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Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

Volleyball Offensive Strategies, Tactics and Plays That Setters Run

Volleyball offensive strategies, volleyball plays and tactics that setters run from easy to complex, beginners learn setter strategies to run the team attack.

A setter runs volleyball offensive strategies called "plays" with a series of slow or fast sets that they deliver to one of their hitters.

While fast sets are lower to the net, slow sets are higher sets pushed 8 - 10 feet well above the top of the net.

Fast sets are used to beat the blocker with speed. A setter sets quicker paced balls that are harder for the middle blocker to track, chase or get in front of the hitter to block against.

Slower sets are often used to beat the block with powerful hitters with great vertical jumping ability.

Setters with high jumping outside hitters and/or powerful strong hitters may choose to slow down their sets and rely on their hitters ability to jump and reach higher than the block, aim for the seam of the block and power through the block to score a point with their spike.

Each player on offense will get a hand signal as to the type of set they will get.

When all the hitters run the play together that's called a "combination play."

Easy Volleyball Offensive Strategies: The Four Set, The One Set, The Five Set

Volleyball offensive strategies, volleyball plays and offenses that setters run. From easy to complex, learn the strategies setters use to run the team.

The "4 - 1 - 5" play is the play most commonly run by setters and is one of the first volleyball offensive strategies a beginner player learns.

This a high ball set to each of the front row hitters, except the middle blocker.

The only person who gets a quicker lower set in this offensive combination play is the middle blocker, who on a good pass, will approach the setter with a three-step spike approach and attempt to a hit a quick and low set called a "one" that's 1-2 feet in the air right in front of the setter in Zone 3.

Volleyball Offensive strategies: The "4 - 1 - 5" play is the play most commonly run by setters and is the easiest offensive play to learn. (Tennessee Journalist)

The "Four" is a very high ball delivered to the player in Zone 4.

This is the type of set that setters use the most . With an imperfect pass, they can still get to the ball and deliver it to Zone 4 easier than they can to the middle (Zone 3) or right side (Zone 2) position.

After the pass, the setter gets to the ball, then squares her hips to face Zone Four.

With her body under the ball and hands outstretched above her forehead the setter pushes the ball high to the ceiling towards Zone Four so once the ball peaks 8 - 10 feet in the air, it comes down just inside the antenna closest to the first referee and 1-2 feet off the net.

The "Five" is a high ball set delivered to Zone 2.

The setter contacts the ball with all ten fingers above her forehead, but then she pushes it behind her, high towards the ceiling so that it drops just inside the antenna closest to the second referee, inside the court and a foot off the net.

Volleyball Plays and Positions For Front Row Hitters

Offense Volleyball Plays
Fast Sets To The Outside Hitter

The most common offense volleyball plays set to the left side:

The "Hut" - a medium high/medium speed rainbow shaped set that falls inside the left antenna after peaking 5-6 feet above the net
The "Go" - a fast speed/low set with little-to-no-arc that that travels almost parallel to the net before it falls inside the left antenna after peaking 3-5 feet above the net. The set is also called a "front shoot" set.

Volleyball Offensive Strategies
Quick Sets To The Middle Blocker

The most common volleyball offensive strategies set to the middle:

(Back)

The "A" set is a high speed set 1-2 feet high that falls just behind the setter's back. This set is also called a "back one."

The "slide" set is a flat high speed back set that falls just 4 - 5 feet away from the setter between Zone 3 and Zone 2 after peaking 1-3 feet as it travels across the top of the net.

It's called the slide because the middle hitter takes a four-step one-footed takeoff spike approach and glides/slides to the ball before hitting it at the peak of her jump and at the highest point of the set.

(Middle)

The "one" set is 1-2 feet in the air and is located a handshake away from the setter in Zone 3. This set is often called the "quick" set

The "31" set also called a "3" set is a high speed set that falls just 4 - 5 feet away from the setter between Zone 3 and Zone 4 after peaking one foot above the top of the net. This set is based on a location along the net and not where the setter is so its often delivered to the same spot on the court.

Volleyball Offensive Strategies Fast Sets To The Opposite/Right Side Hitter

The "red" set is a medium high speed back set that falls just 3 - 4 feet away from the setter to Zone 2 after peaking 1 - 3 feet above the top of the net and falling just inside the antenna closest to the second referee in Zone 2. The "Red" set is also known as a "back shoot" set.

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.

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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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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