UCF's Coach Todd Dagenais - Part 1 of 3

We have recently had the pleasure of conversing several times with UCF's Coach Todd Dagenais. The more we find out about Coach Dagenais, the more we are impressed with his knowledge and passion for Volleyball. We hope you will enjoy this 4 part series where we discuss his involvement with the Athens Olympics, his first year as Head Coach for UCF, his outlook for the future at UCF, his philosophy's on recruitment and his openness towards player walk-ons.

SFVR: When did you first get involved with Volleyball?
DAGENAIS: I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For most people that’s about 5 miles from the North Pole. The big sports are hunting, fishing, camping, closely followed by football, basketball, and hockey. Volleyball probably wasn’t even in the top 20. Like many guys outside of California, I fell into it by accident. We had some teachers and mentors that played at a local high school once per week. A small group of us high school guys tagged along and started playing with the “old timers”. I stay in touch with those guys to this day. They have played a huge role in what I’m doing today.


SFVR: Describe what it was like coaching in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Greece?
DAGENAIS: You know how someone says….”I’m willing to do ANYTHING to be a part of something”. Well that was me from 2000-2004. I didn’t care if I had to carry bags, hand balls, and do whatever job someone else doesn’t want to do, I just wanted to go to the Olympics. Despite the fact that I volunteered my time as an assistant training coach with the National Team and accompanied them as a coach on some foreign tours, in all honesty it would be unfair to call me an Olympic Coach. Out of respect to the full time job Toshi Yoshida, Kevin Hambly, and Robyn Romanski did, I’m careful to say that I was a part of the coaching delegation. They were the coaches, and they deserved to be recognized as such. I was selected to go along and help with logistics, statistics, filming, or practice duties they needed an extra person to take care of.

That being said, the experience of being on the grandest stage in sports was indescribable. I will never forget the feeling of walking into the stadium during the closing ceremony. Softball star Jennie Finch was on one side of me and Soccer star Mia Hamm was in front of me. I kept thinking….how in the world did a kid from the Upper Peninsula end up here. Sure some hard work was involved, but there was a huge amount of luck too. I really learned a lot from Toshi, Kevin, and Robyn, and I’m very thankful that they included me in the experience.

SFVR: Describe your three years as an assistant coach at USC?
DAGENAIS: I’m telling you right now, and I don’t care what anybody says or thinks, Mick Haley is one of the best managers of people and teams in the collegiate volleyball game We had some great individual athletes in my time at USC, but he is one of a VERY small handful of coaches who can not only get the most out of an individual player, but find ways to maximize a team. My first year, graduated a ton of talent, then we lost both outside hitters before the start of pre-season. Instead of complaining about what he didn’t have, Mick sat down and created an offense and defense to fit what we did have. We made the NCAA Tournament that year, and a lot of programs would not have made it in the same circumstances. Actually, some programs haven’t made the tournament under the same circumstances.

SFVR: What was your first year as head coach at UCF like?
DAGENAIS: Now as I look back it was really a daunting experience. I came aboard in late January knowing that we had up to 5 scholarships open, and the season was only 7months away. UCF was in the process of constructing our amazing new office complex and renovating our volleyball facility. I was working out of a double wide trailer and practicing at a recreation center (when it was available). Fortunately our facility contact John Portland did a great job of making sure that we were interrupted as least as possible.

Next I had to hire a staff that could compliment my style and help me overcome my weaknesses. My first hire was Sam Shweisky. He is a fantastic trainer in the gym and is far more laid back than I am. The team needed a softer “mello” personality, especially when I start to crank up the intensity. I came from the Japanese/Korean/Chinese training background, and he came from the Gold Medal Squared background, I’m a Catholic from rural Michigan, he is Jewish and from New York City. Other than our love from volleyball, we couldn’t be more different. However, there is one thing that Sam and I have in common, neither one of us played Women’s Collegiate Volleyball. That’s where Michelle Chatman came in. She was an All American Middle from the University of Florida, and intense competitor, a fantastic recruiter, and a perfect role model for what we want our players to become as student athletes.

Once the staff was in place we began the process of redesigning our team. This definitely had it’s highs and lows. I was willing to keep the people that wanted to work harder than they ever worked (on and off the court), be the best teammates they have ever been, and the hardest one, recruit players that were likely to take their position somewhere down the road. If you couldn’t buy into this 100% then you were asked to find a situation that was more suited to your individual goals. Some players decided this wasn’t going to be the right program for them anymore and I supported their release, others just were released outright for various reasons. Eventually we were left with the 8 people that were committed to a dream, knowing that some of them may never actually get to experience the dream when it happens.

