my strength is and I always tell them it is my heart. I take that from my dad.
  • To become a better player it is necessary to play outside your comfort zone. Be vulnerable.  Play smart, but don’t be afraid to make mistakes. When you are learning you have to try hard when you are on the court, try making plays you are not great at, that is how you learn.
  • Walsh indicated that her toughest opponents were the Brazilians and Chinese players.  The Brazilians are very tough, aggressive, and competitive. The Chinese players are young, they’re hungry, and they don’t make mistakes. kerri walsh jennings and daughter scout
  • Learn the fundamentals. Learn the whole game. When I was young the doctor told me I was going to be 5’8″ tall.  I started crying because I wanted to be as tall as my dad. As a result, I learned to set, hit, and pass the ball. I learned all aspects of the game. That made me a much better player.
  • If you want to play like the best, then watch the best and learn from them. I like to watch Kobe Bryant and the way he moves. When I was a junior my idol was Misty May. I learned how to move from watching her cover the court.
  • When you are playing big points where there might be a tendency to get nervous, stay positive, and focus on one thing. At first it can be easy to think about too many things. As I got better I learned to focus for awhile then turn my brain off and let my body take over.
  • To become a really good player, the most important thing you should think about is footwork.
  • There’s a reason you have teammates. When you play poorly, hopefully they will cover your mistakes. And when they are struggling, hopefully you can cover for them.
  • Everyone likes to spike and hit the “fun” shots when they practice.  It is important to practice all the shots you will hit in a match, even the ones some people think are boring. Those are the shots that win you points, games, and matches.
  • When warming up and practicing, remember that every time you touch the ball, it is a chance to get better.
  • Be nice to yourself on the court.  Great athletes are driven and they are often hard on themselves. I was very tough on myself. I was never as tough on my friends as I was on myself. Be kind to yourself.
  • Confidence comes from within. You’re the one who builds confidence in yourself.

These are great words of advice whether you are a world champion or junior learning to play the sport.

Is Sand Volleyball on the Horizon for CU and CSU?

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In 2012 sand volleyball became an “emerging” women’s sport for the NCAA. Fifteen schools kicked off the inaugural season.  Another 15 teams were added this season (2013), with the National Championships on tap the first week in May.

On Friday April 26 CU and CSU put on a sand exhibition at Oasis Sports in Broomfield to increase awareness for the sport along the Front Range.  It appears that it is only a matter of time before the Rams and Buffs will be competing on the sand as part their respective NCAA athletic programs.

What is the Right Number of In-State Players on a College Volleyball Team?

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Right or wrong, there is a belief that colleges and universities should emphasize the recruitment of in-state players. For states with larger pools of talent, such as California and Texas, that is easy. As well, it gives programs in those states a recruiting advantage.

A review of the rosters for the 2012 PAC 12 volleyball teams was conducted to identify the number of in-state players on their rosters. This analysis produced the following results:
• About 42%, or 78 of 185 players, were in-state players.
• 7 of the 12 teams had rosters that included more than 42% in-state players.
• The breakdown of in-state players by team, and the percentage of in-state players on each team follows:
– UCLA 12 players, 75.0% of the team – California team
– Cal 9 players, 60.0% of the team – California team
– OSU 9 players, 50.0% of the team
– Stanford 8 players, 53.3% of the team – California team
– WSU 7 players, 50.0% of the team
– UU 7 players, 43.8% of the team
– USC 6 players, 46.2% of the team – California team
————42.2% average for the PAC 12—————————–
– CU 6 players, 40.0% of the team
– ASU 6 players, 35.3% of the team
– WU 3 players, 20.0% of the team
– UO 3 players, 20.0% of the team
– UA 2 players, 12.5% of the team.
It is very clear that it is easier for the California teams to recruit in-state players because they have a larger talent pool. It seems evident that recruiting in-state players is less important than attracting quality players for Oregon, Washington, and Arizona.

Is 42% too low of a percentage for the number of in-state players? Should teams be required to have quotas for the number of in-state players on their rosters? The answer depends on the mission of the PAC-12 and its member schools.

 

Are Foreign Players Taking Over PAC-12 Volleyball?

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Concerns have been raised about the number of foreign athletes in select collegiate sports, such as skiing and tennis. With the increase in popularity of volleyball there is the possibility that some coaches will try to build a national contender by recruiting top national players from other countries.

A quick review of the online rosters for the 2012 PAC 12 teams was conducted to see if this was an issue in that conference. This analysis produced the following results:
• About 10% of all players, or 18 of 185, listed hometowns in other countries.
• The 18 foreign players represented 11 countries.
• 10 of the 12 teams had foreign players.
• The breakdown by number of foreign players follows:
– USC had 3 foreign players.
– 6 teams had 2 foreign players: ASU, Colorado, Utah, California, UCLA, and OSU.
– 3 teams had one foreign player: WU, WSU, and OU.
• The breakdown by country follows
– 4 players were from Canada.
– 2 players were from each of the following: Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, and Serbia.
– 1 player was from each of the following: Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

At this point, there does not appear to be reason to believe that there are an inordinate number of foreign players in the PAC-12. Given the strength and popularity of high school volleyball in the U.S., it is unlikely that “too many” foreign players will become a problem in the near future.

 

PAC 12 Volleyball – The West Coast Conference

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Throughout most of the 2012 collegiate volleyball season a case could be made that the PAC 12 was the dominant conference. This begs the question, “What states and countries do these players come from?”

A quick review of the rosters shows that the teams listed 185 players. A breakdown of the players by their hometown follows:
• About 90%, or 167, of the players are American.
• American players came from 19 states.
• The teams had players from at least 3 states and up to 7 states.
• Every team had players from CA.
• The breakdown of players by state follows:
– CA 78 players, 46.7%
– WA 15 players, 9.0%
– OR 14 players, 8.4%
– TX  12 players, 7.2%
– AZ 11 players, 6.6%
– CO 9 players, 5.4%
– UT 8 players, 4.8%
– HI 5 players, 3.0%
– FL, ID, IL, NV – each two players 1.2% each
– MO, NE, NM, NC, OK, SD, VA – each 1 player 0.6% each
• Only 3 American players had hometowns east of the Mississippi
• Slightly more than 64% of the players are from the three West Coast states.

Clearly, the conference is regional and its dominance can be attributed to the quality of volleyball players from California and the western region.

How is Power Generated on a Volleyball Spike?

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Have you ever wondered how a 4’8″ 11-year old girl can hit a more powerful volleyball spike than a junior high player?

John Kessel, USA Volleyball, provided answers to this and other questions as part of the junior clinic at 40th Annual King of the Mountain Tournament in Vail on Father’s Day weekend. The coaching team, which included top players from the men’s and women’s open draw, showed the youngsters how to hit everything from the bear claw, cobra, and misdirected overhead to the sky ball and topspin serve.

As part of the instruction, Kessel raised a question about the source of power on the spike. He stated that there are four sources of power when hitting a volleyball spike:
• Core –  Stomach and back muscles.
• Torque – Hip and body rotation.
• Arm swing/arm speed.
• Wrist snap.

Players were asked to assign 100 points between these four potential sources. Better players were asked to explain their allocation of points.

Long story short, the responses and justifications were varied, particularly among the better players.

How would you answer this question?

Based on research conducted by USAV, 17-18% of the power is generated by core strength, 37-38% torque, 42-43% arm speed, and 2-3% wrist snap.

For more words of wisdom from Kessel, check out his blog – Growing the Game Together by clicking here.