Plan to watch UK-Texas but you’re new to volleyball? We’re here to help.
No. 2 seed Kentucky plays No. 4 seed Texas in the championship match of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Saturday night at the CHI Health Arena in Omaha.
Safe to say, Big Blue Nation will be tuning in to the 8 p.m. broadcast on ESPN2. And safe to say, at least a slice of the BBN viewership will be not all that familiar with all of the women’s volleyball rules or the terminology used on the broadcast.
We’re here to help with sort of a volleyball primer.
Basic rules: Six players per side, three on the front row and three on the back row. You are allowed three hits per side. A player may not hit the ball twice in succession. The team that wins the point gets credit for the point whether it is the team serving the ball or receiving serve.
Hitting percentage: Probably the most important statistic in volleyball, hit percentage is calculated by taking a team’s total number of kills, subtracting errors, then taking that number and dividing it by the number of attacks. Individually, if a player has 10 kills and five errors out of 20 attacks, her hit percentage is .250. Anything above .300 is considered excellent. Coming into the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky led the nation in hit percentage at .361. Texas was third at .344.
Kill: A kill occurs when a team’s attack is unreturnable by the opponent, leading to a point for the offensive team. The ball does not have to initially hit the floor to be a kill. But if it cannot be returned to where the opponent can set up an attack, it is considered a kill.
Error: An attack error occurs when the ball is hit out of bounds or into the net, resulting in a point for the other team.
Dig: A dig occurs when a player passes the ball which has been attacked by the opposition. Often, this is performed by the Libero, receiving the serve from the opposing team. If she is able to receive the serve and starts an attack, it is considered a dig.
Libero: The Libero is a designated back-row player who wears a different color jersey than her teammates. She can only play on the back row and is not allowed to attack. If subbed out, the Libero can only replace the person who replaced her. That substitution does not count against the 15 substitutions a team is allowed per set. Gabby Curry is Kentucky’s Libero.
Setter: A setter usually handles the second contact by a team and sets up a team’s attack. Madison Lilley is UK’s setter. She’s also the SEC Player of the Year and the AVCA Player of the Year. Lilley has a particular talent of setting the ball high for her teammate to complete a kill. If the kill is successful, the setter is credited with an assist.
Side out: A side out occurs when the team receiving the serve scores the point. It must then rotate clockwise one position before serving. After the ball is served, players on the front row are allowed to switch positions.
Pancake: A pancake occurs when a player extends a hand flat on the floor, palm down, letting the ball hit off the back of the hand. This keeps the play alive.
Swing: The swing is when an attacker winds up to spike the ball on a kill.
Back row: A player on the back row of three players is not allowed to attack a ball above the plane of the net or block a ball above the plane of the net. A back row player can attack the ball as long as she begins her jump behind the 10-foot line.
Net violation: A player is not allowed to touch the net at any time. Nor can a player go under the net.
Ace: Just like in tennis, an ace occurs when the receiving team is not able to touch a serve.
Antennae: You may notice a striped pole at the end of each net. If the ball hits the antennae, it is considered out.
Fifth set: In the first four sets, a team must score 25 points and be two points ahead to win the set. In the fifth and deciding set, the first team to 15 by two wins the match.
Basic volleyball rules and terminology
College volleyball rotation explained
Saturday
No. 2 seed Kentucky vs. No. 4 Texas
What: Championship match of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament
When: 8 p.m. EDT
Where: CHI Health Arena in Omaha, Neb.
TV: ESPN2
Records: Kentucky 23-1, Texas 27-1
Series: Texas leads 14-3
Last meeting: Texas won 3-1 on Sept. 7, 2018, at Austin, Texas
This story was originally published April 24, 2021 at 9:21 AM.
