Darrin McBroom: Serve/Receive - Refining Focus for Better Results

with Darrin McBroom,
Drake University Head Women's Coach;
2020 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year;
Iowa Western Community College Head Coach (2009-2012);
Four straight Division I National Tournament appearances;
2012 AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
MCC-Longview Head Coach (2005-2008);
2x Division II National Tournament appearances

Everyone knows the importance of effective serve receive but what can we do as coaches to strengthen the foundation and confidence of our passers so they can deliver when it matters most?

Drake’s Coach McBroom first describes the common situation where teams at all levels often get a lot of serve receive repetitions in practices but then struggle to pass accurately in matches. He highlights the importance of developing a strong foundation in technical aspects of passing and associated body movement and communication.

Coach McBroom breaks down keys to hand and wrist position, arm movement to reduce unnecessary variation, and using shoulders to achieve the right platform angle. He also discusses the approach to better footwork and coordinating with the passer next to you to cover seams more effectively.

McBroom also focuses on getting cues from the server before they serve, recognizing more quickly the type of spin on the serve, communicating to yourself and fellow passers, and adjusting fast to pass short and deep serves.

Coach McBroom then shares several passing progression drills to train the technical skills starting with pairs of players focused on isolated hand and platform techniques and advancing to drills involving four players that integrate shoulder and platform skills with body movement to achieve the best passing angles. He then shares team drills that incorporate competitive serving and serve receive to an ideal target area on the court for setters, which challenges both passers and servers by trying to create more match-like conditions.

Through this video, Coach McBroom describes how to improve your team’s serve receive effectiveness through a systematic approach to technical development and better communication that will lead to greater team success under pressure!

53 minutes. 2025.