This is an entry in my volleyball coaching log.
With matches for everyone coming up, playing 6 v 6 in segregated teams was the main theme of training. The B side focus was on teamwork, calling the ball, staying switched on, and not looking for someone else to play the ball. I told the B side focus was on continuing to be aggressive in attack, but underlying that was also an evaluation of the setter position. This harkens back to my observations from the Student Cup performance.
One of my primary OHs thus far is also a capable setter (sets for her German club team). I haven’t used her there thus far because I saw her value as an attacker as being in the area of greater need. Even had to use her at MB on a couple of occasions when we were thin on bodies. In the last match of the Cup I had her do some setting for the first time and it was an eye-opener just from the warm-ups. With other hitters coming along, I no longer feel so concerned about losing out on her as an OH.
At the same time, our starting setter up to now is only here for this term. As a result, I need to evaluate our setting options moving forward in any case. One of the teams on the schedule for the upcoming matches is currently top of the table, having beat us a couple weeks ago. We need to be at our best for the rematch, so I took a hard look at the setting in training to start evaluating who would give us our best chance at victory.
Following what was basically a pre-match warm-up, we went straight into 6 v 6. It started with a game featuring one side serving 3 times in a row (not counting missed serves). I put the starting setter with the B team (their setter was missing) and the other one with the A team. I used that to gauge a rough baseline point differential I could use to spot the B side in the straight-up games to follow. I came up with 8.
We then played two regular games which started with the B side serving, up 8-0. In the first the starting setter was with the A side. I then flipped setters for the second game. The A team lost the first set 25-20, and the second 25-23.
Stats were kept for all three games to evaluate offensive effectiveness as a way to compare the setters. More of this needs to be done in the next training, but the early results show quite a stark difference. The kill % for the team when the starting setter ran things on the A side was was 21% vs 36% for the former OH, while the hitting efficiency numbers were .063 vs .190. Need to see if that gap holds up.
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