volleyball?

Question

i am 5'3'' but i am the only senior on my high school volleyball team and this year i am starting as an outside hitter...what are some ways to increase my vertical and improve my hitting and blocking??

Answer 1

As far as increasing verticle.. plyometrics classes have been shown to increase staimina, strength, and speed when done with caution. Also Jump roping and stairs. Be sure to descend stairs with a side step to avoid strain on your achilies.
When taking an approach always be sure to maximize upward direction on the jump by swinging the arms back excelerating into the jump. Also realize it's brains over braun sometimes. :o) Work on other hit options for tight sets such as tipping and power dinking and rolling over a double block. Focus on the defense and learn to swing out of your approch to fake out the blocker. EX:Coming in cross and swinging line without reangling your upper body. This all requires a lot of upper body conditioning and stretching. Always be sure to maximize reach on your swing by swinging with your whole arm...hitting shoulder angled up and not swinging with just the elbow and forearm.
With blocking I'm assuming you are playin outside power. Therefor you will be against either the other teams opposite hitter or thier setter. This will all depend on if they are running with middles, and running a 5-1. 4-2 or 6-2. So learn to move quick with a sidestep to double block in the middle, drop to your ten to cover the power hitters sharp cross or cut, and work on soft blocking to slow the trajectory of a hard driven swing when blocking up at the net. Work on setting the block for line on your side. Most likely your middle will come over to help you double block taking away your opponents cross. Work on blocking on your way up when you can pull the most power and explode into the block rather than on the way down. Some people may disagree with this. There are a few theories on the best way to gage your timing. But, in the end...repetition, repetition, repetition. Learn what works best for your body type and strengths. And it's your Senior year...so have a blast doing it! :o) And if you really want to play in college too, work on receiving and playing defense. Liberos receive a lot of playtime & I beleive as of this year they will also be allowed to serve, where as starting hitters at the college, and National Jr's level are usually fairly tall. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

plyometrics is the way to increase your verticle quickest. Also continue to work on your approach. As far as blocking, as an outside you are head to head with the other team's opposite or setter, which is normally a teams weakest hitter. Although you should make sure to work on footwork to help block in the middle. Good luck and enjoy your senior season.

Answer 3

I'm an outside hitter and just keep doing spike approaches over and over. The biggest thing that I learned is to get out of the court to be ready to hit. After you pass or someone else did. In my opinion outside hitter is the best position on the court.