written by Shayleigh Neth (USA), 5/29/2025

My impressions of Monday’s practice session are as follows:
Let me begin with a summary of events. Romina and I arrived after Ludo, which gave her the benefit of meeting each person one-by-one and getting a chance to chat with everyone.
Once Coach Michael arrived and set up the net, he reviewed the three rules and the three techniques of volleyball.
Occasionally I wonder why he covers the same concepts every week—but then, like clockwork, someone makes that face of realization, the patented “ohhhh” expression. And it becomes clear.
Each week, someone learns something new about the foundations of volleyball.
This week’s key realization for many was that in spiking, the striking arm remains straight the whole time.
Once the briefing finished, we ran exercises. First, digging to direct a ball across the width of the court, then setting to achieve the same effect.
This sharpens players’ accuracy and precision simultaneously, while also improving the communication between two players as they take turns receiving the ball.
Afterwards, we did a quick practice of serving.
Overhand.
This particular exercise was a source of frustration for me.
I was only ever taught to serve underhand with any real efficiency. With overhand—perhaps because I am a very small woman—I struggle to generate the force and trajectory required to create an effective serve.
Finally, we ran a mobility drill that involved digging long, setting short, digging long twice more, and then spiking short at a sharp angle of attack. Once again, this exercise served dual purposes.
For those who struggle to move in response to the ball, it builds confidence, since the direction of travel is predictable. It also sharpens accuracy—because if you cannot get the ball back to the setter, they cannot deliver you a good setup for the next position.
The one drawback I notice with this exercise is that it relies on a baseline threshold of accuracy. If players fall too far below it, the exercise can lose its flow and its intended goal may not be reached effectively.
That said, my experience with the many kinds of volleyball exercises is still limited. I trust Coach Michael’s years of expertise here, and I enjoy analyzing the results.
After that, we moved into more team-oriented, faux games. Variants of rules were introduced, including a “three passes only” limitation. I believe this aspect of practice is crucial.
Many of these players have a background in fútbol (soccer, for any Americans reading), and I suspect that prior experience shapes their view of volleyball. There is a very specific etiquette to volleyball, including the concept of three passes.
While getting the ball over the net is the immediate objective, the true goal is to function within a team—communicating openly and working fluidly with one another.
This brings me to my next point.
(For the sake of chronology, I’ll note that after the faux games, we played one full 25-point match with no restrictions—just standard rules. A few players stayed afterward to run one more drill. That concluded Monday’s practice.)
Now, onto something I find particularly thought-provoking:
The interesting challenge of volleyball—at least for me—is the cooperation and compromise required at every moment.
It is far easier to communicate with people you know well, people you’ve played with repeatedly. You begin to learn their strengths, their weaknesses. You learn when to yield to them, and when to take charge of the ball—or the entire court.
But a compelling dynamic of these practices is the open nature of attendance. New players show up weekly. )This week there were three new player of varying experience.) And with them comes an underappreciated challenge in volleyball: adaptability.
I believe it is significantly more difficult to play with new people. You have to operate under assumptions about their skills, while also having a solid grasp of your own limits.
More than once during Monday’s practice, I found myself yielding—stepping away from a ball due to uncertainty of the people near me. Even when surrounded by players I knew slightly, I hesitated.
Later, I realized the issue lay in the concept of “Never let the ball drop.” It’s not about selfish play—“get the ball no matter what”; it’s about equal eagerness. 
Everyone should want the ball. But when you know someone else has the best spike receive, you let them move into position, and offer backup if needed.
You both want the ball—but in this situation, your teammate is the better option.
That’s what it means to be in a team. You have to know your teammates.
But what happens when you don’t?
In this situation, you both want the ball equally, but there’s no clear decision on who should take it. Who’s better in that moment? Who has the right positioning, the more consistent form?
And here’s where human psychology comes in: we tend to underestimate ourselves. Even I fall into this trap sometimes, despite my sizable confidence. 
During the Monday practice I noticed that in a moment of uncertainty, I’ll assume the other player is more capable—and I’ll yield.
Over time, I look forward to exploring this internal tendency further. But for now, I’ll close this article with something I deeply respect about these practices:
Coach Michael creates a space where you are free to fail—free to explore mistakes without fear.
These Monday practices aren’t just drills or games. They are a testing ground for new skills, new communication styles, and unfamiliar team dynamics. They are, more importantly, a rare space where adults—busy people with serious lives and too little time for play—can come together and simply enjoy a game without fear of judgment or failure.
It’s only because of this context that I can so subjectively look at the tendency I mentioned earlier. Why anyone can approach such concepts with comfort and ease.
That’s no small thing. That’s what keeps me coming back.