The Defensive Specialist in Volleyball: A Beginners Explanation
Posted on: 2/17/25
Last Updated: 2/17/25
Author: Thalia A. U.
THE Defensive Specialist (DS) EXPLAINED FOR BEGINNERS
Volleyball positions are an important part of enhancing your knowledge of the sport as each one has its own strengths and sets of challenges. That’s why I have created a blog series where I explain each position within our sport from the fundamentals, position attributes, and professional players you can learn from.
This sixth, and final post in the series is all about the Defensive Specialist (DS)! Parts one, two, three, four, and five covered the Setter, Libero, Middle, Outside, and Opposite… so be sure to check those posts out as well.
In this post we will go over:
1) What is the DS position + What are they responsible for?
2) Attributes of a phenomenal DS
3) Coach T’s Defensive Specalists to watch
1) WHAT IS THE Defensive Specialist POSITION, & WHAT DO THEY DO?
The Defensive Specialist, also known as DS, is a position with its own unique set of challenges and responsibilities, and is typically one of the 6 positions on a volleyball court during a match.
A defensive specialist is considered to be a defensive player (I’m sure you could of guessed that!) who has a key role in back-row defense, typically coming off of the bench to enhance the teams serve-receive and digs.
The Defensive specialist is different from the libero however, since the DS has to substitute each time they come off the bench, while the libero gets to run off/on the court without substituting. The DS also has the same color jersey as their team-mates, which differs from the libero.
Similar to a “6th man” in basketball, the defensive specialist is a key player who comes off of the bench to fill in those defensive gaps other positions may have. For example, a middle blocker may have amazing qualities at the front-row but substituting them out once they get to the back-row 1 position for a DS…who is specialized in defense… helps fill those 3 defensive rotations (1, 6, and 5)!
It’s clear the DS is an impactful position on the court, so let’s dive into what attributes a great opposite hitter has to further explain the position.
2) Attributes of a phenomenal DS
A phenomenal DS typically has these attributes:
Adaptability + strategic thinking
Consistent ball handling
Quick/agile
Team Player
. Communication Skills
Adaptability + strategic thinking: As we learned the DS is a position that (typically) comes off of the bench to play in the back-row for another position who is mainly focused on front-row (ex: outside, middle, right side, etc). This means a great DS can quickly see what the team needs defensively right when they step onto the court… adapting their strengths and strategy to best fit the teams needs.
Consistent ball handling: This is of course a given, but it is the main attribute a great DS will harbor. This means a DS can consistently forearm, and overhand pass. This also includes serve-receive passing and digging consistency.
Quick/Agile: In order to be a consistent ball handler as a DS you need to be quick, and agile. The best defensive passers are light on their feet, move to the ball, and are quick to react.
Team Player: As a player who (typically) comes off of the bench to substitute in for another team-mate, you need to have a team player mindset. You are not competing with the libero (the leader on defense) to see who’s the ”best”, you’re working with the libero to be the best defensive back-row team. This comes with confidence, and trust within your coaches and team-mates.
Communication skills: All volleyball players need to communicate, but a defensive specialist needs to excel at communication as they often enter the court after a set has started, and work alongside the other back-row players for defense.
3) COACH T’S Defensive Specialists TO WATCH
The best way to get better at volleyball can be done not only by getting repetitions yourself but also by watching the sport.
Here are the Defensive Specialists that you can watch and learn from:
Lexi Gin: A Freshman DS playing for Penn State University. Check out her high school/club highlights on Youtube!
Jocelyn Nathan: A Sophomore DS playing for Penn State. Check out her libero club highlights on youtube!
Mattie Casale: A freshman DS/Libero playing for Purdue Volleyball. Check out her Libero/DS highlights on her instagram!
Jada Wills: A recent graduate from Drake who is a DS/Libero. Check out her highlights as she was ranked the 1st in digs for the 2025 season!
IN CONCLUSION…
There is a lot that goes into volleyball, but learning the positions is a great place to start when looking for improve your knowledge of the game.
If you are looking to become an DS I strongly suggest you do your “homework” by watching the Defensive Specialists I mentioned, or finding your personal favorites to learn from (watch full matches!). This alongside a lot of repetitions and coaching will help you improve tremendously in not only the DS position, but volleyball skills in general.
Be sure to check out the YouTube video linked at the top to get extra information and tips!
Hope to see you in a future blog post!
-Coach T