ATLANTA, Ga (January 29, 2025) - The volleyball season has already started, and if you’re a new volleyball fan, now is the time to learn all the volleyball terms so you know what to expect and what is going to happen during a Vibe match.
At its core, volleyball is an epic game of “don’t let the balloon hit the ground.” There are six players on each side of the court for each team at any given time, and each of those players are responsible for defending their side of the court against the other team’s offensive moves and executing their own offensive moves against the other team.
There are five main positions in volleyball:
Setter: Setters are to volleyball what quarterbacks are to football; they are in charge of controlling and staging the offensive plays that the team makes. The setter will touch the ball every play to help direct it to the hitters who will then execute the attacks. Setters can set from the front row or the back row, depending on the system the team is playing.
Libero: Liberos are the easiest to spot on the court; they wear a different colored jersey than the rest of their team. They are responsible for digging attacks from the other team and leading the back row in serve receive. Often the best passer on the court, the libero is directed to take up as much court as possible, ensuring they are more able to pass the first serve. Another important detail about liberos is that they are only allowed to play in the back row of the court.
Middle Blocker: Middle blockers play in the front row of the court and are the first line of defense against attacks coming over the net. Middle blockers are generally the tallest players on the team and play a pivotal role in defending their team’s side of the court, but they also have opportunities to make offensive plays as well. While they are technically called “middle” blockers, this position is responsible for defensively covering the right and left sides of the net as well. Their skillset lies in being able to make quick defensive moves to either side of the net depending on where the opponents set the ball. When you see a middle blocker attack a ball, their sets are often very fast compared to other hitters, which is called tempo sets.
Outside Hitter: Outside hitters (or left-side hitters) generally play the front and back of the left side of the court and are the main attackers. Outside hitters are typically the go-to for offensive plays, as they most often have the most hitting attempts of any position. They also have the luxury of being a defensive force at the net for three rotations being a blocker or can stay in for all six rotations, playing back row defense as well. These players are known for being very versatile because of their necessity to be able to utilize almost all skills in volleyball.
Opposite Hitter: Opposite hitters (or right-side hitters) generally play the front and back of the right side of the court, and, like outside hitters, are responsible for offensive plays. However, their role slightly differs from outside hitters, as they are highly focused on blocking the other team’s outside hitters. The opposite hitters are typically the best blockers due to their location relative to the other team’s outside hitters. Some opposite hitters rotate to the back row as well, digging hard attacks from the opposing team.
Each team scores points by hitting the ball to the ground within the boundaries on the other team’s side of the court. Now that you have the gist of the game and the players, here are all the key game play terms you need to know:
Ace: An ace is a serve that immediately results in a point. The ball lands in the opposing team’s territory and is not passable or returnable.
Assist: An assist is when a player passes or sets a ball to a teammate who attacks the ball for the kill.
Attack: An attack is an offensive move where a player hits the ball over the net to the opposing team’s side of the court with the goal of scoring a point.
Block: A block is the defensive opposite of an attack. When the opposing team hits the ball over the net in an attack, it is the responsibility of the defense to jump up at the net to slow or deflect the ball from their side of the court.
Bump/Bump Pass: A bump/bump pass is when a player uses their forearms to receive or pass the ball.
Dig: A dig is a defensive move where a player dives to prevent the ball from hitting the floor. This move is usually made in response to the other team spiking the ball over the net.
Kill: A kill is an attack that results in a point for the team that spiked the ball & an instantaneous end of the play.
Pancake: A pancake is a defensive move where the defender dives at the last second to stop the ball from hitting the ground with an open hand. A pancake is generally a last resort move to keep the ball alive.
Serve/Server: A serve is the offensive move that begins a play; the server is responsible for hitting the ball over the net and into the opposing team’s territory.
Set/Setter: A set is a move where one player quickly makes contact with the ball to direct it to other teammates for an attack. Setting is most often accomplished by the setter.
Spike: A spike is virtually the same thing as an attack - it is an offensive movement where a player hits the ball over the net with significant speed and power, making it challenging for the other team to recover the ball. A spike is classified as a form of an attack, however not all attacks are spikes; other forms of attacks are tips, roll shots, cut shots, etc.
Tip: A tip is an offensive movement classified as an attack where a player dekes the other team by softly tapping the ball over the net when the other team’s defenders are expecting a powerful spike. This move is used to throw the other team off balance.
Volleyball is played in a best-of-five set match. This means that the first team to three wins will take the overall series win. Each individual match is decided by whichever team scores 25 points first, having to win by two points. If the match were to proceed to a fifth set, the final set would be played best to 15. Hope you learned more. going to your next Vibe match better equipped to understand the action-packed game!
About the Atlanta Vibe
The Atlanta Vibe is one of eight teams competing in the Professional Volleyball Federation’s historic second season in 2025. As Atlanta’s professional women’s indoor volleyball team and the city’s second fully professional women’s sports team, the Vibe continues to build a legacy in women’s sports. For more information, visit atlantavibe.com.
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