Skip to content
You are here:
Volleyball Articles For Players
Blocking
Blocking is the attempt by one, two or three players to stop an attack at the net and deflect it down into the attacker’s court.  All blocks are timed to the attack of the opponent.   Touch blocks or controlled deflections into the player’s own court can be converted to good passes and lead to an effective attack to score points.   The block is the first line of defense in volleyball.  Read The Full Article...
 
Volleyball IQ
Indeed, there are millions of people who enjoy volleyball at the basic level. But even the casual observer will notice how the game favors those who deploy even basic tactics and team strategies.   This is the point where the game changes most: when the smart can defeat the strong.  Read The Full Article...
 
Training Without A Net or Partner What if you have no partner or net?  
When this situation occurs, you need not take up solitaire, but you need to watch out that you do not teach yourself “bad”, non-game-like habits or reactions. Sure you can bump the ball to yourself but would you ever do that in a game? Not a likely desired action, as you most often send the ball to a teammate or an opponent. So what can you do? Read The Full Article...
 
Thoughts On Passing
Since I started playing volleyball at the collegiate level I’ve always been considered a "passing" outside hitter. What does that mean exactly? I’m not really sure, but I think it means that I’m an outside hitter with especially good reception skills. Now that I’m with the USA National Team, I’ve made the switch to libero, again primarily because of my passing skills. So when I was asked to write up a "how to" article, I decided to go with passing because it’s probably my best skill. 
 
Jump Serving For Young Players
Young players can benefit in a number of ways from developing a topspin jump serve. Obviously, players benefit in that they learn a serve that can be a valuable scoring threat not only at their level, but also at the higher levels.  But this is not the only advantage for young players who learn how to jump serve.  Read The Full Article...
 
Finding The Kill
The best offensive players in volleyball are those who are able to consistently find a way to get kills for their team while making very few (a relative term) errors.  As simple as this statement sounds there are many factors involved in becoming a big-time kill finder.  In this article I will outline four ideas that can help any hitter find more kills for their team. 
 
Skill Keys
UNDERHAND PASSING: “Feet to the Ball” or “Shuffle”-Try to get to the spot the ball is going before the ball gets there. Straight and Simple- Keep platform flat and passing motion as simple (least amount of movement) as possible.  Face the Ball, Angle the Arms-Face the ball and drop the shoulder closest to the direction of the target.  If you are passing the ball on your right side you should be facing off towards your right and dropping your left shoulder because the target is now on your left.  Read the server-Watch the toss (if it is behind the player be prepared for a short serve, watch the direction of the players feet, how far they get their elbow back, and follow through (top spin) no follow through (float). Thumbs even and together early and till target- Hands together early and they should stay together until ball reaches target.