The Volleyball By Design Podcast
Episodes
The System Behind 4 Straight National Championships With 5x National Champion Coach Austin Dyer
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with 5-time national team coach Austin Dyer, who has led his program to 4 straight national championships. We break down t...
The Mental Game: Building Confident, Resilient Volleyball Players With Paige Tonz
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we go back into the vault with Mindset Coach Paige Tonz, who works specifically with female athletes helping them improve their minds...
Volleyball Is Changing: New 2026 Rules & the Next Evolution of Out-of-System Play
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into two important trends shaping the game right now. First, I break down the new rules being introduced by FIVB in 2026 and w...
The Reverse Sweep Framework: The 3-Set Comeback System
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Down 0–2 in a best-of-five match is where most teams panic — and where great coaches separate themselves. In this episode, I break down the exact ...
Best Of The Podcast: Championship Blocking & Offensive Systems with 6x National Championship Coach Jessy Satti
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we head back into the vault and listen to an episode I did with 6x national champion coach Jessy Satti where he not only shares some ...
The Playoff Preparation Checklist for Coaches: How Coaches Prepare to Win
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into strategies you can use in your gym leading up to the playoffs. This is an important time to make sure you're doing the ri...
The Standard Is the System: Building Excellence That Wins (You Can't Learn This Anywhere Else)
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a topic that is hard to articulate, you can't learn it anywhere on the web but it's extremely important and every high level coach has this in...
The Mechanics of Great Setting: A Masterclass with Brock Daviduk
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we go back into the fault with an interview I did with the Head Coach of the University of Alberta, Brock Davidiuk, as he is an expe...
Beyond Skills & Systems: The Intangibles That Win Matches
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode dives into the intangibles of volleyball — the non-skill, non-system factors that directly impact game play, lineup decisions, and winn...
Must-Have Technology for Modern Volleyball Coaches That Is Affordable
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I break down the exact technology I use in my volleyball program — including apps, software, and equipment that help with practice ...
The Preseason & Postseason Conversations That Change Teams
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Great seasons don’t just happen on the court — they’re shaped by the conversations you have with your players. In this episode, I share how I ap...
A Masterclass In Libero Play With Erik Shoji
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we go back into the vault where Erik Shoji shares some tangible advice that coaches can take and apply in their gym right away wi...
How The Best Volleyball Coaches Build Culture
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I went back to past interviews with great coaches and compiled all their advice on building team culture and put it into this episode...
How To Build A Custom Blocking System That Shuts Down Any Offense
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This custom blocking system taught in the episode has helped many high level teams create chaos on the fly and shut down some of the strongest offense...
Say Less, Coach More: Mastering In Game Hand Signals & Verbal Cues
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into hand signals from not only the setter but the coach and other players as well. Then we transition to verbal cues and how...
The Exact Blueprint That Took Us To Multiple Championships and Top 4 In The Province In 3 Years
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I walk you through the exact blueprint that took a local high school with zero competitive volleyball experience to 2 regional champio...
What Elite Coaches Do Differently: National Team Player Daenan Gyimah on the Game's New Evolution
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm privileged to bring back National Team Middle Daenan Gyimah where we're talking about the evolution of the game and why his coach...
Into The Vault: The Art Of Setting With Pro Setter Micah Ma'a
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I take us back into the vault to an interview I had with pro setter Micah Ma'a where we discuss the tactical and technical aspect of ...
Transition Systems 101: Coaching The In-Between Game
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I share 10 strategies on transition that can help your team capitalize when in transition. We dive into: 7 different types of transit...
How To Stop The Run: Coaching Strategies to Shift Momentum And Prepare For These Moments
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into a common problem coaches face with their teams and that is, what to do when the other team goes on a run. In this episode...
The Smartest Investments You Can Make To Grow As A Coach
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sat back and thought about how the greatest coaches in the world got to where they are. Did they do anything similar? Where did the...
5 Proven Ways To Increase Your Players Volleyball IQ
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into a popular discussion regarding volleyball IQ. How can we, as coaches, improve our players volleyball IQ. In this episode...
Inside My Experience Launching a Pro-Am Volleyball League
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a little different. Yes, you'll still get some value out of it as a coach for a variety of reasons but I walk you through my entire pr...
Mastering Serve Receive: The Key To Better Sideout Percentage
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into the tactical aspect of serve receive and not necessarily the technical. Understanding how to tactically approach serve re...
Culture & Playing Time: Are You Sending The Right Message?
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into the conversation regarding playing time and how it affects the culture of your team. We talk about: Dealing with playe...
