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Holly McPeak's tips to be a good beach volleyball defender
By Administrator // September 13, 2002
 The top of women's beach volleyball in the United States has been the domain of Holly McPeak for many years. Not only did McPeak represent the U.S. at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics (both fifth-place finishes), but this summer she became the first women's pro beach volleyball player to earn over a million dollars in a career. In addition, McPeak now owns 64 tournament titles and is expected to pass Karolyn Kirby (67) for the most career wins next season.
The 33-year-old veteran is currently teamed up for the 2002 season with fellow UCLA grad Elaine Youngs, a 1996 indoor volleyball U.S. Olympian. The two dominated the 2002 Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour and have also scored several victories on the 2002 Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) tour. The Manhattan Beach, Calif. native may only stand 5-feet 7-inches tall, which is short by pro beach volleyball standards, but she can cover the court on the defensive end like no other player.
How to be a Good Defender
Tip #1 - Heart
Defense comes from the heart. It is something I take pride in. Defense wins games. You got to want the ball more than anyone else and be willing to do whatever it takes to get it. How much do you want to win? How much do you want to touch every ball?
Tip #2 - Cover the Court
The hardest part of defense is trying to cover the whole court. Believe you can touch any ball on the court. A player really needs to move their feet well and cover the court as efficiently as possible.
Tip #3 - Starting Position
Learn to start from the best position in order to touch every ball on the court, whether that is behind your blocker, without a blocker, or whatever situation, such as dropping from the net. Starting position is very important.
Tip #4 - Readiness
Always be on your toes. You can't have your weight on your heels. You can't have your weight too much on one leg or the other. You have to be ready to go any which way at all times.
Tip #5 - Practice Repetition
Continually practice having somebody hitting a hard ball at you down low, up high, to your right, to your left. You must practice every single one of those with lots of repetition. Practice your weak hand. You need to practice with your off hand. Balls that you are not great at digging, those are the ones you need to focus on during practice.
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