Practices

Practice Structure & Position-Specific Training

NextPoint practices are organised to maximise repetitions, decision-making, and individual feedback. Sessions are grouped strategically to mirror real-game interactions while allowing athletes to focus on the skills most relevant to their development.

Pin Hitters (Outside & Right Side)

Pin hitter sessions group outside hitters and right-side hitters together to reflect the shared attacking and defensive demands of the position. Training focuses on attacking efficiency from different zones, reading and tooling the block, and decision-making in transition. Athletes also work extensively on serve-receive (where applicable), defensive responsibilities, and blocking technique against primary attackers.

Middles & Setters

Middle blockers and setters train together to develop timing, connection, and tactical understanding. Sessions emphasise quick-attack mechanics, footwork, and transition speed for middles, alongside setting consistency, tempo variation, and decision-making for setters. Training also focuses on communication, reading opposing blockers, and running efficient offensive systems under pressure.

Defensive Sessions (All Positions)

Defensive sessions involve athletes from all positions and are designed to improve both team and individual defensive effectiveness. Some sessions focus on blocking-based defence, emphasising footwork, hand positioning, timing, and coordination at the net. Other sessions are floor-defence focused, concentrating on reading hitters, digging technique, positioning, and transition movement. These sessions help athletes understand how individual defensive actions contribute to overall team defensive structure.

Offensive Sessions (All Positions)

Offensive sessions include athletes from all positions, including liberos and defensive specialists. These sessions focus on attacking mechanics, offensive decision-making, and game-speed execution. Liberos and defensive specialists benefit from the opportunity to train on the opposite side of the offence, allowing them to face a high volume of attacks and gain extensive defensive repetitions in realistic, high-intensity situations.

Serve & Receive Sessions

Dedicated serve and receive sessions focus exclusively on the most influential skills in the game. Training emphasises serving technique, tactical serving decisions, and consistency under pressure, alongside serve-receive footwork, platform control, and communication. These sessions are designed to improve first-contact quality and help athletes understand how serve and receive performance directly impacts offensive and defensive systems.

Game Application Sessions

All practices include game-application segments where position-specific skills are integrated into competitive, game-speed scenarios. These sessions emphasise decision-making, communication, and execution under pressure, ensuring that technical improvements transfer directly to match play.