Top Individual & Team Drills That Work On All 6 Major Skills
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into some drill concepts as well as team and individual drills. These drills are vetted and proven and used by the best coache...
Coaches Checklist For The Beginning Of The Season
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share a list of items that will help coaches be more prepared and ready for the beginning of the season. We dive into: Equipment...
Serve Receive, Defense & Path to Libero Of The Year With U21 National Team Libero Quintin Greenidge
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are privileged to have on 2025 Libero of the tournament at the NORCECA Championships Quintin Greenidge where he not only dives int...
Evolution Of The Game, High Performance Practices & Stats With Canadian Men's National Team Head Coach Dan Lewis
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At DVA LIVE 2025, there were amazing guest speakers that provided real insights that helped coaches with their teams. One of them was head coach Dan L...
Creating A Championship Program With 6X National Champion Jessy Satti
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we have the privilege of having 6X National Champion Jessy Satti on and he talks about how his club is the largest club in Canada and...
Strategies For In-Game Adjustments & Reading The Opponent
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I share several strategies that you can use in games to adjust and give your team an advantage. We discuss: Match Prep Matchups ...
How To Use AI To Optimize Your Planning, Practices, Games & Player Development
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's no secret that Ai is taking the world by storm but did you know we can use it to help us with volleyball? AI can not only save you time as a c...
How To Efficiently Train With 1 Court And Many Players
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I get asked all the time from coaches, how do I efficiently train my players with just one court. There are so many skills to work on but it's hard to...
An Off Season Practice Template For Coaches
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share a good general plan for an off season practice. Remember the goal of off season is to get multiple touches and how you do tha...
The Key To Your Off-Season: 10 Strategies For Coaches
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The off-season can play a significant role in how successful your team is next season. What are the keys to your off season? There is a lot of wasted ...
Player Development, Attacking & Culture With Volleyball Coach & Ambassador Donny Hui
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we our privileged to have on one of the most known volleyball coaches in North America, Coach Donny Hui. In this episode we dive into...
How To Increase Speed with National Team Player Daenan Gyimah
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The game is speeding up and it's important for coaches to be teaching athletes the proper mechanics to execute the skills with speed in mind, so as th...
Building A Championship Program With Former USA Men's Volleyball Head Coach John Speraw
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we have the privilege of hearing from John Speraw who is now the CEO and president of USA Volleyball. This episode is taken from a pre...
Building A Culture Of Excellence In High Performance Sport
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An article was shared with me by national team player Daenan Gyimah that was created by the national team sports psych coach. I think it's a very impo...
Roadmap To A National Championship With 7 Time National Championship Coach Ken Bentley
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are privileged to welcome the 2024-2025 USPORTS Womens volleyball national championship coach Ken Bentley who secured his 7th natio...
Let's Build Your Offense From The Ground Up
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I walk you through a step by step approach to building your offense from the ground up. We start at the very beginning on advance thro...
Every Volleyball Equipment You Need, In Priority Order, Given A Budget
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I was asked, if I had a limited budget what volleyball aids and equipment would I get in order of importance. This question led me to record this epis...
What Pros Are Doing That We Can Apply To Our Athletes
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share about a ProAm League I started this year consisting of Pro & University players. What's interesting are the things we can...
Increase Your Players Vertical Jump Today With Strength & Conditioning Coach Reid Hall
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we go back in the fault to an episode where Reid Hall dives into 4 key areas of strength and jump training. We talk about Strength T...
Velocity Based Training & Strength Training For Volleyball Players With Head Strength Coach Cole Hergott of Trinity Western University
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are privileged to welcome Cole Hergott to the podcast who is the strength & conditioning coach for all varsity teams and player...
The Technical Differences Between Digging, Reception & Scoop Defense
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this short episode, I go through some technical differences between the 3 as well as the pros and cons for different techniques. We dive into: Whi...
A Complete Breakdown Of Winning The First National Championship In Program History With Head Coach Grant Wilson
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are privileged to have on National Championship Coach Grant Wilson who is the head coach of the men's volleyball program at Brando...
Strategies & Fallacies On Coaching The Next Generation In Volleyball
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A little bit of a different episode, but on today's show we dive into strategies that will help equip you with the tools you need to coach this curren...
Strategies on Improving Your Players Individual Defense Part 2
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I did an episode back in December of 2024 where I shared 10 strategies on improving your teams individual defense. In this episode, I dive deeper and ...
