What Is A Dig In Volleyball? 9 Ways How To Improve Your Digging Skills

What is a dig in volleyball and how do you learn to dig well behind your block so you can see which balls you need to defend and keep off the floor in a rally. 

What is a dig in volleyball? 

To dig a ball means you prevent a hard hit spike or an attack hit ball from the opposing team by

• placing your platformed arms held together...in the path of the ball to deflect it up in the air to keep it from hitting your team's court floor.

With the information below, you'll learn quickly how to improve your digging skills with this easy-to-read breakdown of the steps to take as a

• libero
• defensive specialist 
• back court defender

which starts from the moment the opposing team serves until after you finish your dig. 

How do you defend a spike in volleyball? 
Before the serve what are the four things you need to do in order to prepare to dig a ball?

How do you defend a spike in volleyball? - Before the serve what are the four things you need to do?

1. Verbally establish your defensive assignment and defensive position.  
2. Identify where the setter is as well as the number and location of eligible attackers. 
3. Know the style of offense of the opposing team (Do they set high outside balls? play-set combinations?, Do they quick set or does their setter dump? etc.) and identify the probable options.   
4. Do you know the opposing team's hitter tendencies? 

1. Verbally establish your defensive assignment and defensive position.  Talk about this to your teammates between plays.                                         

• Does the opposing team set high balls to the outsides or do they run quick plays?
• Are you digging line or cross court?

• What team defense are you playing and where do you need to be in that defense?

•  Behind the block? deep down the line?
• Do you cover tips to the middle or do you cover the seam between the block?

As a digger you need to know the answers to these and you communicate/confirm this to your blockers and other diggers

2. Identify where the setter is as well as the number and location of eligible attackers.                            

• Is the setter front row? If so tell your teammates and locate the other two front row eligible hitters.
• Is she backrow? Then locate the jersey number and location of the hitters and tell all your teammates both in the front row and backrow

3. Know the style of offense of the opposing team (high outside, play-set combination, quick set, setter dumps, etc.) and identify the probable options.                                                                    

• Who are you going to dig?
• Where in the backcourt are you going to dig them?
• Are you supposed to dig hard hits or run down the tips?
• Do you cover the seams? 

4. Do you know the opposing team's hitter tendencies? 

• Who tips all the time? 
• Who can only hit cross court? 
• Who hits on the way down from her spike approach? 
• Who has a slow armswing?

Click here to read more information about how to dig a volleyball. 

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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. 

No need to guess where you need to go now? Here are three options: 

1. Learn more about Skills in Volleyball by clicking the related links below.

2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)

3. Or visit the pages in the How To Play section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started

4. Before leaving this page Say "Hi" to O.I. Gotchu the Volleybragswag Octopus below. 

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!