It was the start of the first season of sports. The two SAISA sports that will be opening will be volleyball and swimming. I planned to try again to make the SAISA Volleyball team since last year I wasn’t able to travel to Mumbai for its Volleyball SAISA there. So, I did it. I came to the first training with motivation to do my best and prove myself to our coaches that this time I will be part of the squad. Coach Sue and Coach Janaka are the boy’s team coaches and help us to develop physical volleyball skills likewise, the continuous push and drive they had on us helped prepare us for what will come later on as we develop as a team. I knew that tough training session will only do us as a team a benefit especially when the time comes to go to SAISA.

Our training routine normally consists of three parts; the beginning where when we warm up, the middle where we do activities or drills, and at the end where we play a game then stretch off which is something I’m proud to lead. At the start of training, we all do a 2-lap jog around the court where we split up, with half the team on either side of the net. The team captains, Jordan and Luca lead the mobility stretches which mainly focuses on loosening and pumping oxygen into the muscles so that we don’t get injured. Some of the stretches consist of lunges, jumping; where we imitate the action to run up to attack the net, high-knees, bum flicks and the squatting position to bump a ball. We focus on stretching the hamstrings, hip, quadriceps, triceps, biceps, calves, and back, neck and shoulder muscles.

The second part of our volleyball session usually includes an activity where we try to improve our blocking positioning and quadriceps muscles. We jump over the net to block usually 80 times depending on the turnout of a player to training with 15-second breaks after 10 reps for 8 sets. We split into partners to begin warming up activities to prepare to set and bump. It is also a way to make us start moving and practice. I usually partner up with Rizqi since we are both setters in the team. We then move on to doing some spiking practice as well as serving since those are an important element of the game. We also play games where we go 2 v 2 and the winner stays on out of 3 points and then the next team of pairs goes on.

In the end, we play a game. The coaches try to pick the players they want to play on Friday which is a day where we play friendly games against local schools. In the game, we try to practice different hand signals we learned, and especially since I’m a setter I need to be comfortable with each hand signals. Sometimes I forget what each signal for which something is I need to work on. For example, A high is a signal for the middle player on the frontcourt to spike or A quick which is also for the middle front player to spike. The only difference is the use of high or quick which means that if I use the signal A high the ball is going to be given high which gives more time for the spiker to hit and for A quick it will be given short and means that the spiker needs to arrive at the ball quickly. There are lots of other signals which helps to confuse the opposition to where the setter will give the ball and the position of the spiker to hit. However, the signal given by the setter needs to be discrete and unnoticeable for it to work. Keep in mind that hand signals are differently portrayed depending on your country or tradition.

 

 

The 4 fundamentals of Volleyball – 

Serve: To be able to serve overhand you will need to have the correct body posture. Keep your feet shoulder width apart with the foot opposite your hitting hand needing to be slightly forward for balance. Then, toss the ball with either arm you prefer. Remember the toss can only we done once meaning, once you throw the ball you must hit it. It takes lots of practice to get the consistency right with the correct height for you to hit. The next move is to then hit the ball. You must try to hit the ball using the heel of your hand. The palm area and below where you can feel your bone. Remember to spread your fingers and make the contact at the center of the ball. With enough power and the correct connection, the ball should go over the net with a straight trajectory.

 Bump: To bump first make a fist with your dominant or non-dominant hand and you’re your other hand around it. It just depends on your preference and comfortability to which hand you want to start with. Make sure you have both your finger side by side. Then, stretch your arms out from your body to create a platform with your forearms. Keep your legs spread apart and bent similarly to when squatting. When hitting the ball make sure you keep your arms straight. You must not swing your arms up but only your legs and shoulders should be moving. This will help to get accuracy and the height on the ball. Sometimes the ball might end up being to your right or left meaning you need to stretch. Keep in mind you should not bend your arms, so this means that you need to lunge either side, keeping one leg straight and the other bent while shrugging your shoulders up and push your legs up when receiving the ball.

 Set: Setting and bumping are similar due to that they are both ways to pass to a teammate or to keep the ball in play by putting the ball over the net. However, they are quite different in technique. Firstly, when receiving the ball, you must stand facing the ball with your hands above your forehead. Setting is usually the second hit of a play once a ball is served before the bump then set for the spike. Your fingers should be spread out and make a triangle shape with your index and thumb close to each other. When contacting the ball you must make your wrists flexible and able to rotate to different positions for the attack. The triangle created is more of a way to aim for contact but when in contact slightly spread them wider apart for more power and accuracy. From your bent arms, extend them while facing your teammate and release for the follow through. Depending on which set you will give if you are the setter the follow through will vary in length for the different spikes. For example, quick a would have a shorter follow through since the move needs to be done quickly compared to A high which needs a full follow through to get the correct height.

 Spike: To spike, I believe the run-up is the most important part of the whole move. In OSC’s gym, it is a good start to begin your run up on the blue line. Start by taking a step with either your dominant or non-dominant foot whichever you prefer. The other foot comes in front and then the first foot you took with the first step meets the second steps foot together. At this point, your knees should be bent and on the black line of the court. Using your arms to jump, Swing them up and fast. Keep in mind before spiking, you must first try to determine the trajectory of where it will be, then make your adjustments before running up. Make the contact with the ball with your knees still bent and both arms in the air for balance. When the ball is still above the net or when you’re at maximum height use the heel of your hand to hit the ball downwards into space. Make sure your landing is not interfered by hitting the net or running into the blocker at the other side of the net. One of my tips when spiking is to try just get the ball over and into space. Power will be more efficient later with more practice and height in your jump.