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Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

The Dig In Volleyball 8 Steps On How To Get A Ball Up When On Defense

Learn the 8 technical aspects of how to dig in volleyball in the backcourt while your high school varsity volleyball team is on defense so you dig hard hitters.

When you learn how to dig in volleyball on your club or high school varsity team, you'll need to be okay with defending hard hitting attackers on the opposing team.

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How To Dig In Volleyball

Ready Position

In the back row you should be in an athletic stance with knees slightly bent, leaning slightly forward so your shoulders are in front of your knees with hands and arms extended in front of you 3-4 inches in front of your knees

Just before you have to dig in ball, keep your hands apart so you can run, shuffle step or move quickly to the ball once you know where the ball is going to possibly land

Quickly clasp hands together using the same hand grip as you do when you pass...one fist placed inside the palm of the other hand, both thumbs side by side together then pointed towards the ground

During the dig keep thumbs pointed to the floor, which keeps your arms straight and creates a nice flat platform which you use to dig the ball up into the air

How to dig in volleyball: keep thumbs pointed to the floor, which keeps your arms straight and creates a nice flat platform which you use to dig the ball up into the air (Al Case)

Before contacting the ball your hips have to be below the level of the oncoming ball. This is what helps lift the ball up into the air and increases the chances of it staying on your side.

Before contacting the ball drop your hips below the oncoming ball. This lifts the ball in the air and keeps it in the air and on your side. (Stephen F Austin)

When contacting or "digging" the ball, do not swing your arms to meet the ball. The attack hit is hard enough and you don't need to add additional movement to get the ball up.

Angle your platform to the target where you want the ball to go and let the ball bounce off your platform.
The trick is to use your straight armed platform to present the correct angle so the ball goes right to the target you are aiming for.

How To Dig In Volleyball
Why Learn How To Be A Good Digger On Your Varsity Volleyball Team?

To dig in volleyball or by digging a volleyball up in defense you are keeping an attacked ball by the opposing team off your court floor.

This keeps them from scoring a point, while at the same time you are setting your team up to run an offensive counterattack against them so your team can try to score a point.

How To Dig In Volleyball
What does to 'dig a volleyball' mean?

To dig in volleyball means you contact and intercept the ball, while your team is on defense by deflecting it up in the air with your arms held together.

You defend, or dig the ball to keep it off your team's court floor once it crosses into your court after an attack hit by the opposing team, so they don't score a point .

There are offensive ways to contact the ball and there are defensive ways to contact the ball.

The 'pass', the 'set', the 'serve' and the 'hit' describe offensive ways to contact the ball. These are terms that describe ways you contact the ball to set it up for an attack hit into the other team's court.

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The "block" and "the dig" are defensive terms used to describe ways to contact the ball.

You 'block' or 'dig a ball' when you need to defend your court from the other team's attack.

With practice reps and plenty of defensive drills you will learn how to use your arms so they absorb the impact of hard hit balls.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Performing a Dig

While learning to master the dig, many beginners make errors that could hinder their performance. Here are some common mistakes you need to watch out for:

1. Improper Stance:

Many beginners neglect the importance of maintaining an athletic stance. Remember, you need to have knees slightly bent and leaned forward with your shoulders in front of your knees. This helps you move quickly and effectively to respond to an attack.

2. Swinging Arms:

Attempting to meet the ball by swinging your arms can result in a loss of control over the direction of the dig. The goal is to let the ball bounce off your platform, not to swing your arms to hit it.

3. Incorrect Hand Position

Thumbs pointed towards the ground helps to keep your arms straight. An incorrect hand grip can create an uneven platform, leading to an ineffective dig.

4. Lack of Defensive Readiness

Always be prepared to run, shuffle step, or move quickly to the spot where the ball is likely to land. If you aren't prepared to move quickly, your digs may end up being ineffective.

5. Failing to Angle Your Platform

This is one of the most common beginner mistakes - contacting the ball square to the net instead of angling the platform to your target. Having a clear vision of where you want the ball to go and angling your platform accordingly is crucial to a successful dig.

Avoiding these common mistakes doesn't only increase your ability to execute a good dig, it also boosts your overall defensive game.

And remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be bummed by initial errors – they're just stepping stones on your path to becoming an excellent digger.

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

How To Dig In Volleyball:
Where Do You Go Now?

Okay here's where you need to go now! There are three options:

Learn more about How to Dig In Volleyball and Defense by clicking the Related Links below. .
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the How to Play Volleyball section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started.

Learn how to be a good high school varsity volleyball player on the pages below.

A Hard Driven Spike in Volleyball And Court Zones You Should Aim For
These volleyball terms describe the court zones where outside hitters are taught to aim their hard driven spike in volleyball to score points in a rally.
My Four College Volleyball Recruiting Tips I Gave My Club Players
I've found that, one of the best sources of volleyball recruiting tips and information is the free Ultimate Recruiting Guide for College Volleyball
Whats The Correct Ready Position In Volleyball For Blockers At The Net
The ready position in volleyball blocking means your feet are shoulder width apart and parallel to each other with whole body squared and facing the net.
Outside Hitter Volleyball Position: Left Side Hitter Volleyball Tips
Want to excel in the outside hitter volleyball position? Learn responsibilities, techniques, training and match prep strategies for the team's left side hitter
Defensive Volleyball Strategies When Do You Dig A Ball On Defense?
Defensive Volleyball Strategies: The dig is the last line of defense for a team to keep an attacked ball from hitting the floor and scoring a point or sideout.
The Volleyball Jump Serve Serving Harder To Score Aces On Varsity
The volleyball jump serve used on high school varsity volleyball teams is either a jump float or a jump topspin done with a spike approach before the swing.
5 Tips On How To Unleash The Power Of Your Overhand Volleyball Serve
I reveal some of the secrets to perfecting your overhand volleyball serve, from proper form and serving rituals to various serve types and practice methods.
Learn How To Overhead Serve In Volleyball A Ball That's Hard To Pass
Learn how to overhead serve in volleyball which is your first chance to score points so you need to serve the seams, serve the sidelines and serve hitters deep.
A Volleyball Passing Guide On How To Improve Volleyball Bumping Skills
Volleyball passing is the way to contact the ball with your forearms to guide it to your setter or over the net so developing a good forearm pass is crucial.
Improve Your Volleyball Forearm Pass With My Five Ball Control Tips
Learn about these five volleyball forearm pass tips that will help you get the ball to your setter consistently while your team is on serve receive in a rally.

Dear Volleyball Mom Do You Know What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas? You should learn what my private volleyball training mission says before considering hiring me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.

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What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas? You should learn what my private volleyball training mission says before you hiring to me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

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Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

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Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021