During all of this my wife Katie and I had to sell a house in California, buy a house in Florida, move 2 cats, three dogs, and an 8-month pregnant wife all the way across the country. She could probably make a movie out of this experience ! Here is a funny story…only in Los Angeles does something like this happen.

My wife was at the skycap desk at Los Angeles International, 8 months pregnant, carry two cats in carry on cases, someone is pushing our three 50 lb dogs in their travel cases on a push cart, and some Hollywood Starlet wanna-be asks….

”Are you going on Vacation?” What???? Who packs up 5 animals to head on vacation??? Oh yeah…we were in LA ! I’ll never forget that story.

Baby Jocelyn is already 9 months old and showing signs of being a left-handed setter J Uh oh….I’m going to be a “club-dad” !!!



SFVR: Describe what it felt like addressing the team for the first time?

DAGENAIS: I remember sitting in a conference room and addressing the team. I had already done a ton of research and studied statistics of all teams in Conference USA as well as UCF. I then created a power point presentation that would illustrate to the the team exactly what we needed to do to become successful.

Statistically we were at the bottom of the conference only because of our unforced errors. We made so many errors that our opponents needed to score only 10-12 points in order to win a set. I asked each primary hitter to get just one more kill a game, and cut their errors by just one per game. If we could do that, then we would be no worse than finishing in middle of the pack at the end of the next year. It really was that simple.

In that meeting we set ourselves on a course that would emphasize a philosophy of discipline and low errors. We established our mission statement as a team, we defined what championship behavior would be, and I asked the team to establish a positive gym culture. The only way we could achieve any of our goals was to walk out of that initial meeting with these three things set in stone.

SFVR: What was your message to the team for the 2008 season?
DAGENAIS: Build a Foundation. I couldn’t guarantee that we would win a single match. All I could guarantee is that we would be in relentless pursuit of excellent on the court and in the classroom. This wasn’t going to be a program that could be built overnight. I wanted to build something that we could all be proud of years down the road. I wanted us to build a program that was reflective of the efforts and sacrifices that the Lucy McDaniel teams of the 1970’s had made, and the national recognition that the Meg Colado teams of the early 2000’s were able to achieve. So many people put this program on the map; it’s our obligation to do everything we can to get this program back on the map.
Our goals for year #1 were:

1)Finish .500 or better (we ended up 15-17), but we also ended up playing a top 60 ranked schedule. We could have easily finished the season with 20 wins if I scheduled easier, but easy wins wouldn’t lead to our 3 and 5 year goals.

2)Finish in the top half of the conference. Conference USA had it’s highest ranking in recent memory when it finished 5th behind the PAC-10, Big 12, Big 10, and West Coast Conference. I know that’s not something my friends in the SEC, ACC, and Big East want me to advertise, but I’m very proud of our conference and what we achieved as a collective group this year. There was actually a time where we were 5-1 in conference and playing UAB for the outright lead in the conference. It was a classic example of too much success too fast. I wish I had prepared us to “win” because when we starting winning, we had a very difficult time handling the stress and pressure of winning. That’s completely my fault.

3)Move up 75 spots in the RPI and finish at 175 or better. We actually climbed as high as 75 before settling in at 113 to close the season. This is something I hope my players are really proud of. Are we satisfied…NO. We feel like there is so much more to do in the future.

SFVR: UCF’s eigth-place tie in C-USA this season was its highest finish since joining the league in 2005, which is definitely something to be proud of. Seeing that you are used to so much success was it tough not having greater success and a higher finish?
DAGENAIS: It’s really not about me or what I’m used to. I was more interested in making sure the outgoing seniors were going to leave UCF with some fond memories..

Initially, at the end of the year I wasn’t too that excited about our record. I think back to the four or five matches we were serving to win the match and ended up somehow losing. Those moments were frozen in my mind. After I had some time to reflect with my wife, the administration, and most of all our team, the true success of our season hit me.

When I saw the satisfaction on the Senior’s faces, and the optimism on the Junior’s faces, I knew that we had really just done something special.

SFVR: What was your most memorable game in your first year as UCF's Head Coach this past season?
DAGENAIS: Ironically the most memorable game for me was one that we lost 3-0. We opened at home against Stanford, the 2007 National Runner Up., in front of record crowd over 2000. (They announced it at 1500 to the Fire Marshall wouldn’t shut it down). That’s when I knew for sure that UCF could potentially be a nationally significant team again. We honored the 1978 AIAW National Champions on their 30th year anniversary. It was really one of the most memorable moments of my entire career.

