by Steve Hansell

Created on: September 20, 2010   Last Updated: December 03, 2010

In all levels of volleyball, good team play wins games. Mastering advanced plays wins championships.

It all still comes down to making a good pass, a good set, and and a good hit, but advanced plays require practice, communication,  speed the game up to keep the defensed off guard.

The Quick Set.

Quick sets are set to the hitters hands as they approach the net. They happen fast an depend on a good pass into the target area. The setter has to put the ball on target, a foot above the net so that the hitter doesn't have to adjust to the ball. A well executed quick set can catch the defense out of position and give the hitter more targets to find open space to the ground.

The Slide

A Slide Set happens when the middle hitter "slides" behind the setter. Succesfully accomplished, a slide set puts more distance between the two hitters, causing the defense to make a decision. A slide set can be short, middle, or long toward the antannae, and requires that there is good communication from hitter to setter. As the pass is coming to the target area, the hitter slides to the postion behind the setter, and just like a quick set, the setter sets it so the hitter doesn't have to readjust to the ball.

The Shoot Set

Shoot sets are more difficult for both setter and hitter because it's hard to recover from a mistake. Shoot sets are line drives from the setter to the hitter. The setter sometimes has to get the ball across the court with a lot of speed and timing. The hitter has to be ready and allow the setter to see that they are getting into position before the setter receives the ball, then make the jump just as the setter releases the ball from their hands. It happens very fast.

Advanced plays can make an offense much harder to defend, they just take some discipline and practice.

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