Forearm Passing 1. Feet shoulder-width apart 2. Right foot slightly in front 3. Bend slightly at the knees 4. Arms straight and 90 degrees away from body 5. Bend forward at the waist 6. Shoulders rounded and down over feet Volleyball Tips and Key Words Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. 7. Fleshy part of thumbs side-by-side pointing down to the ground 8. Lock elbows 9. Contact the ball off forearms between wrists and elbows 10. Move forward with feet and legs to move the ball a. Left Right PASS Replace (Left Right) b. Finish thumbs, shoulders, hips, and feet to the target Always shuffle to get in front of the ball and pass midline. Make sure to hold hands out in front and put straight together rather than praying motion. Setting 1. Feet shoulder-width apart 2. Right foot in front of left foot 3. Bend slightly at the knees 4. Body upright 5. Hands begin relaxed at waist 6. Hands up early and quick before the ball reaches head 7. Hands are shaped like the ball with only finger pads on the ball 8. Thumbs and forefingers should form a triangle or less than and greater than signs 9. Hands should contact the ball on the hairline 10. Extend arms fully toward the ceiling in the direction of the target. Finish like superman 11. Use strength of legs and arms to push the ball to the target 12. Square to target with feet, hips, shoulders, and arms. General rule: Get to the net before releasing to set. Play defense first! Serving
(For a right-handed person everything is opposite for a left-handed person) Floater Serve: 1. Toss a. Left foot in front, right foot behind with all weight on right foot b. Feet should be comfortable distance apart c. On the toss, step forward comfortably with the left foot shifting weight from back foot to the left foot d. Hold the ball in the left hand about chest height with arm extended (arm should stay straight with firm wrist) e. Right arm begins back behind right shoulder like a bow-and-arrow with elbow above the shoulder f. Toss the ball about 2 feet above the reach of your serving serving arm; left arm should look like a waiter serving something on a platter g. Toss should be in front of the serving shoulder landing in front of the right foot next to the left foot. 2. Contact Point a. Contact the ball about 2 o clock in front of serving shoulder b. Hand should strike the back of the ball with the top part of the palm of your hand 3. Armswing a. Armswing should be quick since that is the power behind the serve b. Follow-through is the extension of the right arm with no snap in the wrist and holding the hand at the same position where the ball was contacted, high five to desired location c. Wrist should stay locked. Jump Serve Top-Spin Serve 1. Toss the ball about 6-8 feet high and about 5 feet in front of you 2. Use the hitting footwork (left, right, left) 3. Use the hitting armswing (hips, shoulders, elbow, wrist) Serving Zones 1 right back 2 right front 3 middle front 4 left front 5 left back 6 middle back Zones 1, 5, and 6 are in the back third of the court, and zones 2, 3, and 4 are in front of the 10-foot line Hitting (For a right-handed person everything is opposite for a left-handed person)
1. Footwork (Approach) a. Right-handed people: LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT (Left-handed people: RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT) b. Begin with right foot in front, left foot tapping behind and all the weight on the right foot. c. First step is directional moving towards the location of the set. The step is comfortable distance from the original stance. d. Last two steps are almost together but they explosive and open to the setter. e. Make sure you jump straight up and not forward. f. Should finish at least an arms length away from the net. g. Jump from behind the setter. h. Arms start comfortably at waist, move to behind the body on the second step, and are used during jump to get height off the ground. i. Left arm will be out in front of body extended to show setter where the ball should be, and right arm is back with elbow high ready to attack the ball. 2. Armswing a. Hips the turn of the hips gives power to the swing. b. Shoulder closing the shoulder will help cause the swing to come over the top giving more power to the swing. c. Elbow should be above eye level and the swing should be over the top d. Wrist the control of the swing the wrist snap needs to be quicker the closer to the net. The follow through should finish high and in the direction where the hit should go. 3. Timing a. The timing for hits are different per setter/hitter combination along with height of set. b. A quick ball requires the hitter to be jumping at the setter the same time the ball is in the setter s hands. c. A 2-height ball requires the hitter to begin the approach after the ball crosses over her shoulder. d. A 4-height ball requires the hitter to begin the approach at the initial descent of the ball (when the ball reaches the peak of the set). e. Whatever the set, the approach needs to be quick and explosive. 4. Transition a. Transition quickly off the net and behind the 10-foot line to start the approach. b. Open up off the net while being open to the court and able to see the ball and the net at all times. Blocking 1. Feet shoulder width apart 2. Knees bent forward 3. Body upright
4. Begin with hands up: elbows even with shoulders, arms bent 90 degrees with hands in blocking position. 5. Carry hands high when moving along the net and jumping. 6. Seal the net with hands and arms extend arms across the net (penetrate). 7. Keep shoulders square to the net. 8. Make sure to plant when moving along the net to transfer horizontal movement to vertical movement. 9. When jumping, land in the same place from where you jumped. 10. Jump with the hitter timing might take some practice. 11. Watch the hitter s shoulders, hands, and eyes they will generally show you where they are going to hit, tip, or place the ball. 12. Front the hitter have the hitters shoulder line up in between your shoulders. 13. Talk with other blockers: Ready, ready, UP! 14. Close to other blockers. Make sure there is no distance between you and your other blockers. General Tips 1. Make sure to talk on the court at all times. 2. Always better the ball. 3. Come together after every rally. 4. Work together with your teammates on and off the court. 5. Always huddle before getting water. 6. Hustle (at least a light jog) during all practices, matches, etc. especially on the court. 7. Never give up volleyball can be a mind game don t let it play you! On a Volleyball team all players can t be all things. The essence of the game is selectivity, knowing limitations and abiding by them. Teams develop when talents and personalities mesh. Those who have ever played on a team never forget the excitement of their work of the fulfillment of a championship. Those who have watched on the night of a final game must sense that they have witnessed ultimate cooperation, that they have seen an unusual kind of sharing, that they have glimpsed a better world ~ one unobtainable outside the stadium. Team Defense 1. Before the serve a. Verbally establish your defensive assignment/position with other backrow players. b. Identify if the opposing setter is front or back row.