Coach, it looks like you had a great impact on UCF Volleyball and Conference USA in only your first year. In Part 2 (Tuesday, February 24th) we will look towards the future of UCF Volleyball.

UCF's Coach Todd Dagenais - Part 2 of 3

In part 2 of our chat with Coach Degenais we talk about the future of Ladies Volleyball at UCF and building an elite winning program that can become a leader in Conference USA and a major contender Nationally.

SFVR: It looks like your going to have a young team for the 2009 season. What are your expectations for next year?
DAGENAIS: I think we will probably be young for a few seasons as we balance out our roster. We are trying to create a situation where we can sustain success over several years. It’s easy to be a team that’s good one out of every four years, we are trying to be good three out of every four years…and yet be very competitive during our “down year”. It takes a few years to get this right. The goal is to have 3 scholarships in each recruiting class, two setters that are two-three years apart, and a solid middle blocker in each year of eligibility. Once we get all of these things balanced then we will be able to do so many things with recruiting and scholarships…especially in the libero position.

The team expects to be very competitive this year, and I share those expectations. Our days at the bottom of Conference USA are over. With those expectations comes the pressure of having to perform. Those athletes that handle the pressure the best will be put in the position of creating and shaping our future.

Now our goals will change:
1) Have a 20 win season
2) Lead Conference USA in at least two statistical categories
3) Earn an automatic bye in the conference tournament (top 4 teams)
4) Finish with an RPI of 75 or better

If we can do these things, then we will at least “be on the board” for NCAA Tournament Selection. It’s going to be tough though, there were not very many expectations of us in year #1, we will not be able to sneak up on anyone in year #2.

SFVR: What are the types of off-season conditioning that the team does to become better?
DAGENAIS: Tracy Prosser is our strength and condition coordinator. She is a no-nonsense “go getter”. Although the NCAA doesn’t allow college teams to practice year round, we definitely expect our athletes to stay in shape year round. I believe that being an athlete is not a “sometimes thing” it’s really more of a lifestyle. Either you are committed to it or you are not. Our players maintain a summer weight training, conditioning, and agility program that is monitored by Coach Prosser. Many of them do this program at home, or with their local club team. However, more and more of our athletes are electing to take summer school and stay together over the break. Those that stay get to work with the strength staff on campus. I really leave it up to the individual if they want to stay, or go home. I’m very supportive of those who want to spend the summer closer to family, as long as they don’t forget their commitment to our ultimate goals.

We work on our weight training in cycles. December is a recovery month. We completely shut down to allow our athletes time to rest and recover from the long season. We gradually build up during the month of January and work on specific areas of individual weakness or pervious injuries. When February rolls around, we are going at it pretty hard in the weight room. This is our one chance to build the muscle needed to prevent injuries during the season. We also do a great deal of core work, shoulder and knee strengthening, and agility training. In March and early April, we are really trying to max out in the weight room and with our conditioning. By May we begin to taper and move into more of a maintenance type program, but one that sill focuses on gains in all areas of our physical training. This continues through June and July as we prepare for pre-season. When August comes we are strictly in a maintenance type phase with low weight and explosive reps.

We will perform physical testing on our athletes in August at the start of the season, in December at the end of the season, in January when we come back from Holiday break and in April after all the heavy lifting. It’s not uncommon to see fluctuations of gain and loss during each of these phases. The whole goal is to be as explosive as possible during the regular season. I’m really not too interested in being the highest jumping team in March !!!

SFVR:Switching gears, I'm sure folks would like to know a little more about you. Now that you've moved to Orlando and are now settled in, how are you getting used to life in the Orlando area?
DAGENAIS:Love it ! I love the weather, my parents are only 2 hours away, and my mother-in-law is only an hour north. Orlando is just one of those cities where you have everything you could ever ask for, plus it’s one of the top cities in the nation to raise a family. We are actually very fortunate; our daughter was born with a genetic issue affecting her hearing. Some of the best care for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities is right here in Central Florida. She is getting incredible support in her formative years.

SFVR: What is your favorite amusement park in Orlando?
DAGENAIS: As a college student I worked in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. I was the boat driver on the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. They took out the attraction years ago so most of your readers probably never sailed with Captain Nemo. I still get chills in the Hall of Presidents with Abraham Lincoln stands up to deliver the Gettysburg Address.

SFVR: What is your favorite Pro Team?
DAGENAIS: Green Bay Packers….I grew up 2 hours from Titletown! My dad once hired Green Bay starting quarterback Lynn Dickey to make an autograph appearance at a business function. He came to my house that night to watch a boxing match on HBO. I felt pretty cool that I was hanging out with the QB of the Green Bay Packers in my basement! We grew up huge Detroit Red Wing fans too, Jocelyn was born during their successful Stanley Cup run!

