Deception in Volleyball

 “All warfare is based on deception. Hence when able to attack we must seem unable. When using our forces we must seem inactive. When we are near we make the enemy believe we are far away. When far away we must make the enemy believe we are near.” - Sun Tzu in The Art of War

"Reading plays" helps players anticipate, react, and execute. What if the opposition counters through deception? 

Consider deception in other sports:

• A 'casual' lead in baseball can disguise a stolen base.
• The pitcher may look home to initiate a pickoff move.
• Walk into an 'urgent' basketball cut. 
• The quarterback "looks off the safety" to open a receiver. 
• A point guard throws a "no look pass." 
• Shot and pass fakes in basketball move defenders. 

Volleyball offers chances for deception, too. Here are six practical ways volleyball players and teams can use deception to open up opportunities:

1. Setter Deception

• Look one way, set another. A setter can use their eyes, shoulders, or even a jump-set motion to suggest a back set, then push the ball to the outside hitter.

• Hold the ball longer. A momentary pause before releasing disguises the target and forces blockers to commit late.

Central Catholic setter Carolyn Eddy scored on backset setter dumps! 

2. Hitting Variety

• Roll shots and tips. Attackers can start a full arm swing and then pull off into a tip or roll shot, making blockers and defenders bite on the hard-hit look.

• Inside-out approach. Approach toward the middle of the court, then turn to attack the outside, forcing blockers to guess.

Sadie Jaggers often wound up to slam and tipped winners. 

3. Back-row Attack Disguise

• Show like the setter will push the ball to the pins, but instead feed a back-row hitter (pipe or bic). The timing looks identical until the last instant.

4. Serving Deception

• Toss variation. A server can keep the same toss height and body language but deliver different serves (float vs topspin, short vs deep).

• Body disguise. Step in as if aiming crosscourt but finish the swing down the line.

Brooke Bell did a great job of disguising short "rotten grapefruit" serves. 

5. Blocking Trickery

• A blocker may “show” as if they’re shading to one hitter, then shift at the last second. This tempts the setter into setting where the block is ready.

6. Tempo and Rhythm Manipulation

• Fast vs slow tempo. Run quick sets on one play, then on the next play make the same look but delay the ball slightly.

• Combination plays. Example: a middle runs a quick to draw blockers while the opposite slides behind for the actual set.

Lagniappe. Winning is a process more than an event. It's the rare young player who dominates early - Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey, Jr., Mark Fidrych.

Learning how to win in sports is a complex process that extends beyond physical skills. Cultivate a mindset, master fundamentals, and understand the deeper strategic, psychological, and experience elements separate good athletes from champions.

It begins with recognizing what winning actually means. While the scoreboard provides one definition, winning involves consistent improvement, resilience, and performance under pressure.