15 Strategies To Maintain Consistent Energy And Motivation From Your Players Throughout The Season
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With a long volleyball season, coaches are sometimes faced with a challenge of keeping the energy high at practices as well as maintaining motivation ...
How To Fix The Most Common Errors With Inexperienced Or Young Players
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When training inexperienced athletes, they always tend to make the same mistakes and sometimes that can be frustrating as a coach if you don't know ho...
Teaching Your Players To Attack Efficiently By Understanding Biomechanics with Former Pro & National Team Player Issac Kneubuhl
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we go back into vault with a great interview diving into the mechanics of attacking with Issac. We dive into: How to generate the mos...
Volleyball Is A Game Of Chess Not Checkers
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about tactical strategies you can use to approach the game. We dive into: Match Prep Defensive Systems Offensive Syste...
Tactical Strategies To Improve Your Block Defense
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we pose a lot of questions that coaches need to consider when setting up their block defense. You cannot play the same defense on eve...
Strategies To Help Your Players Mental Skills & Mindset with Mental Skills Coach Tharsheka Natkunam
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the episode, we go back into the vault and pull one of the top 10 most listened to episodes on the podcast. You'll hear an interview I did with men...
Teaching Your Players How to Move Efficiently In Order To Pass More Balls
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about passing and ball control, most of the times the conversation revolves around platform and angle but movement is also vital to passi...
How To Build A Strong Connection With Your Players To Unlock Another Level To Their Game
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Connection is really important for a coach to have with their players. And when you can successfully build a strong connection with your players, it w...
Mental Skills Training & How To Teach Your Athletes To Train Like A Pro With National Team Player Daenan Gyimah
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are privileged once again to have Daenan Gyimah on the podcast where he dives into everything mental skills training and being a p...
Strategies When Starting A New Club To Ensure Growth
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about some strategies you can use when starting a new volleyball club so that it can grow and become a place where many athlet...
Strategies On How You Should Approach A Match Or Tournament
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we go into the vault and pull the 2nd most listened to episode on the podcast over the last 5 years. We dive into strategies to help ...
Key Coaching Takeaways To Apply In Your Gym From the 2024 AVCA Coaches Convention
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into my key takeaways from the 2024 AVCA Convention that I believe will benefit all coaches to move the needle in your gym. I ...
Key Elements In Her Gym To Winning Multiple Championships With Professional Coach Desiree Tan
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm privileged to welcome professional coach out in Sweden, Desiree Tan to the podcast where she talks about the keys to all her succ...
Pin Attackers, Middle Blockers & Effective Training Practices with National Team & Professional Coach Bruno Chateau
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we have the privilege of having national team and professional coach Bruno Chateau on where we dive into what goes into a successful ...
10 Strategies To Improve Your Players Individual Defense Today
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share my top 10 strategies to improve your players individual defense. We dive into: Mindset & Identity Tools to equip your ...
Improve Your Teams Serve Receive By Fixing These 10 Common Mistakes
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share 10 common serve receive errors that if you fix, will help your team be a much better passing team. We dive into: Physics a...
5 Common Defensive Mistakes You Need To Address As A Coach
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last several weeks, I've been guest coaching in many teams gyms. I've noticed a pattern with defensive mistakes I wanted to share on the podc...
Step By Step Guide To Winning My Program's 1st ever Championship in just 8 weeks
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm so proud to say I made history in the high school team I coached this season. For the first time in program history, we won the east region champi...
How A Top Volleyball Program Operates With Associate Head Coach Of The University of Louisville Dan Meske
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are privileged to have on associate head coach at the university of Louisville Dan Meske who dives into what makes their program special and things...
How To Plan & Execute An Efficient And Effective Practice
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We want to ensure our players are developing at each practice and that our practices are designed for player and team development. In this episode we ...
How To Become Unstoppable On Offense With Out Of System Play
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The conversation about OOS play is becoming more and more common because coaches are realizing how important it is in order to win games. In this epis...
Strategies When Your Players Lose All Momentum
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into strategies as well as painting the picture for when your team loses momentum in a match. As a coach, it can be really fru...
Strategies On Coaching Players Who Might Doubt You
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During my workshop, I got the question, "How can I coach players who might doubt my feedback (maybe because I wasn't a highest level athlete myself at...
Step By Step Guide On How To Efficiently Train Inexperienced Players In Order To Compete With Experienced Players
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the hardest things for coaches is to take an inexperienced player and have them compete with experienced players. The gap is so large sometimes...
Important Technical Strategies and Distinctions Between Passing Float vs Spin
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There is a difference between passing a float vs a spin. Athletes need to understand the principles and how to apply them in various situations. In th...
