The Setter
Creative Commons - By: Skipshearer
The setter is the main contributor to a team's offense. Their goal is to receive the second touch and set it for one of their teammates to hit over the other side of the net, often being the opposite or outside hitter. The setter has to be able to have strong communication skills to relay instructions to the rest of the team.
The Libero
Creative Commons - By: Александр Осипов
The libero is a very important defensive player who can only play on the back row of the court. They do have some limitations as they are not allowed to hit the ball at the net, or block. The libero always wears a different colored jersey which makes them easy to tell apart from the rest of the team.
The Outside Hitter
Creative Commons - By: Mike Strasser
The outside hitter, also known as the left-side hitter, is the lead attacker on offense. There are usually two of them on the court and are usually the first to touch the ball. Outside hitters must be good at both offense and defense being prepared for hits from many different places. They must be nimble, be able to jump high, and be ready to hit the ball from different situations.
The Opposite Hitter
Creative Commons - By: Steffen Prößdorf
The opposite hitter, also known as the right-side hitter, is important to both offense and defense. Like the outside hitter, opposite hitters will have many opportunities to hit the volleyball so they must be good at jumping. The biggest difference that makes the opposiste hitter unique is their responsibility on defense. One of the requirements for an opposite hitter is being able to receive the serve from the opposing team.
The Middle Blocker
Creative Commons - By: David Moore
The middle blocker's main role on the team is being the first line of defense against against the opposing team's hits. They need to be able to read the opponent's attackers in order to raise their arms above their net to attempt a block. The middle blocker, however, can be an offensive position as well and score many points throughout the set.