In volleyball, the setter acts as the quarterback, distributing the ball to attackers. The setter receives the dig and passes the ball to the team's big hitters, using a controlled overhead set to determine who will strike the ball next. Practicing some setting exercises can keep volleyball offenses running with machine-like efficiency.
Set to Box
Setters often benefit from hitting to a visible, stationary target, as it helps achieve greater consistency in their sets. Unfortunately, it can be difficult establishing such a fixed target since players need to run and jump to get into proper attacking position. To help get around this problem, have a teammate stand with her arms raised on a box or chair near the net. The setter can now focus on her teammate's elevated hands, helping produce more consistently accurate sets.
Blocker Movement
Setters need excellent peripheral vision to keep track of the opposing team's blockers, because there's no sense setting the ball to an attacker who has two defenders in position to thwart her spike. This exercise requires two teammates, one to toss the ball to the setter and one to act as a middle blocker on the other side of the net. On the whistle, the first teammate tosses the ball to the setter. Right before the ball touches the setter's hands, the middle blocker must cut either left or right. The setter attempts to set in the opposite direction, keeping the ball away from the active blocker.
Long Distance
Pair with a teammate and stand about 20 feet apart. Simply set the ball back and forth to one another, mixing up pace and height while remaining as accurate as possible. Most sets during games occur within a small space, so practicing them over a long distance can strengthen the muscles in the hands, wrists and forearms.
Seated Sets
Another good exercise for building arm strength for setting involves simply sitting cross-legged and setting to a seated teammate about 10 feet away. By removing the legs from the equation, the seated position places even more emphasis on the hands, wrists and arms to generate power and direct an accurate set.
Two Ways
In this exercise, the setter performs double-duty, setting for both teams. Once the setter passes to her team's hitter, she immediately runs under the net and gets in position to set for the other team. The teams don't attempt to score points but work together to keep the ball moving back and forth in order to give the setter a full workout.
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