Six Tools

There are six individual skills to volleyball.  In order from the time the referee blows the whistle to the time the play is over, it goes as follows:

1. Serve
2. Pass (serve receive)
3. Set
4. Hit (swing, attack, spike)
5. Block
6. Dig (defense)

Of those six, serving is the only one that is completely individual, meaning that it is totally in just the control of the player with the ball.  Since serving is the first contact, it would follow that all other contacts are then dependent on the previous contact. For example, if the serve creates a bad pass, then the set becomes more difficult and more predictable for the defense, and then the hit becomes more difficult for the attacker, because the block and defense are well formed. The hitter gets the error in the statsheet, but the setter had only one option because of the pass, which gave the attacker little room for error based on the swing.  Now, a great setter makes marginal passers look good, and a great hitter makes a marginal setter look good.

That is the beauty of the sport; every player is willing and ready to help out another player’s less than perfect contact at any given time. The unique team dynamic of the sport is addressed in the Coach’s Corner page.