Volleyball

Week 3 · Foundation phase · 5th–6th grade · 60 minutes

Serve receive basics

Reading the serve · Serve receive positioning · Rotation review

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

Net
6′ 6″
Ball
Volley-Lite or standard
Serve
5th: Underhand or overhand, from 22 ft6th: Underhand or overhand, from the end line

  1. Warm-up & ball control 15 min

    • Partner passing: increase distance to 15 feet — maintain platform form.
    • Movement drill: coach points left/right, players shuffle; then coach tosses — player passes back.
    • Introduce “ready position”: knees bent, weight forward, hands together, eyes on the ball.

    Swap in from her drill library: Down the Line Passing (all grades)

  2. Serving 10 min

    • Serve from the grade-appropriate line — focus on placement (aim for corners).
    • 5th grade: serve from 22 feet. 6th grade: serve from the end line. Work on consistency before adding power.

  3. Skill focus: serve receive 15 min

    • Introduce basic serve receive: 3 players in a line across the back row.
    • Coach serves (or tosses) from the other side; back-row players call the ball and pass to target.
    • Key concept: the player closest to the ball calls “mine” — others move out of the way.

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

    Serve receive: three across the back row

    Three players line up across the back row; the player closest to the serve calls mine and passes to the target while the others move away.

    1. Three players in a line across the back row, in ready position.
    2. The coach serves (or tosses) from the other side.
    3. The player closest to the ball calls “mine.” The others move out of the way.
    4. She passes to the target.

  4. Team play 20 min

    • Full game with live serving (all grades use the grade-appropriate serve line).
    • Emphasize rotation each time the serve comes to your team. In 1st–2nd, that is after the other server’s three serves, not after a lost rally.
    • Debrief: ask players “What position are you in? Who serves next?”

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.

By Week 3, players should know their rotation and call “mine” consistently. If rotation is still shaky, spend extra time on it — it is the foundation for everything in Phase 2.

Coaching tip from Stephanie Abdalla

Recap for parents

Copy this into your team chat after practice.

Week 3 at CSA Volleyball practice (5th–6th grade): we practiced receiving serves, aimed our serves at the corners, and reviewed our rotation.

Ask her to show you her ready position: knees bent, weight forward, eyes on the ball.

Week 3 for 1st–2nd grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade