3-Day Serve Receive Progression Drill | Eye-Sequencing
Written by elite coach Lynette Ray (learn more about Lynette at the end of this article).
Serve receive is one of the most critical elements of volleyball. Without a decent pass in serve receive, many teams will struggle to send an aggressive attack back to their opponent. But by developing one simple skill, your players can better predict where the serve will go. This will dramatically improve your odds of passing up a playable ball. That skill?
Eye-sequencing.
Eye-sequencing may be a new thing for your team to work on. Many coaches associate eye-sequencing with blocking, but it can be used throughout the entire match! Having players work on eye-sequencing for serve receive can help improve their reaction time to the ball and give them an advantage against their opponents.
Volleyball Terms To Know
Eye-sequencing: Seeing and reading the movements of players across the net. If you can read what your opponent is doing, it will help your players react faster to the volleyball. Eye-sequencing is all about knowing where to look, and when.
Seams: Many teams prefer to serve between zones to avoid serving directly to a player. These are called “seams.” Ex: 5/6 = the area or “seam” between zones 5 and 6. 6/1 = the area or “seam” between zones 6 and 1.
Wave: a term frequently used to describe a specific way of rotating in a volleyball drill. Instead of “rotating,” or shifting one position over, a new group enters the drill. Essentially, groups of players are rotating instead of one player at a time. Waves are usually random but can be predetermined. A classic “wave” would be “next three on!” and a new group of three players will jump into the drill.
Day 1: Serve Receive Eye-Sequencing Progression (20min)
Focus on the cues from the server:
Where are they facing?
Where does their arm finish once they contact the volleyball?
Drill Setup
3 passers, 1 target (in round 2), the rest are serving.
Run The Drill
Serve 15 balls over and in total, then wave. Servers should focus on serving to a seam or specific zone.
Round 1: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball. Remind your passers to focus on where the server is facing and to watch their arm after contact. No passing in this round, but players can move to the ball.
Round 2: Passers call out seam/zone and call “mine” or say the name of the person who is passing. Pass to the target.
Day 2: Serve Receive Eye-Sequencing Progression (30min)
Reminder: Focus on cues from the server:
Where are they facing?
Where does their arm finish once they contact the volleyball?
Add: Focus on the volleyball’s height:
A volleyball traveling at the top of the antennae is typically a deep serve, which requires a drop step back.
A volleyball traveling low on the antennae is usually a serve that will drop short, which requires a quick step forward.
Players will yell "short" or "deep" immediately after the server contacts the ball and take a step forward or backward (baby step). This will keep them on their toes, and they can still move quickly towards the volleyball.
Drill Setup
3 passers, 1 target (in round 3), rest are serving.
Run The Drill
Serve 15 balls over and in total, then wave. Servers should focus on serving to a seam or specific zone.
Round 1: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball. No passing this round, but players can move to the ball.
Round 2: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball. Call "short" or "deep" immediately after the server contacts the ball, followed by taking a step forward or back. Call “mine” or say the name of the person who is passing. No passing this round but players should move to the ball.
Round 3: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball. Call "short" or "deep" immediately after the server contacts the ball, followed by taking a step forward or back. Call “mine” or say the name of the person who is passing. Pass to the target.
Day 3: Serve Receive Eye-Sequencing Progression (20min)
Urge players to call out seams/zones, depth of the volleyball, the actual location of the serve, and who is passing. There should be a ton of communication going on now.
Players on the court should be calling:
Predicted seam or zone before serve
"Short" or "deep" based on the height of the volleyball after contact
Actual seam or zone
Teammate's name or "mine"
Ex: "5/6, deep, 5/6, Tiffany" or "6/1, short, 1, mine"
Drill Setup
You can have either one side or both sides going, depending on how many players you have.
One side: 3 passers, 1 target (in round 2), rest are serving – Serve 15 balls over and in, then wave. Servers should focus on serving to a seam or specific zone.
Both sides: 3 passers, 1 target (in round 2), 1 server, rest are shagging – Serve 10 balls over and in for each player serving. Servers should focus on serving to a seam or specific zone.
Run The Drill
Round 1: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball. Call "short" or "deep" immediately after the server contacts the ball followed by taking a step forward or back. Call out the actual seam/zone that the ball is going to. Call “mine” or say the name of the person who is passing. No passing this round but players should move to the ball.
Round 2: Passers will call out which seam/zone they think the server will be serving to as they contact the ball, call "short" or "deep" immediately after the server contacts the ball followed by taking a step forward or back. Call out the actual seam/zone that the ball is going to. Call “mine” or say the name of the person who is passing. Pass to the target. Keep track of playable passes if preferred, but not necessary.
Keep In Mind
It’s important to remember: Perfection in serve receive is nearly impossible to accomplish. Shift your team's focus and time to working on out-of-system balls.
The majority of the time, your team will pass an out-of-system ball in serve receive. Remember, as long as your team is not getting aced in serve receive, it means they now have an opportunity to better the ball!
About Coach Lynette Ray
Coach Lynette Ray has been a volleyball coach for 10+ years. Her experience includes coaching players of all ages, and she is currently coaching at an elite club in the Midwest. Lynette also has experience as a club director and youth coordinator.
In addition, she played competitive volleyball for 15 years and her biggest accomplishments while playing include winning a club volleyball National Championship and helping her college team qualify for the university's first Volleyball NAIA National Tournament and finishing in the Elite 8.
Lynette has an MBA and majored in Sport Management and Leadership. She loves helping players reach their goals and understand their success!
Follow Lynette on Instagram @lynettebenson