Volleyball Tournament 2020—virtual

The challenges

Try your hand at each of these challenges. You get five points for entering a video, plus 15 points for first place, 10 points for second place and 5 points for third place.

Challenge 1 - Pepper ladder

Two players must  work together to keep the ball in the air using this sequence: pass, set, hit. A pass can be substituted for a set to keep the ball alive and the sequence going. An overhead pass is allowed.

In order to go up the ladder, the team must complete the sequence adding an additional hit and pass by each player, each time.

The team that completes the most rounds up the ladder in a row wins. 

Challenge 2 - Setting

You must keep the ball in the air by setting it continuously while going to the ground.

A completed round starts with the player standing while setting, going all the way to the ground and getting all the way back to a standing position. 

The most completed rounds in a row without dropping the ball wins.

Challenge 3 - T-shirt

You must keep the ball in the area while putting on a t-shirt. The ball must stay in the air and on the screen at all times. You must complete the challenge by yourself without help from anyone else.

Fastest time wins.

Challenge rules

  • Your video must show the player and the ball throughout the entire challenge.
  • Videos must be uploaded by midnight on Tuesday, November 17, to be eligible for the competition.
  • The video file name must contain the name of the student, the name of the school, and the name of the challenge.
  • By uploading your challenge video, you agree that Union College has the right to post your video on its website or social media channels as a part of the Fall Tournament 2020.

Learn and interact

Take time to watch these videos on Youtube. If you comment, you'll earn five points. Make sure your Youtube username is your actual name or put your actual name in the comment so we know who you are.

Check back on November 15 for some additional videos.

Meet the Union College Warrior volleyball coaches


Practice makes perfect

Workout 1 - USA drill

This drill is a six-on-six game to work on winning multiple points in a row. The ball can be put into play by a coach either as a freeball or a downball. Whoever wins that point is awarded a “U” and gets the next ball. If the same team wins the next point that team gets an “S”. If the other team wins the point, they get a “U” and the next ball. If one team wins three in a row and gets U S A. They win a BIG point and you can rotate players and start again with the losing team receiving the first ball. You can play to five BIG points (More or less depending on the time you have allotted for the drill). If you want to make it harder you can make the team with U S A serve to secure the BIG point.

Workout 2 - Box drill

This drill works on out of system setting and hitting. The drill starts with an outside hitter, a right side hitter and two passers on the court. Two lines of players line up behind the passers behind the end line.

The coach initiates a downball to a passer from the same side of the net. The coach can then progress to coach on a box on the other side of the net.

The passer digs the ball to “the well” (10 feet high in the middle of the ten foot line), passer that did not dig the ball then becomes the out-of-system setter. They should set the opposite hitter using their platform. Have the “setter” focus on putting the ball high, 5 feet off the net on inside the antenna.

The hitter needs to find a way to keep the ball in play no matter how bad the set.
Scoring +1 for a good, aggressive swing landing in. Scoring of -1 is given when when the ball does not successfully go over the net and in. A “wash” is called when the ball is put in play by a tip, rollshot or freeball. (Rules can be changed if coaches want to work on tips or rollshots.) You can play the game to whatever number you want. Ten works well for inexperienced teams—20 or 25 for advanced teams. I do not let my teams go into negative numbers but that can be at the discretion of the coach.

Volleyball workout 3 - Chili Pepper workout

Four players stand in a squire, one at each corner, with a setter in the middle. A player can initiate the ball to the setter or a coach can initiate ball. Do the drill for a specific amount of time with teams of five counting how many in a row they can get. Then you can switch players and/or setters.

The setter must always set the player who passes the ball. The other three players go to the corner opposite the hitter to dig the ball.


Tips for success

Tip 1 - Cherryl

Tip 2 - Haley

Tip 3 - Lauren


Warrior worship

Warrior worship 1 - Sidney

Warrior worship 2 - Susanna

Warrior worship 3 - Xiara