On November 11th, Volleyball Canada launched their 2022 Women's NEP and U18 Tryout on GMTM. Canadian volleyball athletes - age 15 to 17 in September 2022 - from every corner of every province are able to record their virtual tryout from home, submit it on GMTM, and be evaluated by national team coaches.
From those video submissions, sixteen female athletes will then be selected to attend the National Excellence Program in September 2022 or play for Team Canada U18 next summer.
The Volleyball Canada National Excellence Program is a 4 month, full-time daily training environment located at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond, BC. Athletes selected to attend will have demonstrated attributes consistent with high performance and the potential to compete for Team Canada Senior Women’s team in the future.
Within the Volleyball Canada Women’s Identification, athletes will be asked to record and submit various activities. Each one provides coaches with a different metric that will help them identify the players with the most potential.
Below are some of the activities in the Volleyball Canada 2022 NEP Tryout and how to complete them:
Height // Taille
- Stand tall and flat against the wall without shoes, holding your hands at your sides.
- Mark the point where the top of your head sits against the wall.
- Measure the distance between that point and the floor.
What this activity shows:
This Height Assessment for volleyball athletes shows coaches how tall a player is. In volleyball, height is an essential metric that usually dictates an athletes' position.
Taller players - usually over 6' tall - are usually put in the front row at the international level, while shorter players - usually under 6' tall - are liberos and setters, not responsible for blocking and spiking.
1-Hand Reach // Portée à une main
- With shoes on, stand with one hip against the wall and reach as high as possible with the corresponding hand.
- Mark the point where the tip of your middle fingers reaches.
- Measure between that point and the floor.
What this activity shows:
The 1-Hand Reach Assessment for volleyball athletes demonstrates a player's reach in comparison to the net. The higher the reach, the more area a player will be able to cover above the net.
A higher 1-Hand Reach is a huge advantage when attacking. With more area to work with above the net, an outside hitter can get more downward velocity on their attacks and create more angles across the opponent's court.
A closely-related metric is the Spike Touch, which you can also see on this list.
Block Touch // Hauteur au contre
- Athlete is positioned with their feet shoulder-width apart beneath the Vertec.
- A vertical jump from a standing position is performed while the athlete touches the highest possible point of the Vertec with both hands.
- Record the highest point reached convert to centimeters (by multiplying total inches by 2.54).
Jumps should be performed repeatedly until 3 consecutive attempts are missed. Allow 15-20 second rest between jumps.
What this activity shows:
The Block Touch Assessment for volleyball athletes allows coaches to see how high a player can reach with both hands when jumping from a standing position. This metric pairs an athlete's 2-Hand Touch with their Standing Vertical Jump, showing how effective a player will be while blocking at the net in a game situation.
Similar to the 2-Hand Touch metric, the higher a player's Block Touch, the more area they can defend at the net. Stopping the opponent's kill at the net can save the back row defenders from digging and passing, which are usually more difficult touches.
Spike Touch // Hauteur à l’attaque
- Athlete is positioned at the desired approach distance from the Vertec.
- A full spike approach is performed with the athlete touching the highest possible point with one hand as they pass beneath the Vertec in their jump.
- Record the highest point reached and convert to centimeters (by multiplying total inches by 2.54).
Jumps should be performed repeatedly until 3 consecutive attempts are missed. Allow 15-20 second rest between jumps.
What this activity shows:
The Spike Touch Assessment for volleyball players shows coaches how high a player can reach with one hand when jumping after a moving approach. This metric pairs an athlete's 1-Hand Touch with their Running Vertical Jump, showing the maximum height they could reach on a kill.
A higher Spike Touch is very valuable for outside hitters, middle hitters, and right-side hitters. With more between their highest reach and the net, they can add more velocity and angles to their arsenal kills.
