Volleyball is a tough sport to practice by yourself, but there are ways to make it work. One of these ways is to make best friends with a wall. Make sure this wall:

1. Is not next to a room that needs to be quiet (baby's room, office, etc...)

   1. Doesn't have shelves on it or the other side. Breaking things is bad.

   2. No windows either...

   3. Has a higher ceiling. Low could work, but high would be better.

   4. The room shouldn't have many breakable things in it either. TVs, lights, Grandma's favorite vase...

Basically, make sure you're not going to break anything. If you break something, it's your own fault. Ask your parents if it's OK before you do any of these.

APPROACH DRILL: OK, now that you're all set, one of the drills I like to do is practice my approach. Give yourself some space, and just go over your footwork and arm-swing. A jump is fine, but not necessary. If you hit with your right hand, your three-step-approach should go "left, right left." This video shows how to do your approach if you're not sure. Step with the opposite feet if you're hitting with your left hand.

Improving the speed that you can do your approach and getting in a lot of repetition will make it easier for you to adjust in a game. Mix up your pace every once in a while.

PASSING DRILL: Stand next to the wall with your hands reaching as high as they can. Put a piece of painter's tape there. Now, toss to your self and try to pass the ball to that same spot. You may have to catch the ball after every pass, but as you gain more control over your passes you should be able to keep going, and keep track of how long you can keep the ball in the air. This video shows the form you should be going for, and what this drill looks like. Again, really important nothing breakable is around...

SERVING DRILL: This is best for a garage with a pretty sturdy surface. Take your volleyball, give yourself a good toss, and serve the ball. If you have a ladder you can mark out the height of the net (7' for 12 and under, 7'4 1/4" for older girls) or you can just eyeball it. Work on your contact and control. Power becomes more important as you have more control, but if all you can do is power it over and it may or may not go in, you won't be a valuable server to your team. The more advanced you are, you can work on top spin, floaters, or even side spin. To make this drill work extra hard for you, you can incorporate passing into it, like these kids do.

SETTING DRILL: Setters have the most flexibility when it comes to doing drills at home. You can practice setting to yourself, either high sets or low sets, or you can set to a spot on the wall from near or far away, and setters can also take the ball outside and play a game of horse with a friend or just shoot baskets by themselves if there is a basketball hoop at your house.