Volleybrains

New Masterclass just dropped. 🏐

John Hawks, head coach of UCLA men's volleyball, sat down with us for coaching a Masterclass.

Behind Al Scates and John Speraw, John only became the third head coach in UCLA program history in October 2024. AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022. Head coach of the USA U21 Men's National Team. The résumé speaks for itself.

In this conversation, coach Hawks goes deep on:

✅ How he structures a full match week
✅ His technical beliefs on setting, passing, middles & opposites
✅ Where he lets his captains lead — and what he keeps for himself
✅ What real player resilience looks like
✅ Why "just be you" might be the most powerful message an athlete can hear

If you coach, play, or just love this game, this is the one. Link below. 👇

113. John Hawks: Your behaviors have to match your goals. John Hawks is the head coach of UCLA men's volleyball, the most decorated program in the history of American collegiate volleyball. Home to 21 NCAA Championships.

In 1990, Julio Velasco coached Italy Men's National Team to the World Championship. In 2024, he led Italy Women's National Team to Olympic gold in Paris.

In this VolleyBrains Masterclass, he talks about the mistakes he made, the lessons he carried, and the coaching philosophy behind a career that spans decades at the very top of the sport.

Including this: the more experienced you become, the more you need to watch how you explain things. Expertise can make you impatient. Clarity is a skill.
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54. Julio Velasco: Be a happy and energetic coach. In this 2nd Julio Velasco Masterclass article, we focus on the mistakes he feels he made and the lessons he learned from them. But we also go deeper into Julio's favorite resources which helped him become a master coach.

Russ Rose spent 47 years as head coach at Penn State. Seven national championships. A 109-match winning streak that's never been matched in collegiate volleyball.

In this VolleyBrains interview, he breaks down how he thought about preparation, video analysis, stats, and what it actually takes to build a team that wins when it matters most.

His philosophy hasn't changed: everything matters, and every day matters.
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86. Russ Rose: Everything Matters In an era where volleyball continues to evolve rapidly, few voices carry the weight of experience and wisdom quite like Coach Russ Rose.

Dan Friend is the 2015 AVCA Coach of the Year, Lewis University's head coach, and has coached USA Volleyball at the VNL and Youth National Team level.

In this VolleyBrains practice video, he breaks down a full 6-on-6 session with nearly 30 athletes on the floor — how he keeps everyone engaged, how he evaluates redshirts, how he thinks about transition, and what changes between preseason and in-season.

44 minutes of timestamped footage. Drill by drill.
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68. Practice videos: Dan Friend - Lewis University What is actually happening in the training gyms around the world? Today we have Lewis University's head coach Dan Friend going over his practice.

Jennifer Petrie has been at the University of San Diego since 1997. In 2022, her team set a national record with 28 consecutive wins, reached their first-ever Final Four, and she was named AVCA National Coach of the Year.
In this VolleyBrains Masterclass, she breaks down exactly how she built that — the culture work, conflict resolution, why she gives her players 6 weeks completely off, and why hiring someone who knows more than you is the smartest thing a head coach can do.
21 video clips. Worth every minute.
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55. Jennifer Petrie: Be kind to yourself. In this Masterclass we feature Jennifer Petrie, the head coach of the University of San Diego women's volleyball team. In 2022 coach Petrie was recognized as the AVCA National Coach of the Year, and San Diego set a national record with 28 consecutive wins.

The best coaches don't just develop players — they develop themselves.
Jennifer Petrie (University of San Diego) has built something special, and this mindset is a big part of why.

Full interview on VolleyBrains.com

Three Olympics. World Champion. Champions League winner.

Marco Meoni breaks down what actually separates good setters from great ones. Featuring footage of Giannelli, Sbertoli, and Christenson — analyzed in real time.

On volleybrains.com/marco-meoni

volleyballtraining

Most coaches teach the what. Marco Meoni — World Champion, 3x Olympian, Best Setter at the Champions League — teaches the why.

Featuring footage of Giannelli, Sbertoli, and Christenson broken down in real time, plus Marco on the court with his own setters.

112. Marco Meoni - Setting Masterclass Three Olympics. World Champion. Best Setter at the Champions League. Marco Meoni breaks down what actually separates good setters from great ones.

“You don’t know what you don’t know.”

That mindset drives Jamie Morrison, head coach of Texas A&M and former Olympic medal-winning assistant coach. 🏐

In this conversation, he shares:
• Why continuous learning is essential for coaches
• The balance between the art and science of coaching
• Why teams need authentic individuals, not just systems

If you’re serious about developing as a coach, this one is worth your time.

👉 Read the article, and watch the conversation:

106. Jamie Morisson: You don't know what you don't know. Jamie Morrison is the head coach of the Texas A&M women's volleyball team. Under his leadership, the Aggies have made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2016 and reached the Sweet 16.

Massimo Barbolini has spent a lifetime at the highest level of volleyball.

What makes him interesting is not just his success, but the way he sees the game: humble, still learning, and deeply aware of what his players and teams need to break through and win.

A full hour of edited interview with coach Barbolini only on VolleyBrains.🔥🏐

111. Massimo Barbolini: What you won yesterday doesn't count today. Massimo Barbolini is a women’s volleyball icon: a decades-long winner with top Serie A clubs and national teams. He recently worked in the U.S. with LOVB, and was part of Julio Velasco’s Olympic gold medal winning staff.

Inside the gym with Coach Milan Zarkovic! 🫡🏐

Check out how Coach Zarkovic breaks down fast-paced, practical drills that build court awareness, skill mastery, communication, and teamwork. 

From simple progressions to advanced patterns, this practice session is packed with real coaching insight.

👉 Watch and learn from one of the best:
https://volleybrains.com/practice-milan-zarkovic/

89. Practice videos: Milan Zarkovic - Hawaii What is happening in the training gyms around the world? Today we have Milan Zarkovic covering his volleyball fundamentals.

“Maxing out” isn’t hype. It’s habits, clarity, and consistency built into the way you coach and the way athletes train.

Coach Kelly Sheffield puts it plainly: raise the standard daily so athletes can begin to achieve their dreams.

Full article: https://volleybrains.com/kelly-sheffield/