Aggressive Volleyball » (Original)

Pete Waite has led his Wisconsin Badgers to a record of 228-67 (.773). Qualifying for the NCAA championship tournament in each of Waite's nine seasons, Wisconsin was national runner-up in 2000; finished in the top eight in 2004 and 2005; advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2001 and 2006; and saw second-round action in 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2007. In the Big Ten, the Badgers won league titles in 2000 and 2001 and were runners-up in 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2007.

At 494-169 (.745) in 20 years overall, including 11 years at Northern Illinois, Waite ranks 13th among active Division I head coaches in winning percentage. He has been conference coach of the year seven times in four different conferences, winning 10 conference championships. Statistically, Waite's teams consistently rank high nationally in the major categories (hitting percentage, assists, kills, and blocks), indicating not only a skilled team but also an aggressive style of play.

Pete lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Aggressive Volleyball shows how to elevate your offense, defense, out-of-system, and transition play through a full-team effort of heightened competitiveness and aggression. It teaches the same techniques used by author Pete Waite in leading his Wisconsin Badger team to a record of 228-67 and nine NCAA tournament berths in nine seasons.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Key to Diagrams xiii

1 Understanding Aggressive Volleyball 1

2 Player and Team Assessment 12

3 Offensive Techniques and Strategies 36

4 Defensive Techniques and Strategies 67

5 Out-of-System and Transition Play 103

6 Cultivating Player Competitiveness 122

7 Communicating Effectively 146

8 Coaching Matches Aggressively 169

Index 193

About the Author 201