The FIVB has a great collection of video clips from the 2008 Olympics.

It includes a compilation of team rotations and skills and the best players by skill. The videos do take some time to download, but they are pretty impressive once open. Check them out sometime:

Women’s Team Clips by country, rotation, and skills:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/women/

Women’s Best Player by skill:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/women/ (same page – just click on the left navigation bar)

Men’s Team Clips by country, rotation, and skills:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/men/

Men’s Best Player by skill:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/men/#nowhere

The FIVB also provides a short technical team analysis. Here is an example of the Olympic Gold Medal Winning USA Team:

The USA improved in the preliminary round and won in group A; after tight victories in the quarter and half finals against SRB 3:2 and RUS 3:2, the team won the final convincingly
3:1 against BRA.

Short characterization

USA Gold Medal

Team in general

· Team formation with plenty of veteran, experienced players – with ITA and BRA oldest team of the tournament (average age 30.4 years, 6 players from the OG 2004, no player born after 82); together with RUS as the tallest team (average with libero >200 cm).

· Excellently organized and structured game; manner of playing intelligently adapted to the respective opponent (computer assisted game control).

Serve

· Good mixture of jump and float serves (appr. 73:27%) with variable techniques and excellent tactical adaptation. Above-average direct scores by forceful jump serves, mainly by No 13 Stanley (average by set 0,5)!

Reception

· Average reception performance; ranking ninth in players’ ranking – No 5 Lambourne (64 %) und No 8 Priddy (61 %) success. Depending on situation neat use of reception techniques.

· Mainly in 3-player formation – occasionally shift and take over by supporting on the weaker side of the fellow player; vary reception from overhand and in bump!

Set / Attack Complex 1 and Complex 2

· Organization of the sets intelligent, adapted to the opponent, technically skilled and varied (long and short paths) by the very experienced setter No 1 Ball (since the OG 2000)! Prefers first tempo sets (>27 %) with  2-4 m distance at in-between positions and back court sets (appr. 25 %) with Stanley (a bit higher) and Priddy over the middle of the net (Pipe).

· Attack in complex I : Speedy and variable attack; prefer to play long distances and high tempo over pos. 4; always elements of surprise by first attack from No 1 setter Ball – also when game continues!

· Attack in complex II: Varies and like to alter the attackers when game continues (Rally); deliberate quick transition game in transition situations (defence, covering, freeball)!

· Stanley (HF 1/pos. 2) as well as Salmon and Priddy (pos. 4) are put in difficult situations – attack from high sets (diagonal sets)

Block / Defense

· In connection with serve well adapted opponent-specific block-defense behavior, occasionally vary start and block positions of the net players!

· With 1.0 avg by set very successful as team – in the best blockers’ ranking list, there are  two outstanding blockers: No 4 Lee – ranking second (1.0 avg by set) and No 9 Millar – ranking fourth (0.79 avg by set)!

· Particular strengths in block at the outside positions 2 and 4; good support at the middle positions.

· Strict specialization on positions in defence (libero and middle blocker pos. 5); short-distance covering by back court player and net player not being involved in the block!