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Outside Hitter Volleyball Position: Left Side Hitter Volleyball Tips

Want to excel in the outside hitter volleyball position? Learn responsibilities, techniques, training and match prep strategies for the team's left side hitter

The left side hitter playing in Zone 4 on the court, is located in an offensive position along the net that's the easiest for the setter who is always facing the left side of the court to set to, which is why the outside hitter can expect to receive a lot of sets during a rally and they must excel in all aspects of the game, by combining consistently strong attacking ability with strong passing and defensive skills. (Shots by Shanty)

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What is the outside hitter volleyball position?

An outside hitter in volleyball, also known as a left-side hitter, is the primary offensive weapon in volleyball.

How does an outside hitter differ from other positions?

Key distinctions include:

- Highest volume of attacks because the player in the left-side outside hitter volleyball position gets a lot of sets in a rally because the setter faces the left side which makes setting the ball to the outside the easiest place to set to on the court. The middle blocker gets low and quick sets and the opposite hitter gets sets that the setter has to set behind their head making these two player positions harder to set to.

- Primary passing responsibilities: the left side hitter is one of the primary passers in their team's serve receive lineup pattern usually on the left side of the middle of the court which makes it easier for them to transition outside the left sideline to attack the ball in a rally.

- Six-rotation expectations: I was always a six-rotation hitter because I worked on my backrow skills as much as my front row skills so that I wouldn't be substituted out of the game when I rotated to the back court. Most left side hitters want to be good passers and defenders so they can stay on the court the entire match.

- Varied attack options because the outside hitter volleyball player is usually referred to as the most athletic player on the team because they're required to pass, hit, block and play defense very well. This often places them in areas of the court where they need to attack from and they may not always be in the left front area of the court.

- Leadership role requirements: when much is asked of a particular player many times that player is seen as a leader because of their assuming a lot of the responsibility

- Defensive versatility: the left side of the court behind the ten foot line called Zone 5 has a lot of space to hit to by the opposing team's left side hitter since the cross court far corner is the area furthest away from the opposing hitter. Outside hitters who play defense in Zone which is the middle back area of the court behind the ten foot line requires the defender to cover the last one third of the court from corner to corner.

- Consistent serving demands because the outside hitter whose hitting technique in the front row is used, with a few minor tweaks when they become the server in the backrow, combined with their

jumping ability
upper body strength
ability to aim for a target on the opposing court and hitting that target

use these qualities to serve aces for points

What makes a great outside hitter?

The essential qualities needed by the outside hitter volleyball position includes:

- Strong jumping ability is important in order to outjump the opposing blockers but also jumping conditioning is just as critical and by that I mean the ability to jump alot over and over again during a rally

- Excellent ball control is essential when you're a primary passer that the opposing team is probably going to target and serve a lot in order to make you tired or to take you out of the offense

- Advanced court vision: my outside hitter volleyball players often work on staying behind the ball when they attack it so that when they hit the ball they can

see the court
see the open space their aiming for
see the blockers hands so they can wipe or tool the block if need be

- Quick decision-making which is often needed when a left side hitter has to decide whether to block at the net or come off the net to dig when a ball is set to the opposing team's middle blocker

- Physical endurance - see strong jumping ability above

- Mental toughness is necessary when an outside hitter volleyball player is given a lot of team scoring responsibility along with being required to perform your specific hitting and digging and passing skills consistently for long periods of time

- Adaptability is required because often the outside hitter hits balls and blocks balls on the left side of the court but sometimes in one rotation they may be required to do the same skills on the right side of the court if they dont have time to switch over to their base position

What are the primary responsibilities of outside hitters?

Core duties include:

- Attacking from position 4: Since the middle blocker plays close to the setter in Zone 3 and receives very low and very quick sets in that area, while the opposite hitter whose playing location is behind the setter in Zone 2 gets sets that have to pass over the head of the setter before it gets to Zone 2 first, so in many emergency situations which are also called "out of system" plays the outside hitter gets the "trash" or any of the non-perfect sets that don't go to the other two hitters in the front row because these two player positions are harder to set to without a perfect pass.

- Primary serve reception: the outside hitter is one of the primary passers in their team's serve receive formation often taking the responsibility of passing one third of the left side of the court

- Back row defense: after the libero and the setter, the outside hitter is the second or third best defensive player due to the need for them to cover large areas of the court while being ready to also attack from the backrow

- Offensive leadership: relied upon to call the ball when the setter is in trouble the outside hitter volleyball player has to be ready to score points in the toughest of situations whether falling backwards or while sitting on the floor or moving to from zone 4 to zone to zone 2

- Court communication: as another quarterback on the team if the libero isn't communicating the outside hitter has to talk about what they see and what they expect to happen in each subsequent play on offense and defense

- Strategic shot selection: being able to make yourself unpredictable is a core skill outside hitters want to have so that they can keep opposing team blockers and defenders guessing and off balance about what they're going to do to attempt to score a point

- Team motivation despite having all these physically and emotional responsibilities the outside hitter is also looked upon by many teams as the team motivator when the going gets rough.

How should outside hitters train?

