DAYTON (OH) -- I have played a lot of volleyball and been fortunate enough to learn from some very good players and coaches. The best player I ever played with was a woman from Germany who became a doubles partner and good friend. That is part of the reason that I have so much respect for the women players.
The Frerick's Center is one of the most unique and intimidating volleyball environments in the country. The team has a limited number of home matches this year so I urge you to come out this weekend and rout them on to victory. The matches are free and it is a great environment for families.
For people who have never attended a serious volleyball match, here’s a crash course on everything you need to know about collegiate volleyball.
THE BASICS
1. The winner of a match is required to win three sets (games) out of five. The first four sets in a match are played to 25 points, and you must win by two points. The last set is played to 15 points (win by two) making it critical to get ahead early. The number of five set matches that UD has won in the last couple of years is amazing.
2. A point is scored by the serving team or receiving team on every serve.
3. There are six players on the court for each team. We will assume that the team is playing with one setter.
4. Substitutions occur during the match, though you are limited to 12 per set. If you exceed 12 a point is forfeited. You normally play smaller/quicker players in the back row and substitute taller players at the front row. Players who can play both front and back row are extremely valuable. UD senior Amanda Cowdrey is extremely good in the front and back row.
To find specific information on the role of each position, visit
www.answers.com/beach-volleyball.
Here is what the standard alignment looks like:
######################THE NET ######################
Left Side Hitter | Middle Blocker | Right Side Hitter
Setter | Libero or Defensive Specialist | Right Side or Def Specialist
5. Before the ball is served, back row players cannot be lined up in front of front row players. No player in the front or the back row is allowed to cross over the player next to them, or a point is forfeited.
6. Prior to a team’s serve, the team rotates clockwise on position. This is when most substitutions occur. For example, you might see two middle blockers (any two of Becky, Lindsay, or Shane) exchange positions with a libero or defensive specialist.
7. You are allowed a total of 12 substitutions in a set. Because of the substitution limit, you hope that your left side hitters, right side hitters, and middle blockers can also play in the back row. You don't necessarily need to be ultra quick to play in the back row. Former Flyer Kortney Norris was a very good back row player who could read the hitters and be in great position when a spike occurred.
The perfect rotation shown above isn't the normal situation. It is more common that after the serve occurs, players move to their positions. For example, the middle blocker might have been on the left side and the left side hitter might be on the right side before the serve. When you see the players running from left to right or right to left side they are returning to their true position.
SERVE RECEIVE
1. When the opposing team is serving, you want your two best passers to be receiving the serves. The most important thing to do on a return of serve is to keep the ball from hitting the ground. But to beat great teams you need for that first pass to be close to where the setter is expecting it. In a perfect serve receive, every ball would be bumped directly toward the setter and be 2-5 feet from the net. This allows the setter to set anyone on the court -- which also makes it hard for the opposing team to block your spikes.
2. If you see a setter running after the ball, receiving it at the ten foot line, or someone else taking the ball for the second hit, it means the team is really struggling with serve receive. This can turn a winnable match into a loss (or turn a potential blowout into a close match).
You might also notice that when the other team is serving, many players are in a strange position. Part of this is because they are preparing to move into their 'normal' position when the serve is made. For example, if the setter is in the back row she will be moving up toward the net when the ball is served.
TYPES OF SETS
Different hitters like the ball at different heights which the setter needs to understand. You can set the ball to all different heights depending upon the hitter and blocker on the other side of the net. When you keep the sets low and fast you are generally playing against one-on-one blockers -- which aids the hitters. If your sets are high, the defense gains an advantage unless you have tall dominant hitters.
LEFT SIDE HITTER SETS
1. 'Five' Ball is a high set near the pole. The advantage of this is that it’s easy to time for the hitter. The disadvantage is that the other team can often have two blockers in place. Most teams that set really high balls have very tall hitters that think they can dominate against any block.
2. 'Shoot' set requires the setter to push the ball with basically no arch to a spot about two feet from the net and about two feet over the net. The hitter must trust the setter and begin to jump when the ball reaches the setter's hand. If timed correctly, it is very difficult to block. But if the blocker guesses correctly, you can be blocked rather easily. There isn't a lot of time to adjust your swing on this type of set.
3. ‘Four’ ball is between a low and high set.
4. 'Three' ball is a ball set between the outside blocker and the middle blocker. This is a fairly low, quick set which can allow an outside hitter to hit between the two blockers if the middle blocker is preoccupied with your middle hitter.
MIDDLE HITTER SETS
1. ‘Two’ ball is a ball set to the middle hitter which is 4’ to 6’ over the net. UD All-American Lindsay Fletemeier is very good at hitting these sets.
2. ‘One’ ball is a quick set that might only be a foot or two higher than the net. The hitter is jumping as the ball reaches the setter’s hands and the setter decides whether they want to give them the quick set or set it elsewhere. If the blocker is not in position, this can be a very tough play to stop. If the blocker(s) are playing for the ‘one’ ball and jump at the same time, it can result in a block by the opposing team. That is why it’s important for the setter to make the right decision.
3. ‘The Slide’ is when the middle hitter moves from the middle to the right side of the net and receives the set. This can be a tough play to block because your timing must be very good. Becky Novacek is very good at hitting the slide.
RIGHT SIDE HITTER SETS
It is generally more difficult to hit the ball from the right side, so the sets are normally consistent in height and distance from the net so they can be timed better. Many right side hitters hit the ball across their body from right to left (because they are right-arm dominant). If you can also hit the ball down the line it is a big advantage.
BACK ROW HITTER SETS
If the first pass isn’t good, the set will often go to the back row hitters. The sets to them are normally high and just about over the ten foot line. The back row hitter must jump from behind the ten foot line to spike the ball, but they can land in front of the ten foot line after contact. UD has some good back row hitters.
SERVING
Dayton has adopted a very aggressive service attitude. If you can take a team out of system with a poor first pass the advantage goes to the defense. At times you will have service errors when serving tough and trying to put pressure on another team’s offense. Missed serves are part of the game when you are serving aggressively.
TYPES OF SERVES
1. Floater Serve. Moves like a knuckleball in the air, might drop quickly, move side to side, or simply move off to one side. This ball will not be spinning as it moves through the air. If it is spinning, the floater serve wasn’t hit correctly.
2. Topspin Serve. Spins rapidly which causes the ball to drop quickly. You can hit a topspin serve very hard and fast because the spin will usually cause it to drop into the court.
Either serve can be hit while jumping which gives you more power and unpredictability. The jump floater is probably the least predictable serve to return because it could drop suddenly or move off to the side at the end of the serve and cause passing errors. The topspin serve creates errors because it is hit extremely hard just like a spike. You may know where the serve is going but not be able to reach it.
These are the volleyball basics. I’ll see you at the Frerick’s Center.
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