Mastering Out of System Play: Practice Progressions That Transfer to Competition

with Jenny Glenn,
American University Head Coach;
Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) ;
2025 NCAA D II National Champions;
2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Regular Season Championship
2025 RMAC Tournament Champions (6th consecutive);
3x AVCA South Region Coach of the Year (2016, 2021, 2025);
4x RMAC Coach of the Year (2016, 2021, 2022, 2023);
Northern Colorado Associate Head Coach from 2012 to 2015;
Northern Colorado Assistant Coach from 2006 to 2012;
USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team Assistant Coach in 2014

In this detailed video, you will learn a practical framework for designing practices that improve performance where it matters most: during live game situations.

The presentation begins by addressing a fundamental coaching question: How do we get practice drills to transfer to 6 versus 6 play? Through a clear explanation of focused deliberate practice, you will learn how narrowing your attention to one or two key priorities can accelerate athlete development and produce measurable improvement. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, coaches are encouraged to identify the skills and situations that are costing their team points and dedicate meaningful training time to those areas.

A major emphasis is placed on training out of system volleyball. Since a significant portion of the game occurs outside of perfect offensive situations, this presentation demonstrates why coaches should intentionally dedicate practice time to developing out of system skills. You will learn how to train athletes to handle imperfect contacts, create quality attacking opportunities, and make better decisions when the play breaks down.

The presentation also provides a practical model for organizing an entire week of practice. Coaches will see how individual offensive skills, individual defensive skills, team transfer concepts, and competitive training can be strategically distributed throughout the week to maximize development and reinforce key priorities. This structure helps ensure that athletes are continually progressing toward meaningful objectives while remaining engaged in the training process.

Throughout the presentation, a variety of progressive drills are demonstrated to help athletes develop the technical and tactical skills required for successful out of system play. Beginning with smaller game formats such as 3 versus 3 and 4 versus 4, athletes learn essential ball control, anticipation, communication, and decision making skills before progressing toward more complex situations.

You will also learn how to use pre drills and post drills to measure progress throughout a practice session. By establishing a baseline before training and revisiting the same activity after focused instruction, athletes gain tangible evidence of improvement while coaches gain valuable feedback about the effectiveness of their training methods.

Position specific training receives significant attention as well. Coaches will learn how to train pin attackers, setters, liberos, and defenders to execute effectively in out of system situations. Detailed progressions help athletes learn proper footwork, transition patterns, shot selection, communication, and ball delivery while receiving immediate feedback throughout the learning process.

As the presentation advances, drills become increasingly game like by incorporating blockers, attackers, defenders, and full team competition. These progressions bridge the gap between isolated skill development and realistic match situations, allowing athletes to apply what they have learned under pressure.

The presentation concludes with competitive training ideas that reward execution of desired skills and behaviors. Coaches will learn how to use competitive games, bonus point systems, and athlete advocacy to reinforce technical and tactical priorities while creating an engaging learning environment that motivates athletes to improve.

If you are searching for better ways to connect practice training to match performance, this presentation provides a proven blueprint for organizing practices, training out of system play, and developing athletes who can perform confidently when the game becomes unpredictable.

46 mins. 2026