Volleyball Fundamentals by Joel Dearing

Author:Joel Dearing
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Human Kinetics

7.1 (a) Ready position, (b) split-step, (c) absorb the attack.

Always keep one thing in mind when playing defense: the ultimate objective is to keep the ball off the floor and on your side of the net. A good goal is to dig the ball high in the air near the middle of the court to allow time for your defensive teammates to transition to their offensive positions. The tendency is to dig every ball to the target (court zone 2 or net zone 6). The danger in making this your target for defense is that a ball dug just a foot or two over the net makes a wonderful gift for your opponent. Opposing attackers can blast a poorly controlled dig right back at you. It is better to be less accurate with digs away from the target than over the net.

Don’t be surprised if you have very little time to communicate with teammates prior to digging a ball. Do your best to call “mine” so teammates are aware that you can play the ball. Additionally, try to call “tip” whenever you see an attacker using an off-speed shot. Limited reaction time creates a great challenge for communication on defense, so work on your ability to anticipate what the offensive player intends to do.

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DIGS TO THE SIDE

To dig a ball hit just out of your reach on either side, you only need to move one arm. Drop the inside shoulder of the arm away from the ball and bring that arm and hand together with your other arm and hand to make your platform (figure 7.2). Your goal is to make adjustments with your hips, shoulders, and arms to create an effective angle for the ball to rebound under control to a target. If you combine this movement with a lateral shift of weight, attempting to get your hips behind the attacked ball, you will discover that your arms will be ready to keep the ball in play instead of the ball going out of bounds.

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