Thanks a bunch for sharing with us so much of your knowledge on Volleyball, your experiences and future plans with UCF. When we have the opportunity to speak with the great coaches that have national and international experience; that have an intense passion and knowledge for the game and are leading the Universities in Florida it make us excited about Volleyball in our great state.

In Part 3 of the interview with Coach Dagenais, (Wednesday, February 25th) we ask him to rank the Top 5 Volleyball States in our Nation. In addition we ask him a few recruiting questions and the ability to play for UCF as a walk-on.

UCF's Coach Todd Dagenais - Part 3 of 3

In Part 3 we ask Coach Dagenais to rank the Top 5 Volleyball States and to share ideas as to recruiting for both UCF and in general. In addition we discuss the ability for a player to prove themselves as a walk-on.






SFVR: Seeing that you have been involved in Volleyball Internationally, nationally and in Volleyball Mecca, please rank the top 5 states when it comes to Volleyball?
DAGENAIS:
1) California- the number of scholarship players coming from California is astounding. You can literally go down to the beach and see 5 year old kids peppering in the sand. Volleyball is so much more than a sport out there, it’s a culture and a lifestyle.
2) Illinois- Probably has one of the most organized club systems in the country which has helped them skyrocket in the last 20 years. For the longest time the best teams in the BIG 10 had the best players from Illinois on their roster.
3) Texas- There are so many players who play the game in Texas, and it’s such a big deal to play volleyball down there. High school and club are very well supported by fans and media.
4)Florida- I know some will criticize me for putting Florida this high, but I’m telling you, there are a number of world class athletes here in the state of Florida. The better our state gets at getting these players to play volleyball, the quicker Florida will rise in the world of volleyball.
5)Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio….gosh… I don’t know they all do such a great job in their high school and club systems. If the club system is well established and well organized, chances are that the state will get recognition in the sport. Just look at regional pockets in the Great Lakes, Plains areas, Inter-Mountain, Missouri Valley….volleyball has really taken off in the past few years.

SFVR:Coach, we couldn't agree more with you. What many people do not realize nationally is that the lady athletes from Florida can play and train year round both inside a gym and in grass and beach tournaments. In addition to great weather, players are playing at a younger age. More clubs and nationally renowned tournaments are being played locally in our state - all of which add up to Florida being a solid number 4 nationally.

RECRUITING

SFVR: When it comes to recruiting do you look at the State of Florida for some of your players?
DAGENAIS: We will always look to the Central Florida area first, expand to the Florida area next, then to the Southeastern part of the USA, then nationally. If we can find the best players in Florida and convince them to stay closer to home, then I think we can be a consistent top 25 program.

I’m very proud of our early success recruiting nationally. We have depended on our list of contacts to help deliver the talent we need to take the next step, but I really would like to do this with as much home grown talent as possible. Too many people say it can’t be done, and that’s exactly the reason I want to do it.

We absolutely need the help of our local clubs if we are going to achieve the goal of winning with Florida talent. So far about 90% of those clubs out there are doing everything they can to give us a boost. For some reason a few others haven’t been as supportive. It’s going to be a lot more exciting if we can find a way to get everyone on the same page. I think we have a great staff, experienced coaches, a beautiful campus, and a fantastic education. I’m sure we will be able to attract the players we need to get.



SFVR: What do you look for in a recruit?
DAGENAIS: First they must be one of two things right away. They must be as athletic as the top players in our conference, or they must be as skilled as the top players in our conference. I can watch them for a few minutes and tell if they pass this test or not. If they are not as skilled, or as athletic as the players we are competing against, then we probably can’t bring them aboard.

From there we could spend several months trying to assess their character. We call coaches, opposing coaches, former teammates, teachers, and advisers, anyone that can give us some insight. We carefully watch how they deal with their teammates, coaches, and ESPECIALLY parents. If a kid treats their parent poorly, they will do the same to me. That is an automatic disqualification in my book. I love to see a kid react when they struggle, or their teammates struggle. A person’s true character comes out in the most stressful situations. I believe character wins championships.


