VOLLEYBALL GUIDE- Tips for would-be volleyball fans

It’s September. And in western Pennsylvania, that means one thing: football.

Let’s face it;… It’s September. And in western Pennsylvania, that means one thing: football.

Let’s face it; that’s just the way it is. The people of western Pa. live for this time of year.

So you’re not from around here? Not a football fan? Well maybe your sport of interest is volleyball then. After all, last year’s Big East Champions came from right here in Pittsburgh.

Maybe you’d like to be a volleyball fan, screaming and yelling at the referees as your fellow classmates do at football games, but you don’t have the first clue what to yell. With terms like “dig,” “bump,” “kill,” and “spike,” the whole idea has you a little confused. Is this a sporting event or a massacre?

That’s why this article might be a nice thing to keep around. Whether it’s the scoring, terms, or even the basic concept of the game that has you scared, things should become more familiar and less startling as you read the next few paragraphs.

At the start of the 2002-2003 season, some new and drastic changes to the game had fans and athletes scrambling to become familiar with them.

One of the most drastic changes came on how points would be scored. In the past, the method of sideout scoring had been used. This basically meant a team had to serve the ball in order to receive a point on that serve.

The new scoring rules called for the use of rally scoring. This type of play allowed either the serving team or the defensive team to score on each serve. Whichever team won the volley (a set of plays back and forth over the net until the ball either touches the floor or is hit out of bounds, or a foul is committed) would be awarded a point and the right to serve.

A match is won when a team wins two out of three 30-point games. State Tournament games are played in a best-of-five format with the fifth game played to 15 points.

Now that you see how points are tallied and matches are won, let’s look at some of the common terms.

An assist is a stat that shows the number of passes or sets a player makes to a teammate who attacks the ball for a kill. A kill (spike or attack) is when a player on the offensive team leaves the floor and forcefully hits the ball in an overhand motion onto the opponent’s side of the court.

Bump, in the volleyball world, is slang for a forearm pass. This is usually performed by back row players, which are the three players on the court positioned near the baseline. A block is a defensive play by one or more front row players. This play is meant to intercept a spiked ball.

Finally, a dig is performed when a player passes a spiked or rapidly hit ball.

Now that you know a little more about this sport, show off your new knowledge at the Panther’s volleyball game 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Fitzgerald Field House.