Infusing Culture into Practice: Defensive Drills That Build Grit, Urgency & Team Identity

with Renee Saunders
Skutt Catholic HS (Omaha, NE) Head Coach;
2024 NE State High School Championship Class B Runner-Up;
9x NE State High School Class B Championships in a row! (2015-2023);
2023 Athletico Coach of the Year;
2022 MaxPreps Coach of the Year;
2020 AVCA National High School Coach of the Year;
2016 Volleyball Mag National Coach of the Year;
2017 Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame;
Played college volleyball for the University of Nebraska;
1995 NCAA Champions (Nebraska's 1st Volleyball Championship);
First person named Nebraska Female Athlete of the Year and later Nebraska Coach of the Year by both the Omaha World Herald & Lincoln Journal Star

Elevate Your Defense, Energize Your Culture & Win More Chaos!
In this excellent video, 9x State Championship-winning coach Renee Saunders takes you inside a high-level demonstration session to show how culture and effort become inseparable from defensive success. This video is a masterclass in using drills, structure, and standards to build a defense that's tough, connected, and unshakable in chaos.

Starting with defining team culture and player investment, Coach Saunders walks through how cultural standards are reinforced in every defensive skill from ball control in pepper drills to team-wide urgency in live transition games.

Highlights include:

• Ball control series - "Pepper Under the Net," "Colorado State Pepper," and "4-Corner Pepper Up/Down" to instill discipline, touch, and movement.
• Progressive skill development - USA Digging, hitting/blocking combinations, and digging in transition.
• Team drills - "Catch Catch Live," "Dig or Die," "Steal the Bacon," and "Tanjen" simulate chaos and require players to communicate and recover fast.
• Mental challenge drills - "Sideout Hold Serve" combines focus and pressure with fun, team-based energy.

This video is designed for coaches who want more than technique; they want connection! You'll walk away with ideas for defensive drills that build urgency, foster resilience, and keep players engaged in the joy of competition. Perfect for high school or club coaches looking to embed a defensive identity that goes far beyond systems.

64 minutes. 2025.