Setting

13 Setting Laws to Live By:

1. Set the “HOT HAND”
If Someone has been hitting well, Keep Setting Them

2. Pick on the Weak Blockers
Once you find them, move your plays to overload that side of the court
This Works Especially well with SHORT Setters

3. Run the Middles, But Don’t FORCE the Middles
Running the Middle Well Opens up your outside Hitters
If the passes aren’t there and you FORCE the middles, it can pull them out of their game, and your defense will crumble

4. Set Your Hitters, not just TO your Hitters
Part of Being a Setter is Knowing your Hitters
a. Know WHO your hitters are (Front and Back Row)
b. Know where/How High/How Fast/Etc. Each Player Likes their Sets (Front and Back Row
c. Even on a Bad Pass, Set the Best Option
d. Don’t Forget your Back Row Hitters

5. Remember: Bad Hits Happen to Good Hitters
If One of Your Good Hitters makes a hitting Error, don’t be Afraid to Go Right Back to Him
a. A Good Hitter Will Learn From their Mistakes
i. If They Block Him Line, Next Time He’ll go Angle, etc.
ii. If they triple block, he’ll tip or go High Hands
b. If You Don’t Set Him Soon, you lose your Opportunity to Regain your confidence in him, and for him to regain his confidence in himself

6. Consistent is Better than Flashy
It Doesn’t matter how good ONE PLAY is, if you can’t back it up with a consistantly good offense
No one Wins Games with ONLY FLASHY PLAYS, but some try

7. Open your Middles by Running your Posts and Vice Versa
Outside Sets (Right or Left) need to be Pushed Out to the Antennas
Middle Sets need to be Quick

8. Dump with Purpose, NOT as a LAST RESORT
A Dump is an Offensive Tool, not an Act o Desperation
Remember: Dumps are Blind, Hitters can see their Blockers

9. Wait for the OPPORTUNE MOMENT
Big Plays AT THE RIGHT TIME change the Momentum of a Game
Wait for the BEST TIME to Strike
a. After the Other Team Misses a Serve
b. After they Make a Hitting Error (Especially into a Block)
c. After a Questionable Call (Either Side)
d. After a Time-Out
e. After a Big Play

10. It’s Never Anyone’s TURN to be Set
Don’t Set Someone Just Because they haven’t been set for a While, ALWAYS SET WITH A PURPOSE

11. If Something’s Working, Do it until it Doesn’t
If the Other Team Can’t Stop It, Keep it up until they Can
You Haven’t Run it ENOUGH until they’ve shut it down TWICE

12. Don’t Forget the Back Row
Back Row can be used as much as a weapon as the Front Row if done correctly
Right Side Back Row Means you ALWAYS have a 3rd Hitting Option
‘Pipe’ Sets are a Great Way to Throw off the Blockers Timing

13. Always Know “WHY?”
The Best Setters can go through an entire game, Play-by-Play, and tell you why they set EVERY SINGLE SET
They Could tell you Which were mistakesAnd What they would change if they were to do it again