How To Create An Effective Offensive System
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of ways to run an offensive system. But there are certain elements of an offensive system that must happen. In this episode we dive in...
2 Tactical Tools To Add To Your Middle Blockers
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into 2 tactical items that we're seeing used at the pro and international level that you may want to teach or introduce to you...
A Simple Guide To Organizing How And When You'll Cover Every Volleyball Skill During Your Season
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share a very simple approach to organizing when you'll be able to cover all the skills in our game during the course of your season...
The Hard Truth I learnt This Summer About Competitive Volleyball
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share some hard truths that I know many of us know but sometimes it's nice to get reacquainted with them before the season starts. ...
Systems, Skills, Drills & A Roadmap with National Team Leftside Jesse Elser
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is taken from my annual coaches clinic called DVA Live where Jesse Elser presented to our group of coaches and delivered such valuable in...
Video Analysis With Former Assistant Coach Of Top US University Programs Amy Angelos
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are privileged to have Amy Angelos on who has been an assistant on some top programs in the US including the university of Michiga...
9-Man Strategies That Can be Used in 6v6 with Hank Ma
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're going to talk about the hugely popular game called 9-Man that is generally played over the summer. And we are privileged to have...
Strategies To Create A Tactical Advantage In Free Ball Situations
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into different strategies you can use on both offense and defense when dealing with free balls. As the game evolves, countrie...
Guide To Fundraising To Create More Opportunities For Your Team
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fundraising is such an important part of your program and I know many coaches are hesitant because they either don't know how to fundraise or don't th...
Top 10 Team Drills To Do In Your Gym
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share my top 10 team drills I like to do in our gym. These drills are used by some of the best in the world and although some of th...
A Step By Step Guide To Coverage - Make Your Team Excel At This Skill
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I break down covering from the ground up and teach you how to train your team to be great at this skill. We dive into: 3 Important ...
Film Analysis: A Step By Step Guide To Analyzing Film Of Your Team
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into how and what you should be looking at when watching film of your team. This can be a long process and if you're not sure...
Characteristics Of A Great Coach From The Top Players In The World
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After being at VNL and in our national team gym, I've gotten a chance to connect with some of the top players in the world from many different countri...
Key Takeaways From The 2024 International Volleyball Coaching Symposium
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 International Coaching Symposium in Ottawa where I got a chance to listen to top coaches from around the worl...
Training, Culture & Match Prep with National and Pro Coach Mark Lebedew
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we have the privilege of having Coach Mark Lebedew on who is a wealth of knowledge in our game. With a ton of championships under his ...
Introducing the Athletes Matrix & Each Phase Of Training The 6 Volleyball Skills
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I teach about a tool that I've been using this year which is also used by pro and national team coaches. It's a more intentional and ...
Increase Player Development & Practice Efficiency With Video Delay
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about the power of video delay and how easy it is to implement in your training. Video delay has significantly helped improve...
Strategies On Improving Blocking, Defense & Passing Using The Split-Step
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we dive into not only the benefit of using the split step to improve blocking, defense & passing but we talk about the keys and st...
The Pancake Is The Key To 100% Defense
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I share my experience with the pancake, why it's so important to train it and how they're teaching it in the national team gym. In thi...
Intentional Training With US National Team & Head Coach Of Loyola University John Hawks
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we have the privilege of having US National Team and Head Coach of Loyola University John Hawks who dives into some great insight on ...
What It Takes To Win A National Championship With 2 Time National Champion Brock Davidiuk
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are privileged to have back on the podcast 2 time national champion Brock Davidiuk with his most recent national championship comi...
Principles Of Setting With US National Team And Pro Setter Micah Ma'a
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are privileged to have on the podcast, Micah Ma'a who walks us through the principles of setting and how to train the position. We dive into: 3 pri...
How To Effectively Run Off-Season (Summer) Training
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into how to effectively run off season training sessions. We talk about 2 situations where you know the team that's coming ba...
Ingredients To Back To Back National Championships with Texas Longhorns Associate Head Coach David Hunt
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm privileged to have Texas Longhorns associate head coach David Hunt on in which we dive into what went into their program that hel...
Structure, Intention & Discipline = Wins
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was inspired by a conversation I had with a coach who talked about a team running like a machine. In this episode, I dive into how struct...
A New Stats System That Tells The Story Of Your Volleyball Match With Aidan Kilpatrick
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm privileged to have a player from my team join us who created his own stats system to help tell a better story of the match to hel...