15 club volleyball tryout tips from a Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee and elite club coach who's helped hundreds of athletes navigate tryouts successfully.

A Joust in Volleyball
A Blocker vs Hitter Holds The Ball Over The Net

The joust in volleyball explains what to do if you're a hitter who gets a ball set too close to the net and you find yourself in a joust with the opposing blocker.

Tips on Volleyball Attacking Win The Joust Like A Queen of the Court: A joust occurs when both a blocker and a hitter contact the ball when its above the net, at the same time. (Ralph Arvesen)

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Here's how to win a joust in volleyball.

These hitting tips are effective skills you can use when the ball is set too close to the block and you both go up and contact the ball, at the same time, over the net.

If you and another player contact the ball at the same time over the top of the net this spiking and blocking action is called a joust in volleyball. (Michael E. Johnston)

Tips on The Joust in Volleyball
Be The Last Player To Touch The Ball

If you and another player contact the ball at the same time over the top of the net, this spiking and blocking action is called a joust.

Tips on the joust in volleyball: A joust occurs when both a blocker and a hitter contact the ball above the net, at the same time. To win the joust try and be the last person to touch the ball.

In 99% of the cases if two players go up to attack a ball that's located exactly halfway over the net and if they both end up contacting the ball at the same time over the net, then its the second player who touches the ball last who has the advantage.

Tips on Volleyball: A joust is when both a blocker and a hitter contact the ball when its above the net, at the same time. (CE Andersen photo)

Tips on the joust in volleyball: A joust occurs when both a blocker and a hitter contact the ball above the net, at the same time. To win the joust try and be the last person to touch the ball. (CE Andersen photo)

You want to wait as long as you can before you put your hands on the ball to push it over into the opposing court.

This blocking skill takes practice but its worth saving a tip gone bad or a ball that floats over the net too close to the block.

How To Win The Joust in Volleyball - How To Be The Last Person In the Air

Another way to score points with your spiking/blocking ability is to be the last player to touch the ball.

Yes, you'll be in the air last.

Yes, both arms penetrate over the net just as the player's arms on the other side are doing the same thing but

Yes, both arms penetrate over the net just as the player's arms on the other side are doing the same thing but

You HAVE to hang out for a millisecond longer and let them touch the ball first so they push the ball towards you while they are coming down from their block jump while you are pushing them up and back over when you are on your way up.

Study these tips on winning the joust in volleyball so you too increase your chances of getting the ball past the block with a difficult set so in a rally you score points against your opponents.

Joust in Volleyball:
Where Do You Go Now?

Okay here's where you need to go now! There are three options:

Learn more about Smart Tips by clicking the Related Links below. .
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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.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

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

katepriorallwestcoastconferencebyufreshmanformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

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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

April Chapple

Adopt a fearless attitude about hitting. Great hitters have confidence in their ability to hit against any block.

Become a tenacious tiger about hitting against a two-person block. Remember you have options making you effective against a two-person block.

Exploit the holes in the block. Look for holes between the middle blocker and the outside blocker in front of you. Aim your spike fearlessly right for that “seam.”

Ask your back row players, between plays, to tell you whether the middle blocker is late closing the block. They are perfectly positioned to help you see what is going on in the front row.

Use your back row players to help when you are in the front row. Ask them to tell what they see is open and what the other team is or is not doing.

Wipe the ball off the block. “Use” the block instead of always trying to hit past it. You can learn to wipe the ball off the hands of the outside block no matter how tall you are.

Spike the ball aiming for the outside arm of the outside blocker in front of you.

Hit the ball hard so it comes back off her arm and outside the sideline. Hitting like this keeps the defense from covering the ball, makes points, creates sideouts, keeps you in the game,

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

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

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Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

In It To Win It Tournament

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division

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Making A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division