The Volleyball By Design Podcast

This past week I had the privilege spending a week training with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team and came away with a ton of lessons that coaches at any level can apply to their own gym.In this episode, I share:How the head coach planned each practice around player availability, injuries, load management, and practice goalsHow they designed drills to maximize volume, efficiency, and...

In this episode, you will hear from mental skills coach Paige Tonz as she shares two practical mental-performance tools from her presentation at DVA LIVE 2026.First, Paige breaks down the pre-serve routine—a simple way to add a mental component to an athlete’s existing physical routine so they can manage pressure, reduce overthinking, and step into each serve with greater confidence.Then, she...

In this episode, I share a part of a live training that Dan did with our coaches about drill design. You can see what his thought process is and how efficient his drill designs are based on fundamental principles. He dives into:RTGHow to incorporate training the mechanics Phases of the game and how to train them The importance of inputing the ball And a few more key concepts Click here to...

In this episode, I share some of my favourite volleyball games I've picked up while coaching with Nike Volleyball. These games keep players engaged, create healthy competition, and still reinforce important volleyball skills but more importantly, they're fun. If you're looking for fresh ideas to bring energy into your gym, this episode is packed with games you can start using at your very next...

What if your offense could consistently create 1 on 0's without relying on predetermined play calls?In this episode, I break down the Motion Offense, an advanced offensive system that has been used successfully for over 15 years at the collegiate level. Rather than relying on called plays, this system teaches players to read, react, and create offensive advantages based on pass location, spacing,...

I recently joined another volleyball podcast called the Win By Two podcast for one of my favorite coaching conversations I've had in a long time. We dive into building championship culture, developing players, creating standards of excellence, why mentorship matters, and the biggest mistakes youth coaches make. If you're serious about becoming a better coach, this episode is for you. We dive...

On this episode, we have former Ukrainian National Team libero Pylyp Harmash joins the podcast to break down what separates great passers and defenders from everyone else.In this conversation, we dive into the modern techniques being taught at the highest levels of volleyball, why passing should be coached differently than serving, and how movement—not platform—is often the missing piece for most...

In this episode, US Men's National Team libero Erik Shoji did a presentation for our coaches where he shares the 8 key characteristics of successful volleyball programs from a player's perspective. We dive into: Practice Match Prep Communication Standards Relationships Competition Passing Fundamentals Reading Culture And a few more key concepts Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy -...

In this episode, I share my experience attending a professional team practice and the coaching lessons that stood out most.From maximizing athlete reps and minimizing downtime to creative drill design and skill development, you'll get an inside look at how elite teams structure training for efficiency and impact.Whether you're coaching youth, club, high school, or college volleyball, you'll come...

In this episode, I sit down with former Canadian National Team setter and Olympian Brett Walsh (@Brettjwalsh) to break down the key skills that separate good setters from great ones.We dive into setter footwork, hand positioning, jump setting, and the importance of transferring energy efficiently through the body. Brett also shares his thoughts on developing decision-making, reading the game,...