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
I still remember the first time I tried running the 6-2 volleyball rotation in a competitive match. I was confident at first, but halfway through the second set, I found myself constantly shouting out positions to confused teammates. We kept getting called for overlap violations and had no rhythm. That game was a turning point. … Read more
There was one Thursday afternoon in high school when our coach told us we’d be scrimmaging against the varsity team. My stomach dropped. I was still trying to master my serves and positioning. Scrimmage? That sounded like a full match. And it kind of was. I thought we were just going to do some drills, … Read more
After one long summer tournament, I remember coming home and tossing my knee pads on the floor. I was so tired, I didn’t even care how bad they smelled. But the next day, when I picked them up, the odor almost knocked me out. They were stiff, sticky, and honestly… gross. That was the day … Read more