Team Drills & Games to Increase Skill Proficiency & Player Versatility

Kayla Banworth,
Atlanta Vibe (PVF) Head Coach;
2025 Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Franklin Sports Coach of the Year:
Ole Miss Head Women's Coach from 2020 to 2022;
University of Nebraska Assistant Coach from 2017 to 2019;
2019 American Volleyball Coaches' Association's (AVCA) '30 Under 30';
2018 NCAA National Championship Runner-up;
2017 NCAA National Champions;
Pepperdine Men's Volleyball Volunteer Assistant Coach in 2015 and 2016;
U.S. National Volleyball Team member (USA Volleyball) from 2011 to 2017;
2015 NORCECA Championship 'Best Receiver' award;
won Gold Medals at the 2012 & 2013 Pan American Cup, 2015 NORCECA & 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix;
2016 Olympic Games (Rio) - Bronze medal;
2013 USA Volleyball Female Indoor Most Improved Player of the Year;
played for University of Nebraska from 2007 to 2011 (libero; coach was John Cook)

In this excellent presentation, Banwarth brings together some of the ‘best of the best’ creative, useful team and individual drills she has picked up and refined over the years while playing or assisting at Nebraska, as a member of the USA Volleyball team and now as a head coach at Ole Miss. You’ll also get a glimpse of the competitive, fighting spirit Banwarth had as an athlete and now coach as she dissects the drills and segments and talks about, and demonstrates, the energy and competitiveness she demands every day in her team’s quest to become their very best.

Incorporating Skills and Drills that Enhance Player Versatility   

Using a progression of drills and skill practice drills, Coach Banwarth demonstrates multiple drills to work on fundamental skills.  Banwarth teaches her attackers how to get to a tight out-of-system set, so when facing a big block on a tight set, players are skilled in scoring in tough situations.  She shares insightful gems, like how she reinforces efficiency in her blockers by teaching them how to use their eyes; by watching the right things, the blocking assignments become easier. She also shares game-like warm up drills to reinforce that the preparation, competitiveness and attention to detail needed in games starts when you walk into the gym.

Coach Banwarth explains and demonstrates the teaching points she emphasizes for aggressively winning critical points, such as:

• How to adjust drills by defining specific controllables
• Importance of cutting the ball to manipulate accuracy
• Importance of ongoing coach to player feedback for enhancing volleyball IQHow to capitalize on aggressive first ball play

Practice Segments

With her instruction on out-of-system fundamentals, Banwarth emphasizes the importance of teaching setters to set tight, not off and inside as most coaches teach, out of system balls.  Hitters practice the swipe, pushing through a block, pushing off a block, recycling a ball, methods that teach players a successful way to score and not just send over a digable down ball.  

Using drills to teach players to be smart and how to win points and reduce unforced errors, aggressively, offers success and momentum to a team.

Coach Banwarth gives you multiple drills to be proficient in out-of-system balls and how to work basic fundamentals within a drill. You will also learn valuable techniques that can become a solid foundation toward making your team highly skilled.  She also stresses how to make your live practice segments areas of growth by expressing the purpose of the drills and then the importance of giving feedback on that purpose.  

You will quickly see why Kayla Banwarth has experienced success at every level of volleyball. Her experiences as a player and coach, and the mentors she has had the opportunity to learn from and with, will provide you with terrific, fresh ideas on how you can run your practices. Using drills that develop each athlete and reinforce a competitive culture will provide coaches with multiple tools to help athletes become well-rounded, highly skilled volleyball players!

46 minutes. 2022.