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.
1 comment:
Hello,
Great article and video , it is full of really good information.
It will be required reading at our club.
( I am sure most of the girls have already read it )
Do you happen to have the 5 essentials to the other positions ?
Great job , keep them coming and we will keep learning.
Thank you.
Post a Comment