Volleyball: English Vocabulary List

a version of volleyball adapted for athletes with disabilities who play while seated on the floor

"Sitting volleyball is fun."

"Sitting volleyball allows athletes with mobility impairments to enjoy the sport competitively."

a pass in volleyball made by contacting the ball with the forearms, typically used to control and direct the ball to a teammate

"The bump pass is the forearm pass."

"The player used a bump pass with joined forearms to receive the serve."

an error that occurs when a player fails to successfully hit the ball over the net within the bounds of the opponent's court

"That was an attack error."

"The hitter committed an attack error by hitting the ball out of bounds, giving the point to the other team."

a set by the setter to a hitter positioned behind them, usually near the back of the volleyball court

"The back set goes over the setter's shoulder."

"The setter delivered a back set to the opposite hitter behind her head."

a defensive technique in volleyball where blockers jump and reach out to block potential hits by opposing attackers

"They used swing blocking."

"The middle blockers executed a perfect swing blocking maneuver to shut down the opponent's powerful outside hitter."

(volleyball) the defensive skill of passing or retrieving a spiked or rapidly hit ball

"The player makes a quick dig to save the point."

"The libero made a spectacular dig to keep the ball off the floor."

a pass over the net to the opposing team, typically occurring after a defensive play in volleyball

"The team scores easily from a free ball."

"The team received a free ball and set up their offense comfortably."

(volleyball) a hit where the player angles the ball sharply downward and diagonally across the net

"The cut shot spins the ball sideways."

"The hitter angled a cut shot sharply across the court away from the blocker."

a push or hit above the net by two opposing volleyball players that happens at the same time for gaining the control

"They joust at the net."

"The two opposing players engaged in a fierce joust at the net, battling for control of the ball."

a violation where a volleyball player hits the ball twice in a row during a single play

"The referee calls double contact."

"The referee called double contact when the same player touched the ball twice consecutively."

the movement and positioning of volleyball players on the court to effectively defend against the opponent's attacks during play

"The rotation defense is key."

"Effective rotation defense is crucial for covering all areas of the court and preventing easy points."