John Dunning's Taking Your Passing & Defense to the Next Level

with John Dunning,
Stanford University Head Women's Volleyball Coach;
2016 NCAA National Champions - 5x National Championship Coach (2016, '04, '05 at Stanford, 1985-86 at Pacific);
Distinguished member of the AVCA Hall of Fame (2011);
2001 AVCA National Coach of the Year; 4x Pac-12 Coach of the Year; over 800 career wins

John Dunning believes that the cornerstone of great volleyball lies in the development of the skills of passing and defense. Coach Dunning begins by sharing the characteristics for great passing before moving into skill development areas that span ability levels from basic through advanced. He covers set-up and ready position, strike zone and early platform establishment. Throughout this segment, Dunning interjects coaching tips and drills that incorporate communication, movement and court spacing, while emphasizing the need to maintain a consistent form as the game pace increases. In Part 2: Digging, Dunning begins with individual body posture and positioning for readiness to run to the ball. He shares tips for body control and how to cushion hard hit balls, and then adds motion drills for high and low digs followed by lateral movement drills to dig. Dunning moves next to on-court applications, bringing game speed to the skills. He utilizes a two-digger drill and defines the roles for positioning. In the final segment "Attitude of a Champion," Dunning shares an all out drill that challenges a defender's will to get to the ball. Concluding this segment is montage of game footage highlights of aggressive digging. Throughout the presentation, Dunning calls upon Stanford All-American Bryn Kehoe to share her thoughts and invaluable insights from a player's perspective.

51 minutes. 2008.