Rivals.com Student Sports Volleyball:
Kenzie Aries Volleyball Blog - Quicksets with Kenzie

I am excited. I have been asked by Students Sports Volleyball, a division of Rivals.com to produce a weekly volleyball column blog - Quicksets with Kenzie.

First, a little information about Rivals.com. Rivals.com has been serving serious sports fans since May 2001. Powered by more than 300 writers, reporters and publishers at the local level and by more than 85 employees at its Brentwood, Tenn., headquarters, Rivals.com is the most respected name in team-specific college sports coverage and the country's No. 1 authority on college football and basketball recruiting.

Rivals.com syndicates a variety of its content to major media outlets such as Yahoo!, AOL Sports, SI.com, MSNBC.com, USA Today and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Rivals.com reaches more than 2.5 million readers, a figure that is up 50 percent from the same time a year ago. As of January 2007, the company has more than 180,000 active subscribers – 80,000 more than in January 2005.

Rivals.com is frequently sourced in major daily newspapers across the country and appears regularly on ESPN, FoxSports, and other national and regional sports programming. Rivals.com is also the exclusive home of the Nike Football Training Camps and is the sole choice of the Football Writers Association of America and Basketball Writers Association of America as the two organizations' recruiting coverage provider.

Recent online volleyball blog postings:

Is there a lucky side of the court in volleyball?

Luck isn't something that I rely on when playing volleyball. Homer Simpson, my favorite cartoon character, once said "If it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all."

However, I learned from my high school coach, Dexter Harvey, that there is truly a "lucky" side to the court. I am practical; if there are two sides to a coin, the chance of getting either is going to be 50/50, no matter how many times you flip it. So, who cares what side of the court you get, right? Wrong.

Read more on volleyball strategy

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How to select a volleyball club

If you are going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater price. -- Bud Wilkinson

Club season is almost here--time to start looking for the best team for your skill level. Although club is time-consuming and expensive, it is well-worth the effort in the long-run. However, before selecting a club, consider the following advice.

If you are not sure which club you are going to play for, here are a few things you can do to ensure a successful and enjoyable club season.


In selecting a coach, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the following.

Read more on how to select a volleyball club.

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Should a volleyball player play up an age group in club volleyball?

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn
around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or
work around it. --Michael Jordan

Consider this: there is a very good high school junior who normally
would be on a 17's club team, but has been asked to be on an 18's
team. Should this volleyball player play up an age group for her
club volleyball season?
 

Read more on club volleyball.

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How to make a weighted setter's volleyball.

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity." --Louis Pasteur

Pasteur is correct. To some, tenacity is staying out on the field longer than anyone else and working out harder than the rest of your team. However, let's be realistic. No one has all the time in the world to work out a few extra hours a day and no one has an unlimited supply of energy. So what can one do?

Work-out more efficiently. But how?

Simple... fill an old volleyball with sand.

Read more on how to use a setter's volleyball.

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Leadership and running a volleyball team.

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." --Billie Jean King

If you sit near the court, you hear it. College coaches love it.

Teammates are inspired by it. So... what is it?

Talking, or "barking", on the court. On a recent college visit, though I've heard it plenty of times before, a player mentioned, "The loud teams always seem to win."

Loud teams tend to be more successful because they are always communicating with each other, letting each other know what is going on.

Read more about volleyball leadership.

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Kenzie Aries selects Pomona-Pitzer College to play college volleyball

Deciding on a college can be very difficult - it was for me.

Some high school players are so good that they can go to any college they desire. Others (most) are just thankful to get an inquiry from a volleyball school.

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Being a Leader: On court and off

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." --John Maxwell.

Some people think being a leader is easy. They think all it involves is telling people what to do and when to do it. The fact of the matter is that being a leader isn't a fun job, especially on the volleyball court.

Read more about volleyball leadership.

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Volleyball Team Building: There's no "I" in team, right?

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." --Michael Jordan

Teamwork comes from having a cohesive team, and in any team sport, getting along with those on your team is essential.
 

Read more about team building for volleyball

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College Volleyball Recruiting

"My advice to anyone is to let your life live you. You don't have to rule yourself with an iron hand, because if you let it, the divine plan of your life will direct you. Anything is possible if you can think it clearly and hold it passionately.

Anything unrealized is not important; what is important is the quality of each step that you take along the way. Everything you do is important, even if it doesn't seem so at the time. If you apply your full attention, everything will always be just as it should be." --Mary Jo Peppler

Read more about college volleyball recruiting

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List Of Why I Play Volleyball.

"You know you play volleyball when..." --Any volleyball player.

This is a compilation of various sources regarding when you know you play volleyball.

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The Setter as a "Sin Eater"

"The setter is the hardest working player on the court that receives
no glory." --Anonymous

Whether you're a setter or any other position on the court, this quote seems to hold true on many teams. Don't get me wrong--every single player on the court works hard and everyone has their jobs to do. In my opinion, the middle blocker position is the most physically demanding position on the court. But I will stand by the quote that the setter is the hardest working player on the court.

In fact, a local coach commented that the setter is like the "sin eater." What is a sin eater, you ask? The idea stems from ancient times, with the Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl. At the end of someone's life, they were allowed to confess their misdeeds to her, and according to legend, she would cleanse their soul by "eating its filth."

More Volleyball Tips, Secrets, Coaching Ideas and Articles:

 

 Setting
 Saves
 Serving
 Hustle
 Hitting
 Kenzie Junior Olympics
 Blocking
 Digging
 Dumps
 Pancakes
 Kenzie Interview
VOLLEYBALL COACHES ARE SAYING

"Kenzie is the hardest working player I have ever coached. "
Lara Ramey, former USC player and current club co-director

"Kenz is starting to develop the ability to make the players around her better by directing them. She started to take control of her team in a positive manner. She has talents that will help her at the next level."
Pat Powers, Olympic Gold Medalist & Former USC head coach

"Out of all the girls I have coached Kenzie is by far the best when you combine strength with coordination and speed."
Stu Waite, Beach Volleyball Coach

"Incredible work ethic, powerful, coachable, perfectionist, leader, dominating player, works hard at every aspect of the game."
Diane Pascua AVP player, member of Philippines Olympic team

"...she possesses all the fundamentals that are required to be a top notch sand player."
Petia Yanchulova, Olympic Beach Volleyball Player

"...very physically powerful player who is at the same time agile and quick."
Stu Waite, Beach Volleyball Coach

"Kenzie's talents and passion will easily take her to the next level of the game beyond high school."
Julie Kaiser, Former Club Director, high school volleyball coach.

"Kenzie gets to every ball."
Dexter Harvey, high school volleyball coach.

Read more comments from volleyball coaches

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