SFVR: I notice that you have more than 12 players on the team. Are any of them walk-ons?
DAGENAIS: Yes, we will carry a roster of 16-17 players. The NCAA only allows Division I programs a maximum of 12 scholarships. Fully funded programs may not break those scholarships up at the DI level (they can in DII). Therefore we will recruit and dress 4-5 walk-ons in addition to our 12 scholarship athletes. I love walk-on players because they are often be the least selfish players on a college team. I will not discriminate against excellence. If a walk-on is better than a scholarship player, then that walk-on is going to be the starter. If they are able to maintain that starting position during Spring Training and I’m convinced they will be the starter in the next fall season, I won’t hesitate to put them on a scholarship as soon as possible

SFVR: How does a player go about walking onto a team?
DAGENAIS: All of our walk-ons are still highly recruited players. We usually get between 100-200 inquiries about becoming a walk-on per year. In all reality, we recruit walk-on’s the same way as scholarship athletes. They are treated the same as scholarship athletes. They have the same playing opportunities as scholarship athletes. The only thing they don’t have is the actual scholarship.

Unfortunately not every great player is going to get a scholarship. On average there are only about 900-1000 DI scholarships given per year. Good teams MUST have good walk-on’s to compete at a high level. 12 scholarships just isn’t enough at the DI level.

More collegiate programs need to get on board and support the 13th scholarship. How can more opportunities for young women get a scholarship be a bad thing? Too many teams are worried about how a 13th scholarship might affect their own program. They are afraid that if Stanford, USC, Penn State, Texas, and Nebraska get one more scholarship then that means fewer athletes for everyone else. I worked at one of those schools and I can honestly tell you that recruits look at the rosters of those schools and study the depth chart. If there isn’t a chance that they are going to start before their junior year, then the chances are that those athletes are looking somewhere else. Look at the parity in Women’s basketball. Players don’t want to go be on the 15th scholarship at one top school if they can be a top player at an up-and-coming school. The same hold true for volleyball, when the dust settles the 13th scholarship isn’t going to be used for a 3rd setter, a 5th middle, or a 7th outside hitter ….it’s going to be used for a libero. That’s exactly what it needs to be used for.

Coach many thanks for sharing with us your wisdom on Volleyball. I'm sure the readers of the report enjoyed this three part interview and I'm sure many have now become fans of UCF Volleyball. We wish you the very best and look forward to seeing your program succeed. Best of Luck in 2009 and the future!

Memoirs from a Volleyball Parent - Destination Tampa by Philip Littke

Today's guest blogger is a parent of a player on the SDVC-16 team. I asked him to prepare a story for the report on the Tampa United Tournament February 14-16th. He was generous enough to help out even though he is a very busy professional.

We invite more parents out there to do similar stories (4-6 paragraphs with a few pictures). South Florida teams will be competing in Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando Florida. You can report on your team and some generalities about the tournaments. Please think of this periodical as belong to all of us. The more we share the stronger Volleyball becomes in our communities. Through the report the nation will know the great things we are doing in South Florida.



There is nothing nicer than to see a huge convention center full of volleyball players going through the motions. warming up by playing pepper, or on the court playing their high-intensity games while parents, friends, and team members watch. From any viewpoint, it is rather cool to see so many volleyballs bobbing up and down throughout the immenseness of the convention center.



The view is augmented with the sound (noise?) of hundreds of people talking, shouting, screaming, protesting, and above all else, cheering…almost an information overload for those who have never been to such a place.

This, in turn, is music to all volleyball players who frequent such cacophonies of noise and sight.

This was such the case this past weekend at the Tampa Convention Center, where more than 130 teams from across Florida and the US came together there and at the Tampa University campus, for a weekend full of excitement and camaraderie.

Our South Dade Volleyball Club team comprised of 16 year olds and under, came with the expectations of every single team that showed up that same day, to take home some awesome memories (and even perhaps taking home a trophy, but let's not go into the materialistic sense, ok?).



Logistically, anyone coming for these games must be very patient with parking, room rates, food and liquids, especially for all these starving kids whose metabolism RPM's altogether would power a whole city, and above all else, the girls innate sense of having to purchase the fabulous t-shirts and other womanly garments and volleyball nick-knacks sold at the locale that weekend.


All in all, most of us parents could not make any sense of the team schedules posted near the entrance, and just tried not to look too confused as we tried to figure out which court and when our girls' teams would play. Of course, we would have to end up asking the coach for this information, whereas if we didn't, we would be left cheering the wrong team with similar uniforms at another court for 30 minutes, until we realized out that it was the wrong team and court, and that the person we were cheering wasn't really your daughter! But man, don't they all look alike with those uniforms or what!?


Nevertheless, as we finally watch our daughter and her team play, we get so emotionally involved that sometimes we wonder how some parents that sit cool watching the game, while you are ready, and a split second, to bolt out of your chair and so something maniacal, such as run screaming into the court to pick up your most prized loved one from the floor after she does a perfect dive to lift up a ball, dust her knee pads and kiss on her 'boo boo'! So, with superhero powers, we watch the trials and tribulations of a game well fought out by these determined young ladies, where, at the end, all leave as winners, and the parents, a bundle of frayed nerves.