c. Know the possible attackers and determine where they might attack from. d. Know which defense you are playing against a left, middle, right, and back row attack. 2. Ball is served a. Move quickly to your base position. b. If first pass is an overpass (freeball), move to freeball transition: the W c. If the pass is on the opponents side of the court, watch as the pass goes to the setter while talking with your teammates what is happening. 3. Ball is set a. Move to defensive position (being low and position on the court for the hitter) b. Be stopped when the ball is being contacted by the hitter 4. Ball is attacked a. If ball comes to you, cushion the ball and align body to your target b. If ball does not come to you, react in the direction of the ball Never all the ball to hit the floor without maximum effort to prevent it. Relax the body making sure not to swing do not hurry the contact. Talk!!! Mine pass UP Other defense tips: 1. Feet wider than shoulder width apart 2. Hands relaxed out in front, elbows bent by your ribs. 3. Hands should be able to touch the ground without moving body lower to the floor. 4. Weight is on the balls of your feet. 5. Shoulders are forward with hips back. 6. Be STOPPED when ball is attacked. 7. Dig the ball high so that the setter has time to get underneath the ball. 8. Better the ball if a ball is not contacted well, try to make the next ball easier to contact. Rotations 1. Learn the line-up before the match begins. a. Know who is in front of you, behind you, and opposite from you in the rotation. b. Know what position you are playing (left, middle, right, setter, DS, libero). c. Know where your base is on the front row and back row. 2. Remember that you rotate to the clockwise when facing the net. Serve When you win a rally, you are awarded the serve 1. Go to rotation. 2. Find your opposite.
3. Rotate clockwise. 4. Front row Middle set up in base and left front and right front get as close to your base as possible without overlapping. a. All three front row players should be calling how many hitters and a front or back row setter for the other team. b. Body is in blocking ready position. 5. Back row Get as close to your base without overlapping. a. Middle back cheat up before the serve to help cover for a quick first ball over. b. Body should be positioned in passing ready position able to move in any direction. Everyone should be facing the net before the serve is made. Once the server contacts the ball, all players should quickly transition to base waiting for a freeball, downball, or an attack (play defense). Serve Receive When you losing a rally, you are to receive the serve 1. Go to rotation. 2. Find your opposite. 3. Setter push straight up to the net if on back row. If the setter is on front row, the setter should be the closest player to the net ready to release to the target position. 4. There should be three passers. a. If the setter is coming from the back row and pushes up, the person on the opposite side of the court from the setter on front row will pull back to pass. b. If the setter is on the front row, there should already be three passers in back row. 5. Three passers should split the court evenly, be in passing ready position, and cover their third of the court. 6. The persons not in serve receive can help out by passing short balls in front of ten-foot line or get as close as possible to the location closest to the place where they want to transition to hit without overlapping. Why We Play It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making Sportscenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat, to compete. We do it all for our teammates. We don't practice with a future Olympic outside hitter, we practice with a future lawyer. We don't lift weights with a future Olympic weightlifter; we lift with a future doctor. We don't run with a future Olympic sprinter, we run with a future CEO. It's a bigger part of us than our friends and family can understand. Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans, sometimes for 25. But we still play hard.
You cheer for us because you know us. You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are still students first. We don't sign autographs for money. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams and student body petitions. When we miss a serve, or strike out, we don't let down an entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans. But the hurt in our hearts is the same. We train hard. Lift, throw, run, jump, serve, pass, and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. Still the next day in class we are nothing more than students. It's about pride. In ourselves, in our school. It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's all over. When we walk on that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can claim: college athletes.