Middle Blocker

 

When I was young, I played with a group of guys on a competitive volleyball team.  We traveled to tournaments on Saturdays and we won our share of trophies.

Volleyball is a team game where everyone is an equal, although different people have different strengths and abilities.  For example, being of average height, I was relatively small on a volleyball court, and I typically contributed by coming into a game to play defense in the back row.  Most of my teammates were taller and could jump higher and they were most effective in the front row at the net.

One of the guys on our team saw himself as the team leader, which meant he got us signed up to play in the tournaments, but he had no authority over anybody.  He played his position, like the rest of us.

He was tall and very athletic.  He had been a diver for Ohio State University in college.  He was also a prima donna, but he was charismatic and we liked him.

Source

There are six positions on a volleyball court and players rotate through each of them during a game.  Most people specialize and move into positions where they are stronger after the ball is served.

The three positions across the front row at the net are:  left-side hitter (red 4 in the diagram), middle blocker (3), and right-side hitter (2).  We always referred to the middle position as a "blocker" to emphasize the primary purpose of the role.

A middle blocker has to read where the ball is being set so they can close with their teammate on the left or right to form a "double block," which is four arms above the net forming a wall.  Hitters can usually beat a single-man block.

Our athletic friend insisted on playing in the middle position, but he did not play it well.  He insisted on getting higher sets which he would regularly pound to the floor and bounce into the bleachers during warm-up, but would be triple-blocked by the opposing team during games.  He refused to do the selfless work of threatening a fast attack to freeze the other team's middle blocker, like in the gif above.  That meant our outside hitters usually had to contend with a double-block -- four arms in their face.

He also did not have good technique for closing up a double-block.  He would not plant his foot and his sideways momentum would bring him down on top of his blocking teammate.  They did not like that and grumbled about it to the rest of us.

One day at practice, I tried to convince the big guy to change where he typically played.  I told him he would get more sets if he played in the left-side hitter position (4).  When our team's first contacts were bad passes, our setter's only option would be to push a high set out to the left-side position (4).  He told me he needed to play in the middle so he could block the other team's big guy in their left-side position (blue 4).  I told him part of playing in the middle is to be ready to receive quick sets for a fast attack.  He refused to do that, mainly because he couldn't do it.  I also explained how he was landing on his teammates.  He would not listen.

Finally, I told him, "You suck in the middle."  (Sorry about the language, but that is what I said.)

He glared at me.  I thought he was going to tear my head off.

We said nothing more to each other.

Click to enlarge.

A few weeks later, I noticed he was playing in the left-side hitter position.  He asked for shoot-sets to make it easier for him to avoid being double-blocked.  We gladly complied.  Other people, who had proper technique, took over blocking in the middle, and our big guy got more sets.

The team played better and was more successful.  I had taken a risk and confronted him, and it worked out for the best.

People need to be in roles where they can be most effective for the team.  They need to listen to their teammates and accept constructive criticism.

Here is a video of volleyball done right.  I love it.  Enjoy...