UCF head volleyball coach Todd Dagenais was featured in this month's edition of AVCA Coaching Volleyball Magazine. Dagenais, who will soon kick of his sixth season at the head of the Knights volleyball program, discussed in detail the libero position and how it can affect a team's offense as much as its defense.

The evaluation of a successful libero does not simply come down to the number of digs but to a player's ability to take up space on the court and be, what Dagenais believes to be most important, a perfect passer. Dagenais, setting the bar quite high, has his liberos shoot for a perfect pass percentage greater than 65%.

The article discussed the varied measures of determining libero quality, from the 5-point system to the perfect pass percentage statistic, both of which aim to gauge a libero's success when passing to their primary receiver, the setter. However, UCF's lead man finds the intangible factors to be of valued importance. Whether a player is energetic or confident, being able to bring a positive attitude to the court carries much weight when coach Dagenais evaluates his players' performance.

For UCF, it is all about top quality. Dagenais takes into account not just a raw dig, such as a crowd-pleasing pancake, but the essential quality digs. These digs are unique for the fact that they give the setter a chance to truly create kills, an opportunity to terminate play.

From a libero's skill in serve-receive to a player's intangibles, including leadership and play-range on the court, Dagenais argues that a libero's impact in creating opportunity is what bears meaning when defining a truly great libero. The measures are in place to evaluate success, yet Dagenais finds the methodology to what coaches view as important tools when labeling a libero great to be flawed.

For the full article, click here:  http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/dd3383fd#/dd3383fd/10