Key training areas:

- Approach mechanics: I teach my outside hitters to approach a certain way based on the set they anticipate they'll get. In many situations there are times I like for my players to just take a two-step approach so we can run a faster offensive set

- Shot development requires doing a ton of reps in practice so the hitter can hit to a very specific spot on the court...on command

- Passing technique - doing a ton of reps with ever increasing tougher serves so that the hitter can pass a jump serve, a jump float or jump spin serve to the target so they can run their team offense plays

- Defensive positioning: learning to stay low, react fast, develop quick hand-to-ball reactions in order to keep the ball off the ground and in play

- Vertical jump training: needed to develop an increased vertical jump but moreso to develop jump conditioning so that you can jump over and over again for long periods of time

- Endurance work - see vertical jump training

- Mental preparation - staying mentally tough and not showing emotion when you make a mistake is an art. The minute you show that you're upset about anything, you make yourself a target and the opposing team kows exactly who to serve to or who to hit to in a rally

How important is passing for outside hitters?

Passing significance includes:

- Primary serve receiver
- System stability
- Offensive setup
- Defensive transition
- Rally continuation
- Team confidence
- Game flow control

What defensive skills are essential for the outside hitter volleyball position?

Key defensive elements:

- Reading opponents
- Block coverage
- Dig positioning
- Transition footwork
- Court awareness
- Communication
- Emergency play execution

How can outside hitters improve their game IQ?

Strategic development through:

- Film study:

My Vegas Volley 18s teams have Balltime to use to study game highlights that we film during our tournaments. We get an asst coach or a parent to set up a tripod and film each game. Then we upload the film when we get home from our three day tournament then our players who all have accounts set up while they're playing for the club season go through the video and pick out their best highlights based on their position to both study or to make a highlight video to send to coaches. Check out my Class of 2025 Vegas Volley 18s libero Greg Jenkins.

- Pattern recognition

-Situational awareness

- Strategy discussions

- Game analysis

- Position-specific training

- Mental repetitions

How should outside hitters prepare for matches?

Match preparation includes:

- Scouting reports review
- Physical pre-game warm-up
- Mental visualization
- Nutrition planning
- Rest management
- Team coordination

What challenges do outside hitters face?

Common challenges:

- Physical demands: Left side hitters will get a greater percentage of sets from the setter because they're in the easiest location along the net for them to set.

- Consistent performance: requires a goal oriented personal strategy that you hold yourself responsible for to meet short term skill goals each match

- Defensive pressure whether learning how to apply it or learning how to live with it in a game

- Mental fatigue: learning how to stay focused and stay concentrated through longer and longer rallies

- Technical adjustments based on what the opposing team is doing the outside hitter may have

to adjust their pass angle, or
change the area that they need to block against a certain hitter, or
change the timing of their block against a certain a certain hitter or
in defense play deeper in the court to cover a far angle in the court that an opposing hitter is scoring points

- Strategic adaptation - see above

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

Learn more about the outside hitter volleyball position below.

Right Side Hitter Volleyball Stuff The Strength Of The Opposite Side
Discover what makes the right side hitter volleyball position essential with responsibilities, training tips and strategies for mastering this dynamic position.
Setters Volleyball Player Roles, Rules and Responsibilities Explained
Setters volleyball player responsibilities are to run her team's offense and they call the plays hitters run against blockers like a quarterback in football.
Left Side Hitter Volleyball Mastery Of The Outside Hitting Position
Discover what makes the left side hitter volleyball position essential with responsibilities, training tips and strategies for mastering this dynamic position.
Playing The Opposite Position in Volleyball: Tips, Skills and Strategy
Everything you need to know about playing the opposite position in volleyball discover essential tips, skills, and strategies for mastering this crucial role.
The Volleyball Opposite Hitter: Learn Essential Skills and Strategies
Discover what makes volleyball opposite hitters unique. Learn key skills, essential responsibilities, and training tips for excelling in this dynamic position
The Opposite Hitter In Volleyball: Right-Side Skills Strategies Tips
What you should know about the opposite hitter in volleyball position from blocking to attacking strategies to help you understand this versatile position.
The Middle Blocker Volleyball Position Offensive and Defensive Duties
A middle blocker is the team's primary defensive presence at the net, responsible for blocking opponent attacks and running fast and quick offensive plays.
Being A Left Handed Volleyball Setter in the Front Row Has Advantages
For a left handed volleyball setter who receives a good pass, the ball will get to your dominant hand first, which means that you can dump the ball faster.
Volleyball Setter Position: What Makes A Good Setter And Team Leader?
Like quarterbacks in football, the volleyball setter position requires the setter to run the offense by deciding the volleyball plays her offense will run.
Volleyball Positions on the Court: Backrow Rotations in Volleyball
Learn the descriptions and the different backrow volleyball positions on the court and how the rotation in volleyball works in the backrow player positions.
Volleyball Positions and Rotations 3 Front Row Positions in Volleyball
Learn the descriptions and what the different volleyball positions and rotations work for each of these front row player positions.
Volleyball Positions: What Are The Six Volleyball Roles On The Court?
Here's an extensive breakdown of the volleyball positions on the court you can pick to specialize in.including setter, hitter, opposite, middle blocker libero.
The Volleyball Outside Hitter: How To Be The Smart Spiker On Your Team
A volleyball outside hitter has options for scoring against opponents to score points including tipping deep or short in the court to mix up your attack hits.
The Setter Volleyball Position Five Traits Good Setters Always Have
The player in the setter volleyball position gets to every second ball in a rally to set that ball to a hitter who attacks it for a point or sideout.
The Setter In Volleyball: How and Why You Set The Ball To Your Hitters
Be a setter in volleyball who knows how to run an effective offensive attack with two or three front row hitters to beat the block and opposing defense.

Dear Volleyball Mom Do You Know What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas? You should learn what my private volleyball training mission says before considering hiring me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.

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What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas? You should learn what my private volleyball training mission says before you hiring to me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

utkaprilcollegepiconneylandstadiumvideoboard

Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

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info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021