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.

Volleyball Plays
Why A Setters Sets Vary In Speed, Height And Location

The offensive volleyball plays the team runs is determined by the setter who chooses the speed, height and location on the net of the sets the hitters will attack.

The offensive volleyball plays the team runs is determined by the setter who chooses the speed, height and location on the net of the sets the hitters will attack. (Al Case)

If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing time—this is the fix you’ve been looking for.

Struggling with passing consistency?

I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.

The setter calls the volleyball plays which are made up of different types of volleyball sets, that vary in

speed
height
location on the net

and are delivered in an overhand contact and called with the use of hand signals to each of their eligible hitters when running the team offense.

Volleyball Plays: Why Are There Plays in Volleyball?

When running offensive volleyball plays, volleyball setters must learn a series of ways to deliver the ball to their hitters.

They can choose to run slower offensive volleyball plays giving high balls to their hitters to attack.

Or they can choose to use a quicker offense distributing faster lower sets to their hitters to attack.

Volleyball Plays:
High Ball Slow Tempo Sets

High ball sets are the slowest but highest sets a setter delivers in most volleyball plays they call.

Zone 4

Four set - high ball 8 - 10 feet in the air delivered to the left side hitter

Zone 3

Zone 2

Five set - a high ball 6 - 8 feet in the air delivered over the head of the setter to the opposite hitter

Click here to learn how the setter uses the hand signals to tell the hitters what high ball volleyball plays they'll run in serve receive.

Volleyball Plays:
Medium Height Mid Tempo Sets

Medium height ball sets are the mid-tempo and medium height sets a setter delivers in most secondo tempo volleyball plays they call.

These sets are lower than the high ball sets and higher than the quick sets. They usually have more arc at the height of each set instead of a peak.

Zone 4

Hut set - medium high umbrella shaped ball 6 - 8 feet in the air delivered to the left side hitter and falls just inside the antenna

Zone 3

Two set - a ball set in front of the setter 2-3 feet in the air delivered to the middle hitter
Back Two - Same as above but behind the setter
32 set - an umbrella shaped set that falls between Zone 3/4 delivered to the left side hitter

Zone 2

Red set - a medium height umbrella shaped ball 6 - 8 feet in the air delivered over the head of the setter to the opposite hitter

Volleyball Plays:
Low Height Fast Tempo Sets

Low height quick ball sets are the fastest but lowest sets to a net that a setter delivers in most volleyball plays they call.

Zone 4

"Go" set - high ball 4 - 6 feet in the air delivered to the left side hitter at high speed

Zone 3

One set - a ball set in front of the setter 1- 2 feet in the air delivered to the middle hitter
Back One - Same but behind the setter
"31" - a ball set 4 to 5 feet in front of the setter - with the same speed and height of the Go set

Zone 2

Slide set - a back set 4 - 6 feet in the air delivered over the head of the setter to the middle hitter or opposite hitter who takes a one foot spike approach to attack the ball in Zone 2

Backrow Attacks

Sets to backrow hitters are delivered in four different areas in the backcourt and land just inside the ten foot line.

The backrow is divided in four sections starting from Zone 1 and moving to Zone 6 the invisible court sections are A, B, C and D.

Pipe

A - the A is a backrow set to Zone A

B - the Pipe is a backrow set to Zone B/C

C -

D - the D is a backrow set to Zone A

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Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!

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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.

Volleyball Plays:
Where Should You Go From Here?

Good times! Where do you need to go now? Here are three options:

Learn more about the volleyball setter player by exploring he Related Links below.
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the Volleyball Positions section in the drop down menu at the top of the page.
Reintroduce yourself to Miss Ricci the Raccoon, #5 , the setter and team captain for the All Beast VolleyBragSwag All Star Team.

Reintroduce yourself to Miss Ricci the Raccoon, #5 , the setter and team captain for the All Beast VolleyBragSwag All Star Team.

Explore my volleyball player's guide of setter information in the pages below!

Overhand Float Serve Volleyball Tips Score More Aces In Volleyball
With these overhand float serve volleyball tips discover two specific court zones you can serve to in order to increase the chances of scoring more aces.
10 Frequently Asked Questions On The Float Serve Volleyball Technique
I answer ten of the most frequently asked questions that I get about standing and jump float serve volleyball skill, technique and strategy used to score aces.
How to Float Serve in Volleyball: 6 Ace Scoring Tips And Strategies
Learn 6 tips on how to float serve to exploit opposing team weaknesses target weak passers or spot best court placement to increase your chances of scoring aces
Tactics for Volleyball: Go From JV To Varsity With Smart Serving Tips
Discover the tactics for volleyball serving that coaches don't teach. If smart serving could earn you more playing time, wouldn't you master these 6 strategies?
Volleyball Defensive Strategies How Does Blocking and Digging Work?
Volleyball defensive strategies are used between the front row blockers whose job it is to stop an attacker and diggers dig anything that gets past the block.
5 Hot Offensive Volleyball Strategies For Tipping the Ball For Points
5 offensive volleyball strategies on tipping: push the tip in the block, in a joust be last to touch the ball, tip deep, tip on a good set, tip over the middle.
Volleyball Back Row Attack: An Offensive Strategy For Setters To Use
These volleyball back row attack rules explain what can happen when your setter decides to set one of her back row hitters during a rally. What can or can't happen.
Volleyball Hand Signal: Fast Plays Setters Run To Zone 4, Z3, and Z2
Learn the volleyball hand signal used by setters to call fast offensive sets to run plays to their left, middle and right front hitters in zone 4, z3, and z2.
Volleyball Offense Strategies For The Various Sets That Setters Run
Learn different types of sets and the volleyball offense strategies that beginner players learn about how to attack balls in volleyball games and matches.
Volleyball Hand Signals: How A Setter Calls Offensive Volleyball Plays
Setters use volleyball hand signals to call the volleyball plays which are sets delivered at different speeds and locations to hitters to hit along the net.
Volleyball Offensive Plays: Set Combinations Setters Use in Offense
Learn the volleyball offensive plays and strategies the setters call so her hitters know what different types of sets she plans to run when she calls the plays.

If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing time—this is the fix you’ve been looking for.

Struggling with passing consistency?

Download my eBook for $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.

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.

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

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