Unpredictable serving and attacking is a hallmark of any good volleyball offense. Keeping the opponent off balance while receiving and defending is critical. Power alone won't win matches against better opponents. As teams become more advanced, they can build a lot of deception and misdirection into their game. They can run set plays that disguise where the ball will be hit and/or which player will be hitting it.
Step 1
Mix up serves to keep the receiving team off balance. Lean to spot serve, putting balls at different points of the court. Learn to master the float serve. By hitting the ball squarely with a flat hand or heel of the hand with no follow through, the serve has no spin. The resulting knuckleball effect could force the receiving team to misjudge it.
Step 2
Fool the defensive team with a variety of sets and dumps. The setter, like the quarterback in football, must read defenses and trigger plays. Setters can "dump" the ball over the net toward a vulnerable spot in the defense rather than set the ball for a teammate to hit. Setters also use a variety of "tempos," including the quick set for a quick middle hitter attack and the much higher set for outside hitters.
Step 3
Mix up the hits. A hard spike is a great tool, but so is an off-speed spike to an open area of the defense. Using an open hand and fingertips, the attacker can tip or "dink" the ball over or around the blockers. Hitting cut shots at a sharp angle along the net is another way to fool a defense.
Step 4
Run attacking plays designed to confuse the opponents. The tandem play, for instance, sends both a middle hitter and an outside hitter to the net. This forces defenders to guess which player actually will hit the set. On the "double quick," the middle hitter and an outside hitter both approach a quick set. Again, the defense has to figure out which player will hit it. On the "X Play," the middle hitter and outside hitter cross paths while the defense tries to read which hit is coming. The more misdirection plays an offense can master, the more difficult it will be to defend.
Tips and Warnings
- Master volleyball basics before getting tricky. Make sure your setters and hitters have the skill needed to execute more elaborate plays.
- Don't introduce too much trickery unless your team is fundamentally sound. On an open-hand tip, controlling the ball for too long with your fingertips could result in a lift call.
Things You'll Need
- Volleyball
- Volleyball court
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