A volleyball team has to be responsible for organizing both attacks and defense. Reading the attacks of the opponents is a very important skill in the sport of volleyball. Volleyball players should get ready for the opponent’s attack to resist it successfully.

It’s necessary to watch opponents carefully during the game all the time. When the opposing team starts organizing its attacks, volleyball players should start reacting to the actions of its players as soon as possible. After that, volleyball players have to organize their own defense.

In fact, every volleyball player should be able to read the opponent’s attack. However, mastering this skill is particularly important for volleyball players, who are responsible for team’s defense and resisting the opponent’s attack. Without a doubt, blockers should be able to read the opponent’s attack in volleyball.

What Does It Mean to Read the Opponent’s Attack in Volleyball?

The question is – what reading the opponent’s attack means? Actually, reading the opponent’s attack is analyzing the opponent’s attack in volleyball. Volleyball players should study the attacks of their opponents carefully and do their best to predict them.  

Reading is a key part of the preparation for the opponent’s attack in volleyball. Reading the opponent’s attack helps volleyball players resist it successfully. Reading the opponent’s attack makes it easy for volleyball players to understand what actions the opposing team usually takes before carrying out an attack hit.

But most importantly, volleyball players can analyze all these actions carefully. They can see how opponents move on the court, make passes to each other and organize attack hits.

Reading the opponent’s attack in volleyball makes it possible for athletes to study each its step carefully. It would be better for volleyball players to start reading the opponent’s attack as soon as possible. If volleyball players start preparing for an attack earlier, they will have a better chance to resist it successfully.      

Reading the Opponent’s Attack in Volleyball Step by Step

Volleyball players take several steps to organize an attack hit. They receive the ball, make a pass to a teammate and organize an attack hit. And of course, volleyball players should be able to read the opponent’s attack at each of these stages successfully.  

Watching how opponents receive the ball. It all begins with receiving the ball. Volleyball players should start reading their opponents as soon as the ball is received on the opposing side of the court. Volleyball players should analyze where their opponents are located on the court and try to predict how an attack will be organized.

When reading the opponent’s attack, volleyball players should see where the opposing team’s passer as well as setter and hitter are located and how they move on the court. Watching these volleyball players help them predict how an attack is likely to be organized. At this stage, volleyball players should also try to predict how quickly an attack will be organized.  

Watching how opponents set the ball. After receiving the ball a volleyball player sends it to a setter. Then, a setter does his/her job. And of course, it’s incredibly important to watch the opponent’s setter during the game. It’s necessary to pay close attention to the setter’s shoulders, body and position of hands. On top of that, volleyball players need to watch how opponents usually set the ball.

Watching how opponents carry out an attack hit. It’s widely known that a hit is the final stage of a volleyball attack. And of course, volleyball players should watch how their opponents carry out attack hits carefully. They should always watch the opposing team’s hitters carefully during the game.

When reading the opponent’s attack, volleyball players should watch how a hitter approaches to the ball and how high a hitter jumps to carry out an attack hit. And of course, it’s necessary to pay close attention to the body position during a jump. Reading the opposing team’s hitter this way helps volleyball players predict the opponent’s attack and prepare for it properly.   

Reading an Attack Hit and Predicting the Direction of the Ball

It goes without saying that volleyball players should analyze the opponent’s attack carefully during the game. The main goal of this analysis is to predict where the ball is likely to go after a hit. Therefore, volleyball players have to watch the opponent’s hitter carefully.

When watching the opponent’s hitter, volleyball players have to pay close attention to various factors. It would be great to analyze the movement of hitter’s shoulders and hips.

A setter works closely with a hitter on the court. That’s why a setter usually knows hitter’s preferences very well. Some hitters want the ball to be set higher. On the other hand, there are hitters who prefer the ball to be set lower. Therefore, volleyball players should pay close attention to this aspect when analyzing the attacks of their opponents. In other words, they should study the preferences of the opposing team’s hitters. It’s crucial to watch how high the opponent’s attackers prefer to hit the ball.

Additionally, volleyball players should watch how opposing team’s hitters make contact with a ball. They should watch volleyball player’s wrist carefully all the time. By doing so, volleyball players will be able to predict where the ball will go after an attack hit.              

Reading the Type of an Attack Hit

It’s no surprise that there are different types of attack hits in the sport of volleyball. Therefore, volleyball players should analyze the attacks of their opponents carefully and make conclusions.

For example, some volleyball players prefer to hit the ball forcefully. So, they put a lot of power into an attack hit. There are attackers, who give a preference to a roll shot. A tip is also known as a popular type of an attack hit. Blockers often turn a block into an attack hit. Volleyball players should constantly read the game carefully and try to figure out how their opponents prefer to carry out an attack.   

Organizing Defense after Reading the Opponent’s Attack

Analyzing the game and reading opponent’s attack is half the battle only. After reading the opponent’s attack volleyball players should organize team’s defense. They should do everything possible to make it difficult for opponents to carry out a successful attack hit.   

Volleyball players should position themselves correctly on the court. When opponents are ready to carry an attack hit, volleyball players have to ensure that there are no holes in the team’s defense line.

Reading the opponent’s attacks gives volleyball players an understanding of how the attack is organized on the opposing side of the court. If volleyball players see that their opponents are organizing an attack hit, they should move accordingly. They should make movements depending on the actions of their opponents. Athletes should use the power of their legs to make lateral movements on the court and relocate themselves to the necessary position.

Blockers are volleyball players, who are responsible for organizing defense in a volleyball team. Volleyball players should use the power of communication to organize team’s defense.       

Common Mistakes Volleyball Players Make When Reading the Opponent’s Attacks

Volleyball players often make mistakes when reading the attack of their opponents. Of course, it’s crucial to understand these mistakes. But most importantly, volleyball players should do every single thing possible to avoid mistakes in reading the opponent’s attacks.

Sometimes, volleyball players start reacting to the game and opponent’s actions slowly. As a result, they have no time for organizing defense and resisting an attack hit.

Blockers often start jumping too early. As a result, they can’t organize successful defense for their team.

Volleyball players don’t always position themselves correctly on the court. As a result, they find it difficult to resist the opponent’s attack.

Final Thoughts

It goes without saying that reading the game is crucial for organizing a successful defense and resisting an attack in volleyball. There is no doubt that reading the opponent’s attack is the art that every volleyball player has to master.

Volleyball players get experience during games and practices. The experience allows volleyball players to learn how to read the opponent’s attack in volleyball successfully.

Proper preparation for the opponent’s attack is a key to resisting it. Reading the opponent’s attack allows volleyball players to react to it earlier and, therefore, increases the chance for success. Follow our tips to succeed in reading the opponent’s attack and become a better volleyball player!