In retrospect, after a few days back in Miami, I can say that these tournaments mean a lot to me since it gives me a chance to being awe of my daughter. Watching her compete just makes my heart swell and be so proud of her! Of course, that instantly disappears when the ball lands in front of her and she doesn't make an effort to dive the distance and risk several fractured bones and at least 25 stitches on her chin, THEN you just want to strangle that little rug rat!! No really, it is such a sight to see her just play to her heart's content, learning all the skills for a successful life ahead. Meanwhile, we will continue to wear that stained shirt on weekends while doing yard work and will remember that moment on the court forever.

My congratulations to the ladies of all the teams that came and played that day. All of you showed courage and determination, while continuing to turn a deaf ear to your parents while they shouted encouragement to you ("shove the #@#%* ball down her throat!")



Also to the coaches, for leading valiantly your team of young ladies; to the referees, for putting up with us parents and family members, and the organizers, who kept chuckling as they saw us staring clueless to the game sheets looking for our daughters' team court. Awesome weekend in Tampa!!




See more Pictures of the Tampa United Tournament on the Green Sidebar next to this story.

5 Essentials to Becoming a Top Level Libero - Watch the Video on the Green Sidebar

A few years back, Minnesota coach Mike Herbert demonstrated to the nation how important the position could be when Paula Gentil, as libero was given huge credit for the Golden Gophers unexpected march to the Finals of the NCAA tournament. Since then, coaches have started to realize the importance of the position to team success and the libero has quickly gained status in Volleyball coaching circles.



Just look at the University of Miami, who recently named Libero Cassie Loessberg the team MVP.





So if your a player with your sights set on the Libero position, here are five essentials that can help lead you to success.

NO. 1 - Become the Best at Serve-Receive:

WHY: Winning coaches know strong serve-receive passing is a major key to victory. Since the libero has a unique opportunity to be in the back row against all serves, it is absolutely crucial that she is an unusually gifted passer.

HOW: Learn to judge the ball and move your feet to allow you to play every serve within your range in the midline of your body. Shrug your shoulders to help maintain a strong, solid platform. Strengthen your hands and wrists to allow you to play high serves by blocking them with strong "setter hands". On low serves, bend your legs to keep your hips lower than the ball. Finally, remember your platform is a backboard, not a bat. The less you move your arms, and the more you keep your platform firm and relaxed, the more accurate your passing will become.



Florida's Elyse Cusak is one of the top liberos in the nation




NO. 2 - Practice Defensive Technique with Focus and Passion:

WHY: You may have heard the saying " offense wins games, but defense wins championships." I for one believe it. remember, the libero is on the court in the back row more than any other player on her team. She is the quarterback of the teams defense as much as the setter is the quarterback of the teams offense. She simply must be the best defender.

HOW: The world's greatest setters will tell you they spend hours each day in repetition of their skill. As a player responsible for the quality of the team defense, the libero must be willing to do the same. In season, encourage your coach to give you individual practice time daily for each technique. Out of season, attend a strong libero camp with a reputation for teaching technique. Once you are comfortable with a technique, practice the move daily without a ball and, if possible, with a ball.



NO. 3 - Study the Skill of Reading:

WHY: It is much easier to defend a ball when you know where it is going before it is contacted by your opponent.

HOW: This is very difficult to do, and to some degree is a product of playing experience. Playing both grass and beach doubles in the off-season is great for learning to read hitters and blockers. When two people have to cover an entire court, they quickly learn a lot about angles and how an opponent's body language affects potential shots.



NO. 4 Perfect Your Serve

WHY: Serving is a very important skill for you because it allows you to be an offensive weapon for your team. Coaches love players who can score points.

HOW: Stick with the fundamentals of a strong, overhead standing serve and be able to serve it with pace, at will, deep into position 1,5 and 6. Develop a short serve that you can serve at will to positions 2,3 and 4.

Being able to serve these positions with accuracy, and pace if needed, is more important than developing a jump serve or some unusual look in your serving technique. Perfect your technique and then get in a gym and serve countless balls daily to select positions.




NO. 5 It's All About Heart

WHY: Heart is the fierce desire to compete and to pursue every ball impossible or not. It is the overall key to individual defensive excellence. With it you can excel. Without it you will be average.

HOW: If you are fortunate it is in your nature. If not, work on being more vocal on the court and on relentlessly pursuing every ball in practice and matches.



The libero position is made for a player with great instincts, an iron will and strength of heart.

