I was playing this weekend when my partner posted this video. I thought it displayed several excellent lessons for indoor volleyball setting that I feel the majority of coaches often miss, either because they do not play beach or simply haven’t been exposed to enough beach volleyball. Now, given that setting has been statistically determined to be the second and fifth most important skill in women’s volleyball (see study), I thought this would be immensely valuable.

Keep in mind, however, that these tips are primarily for non-setters who are setting off of broken plays.

1. Get your feet there early. And yes, I struggled with this a lot, you’re far from alone 🙂
2. Square your shoulders to the target early, which helps your partner know where you’re setting.
3. Don’t fake out anyone! Make it easy for your hitter to know where you’re setting.
4. If you’re not sure if you can use your hands, “Play it safe, play it underhand” and set with your platform.
5. It is better to set the ball off the net and inside rather than tight and outside.
6. It is better to set the ball high rather than low and fast.
7. Have the trajectory of the ball finish up and down in as much of a straight line as possible. This makes it far easier for your hitter to read the trajectory of the set and attack the ball either with a hard swing or a well-placed shot.
8. When bump setting, roll the ball off your platform to create forward topspin, which makes it easier for your attacker to get over-top of the ball and hit it down with force or have better shots.

I often find that the majority of non-setters forget these easy rules. Remember: If you’re a non-setter and you’re caught setting, that generally means it’s a broken play, so don’t try to be a hero and fake out anyone! “Better the ball!” Trust your hitters and give them the best chance to attack the ball by setting them a readable, up and down, well-zoned, forward-spinning set.

Then sit back and listen to all the praise they receive. Welcome to the life of a setter, where the glory is reserved for everyone but you. 🙂

More Resources:
1) Instructional videos and drills for indoor volleyball setting.
2) Instructional videos and drills for beach volleyball setting.
3) Learn more about Volleyball1on1 Coaching System and how Andor Gyulai and his trained Volleyball1on1 instructors can visit your gym and teach you and your players. – Click Here!