Volleyball Terms

ace

a serve that the other team can’t return; an ace results in a point for the serving team

block

a defensive play where a player puts her hands up to stop a ball from coming over the net

bump

a pass using joined forearms

carry

when a player almost scoops the ball and touches it for too long; carrying is not allowed

dig

to dive for a fast ball and hit it before it touches the floor

kill

a successful spike attack; when you kill the ball, your team gets a point

rally

a series of shots between teams before a point is won

serve

the first hit used to put the ball into play; serves are aimed at the other team’s side of the net

set

a high pass that puts the ball in a position to be spiked, often done overhead using the fingertips

spike

a hard, overhead, one-handed hit meant to send the ball down on the other side of the net; also called an attack

tip

a soft, one-handed hit where a player controls the ball with her fingertips; a tip is supposed to lightly send the ball to the other side of the net