They Lost Last Year… Then Won a National Championship with Carolyn O'Dwyer
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In this episode of the Volleyball by Design Podcast, host Brian Singh interviews Carolyn O'Dwyer, head coach of the University of Alberta women's volleyball team and assistant coach for Canada's national team. O'Dwyer shares the keys to her team's national championship victory, emphasizing depth, mental resilience after a tough loss the previous year, and a highly intentional, demanding training environment. She discusses how her team's offensive success stemmed from a versatile attack, a top-tier setter, and strategic player deployment—such as moving star outside hitter Abby Guzen to the P2 position to maximize back-row pipe offense. O'Dwyer details her philosophy on making practices harder than games, enforcing strict standards, repeating actions with quality over quantity, and using situational drills to develop decision-making. She highlights the importance of stats like side-out percentage, attack efficiency, and point-scoring percentage, and shares how she uses video analysis to prepare for opponents. Her team culture is built on four core principles: compete, connect, pursue excellence, and hard work. O'Dwyer also emphasizes individualized player development through regular check-ins, personalized plans, and summer skill work. The conversation offers actionable insights for coaches at all levels on building a championship-caliber program through culture, strategy, and deliberate practice.
Build team depth to create a competitive training environment where starters face top-tier competition daily.
Use past losses as fuel for growth—returning athletes who reflect on failure are more intentional and resilient.
Make practices harder than games by increasing mental and physical constraints, enforcing standards, and demanding quality over quantity in reps.
Design your offense around your team’s strengths—O'Dwyer leveraged elite middles and a powerful back-row hitter to create unique offensive advantages.
Use video analysis strategically: study opponent block defense, offensive tendencies, and serving patterns to gain a competitive edge.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction to the National Championship Coach Series
Host Brian Singh introduces the final episode in a series featuring national championship coaches in Canada, setting the stage for his conversation with Carolyn O'Dwyer, head coach of the University of Alberta women's team and assistant coach for Canada's national team.
Carolyn O'Dwyer's Volleyball Journey
O'Dwyer shares her path from player to coach, including her time at the University of Alberta, her master's degree, four years as an assistant coach, and her role in Volleyball Canada’s Next Gen program before becoming head coach.
Keys to National Championship Success
“I think we really learned from that so I think that was another big thing for us is, you know, returning athletes that, you know, had that taste of disappointment and really dove into what do I need to do to be better the next time around?”
Offensive Strengths and Team Weapons
“I think we had by far the best setter in the country on our team. And then to have those offensive strengths and a setter that can access them, I think was huge for us.”
Making Practice Harder: Standards and Expectations
“If we're going to do something, it's with quality. It's not about quantity.”
“We switched our left sides and Abby spent the whole second semester as our P2 again, to try to access more of that back row offense.”
“I think we really learned from that so I think that was another big thing for us is, you know, returning athletes that, you know, had that taste of disappointment and really dove into what do I need to do to be better the next time around?”
“I think we had by far the best setter in the country on our team. And then to have those offensive strengths and a setter that can access them, I think was huge for us.”
Host
Guest
Carolyn O'Dwyer
person
University of Alberta
organization
Brian Singh
person
Abby Guzen
person
Volleyball Canada
organization
Next Gen Program
other
CCAA Women's National Championship
other
U Sports Men's National Championship
other
Quebec City
place
Ottawa
place
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