Volleyball Rebounder Drills: 10 Solo Workouts for Passing and Setting at Home

No partner? No gym time? No problem. A volleyball rebounder sends every ball straight back to you, so you can get hundreds of quality touches in your backyard, driveway, or garage. These 10 solo drills build passing and setting with one ball and a rebounder.

Each drill lists the rebounder angle, reps, and the one thing to focus on. Work through them in order the first time. After that, mix and match to build your own 20–30 minute session.

Before You Start: Setting the Angle

• More upright: the ball comes back faster and flatter. Use it for passing and digging.
• More tilted back: the ball comes back higher with more arc. Use it for setting and ball control.
• Distance: start 6–8 ft from the net. Step back as you get more consistent.

Passing Drills

1. Platform Warm-Up

Angle: Upright | Reps: 3 sets of 25 passes in a row

Forearm pass into the center of the net and keep the rally going. Keep your platform flat, your arms straight, and your legs doing the work, not your swing. If the ball drops, restart the count.

2. Target Passing

Angle: Upright | Reps: 3 sets of 20

Put a strip of tape or a ribbon on the net as a target. Count how many of your 20 passes hit the target zone. Track your score each session. Accuracy is what turns a good pass into a perfect pass to your setter.

3. Shuffle and Pass

Angle: Upright | Reps: 3 rounds of 45 seconds

After each pass, shuffle two steps left, then two steps right before the next one. Get your feet to the ball first, then pass. Never reach with your arms. This drill builds the footwork that makes passing in a game look easy.

4. Short and Deep

Angle: Upright | Reps: 3 sets of 16

Alternate a soft pass and a firm pass. The soft one comes back short, the firm one comes back deep. Move forward and back to stay behind the ball. You learn to read the ball and adjust your feet, just like on serve receive.

5. Dig Reaction

Angle: Upright | Reps: 4 sets of 10

Throw or hit the ball hard into the net from close range. Drop into a low defensive stance and dig the return up and in front of you. Stay low and keep your platform angled toward the net. This one is great for liberos and defensive specialists.

6. Pass, Pop, Catch

Angle: Upright | Reps: 3 sets of 15

Pass the rebound up to yourself in a controlled 6–8 ft pop, then catch it on your forehead in setting position. Then send it back into the net and repeat. It trains soft, controlled touches and the transition from passer to setter.

Setting Drills

7. Quick Hands

Angle: Tilted back | Reps: 3 sets of 30 touches

Stand closer to the net (4–5 ft) and set quick, low balls into the net. Focus on a consistent hand shape: thumbs and pointer fingers forming a triangle, with the ball contacting your finger pads, not your palms. Fast reps build the muscle memory.

8. Height Ladder

Angle: Tilted back | Reps: 5 sets at low, medium, and high

Set 5 low balls, 5 medium balls, then 5 high balls. Then come back down the ladder. Changing height on purpose teaches you to control the ball with your legs and extension, not by flicking your wrists.

9. Pass-to-Set Combo

Angle: Medium | Reps: 3 sets of 20 (10 passes, 10 sets)

Forearm pass the first ball, then set the return, and keep alternating. Switching between skills at game speed is where solo training really pays off. Your body learns to move from platform to hands without thinking.

10. 100-Touch Challenge

Angle: Your choice | Reps: 1 round

Finish every session with this one. Get to 100 total touches (any mix of passes and sets) as fast as you can. If the ball drops, keep your count and keep going. Time yourself and try to beat your best. It's a good test of consistency when you're tired.

Sample 25-Minute Session

Block	Drills	Time
Warm-up	#1 Platform Warm-Up	5 min
Passing	#2 Target Passing + #3 Shuffle and Pass	8 min
Setting	#7 Quick Hands + #8 Height Ladder	8 min
Finisher	#10 100-Touch Challenge	4 min

Why Solo Reps Matter

Two team practices a week isn't enough to make a skill automatic. Players improve by getting hundreds of touches, and a rebounder gives you those touches on your schedule. Fifteen minutes a day adds up to thousands of extra reps over a season.

Gear Up

The Apex Volleyball Rebounder gives you 28 sq ft of rebounding surface with an adjustable angle. It folds down into a travel bag, so you can bring the court to your backyard, driveway, or home.

Not sure which trainer fits your game? Check out our Buying Guide or read Which Volleyball Trainer Is Right for You?

Want to go deeper on setting? Read How to Get 500 Quality Sets a Week Without a Partner.