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Dunning Wash Drill

John Dunning • The Art of Coaching Volleyball

5x NCAA National Champion Head Coach (Stanford & Pacific)

Session Overview

Stanford head coach John Dunning demonstrates his signature 6v6 wash drill, adding a competitive pressure twist at the end of every wash sequence to simulate real match urgency and sideout execution.

Core Biomechanical & Tactical Principles

Require teams to win both the initial serve rally and a coach-entered bonus ball to earn a 'wash' and score a big point.
Add a decisive end-of-sequence twist so players cannot relax after winning the first rally of the wash.
Keep ball entry rapid so defenders and blockers must reset their base positions without pause.

Verbal Coaching Cues for Practice:

"Reset to base before the bonus ball""Earn the wash—finish the second rally""Talk early on every transition"

Why Recommended for Coaches:

Shows how a simple scoring rule modification turns a standard wash drill into a high-stakes competitive battle.

Up NextVolleyball tips: Passing techniques with John Speraw

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Key Coaching Cues

"Reset to base before the bonus ball"

"Earn the wash—finish the second rally"

"Talk early on every transition"

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