Serve Reception - Main Points

• Knees bent to get the hips low, esp on hard flat serves. Guide the ball by extending your legs (and hence your body) towards the setter.

• Keep your feet moving before the serve. This will relax you and also allow you to react quicker to fast serves.

• Your body should face the setter. This is partly done by having your outside foot in front of your inside foot.

• Move your feet, not your arms to the ball (easier said than done!). You’ll have better control this way. Reach sideways with your arms only as a last resort. In other words, your hands shouldn’t reach outside your body.

• Guide the ball to the setter with your entire body.

Front MiddlefM

Back MiddlebM

Back SetterbS

fPFront Power Back Power

bP

Front SetterfS

5-man Serve Reception(4-2 formation, front-row setter, slide 1/3)

Attack Line

Net

Front MiddlefM

Back MiddlebM

Back SetterbSfP

Front Power

Back PowerbP

Front SetterfS

5-man Serve Reception(4-2 formation, front-row setter, slide 2/3)

Attack Line

Net

Front MiddlefM

Back MiddlebM

Back SetterbS

fPFront Power

Back PowerbP

Front SetterfS

5-man Serve Reception(4-2 formation, front-row setter, slide 3/3)

Attack Line

Net

Back PowerbP

5-man Serve Reception(6-2 formation, back-row setter, slide 1/3)

Attack Line

Net

fPFront MiddlefM

Front SetterfS

Back MiddlebM

bS

Back PowerbP

5-man Serve Reception(6-2 formation, back-row setter, slide 2/3)

Attack Line

Net

fMFront PowerfP

Front SetterfS

Back MiddlebM

bS

Back PowerbP

5-man Serve Reception(6-2 formation, back-row setter, slide 3/3)

Attack Line

Net

fSFront MiddlefM

Front PowerfP

Back MiddlebM

bS

Defense - Main Points

• The back row player in front of the opposing hitter should be ready for tips/blocks on our attack line (see diagrams).

• Call “FREE” if you see that there isn’t a spike, and you want people to back up. Anyone paying attention can call it.

• Call “TIP” if you see that there isn’t a spike, and you want people to move up to dig the ball. Front row players (esp blockers) have the best view to call this.

Middle /X

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right BackX

Right FrontS

Defense - Hit From Right Side, Double Block

Attack Line XLeft Front

Net

Note:If you pretend the dotted line is the net, it looks a lot like serve reception positioning doesn’t it?

Middle FrontX

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right BackX Right Front

S

Defense - Hit From Right Side, Single Block

Attack LineX

Left Front

Net

Middle FrontX

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right Back

XLeft Front X

Right FrontS

Defense - Hit From Right Side, Single Block – Option B

Attack Line

Note 2: This is option B because by default, Middle should be blocking (instead of the Setter). Good to know in case Middle can’t get there in time.

Net

Middle Front

X

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right BackX

Right FrontS

Defense - Hit From Middle, Double Block

Attack Line

XLeft /

Net

Middle FrontX

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right BackX

Right FrontS

Defense - Hit From Middle, Single Block

Attack LineX

Left Front

Net

Offense - Main Points

• Everyone (esp. adjacent players) should be within 3 feet of our hitter to pick up blocked hits.

• Call “HERE” if you are ready to hit. This isn’t a request for the ball, that’s for the setter to decide. You can help them make a faster/better decision though.

• Don’t try to spike the ball if your shoulders aren’t square to the net. If you can’t see the net, the line or the block put a FREE ball over using both hands (or at least a standing hit).

Middle FrontX

Middle BackX

Left BackX Right Back

X

Right FrontS

Offense - Hit From Middle

Attack Line

XLeft Front

Starting / default position

Net

Middle FrontX

Middle BackX

Left BackX

Right BackX

Right FrontS

Offense - Hit From Outside

Attack Line

XLeft Front

Net