Special Thanks to Volleyball Magazine and an article written by Walt Weaver who is currently directing Midwest Volleyball Instructors (www.mvicamps.com). If your interested in subscribing to Volleyball Magazine - clic on the title of this post and a link will give you more info on subscribing.

PLAYER PROFILE: MONIQUE RIVERS

We are extremely happy to promote this young lady. Monique is an explosive player that can make an impact on any team both offensively and defensively. Monique plays much taller than her height might indicate, she is a high flyer and scores with authority. Obviously she has more growing to do and seeing that she is only in 8th grade chances are probable that she will become a bigger and stronger player.

The reason that we are excited to promote Monique is that she is a tenacious defender, her defensive game is very similar to UM's Cassie Loessberg. We feel that her defense is very close to what is needed at the next level and she still has four (4) more years to develop. In addition she is a good and respectable young lady she has all the traits to make her a great team-mate and friend.

We recently sat down with Monique and asked her a few questions on Volleyball and her work-out regimen.

SFVR: How would you describe yourself?
RIVERS: As a player and a person, definitely determined and concentrated on the sport, but I love to have fun once we are done winning.

SFVR: We've heard you have quite a training regimen?
RIVERS: Yep, I work-out almost everyday. I jog, use plyometric boxes, agility ladders, jump rope, medicine balls and trampoline all to help me with endurance, balance and strength.

SFVR: Are there any other sports you enjoy?
RIVERS: Yes, I love beach volleyball, soccer, swimming, badminton, football and softball.

SFVR: Do you have any favorite NCAA players?
RIVERS: Yes, Lane Cairico from the University of Miami- I love her because I think she is awesome, she plays all around like me, has great serves and she is an example of how good I want to be when I am a college freshman like her.

SFVR: Do you have any comments to the parents of young players?
RIVERS:Sure, give as much support as you can, but do not pressure your child.

SFVR: Why do you want to play volleyball collegiality?
Rivers: I want to play volleyball collegiality because I love the sport so much that I want to do it for as long as I possibly can. I want to achieve the highest level of play possible and I want to be surrounded by people who love this sport as much as I do.

SFVR: What does the word coachable mean to you?
Rivers: I think being coachable is when you listen and learn from your coach and don’t have an attitude about it because nobody wants a player who isn’t coachable. Plus what you learn, apply it; it’s not just in one ear and out the other. I think that I am coachable because I do listen to my coach and apply it when I play.

SFVR:What are a few things that you have learned from your coaches?
RIVERS: Mental toughness, physical toughness, dedication, and do everything with excitement, even if it is just shagging volleyballs.

PLAYER PROFILE:
MONIQUE RIVERS
POSITION: OH/Middle Back
HT: 5'7" WT: 118
8TH GRADE SCHOOL: PRINCETON CHRISTIAN
PO Box 924916, Princeton, FL. 33032
AD: Kevin Corum
Last Measured Approach: 104"
Block Reach: 100"
Standing Reach: 85"
Wing Span: 65"






COACHES COMMENTS:
Camilo Gaitan VPA Director - I’ve been working with Monique Rivers for the past 18 months and it has been a pleasure coaching her. Monique is a hard working dedicated young lady. She always comes in ready to learn and to practice hard. Monique has picked up the game of volleyball very quick and will continue to improve every day.

Charlyn Ball-LLovera, VPA 15's Coach / Sunset Sr. High - Monique is a very talented young lady. She is definitely someone to keep an eye out for as she gets older. Monique is a coaches dream come true, she is what we call a coachable player. She always gives 100%, always eager to learn, always aggressive, she listens and applies what has been taught.

Awards & Recognition:
* 2008 USAV High Performance Florida Region - Selected Training Camp
* No. 2 on Top 10 Futures from the South Florida Volleyball Report
* 2008 Varsity School Team Co-Captain
* 2008 Mentioned in the Miami Herald (3-times)
* VPA 13 - Co-Captain
* 2007 JV School Team Captain
* 2006 Elementary School Team Captain

GPA: 3.5 Member of Junior Honor Society
Major to be Studied: Undecided
She has not yet registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse but will do so in 9th grade.

ATTN: COACHES - WRITE US FOR MONIQUE RIVERS CONTACT INFO, TRANSCRIPTS AND REFERENCES.
CONTACT US AT: volleyballreport@gmail.com

Monique - "Keep Working Hard and Having Fun".

Player Profile: Alexandra Beverly

We are very excited to help promote this talented volleyball player. Alexandra is everything you would want in a volleyball player and more. As a player she is a high flying enforcer that has strong skill sets and is able to play all-around the court. As a team-mate she is both friendly and supportive.

