What are the volleyball positions?
Posted: 1/4/24
Last updated: 5/14/24
Written by: Thalia A. Urena
What are the volleyball positions?
As a high school volleyball coach one of the first questions new players ask is “What position should I play?!”. At the beginner level your coaches often choose what position you’ll play, and may even change it during your volleyball career.
When first starting you’ll most likely not get the position you’re hoping for, but instead the position your team most needs you for. Volleyball is a team sport, and being a team player starts with adapting and embracing the position your coach chooses for team.
In this post we’ll go over the volleyball positions, and some key traits I’ve noticed in successful athletes for each volleyball position.
We will talk about the…
Setter (S)
Opposite/right side hitter (RS/OPP)
Libero (L)
Defensive specialist (DS)
Middle (MH/HB)
Outside (OH)
Setter’s position:
Arguably the most important position on the court, the setter sets up the play every offensive rally. I’ve always introduced this position as the “quarterback” or the “point guard” of the team, giving the clear imagery of how vital a setter is for our offense. Just like the quarterback of football, the setter chooses who to distribute the ball to in our offense.
This hopefully results in our hitters getting a “kill” from the setter's set, or like a touchdown in football. Also resulting in the setter receiving an assist off of that kill.
Ideally, the setter gets every 2nd ball following a pass from their teammates. Since each play/individual rally is 3 touches, this show’s how often the setter (ideally) will be touching the ball in a game.
For beginner teams, your coach may run rotations with two setters, one in the front row and one in the back. Higher-level teams have the potential to run tougher rotations where only one setter is used. A setter needs to have strong connections with their hitters, and that comes with a lot of practice working together.
In my opinion a great setter has to have:
The best-setting hands on the team!
Quick on their feet. Your Libero’s passes won’t always be inside the 10 ft line, so a setter you needs to be “on their toes”, ready to run to the ball and set up a play. Especially at the beginner levels, setters need to be prepared to run… a lot!
Loud communication… like an annoying amount of communication. A quiet setter can cause a lot of miscommunication.
A player to look up/watch if you're interested in setting:
Micha Hancock.
I’ve watched Micha since her college volleyball days at Penn State, and she is my all-time favorite when it comes to setting. She is a strong lefty who sets up offensive plays while also contributing her own offensive stats with at the net. She is unstoppable, and is still playing at the professional level as an adult! She has a lot of footage on youtube of her entire career, and is most known for her insane serve!
Opposite hitter/Right side (RS/OPP):
Following the setter’s description, it only felt right to move straight into the setter’s “right-hand man”, which is the opposite (or right-side) hitter. For beginner teams you may run rotations that don’t have a opposite hitter, so keep that in mind when seeing what positions interest you.
The right side is set up on the opposite of a setter in rotation position. I categorize the right side as being the most versatile player on the court. The OPP (in certain rotations) will be switching with the setter every offensive play, so a connection between these two players is vital.
The right side can hit, (to the right of the setter… makes sense right?) and also block while the setter is in the back row. This gives your team more offensive opportunities which is a big advantage in comparison to only having two hitters.
In my opinion a great OPP/RS has to have:
Decent setting hands. If the setter touches the first ball the RS sometimes will set up the 2nd ball in place of the setter.
Strong passing abilities.
A strong serve, and offensive swing. The angle for RS hitting gives a great option when needing to pull an opponents blockers away from your MH and OH.
Hit that angle. Right sides have a great angle to hit from if utilized efficiently!
Read blockers/hitters well. In certain rotations right sides have to switch with the setter frequently. The sooner you switch (effectively) the better for your teams offense + defense!
A player to look up/watch if you're interested in RS/OPP:
Kendall Kipp
Kennedy Martin
Kendall Kipp is a well known, and phenomenal right side hitter currently in the women’s college volleyball (2023). She has versatility, and one of the highest kill percentages in the country. On the topic of versatility, Kennedy is a OH/RS who dominates wherever you place her on the court. She is fun to watch, and STRONG. Checking her statistics for the 2023 season, she finished with over 400 kills, while the 2nd place top kills for her team had over 200 kills. That alone shows how much Kennedy not only dominates at the net, but how well her team at Florida plays together (2023).
Libero:
Arguably one of the toughest positions on the volleyball court, the Libero position. The libero is the most noticeable player on the court since they wear a different color jersey than the rest of their team. This allows the libero to “run on” without a whistle substitution, creating an easy way to put in a stronger passer in the back-row. Typically Liberos are switched out for middle blockers/hitters.
The Libero is the best passer on the court, as well as the quickest on their feet. The Libero cover’s a lot of area on defense, and look over the entire court’s efficiency as well. This includes “covering” our hitters and blockers.
In my opinion a great Libero has to have:
The best passing abilities on the team. You’re the most efficient, and consistent passer on the team. You receive hard serves and hits during a match so it’s important to have a strong consistency of passing for this position.
Scrappy! A player willing to dive, and run all over the court to ensure a ball doesn’t drop. The ultimate key to “Defying Gravity” like our motto says! However, intentional scrappiness is better than chaotic scrappy of course… like diving on the floor when its not necessary to save a ball.
Light & quick on your feet. A great libero is “on their toes” ready to be constantly moving until the play is dead.
