Playing with a few of the veterans, Logan Tom, Heather Bown, Danielle Scott-Arruda, Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Lindsey Berg, Stacy Sykora, and Nicole Davis have opened my eyes to play the game of volleyball differently. You would think the harder you hit the ball the better off you will be but there is more to it.
Great hitters have good ball placement, range, good footwork, elevation, multiple shot selections, a good arm-swing, and last but not least they maintain a healthy body with a strong core. All are very important when making contact with the ball. You learn from your mistakes and start to build a volleyball IQ. Karch Kirarly and Logan Tom are two players I love to watch. They have so many skills when it comes to attacking. It leaves me speechless at times.
You also have to take into consideration certain pressure and frustration. Let's be honest we all hate getting blocked or hitting out of bounds. Most of us think hitting the next ball you receive as hard as you can will solve everything. That's where you're wrong. Good ball placement as well as different shot selections come into play. As a hitter you have to know what you are up against (defensively) and when you can hit the ball hard.
Playing on the USA volleyball has really helped me take my game to the next level. It also helped getting feedback from the coaches and my teammates. I have gotten tips from Logan, Heather, Tayyiba, and even Nicole. Each has helped me in different occasions. No matter what the outcome of the game is as long as you left it all out on the floor you have nothing to feel bad about. I do my best to fulfill that feeling every game.
Great hitters NEVER settle and they play to be the BEST. The play to master the game.
- Take the time to get better
- Learn from others
- Listens to feedback
- Practice and train hard
