When I started practicing volleyball on my own, I quickly found one problem: I could work on my footwork and serving, but passing and hitting were much harder without someone on the other side. I tried using a wall, but the ball did not always come back the way I wanted. After trying a volleyball … Read more
Volleyball puts a lot of stress on your ankles. You jump, land, change direction, stop suddenly, and sometimes land very close to another player’s foot. A single awkward landing can be enough to roll an ankle. I learned pretty quickly that ankle support is something you notice most after a bad landing. A good brace … Read more
If you are new to volleyball, you may hear players and coaches use words like quick, slide, pipe, bic, 31, D, and back-1 during a match. At first, these names can sound confusing. They are simply short names used to describe different attacking options and set locations. Once you understand where each attack goes and … Read more
There was a game a few years ago that taught me something big about volleyball. One of our main hitters got hurt in the middle of a match. The coach looked around, unsure of whom to put in. Then he turned to me and said, “You’re going in. Play back row now.” I had always … Read more
I still remember the first time I stepped onto a volleyball court. The lights were bright, the court lines looked sharp, and the net seemed much taller than I expected. I stood there, unsure of what to do, until my coach pointed and said, “You’re in position 6!” I had no clue what that meant. … Read more
Height has always played a huge role in volleyball. The moment a very tall player walks onto the court, the entire match feels different. The net looks smaller next to her. The blockers on the other side start adjusting their positions. Even the crowd notices how her presence changes the energy. Height doesn’t just help … Read more
When I first joined a volleyball team, I didn’t think much about how tall I was. I just loved the game. I loved diving for the ball, setting it perfectly for my teammate, and hearing the crowd cheer after a great play. But the more I played, the more I noticed something: height seemed to … Read more
I still remember the day I first played a game of volleyball. I was excited but nervous. The moment the ball came flying toward me, I flustered. I tried to hit it with my hands like I was playing tennis, and the ball bounced off my arms and flew in the wrong direction. Everyone smiled, … Read more
It wasn’t during a championship game or a pressure-packed tournament that I truly understood the power of the 5-1 volleyball rotation. It happened one evening during a routine practice. We were trying out different rotations, and nothing seemed to click. Players were confused. The rhythm was off. One of my assistant coaches turned to me … Read more
I still remember my first competitive volleyball match. I was playing as an outside hitter, and our team was struggling with receiving powerful serves. That’s when our coach suddenly yelled, “Netta! You’re going in as DS for Johnson!” I stopped. DS? I had an idea of what hitters and setters did, but not this. While … Read more