Defenses

Question
Marko,

I coach USA Club volleyball.  This year I'm coaching 15's.  One of the most important ideas that I coach is TEAM defense.  Like most coaches, I coach my players to play a perimeter (base) and rotational (swing) defenses.  Basically my question has to do with setting the block.  In both cases I try to have my girls set the block to protect the tip player.  More toward the line for rotational defense and more toward the angle for perimeter defense.  Is this correct thinking?  I've never been coached myself so most of what I pick up is either by reading or asking around.  Are there some other easy adjustments to make to teams that tip more?

What good strategy books/videos are out there that explains overall strategies and not just individual techniques?

I appreciate your help.

Curt

Answer
Hiya Curt...


For placing the block you have two basic choices: to protect the paralel (line) or diagonal spikes, the choice is made by the block force and the force of individual abilities of your defence players and the way of spiking of the opposite spiker... So, basicly the blockers have to protect the central part of the court, that means that your wing blocker (on the left or right in the positions 4 and 2) have to jump in front of the opposite spiker and the middle blocker have to jump beside the wing blocker to protect the center, so the wing blocker leaves the line free and your player in position 1 and 5 have to defend the line (in the position 1 it's setter and spiker and in position 5 it's most of the time libero and in some situations middle blocker in defence)... You can also play defence when the free blocker (the blocker who is not acting in the block, the third one) is going just behind the block to collect the "easy" balls...

As I am from Serbia (ex Yugoslavia), I can give you the names of our volley ball books but I soupose that it won't help you so I sugest you to ask some US guy about the literature about VB...


if you have any other questions, feel free to ask me...
best regards - Marko