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.

The Volleyball Set Definition Setting Terms and Vocabulary For Setters

A set is an overhand contact of the ball, usually the second contact in a rally, made after a pass in serve receive or a dig in defense to redirect the ball to a hitter in the front row or back row by a setter to run the team's offense.

The volleyball set definitions explain different types of sets for first second third tempo sets that setters and hitters use to run offensive plays and tactics. (Tennessee Journalist)

The volleyball set definition explain different types of sets for first second third tempo sets that setters and hitters use to run offensive plays and tactics. (Tennessee Journalist)

What is a set in volleyball?

A set is an overhand contact of the ball, usually the second contact in a rally, made after a pass in serve receive or after a dig in defense to redirect the ball to a hitter in the front row or back row by a setter to run the team's offense.

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Volleyball Set Definition
Different Types of Volleyball Sets Spikers Hit In A Slow Offense
Third Tempo Sets

The following volleyball sets are slow tempo sets that beginner players usually learn how to hit first.

These sets are the highest and the slowest above the net giving the spiker much more time to take a spike approach that gets them to the ball in the air above the net so they can attack hit the ball into the opponent's court.

Volleyball Set Definition: The outside set is set by the setter or another player to one of the two outside hitters in the left front or right front position on the court. (Inky Hack)

The Outside Set

The outside set is delivered by the setter or another player to one of the two outside hitters, waiting to hit the ball in the left front or right front position on the court.

The Four Set

A four set is a high ball shaped like the letter A, which reaches a height of 10 to 15 feet and is set outside to the left front (LF) position on the court where it should come down three feet inside the court and three feet off the net just inside of the left antenna.

The Five Set

A five set is a high ball shaped like the letter A with an arc that reaches a peak anywhere from eight to ten feet that is a back set attacked from Zone 2 for the right front hitter.

This is an effective point scoring hitting strategy because it's hard for diggers to react to a ball that's been deflected by the block.

Volleyball Set Definition: A five set is a high ball shaped like the letter A with an arc that reaches a peak 8-10 ft that is a back set attacked from Zone 2 for the right front hitter.

The Two Set

The two set is set in front of the setter in Zone 3 which is in the middle of the net.

It's a ball set 2 - 3 feet in the air reaching a peak like the letter A and goes straight up and down about two feet in front of the setter along the net.

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The Volleyball Set Definition
Setting Terms
First Tempo Sets

Different Types of Volleyball Sets: Spikers Hit In A Fast Offense

The following volleyball sets are fast tempo sets that are delivered in front of the setter in Zone 3 or Zone 4 in the front row.

Fast tempo sets are the fastest paced balls delivered from the setter to the hitter in order to try and keep the opposing team's blockers off balance and unable to stop the attack hit at the net.

Volleyball Set Definition:The shoot set aka the 'Go" set is a high velocity flat set, that runs parallel to the net above it around 1-2 feet and lands in a 3x3 foot area in Zone 4. (Al Case)

The Shoot Set

The shoot set is a

high velocity flat set, that
runs nearly parallel to the net
at its highest reaches about 1-2 feet above/just under the top of the antenna and
lands within a three foot by three foot area in Zone 4.

The shoot set relies on precise timing and precision placement delivered primarily to the left side outside hitter.

The Half Shoot Set

The half shoot set is a high velocity set which at its highest reaches about 1-2 feet above the top of the net and lands one foot off the net between Zone 3 and Zone 4.

The half shoot set relies on precise timing and precision placement delivered primarily to the middle blocker.

Volleyball Set Definition: The half shoot is a high velocity set which reaches about 1-2 feet above the top of the net and lands one foot off the net between Zone 3 and Zone 4. (Michael E. Johnston)

The 31 Set

The "31" is a quick paced h alf shoot set usually to the middle hitter and lands four to five feet in front of the setter between Zone 4 and Zone 3.

When the "31 set" is run in advanced levels of competition the hitter is in the air just before the setter sets the ball then swings fast once the ball is delivered along the net in their arm swinging zone.

Volleyball Set Definition: The "31" is a quick paced half shoot set usually to the middle hitter and lands four to five feet in front of the setter between Zone 4 and Zone 3. (Ralph Arvesen)

The Three set

The three set is another name for the half shoot.

The three set, the half shoot and the "31" sets are pretty much all the same and vary only with a hitter's spike approach speed, their ability to jump and be up in the air and to time their or accelerate their armswing speed.

The One Set

also known as "the quick set"
most often set to the middle hitter in Zone 3
is 1-2 feet above the level of the net
is used to get a low fast paced ball past the opposing team's middle blocker before they have a chance to jump and block it at the net

Volleyball Set Definition: One Set also known as "the quick set" often set to the middle hitter in Zone 3 is 1-2 feet above the level of the net. (Michael E Johnston)

The Back One Set

also known as "the quick back set"
most often set to the middle hitter in Zone 3 right behind the setter
is 1-2 feet above the level of the net
is used to get a low fast paced ball past the opposing team's middle blocker before they have a chance to jump and block it at the net

Volleyball Set Definition: Nebraska runs a double quick a front quick and a back quick set. (John Carrel)

The Slide set

The slide set is like a half shoot set over the setter's head to Zone 2.

The slide is a

low flat fast paced set
about 1- 3 feet above the net and
is delivered nearly parallel to the top of the net
the middle blocker hits the slide with
a four step approach that leads her/him to take off on one foot to float or "slide" to the ball in the air towards Zone 2 before spiking it with a quick arm swing

The slide can be run so the ball is set so it falls in the right front positions on the court either right behind the setter or pushed further along the net closer to the right front antenna.

Volleyball Set Definition: The slide is a low flat fast set 1- 3 ft high delivered to the middle blocker who hits with a one foot takeoff to "slide" to the ball in the air (Craig Fildes)

Volleyball Set Definitions
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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.

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