She comes from a strong volleyball family where her father and mother Jerry and Joy Beverly (who is 6'1") played and now coaches volleyball in Dade County and USAV. In addition her two younger sisters are both talented players in their own right. We recently sat down with Alexandra at one of the local Ft. Lauderdale tournaments and asked her a few questions to get to know her a little better.

SFVR: When did you get started playing Volleyball?
BEVERLY: When I was 12yrs old.

SFVR: How does playing volleyball make you feel?
BEVERLY: Volleyball is the one time of the day when I can let my inner aggressor out and just play. I enjoy watching the long hours of hard work pay off as I see continued improvement on the court.

SFVR: This club season your playing for the South Florida Flyers. It's an AAU/USAV team that is made up ALL-Dade County players. Please describe this experience?
BEVERLY: It's an amazing experience. Our team is very talented and the level of competition is amazing - we have been involved in very intense and exciting games. This experience has been incredible for me and will help me become a better player for college.

SFVR: Why do you want to play Volleyball Collectedly?
BEVERLY: There's nothing like playing the sport I love and representing my school. At the college level, the play is faster and more intense. I yearn to compete and excelle at that level.

SFVR: What does the word coachable mean to you?
BEVERLY: The ability to listen to what a coach tells me and apply it in game situations.

SFVR: What part of your game are you currently working to improve?
BEVERLY: So far, I haven't seen the ceiling on my athletic potential. I am working on every aspect of my game. My number One goal is to become a greater force at the net both offensively with more kills and a higher percentage and defensively with blocks and forcing other teams to change their shots.


PLAYER PROFILE:
Alexandra Beverly Jr. 5'11" / 135Lbs
Position: Middle Hitter Class of 2010

Last Measured Approach Reach: 114"
Block Reach: 109"
Standing Reach: 91"
Stats as seen on MaxPreps: 12th in Florida in Hitting Percentage of 52.6% she also has an 86.9% on serves.
High School: Miami Ferguson High School
Current AAU/USAV Club: South Florida Flyer's


Coaches Comments:
Greg Shanower, Miami Ferguson High School: Alex has all the skills to be a top level college player. her Height, quickness and power make her one of Miami-dade County's best players.

Teams that Alexandra Beverly has played for:
Arvida Middle
Spike Volleyball Club
Ferguson High School
CLUB: South Florida Flyer's

Awards and Recognition:
* 2008 District Champs
* 2008 No.11 on the South Florida Fabulous 50
* 2008 All-Dade County
* 2007 Dade County - Honorable Mention

GPA 3.3 (International Baccalaureate)
Major to be studied: Pre-Med
In addition to Volleyball Alex enjoys jogging and swimming.
She has registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Favorite Food: Pomegranate
Favorite Band: Beatles
Favorite Vacation: Washington State

ATTN: COACHES - WRITE US FOR ALEXANDRA BEVERLY CONTACT INFORMATION, TRANSCRIPTS AND REFERENCES.

We feel very strongly that Alexandra will be an impact player for some lucky school. We wish her the very best and ask her to update the report as her career progresses.

Action Heats up at the Winter Classic

This last weekend we were treated with another volleyball tournament at the Broward Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. Once again we were treated with the amazing site of seeing volleyball players of all ages and categories, drama played out on 16 courts, where dreams were realized or crushed. There were winners and losers at each age group. Once again the overall winner is the continued growth of Volleyball in South Florida.

I cannot continue without first congratulating the organizers and volunteers for putting up such an organized event. They should be proud for the amazing turnout and overall outcome of the sport. Kudos are in order for each one of you.



There were 120 (teams) that participated in the Volleyball Classic. Some came as far as Gainesville and Orlando. If you calculate that each team had at least ten players, plus two support staff such as a coach and assistant coach, you can be safely calculate that we had over 1,500 players playing at one time or another.


So, can one say that everyone went home a winner? Of course. Those that left defeated will come back to compete another day. Those that went home with a trophy can celebrate the moment, one they may or may not repeat in the future. Such is volleyball . . . such is life.


It was an awesome two days that had both parents and players going home tired, with the noise of what seemed hundreds of incessant whistles and screaming still ringing in their ears. But I am sure they all left with the same feeling I had, satisfaction. Great tourney, great performance, great experiences.


It was great to see all of the families supporting their kids to become better players and better people. We came accross FIU's MB Sabrina Gonzalez supporting her younger sister Giselle on the VPA15's team pictured below.


Special Thanks again to Philip "Flip" Littke for his great pictures capturing the action that we all witnessed this past weekend at the Winter Classic.