Different types of sets

      This week I chose to write about the four main sets that my team does.  We do ones, twos, fours, and fives.  I am the setter on my team so I wanted to explain the different types of sets.

1- Ones

The first type of set is called a one.  This set is just high enough for the hitter to be able to swing their arm and hit the ball.  When the ball drops it should land one foot away from the setter.  This is the quickest set meaning the hitter will usually hit the ball straight down.  The setter basically wants to put the ball in the hitter's hand.  The picture below is someone hitting a one.

2- Twos
My favorite type of set is a two because it is easy to set and it is a hard hit to dig.   This set is about two feet higher than the net and it should land about two feet away from the setter's feet.  This set is hit by the middle hitter.  The picture below shows someone hitting a two.


3- Fours
This is the second hardest set because you have to push the ball really far and really high, so that the outside hitter can jump and hit the ball.  The is is my least favorite set because of how hard it is to get a perfect set.  The outside hitter hits a four and it is probably the most common hit.  The picture below is of a person hitting a four.


4- Fives
This is the hardest set because you have to set the ball backwards.  I struggle with back sets, but this set is the best for left-handed players because they can hit the ball into the back corners easily.  This pictures is of someone hitting a five.

Volleyball position basics

This week I decided to write about each position on the volleyball court to give everybody an idea of the positions and what you do in each position.  There are six positions on the court and they are all very different.  Also, different teams assign different jobs to each position.  Each position has a number so the order I put them in corresponds to their number.

This picture has the positions but it is abbreviated.

1- Right back or RB

This is the serving position so when you rotate into this position you serve.  This is one of the three passing positions so when the other team serves, you are one of the three back row players who passes.

2- Right front or RF

This position is where the setter plays.  The setter is the person who usually touches the ball second on this side of the net so they can set a hitter.

3- Center front of CF

The CF is also called the middle hitter and they hit from the middle of the court.  The two sets this player hits are twos and ones which are different types of sets.  This person also blocks the hitters on the other side of the net.

4- Left front or LF

This person is called the outside hitter.  They hit a type of set called a four or a 32.  This is the main hitter but it is a harder position to set for the setter because of how far they are from the right front, where the setter is.

5- Left Back or  LF

This is another one of the three main passers.  This person is important because they mainly dig all of the tips from the other side of the net.

6- Center Back or CF

This position is the last of the three passers in the back row.  The CF's job is to cover the corners when the other team is hitting.

What do I keep in my volleyball bag?

1- Knee pads

Knee pads are an essential to playing volleyball, so I always have two pairs of knee pads in my bag.  Also, if I am playing and one of my knee pads rips I will have a replacement knee pad.

2- Volleyball sneakers

Like knee pads, volleyball sneakers are necessary.  Volleyball sneakers are different from regular sneakers because they have a lot of support around the ankles.  The support is good for jumping because when you land you won't twist your ankle. 

3- Hairbands

I hate playing volleyball with my hair down, and hairbands always break, so I keep extra hairbands in my bag. 

4- Food

After a volleyball tournament with no time to eat, I am starving like any other human being, so I always keep a couple granola bars in my bag.

Volleyball reffing jobs

     At a volleyball tournament when you are not one of the two teams playing, you are either working, also known as reffing, or you have an hour off.  When you are reffing there are six different jobs but seven people have to work, I will explain later.  

1- Score flipper

This job is the easiest of all of the jobs.  All you have to do is keep score by flipping a little piece of plastic that displays the score.                                     

2- Scoresheet keeper

This job is tied for the hardest job with up ref, a job I will talk about later.  This job involves a very complicated sheet of paper that has a lot of different components.  On this sheet you write down who subs for who, the score, the number of timeouts each team has left, how many points each server score,  and the captains on each team.                                                   

3- Down ref

This job is fairly easy but you have to pay attention.  This person blows their whistle when a coach calls a timeout or wants to make a substitution.  This works with the up ref if a person goes under the net ur touches the net because sometimes the up ref doesn’t see it, so the down ref has to call it.  The down ref stands next to the end of the net opposite of the up ref.

4- Up ref

The up ref controls the pace of the game.  The up ref beckons for serve which allows the server to serve.  The up ref says who got the point and why after each volley.  The up ref stands on a little stand so that they have a better view of the court.  They also can stop the play if there are any violations.

                              

5- Libero tracker

This is a very hard job to explain but I will try my best.  Most volleyball teams have a libero; a libero can only play back row and they can substitute whenever they want.  This person has to write down who the libero goes in for and who goes in for them.  The libero is easy to find because they wear a different colored jersey.

6- Line judge

This person has the easiest job out of all the jobs.  They have a flag and the watch 2/4 of the lines and they determine if the ball was in or out when it touches the ground. There are two line judges and they each stand on a corner and watch the lines that connect on the corner they are standing on.

Mizuno Boston

     
      This weekend I am going to Boston for a volleyball tournament and I can't wait.  The tournament is run my Mizuno and the tournament "Winterfest" is also run by Mizuno.  This tournament has about 100 courts set up and Winterfest only had 12 courts so this will be a lot bigger of a facility and there will be a lot more teams.
      In the U14 category there are 56 teams.  The ages go from U12 to U18. There will be about 455 teams total at this tournament which is awesome because it shows that volleyball is growing rapidly.  For the U14 category, there are three categories, club, open, and USA.  My team is in the club category which is the lowest category but it will still be competitive.
      My team plays early Saturday morning and we play three games on Saturday.  After we play the three games we can go back to the hotel and go swimming.  I am so excited for this weekend because Sunday is my birthday and I get to do my favorite thing, volleyball.  Every year on my birthday or around my birthday, I get to pick where we go for dinner.  This year I chose to go to Morton's steakhouse, a really fancy steakhouse in Boston near my hotel, and I am thrilled that I can go to this restaurant. I can't wait to get to Boston and play volleyball and spend my birthday in Boston with some of my best friends and family.