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Covering volleyball

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Bucknutty, Nov 8, 2012.

  1. Bucknutty

    Bucknutty Member

    Just got to the venue and I have an hour until I cover a high school state tournament volleyball match. I know the basics, but any specific tips on covering the sport?
     
  2. Don't get caught staring at the players.
     
  3. SoCalDude

    SoCalDude Active Member

    The player who receives the serve is trying to pass it to the setter. How successful they are at that is critical. If the passes go right to the setter, she can set up the offense better. If the setter is running all over the court chasing down errant passes, that's a bad thing.
    The big girls in the middle usually determine the match. The setter will usually try to set the middle hitter ... until the defense shows it can block those, then its a mix between setting the middles, the outside hitters and the opposite.
    Also, Lesson 1 from VB 101. If you don't make your serves, you can't win the game.
     
  4. boundforboston

    boundforboston Well-Known Member

    There's a lot of emotion involved with volleyball -- big runs, spikes, great blocks/digs. Capture some of it.
     
  5. Bucknutty

    Bucknutty Member

    Thanks all -- even Captain Obvious.
     
  6. bydesign77

    bydesign77 Active Member

    Believe me, the dear ole captain's advice is sound... there are some tight shorts and long legs out there. It's why a lot of us officiate the sport in the first place.

    And that player with the different colored jersey? she's the libero. she's a designated back row player that can sub in and out freely.
     
  7. 1HPGrad

    1HPGrad Member

    In Miami, I routinely chose not to run volleyball photos because the girls were way too young to look like that. Just felt wrong on a lot of levels. I'm sure their dads were quite happy with the decision.
     
  8. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    Covered a team a few years back and it was quite obvious that one of the players was, well, pierced.

    No, not up there.

    There. :eek:
     
  9. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    Oh, and regardless of what small-school coaches try to tell you,

    * A kill is not a kill unless it ends the volley. If it is dug up, it's not a kill.

    * A block is not a block unless it ends the volley. Just because a player gets a hand in front of a kill isn't enough.

    * Yes, you can have half a block.

    * Don't even try stating digs by yourself.

    * Not all kills have an assist.

    * A "dink" is still a kill.

    * What SoCal was referring to is called serve-receive. It's the ability of the team to return the serve accurately to the setter.
     
  10. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    Hilarious!
     
  11. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Post cellphone pics here.
     
  12. joe_schmoe

    joe_schmoe Active Member

    HAHA. Captain's advice is sound. I covered a college volleyball team for many years. One year the team's outside hitter was perhaps the best looking player I had seen in years and as most outside hitters had a nice well-formed body. It was extremely hard to keep paying attention to the match because the way this court was set up and the way they like to run the offense, she basically used my seat as a marker to line herself up and in doing so her butt was often in my direct line of vision about a foot away (she liked a more sideways, long-jump angle approach to her attacks). It was hard to look elsewhere. And, it's hard to write a good game story.
    Hopefully someone else is keeping stats, and keeping good ones. If you do pay attention to Harley's list and also note, an ace in volleyball doesn't have to be untouched. It's also an ace if the serve is handled or touched by one girl, but they can't keep it in play (unless this rule has changed recently).
     
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