I believe the passing in serve receive and serving are the two most important aspects to the game of volleyball. Today, we want to examine a topic of debate in the volleyball community. The evaluation of passers.
First, lets establish the baseline for evaluation. We are using a 3.0 scale. The top of the scale is 3.0. The bottom is 0. The number refers to the options available to the setter. A perfect pass, a 3 ball, allows the setter to set all three hitting options, the left side, the middle, and opposite. A zero (0) means the passer was aced and the setter has no ball to set.
Player A passes a perfect ball, a 3, is than aced a 0, adds another 3rd perfect ball for another 3, and then another ace. She has earned 6 points on 4 balls, which is a 1.5 average. Two perfect passes and two aces allows her team to be in-system offensively 50% of the time. Player B passes 3,1,1, and a 1, which is also a 1.5 average. She in never aced but is out of system 75% percent of the time and the hitter's only generate one quality swing every four serves.
In the lower and middle of the scale, tenths are the important unit of measure. As a passer scores over 1.9 and transitions into the twos (2.0+), hundredths become more important.
In our two evening matches Rhys passed 1.66 but was aced five times. In our two morning matches Rhys passed 1.60 but was aced only once. (Please remember that 1.60 as a middle school passer is pretty good. While average for a varsity passer, I like it for middle school passer.)
In this part of the passing scale, six hundredths, while not critical, start to approach the area where they do have some mathematical significance. The difference between 1.66 and 1.60 while not major is starting to approach that area of importance.
The question is who do you want to pass. Player A at 1.66 who was aced five times (Rhys in the evening) or Player B at 1.60 who was aced just once (Rhys in the morning).
I think it depends on the hitters and setter. If you have hitters that can handle an out-of-system ball or a setter who is really good at improving the ball, then keep it in play and let them deal with it. If your hitters struggle with anything less than a perfect set or the setter is slow or her frame comes apart as she moves, maybe you live with those aces in order to get those perfect passes so as to be in-system.
Hold my feet to the fire and I guess I want the kid passing 3,1,1,1. It is more for the mental part of the game. I do not want giving up such easy points as an ace, which allows one team to build momentum and frustrates the other. I also have a string of super good setters at Carroll. Elizabeth to Grace to Paige to Adelle to Aubree and even into the elementary. With setters of this quality, keep the ball in play and let them improve it. They usually do.
Who do I want passing the ball? I want the morning Rhys. Give me 1.60 over 1.66, but I get the one ace compared to the five. I trust Paige to improve the ball and our hitters to keep it in play.
Player A passes a perfect ball, a 3, is than aced a 0, adds another 3rd perfect ball for another 3, and then another ace. She has earned 6 points on 4 balls, which is a 1.5 average. Two perfect passes and two aces allows her team to be in-system offensively 50% of the time. Player B passes 3,1,1, and a 1, which is also a 1.5 average. She in never aced but is out of system 75% percent of the time and the hitter's only generate one quality swing every four serves.
In the lower and middle of the scale, tenths are the important unit of measure. As a passer scores over 1.9 and transitions into the twos (2.0+), hundredths become more important.
In our two evening matches Rhys passed 1.66 but was aced five times. In our two morning matches Rhys passed 1.60 but was aced only once. (Please remember that 1.60 as a middle school passer is pretty good. While average for a varsity passer, I like it for middle school passer.)
In this part of the passing scale, six hundredths, while not critical, start to approach the area where they do have some mathematical significance. The difference between 1.66 and 1.60 while not major is starting to approach that area of importance.
The question is who do you want to pass. Player A at 1.66 who was aced five times (Rhys in the evening) or Player B at 1.60 who was aced just once (Rhys in the morning).
I think it depends on the hitters and setter. If you have hitters that can handle an out-of-system ball or a setter who is really good at improving the ball, then keep it in play and let them deal with it. If your hitters struggle with anything less than a perfect set or the setter is slow or her frame comes apart as she moves, maybe you live with those aces in order to get those perfect passes so as to be in-system.
Hold my feet to the fire and I guess I want the kid passing 3,1,1,1. It is more for the mental part of the game. I do not want giving up such easy points as an ace, which allows one team to build momentum and frustrates the other. I also have a string of super good setters at Carroll. Elizabeth to Grace to Paige to Adelle to Aubree and even into the elementary. With setters of this quality, keep the ball in play and let them improve it. They usually do.
Who do I want passing the ball? I want the morning Rhys. Give me 1.60 over 1.66, but I get the one ace compared to the five. I trust Paige to improve the ball and our hitters to keep it in play.
RSS Feed
