Incoming high school volleyball players who transition into playing women's college volleyball often experience the culture shock that happens when a tourist visits a foreign country. Here are five physical adjustments incoming college volleyball players should know to prepare for their first year as a women's college volleyball student athlete.
A Need for Speed
Incoming high school volleyball players must learn to adjust to the increased speed of the game in women's college volleyball.
Among top women's volleyball coaches interviewed by Volleyball magazine the number one adjustment incoming freshmen must make is to learn to readjust to the increased speed and tempo of the women's college volleyball game.
College players routinely practice how to accurately deliver a lower faster serve received pass, how to set a lower faster paced set, how to transition off the net faster, how to hit a lower, faster ball, how to defend a faster quicker set in college to compete in women's college volleyball.
Top college coaches highly recommend that freshmen learn to increase their speed to become faster athletes on the volleyball court. In women's college volleyball you're no longer playing with high school or club team friends you grew up with. Now you're playing with better players recruited from all over (and often outside) the U.S. To compete with and against taller, faster players, incoming freshmen MUST increase their physical strength.
Might as Well Jump
High school volleyball players must learn how to become physically stronger athletes in order to increase their vertical jump they have to develop, strengthen and build their leg and butt muscles.
To build and increase stamina, to give 100 percent effort in a 90-minute match college volleyball players must strengthen and build muscle. To concentrate and maintain the same focus in the 35th minute of a volleyball match that you had in the 10th minute- you can't be tired so you have to build muscle to keep up your strength. And in order to run and dive after a ball in the 5th match with the same energy and accuracy you used in the first match once again it takes muscle and strength.
Practice, Practice, Practice
High school volleyball players must learn to adjust to the higher intensity and frequency of women's college volleyball practices.
As one member of a large incoming class of freshmen and sophomores recruited from all over the U.S. to play volleyball at the University of Tennessee Knoxville it was quite a shock for all of us to have three practices a day during our two week preseason practices.