Girls Volleyball Tips Top 5 Places To Serve After A Team Timeout
Posted: Tuesday, April 20, 2010
by April Chapple
Volleyball Voices Inc.
There are specific places you should plan to serve after a team calls timeout. Learn these places to gain an advantage over the competition.
When coaching girls volleyball I concentrate a lot on improving serving skills because of this following reason...you are the only person who controls the effectiveness of your serve and its the one fundamental you can do without the intervention of anyone else. You can score a direct point with your serve and that is very powerful and trust me even many elite players don't take advantage of this great point-making opportunity.
This may sound funny or obvious but serving a tough ball in the court after a team has called a timeout is not easy. If a volleyball team has scored several points in a row and the opposing coach calls a timeout, volleyball players should always try to follow the Golden Rule. "Keep your serve in" after a timeout has been called. Why? Because the opposing coach has called the timeout for several reasons ...one of which is to specifically distract you the server in hopes of getting you to miss your serve which can instantly change the momentum of the volleyball game. You keep your team's point scoring momentum ...by keeping your serve...in the volleyball court.
2). Serve the Volleyball To The Left Front Outside Hitter Deep Down the Line to Position 5.
Especially in girls volleyball when the left front player is a swing hitter (which means a player, usually the left outside hitter has two responsibilities--which are to receive the serve and to then swing outside to hit the ball) by serving the ball deep down the line you force the left side hitter deeper into the back of the court which means she has to cover alot of ground to get back into her spike approach position in order to hit the ball.
Serving them very deep down the line helps to take the left side player out of the offense because a) this forces them to back up and serve receive deep in the court which will make them late to start their hitting approach. In girls volleyball this tactic can completely eliminate them as a hitter/attacker in the offense so the setter is forced to have only one or two options - set to the middle blocker or behind her to the right side hitter depending on how many hitters are front row.
In other words, "play chess." If you see three hitters in the front row, use your serve to force one of the players to pass the ball deep in the volleyball court, which leaves only two hitters that your blockers and defenders have to concentrate on. That puts your team at an advantage, right? Force the opposing team to do what YOU want them to do just by serving smarter.
3). Learn to serve the short serve, short to the left or middle front row hitter which is very effective in girls volleyball.
Many players serve short because it's an option or because it happens by accident but smart volleyball players serve short because they know that the short serve is an can level the playing field especially when tall players are in the front row.
Just like airplanes tall volleyball players usually need longer runways to make their spike approach, in order to hit hard and inside the court. If the "runway" is cut short, then that "airplane" has a hard time taking off. So since you are the server, you need to "shorten" the runway path.
Serve short to a tall volleyball player or a player who spikes a lot while they are in the front row and they won't have time to back up and take their usual long approach. If they still do get the set, they usually don't have the time or the strength to hit as hard or as high as they would if they weren't passing, so you have effectively helped your team by serving the big girl (excuse me tall girl...I hate when people call me BIG) in the front row and you have intelligently taken her out of the offense.
Attention short volleyball players! How tall does a player have to be to learn to serve the tall girl in the front row? Answer....it doesn't matter. You just have to serve 50 balls short to each front row position left front, middle front and right front before practice and/or after every practice so when the pressure is on, you are ready.
4) Why should girls who play volleyball always remember this next smart option which is to serve straight down the middle of the volleyball court?
Because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Instead of serving from either corner of the volleyball court, which when you serve cross court gives a passer more time to get in serve receive position because the ball is coming from farther away. Try standing right in the middle of the baseline and serve straight down the middle to the opposite end line.
Usually in the backrow there are two people in serve receive (just like in beach volleyball). Aim for the head of the middle blocker in the front row and serve right towards the back line. Both the left back and right back receivers are forced to decide on or fight over the "divorce maker" ball that goes right down the middle between the two of them. If done right the ball will fall right between the two passers.
5. In girls volleyball serving short to the right front or position two (2) on the court is a smart play.
The same argument applies here about serving the tall volleyball player in the front row if she is in the position 2 spot. But there's something else you need to look for. Look for the setter coming from the right front/ position 2 spot. If you serve the front row player who is passing in position 2, when the setter is in right front or coming from the right front position the setter has to
- track the ball that was passed OVER her shoulder-
- her left shoulder while moving towards the net-
- then she has to set the ball quickly. Why? Because she has very little time to adjust to a ball that has been passed right from the position she just came from. (Or served right to the position she just came from however you want to look at the situation.).
Additionally if the ball isn't passed perfectly then the setter has an even harder time of giving her hitters a good set, usually the ball is set off the net, the hitter makes an easier hit to dig and the defense has an easier time of digging the ball...ALL because of YOUR strategically placed serve.
So, girls the next time you have to serve in volleyball practice - set goals for yourself and make your serves count for points in practice. Don't just go through the motions...remember to practice your individual skills because the ball is in Your hands!
April Chapple is a former USA National Womens Volleyball Team member and Volleyball Professional who created Volleyball Voices the first virtual volleyball mentoring community with volleyball tips, stories by champion women volleyball players and college volleyball teamnews where females learn how to play better volleyball.
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