Strong communication skills. You are the leader in that back-row. Think of this role as being the person in the front of a tug of rope line, with many people behind them listening for their next instructions.
players to watch if interested in Libero:
Alexis (Lexi) Rodrigues
Zoe Fleck
These liberos dominated the 2023 defensive statistics for women’s NCAA volleyball. Both earning awards since their freshman year they show the agility, stamina, confidence, and HUSSLE it takes to be a great libero. Check out their highlights on youtube!
Defensive specialist (DS):
I don’t always utilize defensive specialists for my lineups. I usually prefer to keep my outside’s in than to continuously sub them out every 3 rotations. I have always used my libero to replace my middles in the back row, however.
Its still important to include the DS in this post because this changes every season, each team needs different variations of lineups! A defensive specialist (DS) is a player who is similar to a libero in some ways, but has differences to aid in a separate category of position.
This position requires consistent serve receive, digging, and overall passing to obtain a spot on the court. A DS is (ideally) only a back-row passer.
A defensive specialist is usually a substitute for a front row player, like an outside, once they reach the back-row. This is a great option for front row players who cannot serve or pass consistently, so the DS gets to step up to fill that role.
In my opinion a great DS has to have:
Consistent passing abilities. You work alongside the libero running the defense, so you need to be confident in your passing (serve, SR, digging, free balls)
Reads the ball quickly, and effectively.
A great serve. If you have a great serve as DS, you’ll allow yourself more time on the court. You’ll get to serve, and continuing playing defense in-between your serve. The longer your service, the more defensive reps you get!
Work effectively alongside the Libero.
Middle Hitter/blocker position:
The middle is a position with its own unique set of challenges. This admiration comes from me being a setter, and knowing how hard my middle’s had to work to watch the ball, watch me (staying out of my way), get ready to hit, block... There’s a lot to keep track of as a middle!
A MH/MB is responsible for defense and offense, allowing them opportunities to generate stats in multiple areas. The middle is usually the tallest player on the team, but not always as a shorter player can have a great vertical, or athletic ability.
The middle has the most blocking opportunities as they can block alongside the setter/opposite and the outside. They hit, and are known to not play in the back row to pass. Usually, this is where a Libero can switch in for them. So if you’re a tall player who’s nervous about being able to pass consistently, this might be the position for you!
In my opinion a great Middle has to have:
Athletic ability (Dur, I know… but hear me out!). While coaches can seem starry-eyed when a tall player enters tryouts an experienced coach knows that height doesn’t equate athletic ability. Great middles are formed through years of practice to learn how to move their body effectively.
Great timing. Timing on a block and swing is essential for its efficiency.
Quick, and intentional decision-maker. Reading your passers, and staying out of the setter's way (this will come with practice) will be important.
Strong swing, but a stronger “tricky” swing. Being right in the middle of the net gives the middle opportunity’s to hit around a block. A hard hit isn’t always going to win you the game, so having the ability to think quickly for a “tricky” play is what sets apart good, from great middle’s.
players to watch if interested in MH/Mb:
Asjia O'neal
Taylor Trammwell
Phenomenal MB/MH who were apart of D1 NCAA women’s volleyball rosters. Asjia is in the highest rankings for blocks, and if you watch her highlight videos on youtube… you’ll understand why! She reads the ball so well, something Taylor does as well! Taylor is great offensively, and when she gets that perfect quick set its unstoppable! Check out both women’s highlights on youtube.
Outside hitter:
Usually the most popular choice among new volleyball players, the outside position has many important roles. The outside hitter position is known for generating the most offensive kill stats due to the high distribution rate from the setter. This isn’t due to an individual player's abilities, but how passes end up going to the setter. Even a tough pass can be pushed to the outside by a setter, but the same can’t always be said about the middle and opposite.
This position is the most sought-after, but know how much work it will take to earn this spot! You’ll likely be competing with many other players, and some will have more experience so be prepared to work on your talent!
In my opinion a great Outside has to have:
Stamina. Going back to the distribution of sets, the outside will be very fatigued after one long rally, let alone a best of 3 varsity-paced match.
Communication skills. Calling for the ball after you’ve transitioned to hit so the setter can hear you... And set you!
Strong athletic ability.
players to watch if interested in Outside:
Logan Eggleston
Eva Hudson
Kennedy Martin
Logan dominated in the OH category, and its noticeable when you watch some of her highlights… her kills are efficient but also FAST. She is a strong, smart, and vital player for her Texas team. Eva had the top stat spot for # of kills in the 2023 season, she is efficient, smart, and consistent! Kennedy has already made a lasting impact as an outside hitter for the collegiate level. She is a tall, versatile player who sometimes moves to play RS/OPP as well. She is strong in every aspect of volleyball, and her outside hits are almost impossible to defend. Try to keep up with her as she continues her NCAA Volleyball career!
To wrap this all up…
There’s a lot to learn about volleyball, and we can’t fit it all into this blog post. I’ve learned about volleyball not only through playing but also by watching. I highly suggest you watch some NCAA volleyball matches. Immersing yourself in volleyball outside of the court can be one of the best ways to keep improving.
Know that volleyball is a sport that takes time, and patience. Even players with the most athletic ability are shocked when they aren’t automatically great at volleyball. It’s not one of those sports people are excelling at their first week of trying.
So, how you will continue to train and learn in your off-season? Wherever you are in your volleyball journey, be proud that you’ve found a hobby of interest, and are trying to learn more about it!
However, once you get that first perfect (pass, set, hit, serve, block, dig) you may not want to leave the sport of volleyball ever again!
I wish you the best of luck in your volleyball career, and I hope to see you in another blog post!
-Coach T.