Volleyball Coaches are familiar with the tension athletes experience in serve receive during high-pressure moments. It is visible in body language and expression—the hesitation that signals doubt: “Please don’t serve it to me. I can’t pass it.”

Now consider a serve receive drill in practice where every athlete rotates through serving and passing. That same hesitation is rarely present. The skill and task are identical, yet the response is different.

The difference lies in confidence versus anxiety. Anxiety occurs when an athlete’s thoughts shift from positive and realistic to negative and imagined. In those moments, athletes begin to doubt their ability to execute the skill in front of them.

Return to the anxious athlete in serve receive during a tight match: “I can’t pass it.” Confidence is so low the athlete believes the skill has disappeared, despite executing it successfully hundreds of times in practice. This mindset is not limited to serve receive. It appears when serving in close matches and during extended periods of poor performance, often referred to as a slump.

Confidence in these moments is achievable.

Confidence occurs when an athlete’s perceived skill level matches the perceived challenge. In serve receive, a confident athlete views the pass as a manageable task and trusts their ability to execute. They expect success.

Reaching this state requires a deliberate shift in mindset.

Use the following three strategies to build confidence in your athletes:

  1. Encourage positive self-talk. Anxiety is driven by internal dialogue. Athletes must learn to identify negative thoughts and replace them with realistic, performance-based statements. “I’m going to miss this serve” becomes “I know how to execute this serve.”
  2. Have athletes write down positive thoughts. Ask athletes to document the negative statements they commonly repeat during competition, then rewrite them as positive alternatives. “I can’t pass this serve” becomes “I will pass this serve.” Repetition builds habit, and over time, the mind begins to replace negative thoughts automatically.
  3. Provide specific, positive feedback. Reinforce confidence by identifying exactly what an athlete is doing well. Replace general or negative phrasing with clear, actionable feedback. “Nice hitting” becomes “That was a strong, controlled swing.” “Don’t drop your elbow” becomes “Keep your elbow high through contact.” Precise, positive feedback strengthens trust and consistency.

Confidence is not built in the absence of pressure. It is built through consistent training, intentional mindset work, and reinforcement from Coaches and teammates. When athletes learn to manage their thoughts, trust their training, and respond with purpose, they perform with greater consistency in the moments that matter most. Developing this mental approach not only improves performance, but also prepares athletes to handle challenges on and off the court with resilience and control.

View related reading on mental toughness and mental training. View additional reading for volleyball Coaches.

About the Author

Mary Gonring (Bizzie) has been around the game of volleyball for over 20 years. She played 8 years of club volleyball for Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club, 4 years of high school volleyball for Dominican High School, and 4 years of college volleyball for NCAA DII Assumption College. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Sports Psychology, from Boston University.  Currently, Bizzie is the assistant coach for Milwaukee Sting 12 Gold and works full time as a school therapist. She also works as a mental performance consultant for athletes striving to improve their total athletic outcomes. In her spare time, Bizzie loves to watch sports, eat pizza, and hang out with friends in Milwaukee. To contact Bizzie about your team email her at mgonring@bu.edu