Volleyball

Week 8 · Application phase · 4th grade · 60 minutes

Tournament prep

Tournament rules review · Rotations under pressure · Mental preparation

From the Season Curriculum & Practice Plan Guide by Stephanie Abdalla, Volleyball Director

Net
6′ 6″
Ball
Volley-Lite
Serve
Underhand or overhand, from 20 ft

  1. Warm-up & ball control 15 min

    • Team warm-up: players lead their own warm-up (coach observes) — builds ownership.
    • Partner serving warm-up: one player serves, partner receives and passes to target.

    Swap in from her drill library: Serve Receive Triangle (4th grade and up)

  2. Serving 10 min

    • Review tournament serving rules for each grade.
    • Each player serves from tournament distance — focus on consistency and in-bounds percentage.

  3. Skill focus: rotation quiz 15 min

    • Put 6 players on the court; call out a score scenario — “We just got the serve back from position 4 — where does everyone move?”
    • Rotate through different scenarios; every player should know their position at any point in the game.
    • Reinforce: “Know where you are. Know who serves next.”
    Rotation

    Six players move one spot clockwise when their team wins the serve back, and the player in spot 1 serves.

    1. Six spots. Front row at the net: 4, 3 and 2. Back row: 5, 6 and 1.
    2. The player in spot 1, right back, serves from behind the end line.
    3. Side-out: the team wins the serve back.
    4. Everyone moves one spot clockwise.
    5. The player now in spot 1 serves. Know where you are. Know who serves next.

  4. Team play: simulated match 20 min

    • Play a full simulated tournament match: best 2 of 3 sets, full tournament rules.
    • Coach acts as referee — call faults, track score, run time-outs.
    • Debrief: “What did we do well? What do we want to be better at next week?”

The rule for every drill: Every player should touch the ball as many times as possible in every practice. Maximize repetitions. Minimize lines. If players are standing still for more than 60 seconds, restructure the drill.

The rotation quiz is one of the highest-value activities of the season. Players who know their rotation don’t panic in games. Run it fast and make it fun — not a test.

Coaching tip from Stephanie Abdalla

Recap for parents

Copy this into your team chat after practice.

Week 8 at CSA Volleyball practice (4th grade): we reviewed tournament rules, quizzed our rotations, and played a practice match.

Ask her: “Know where you are. Know who serves next.” Then ask who serves after position 1.

Week 8 for 1st–2nd grade · 3rd grade · 5th–6th grade