4. No Target for the Setter

Another way the hitter can help out the setter is to give her a big target to set to. When the hitter takes off, her arms swing backwards and then forward in order to help get as much air as possible on her jump. Both of those arms should be in the air when you get up for the one set. If you've done your approach properly, your left foot is slightly ahead of your right when you jump and that allows you to open your body toward the setter.

With both arms up and your hitting arm cocked and ready to swing very quickly, you give the setter a nice big target to set the ball to. If you keep your arms down until the last minute, you will not only swing late and probably get blocked if anyone is up on the other side, but you will also force your setter to guess at the height and position she should be going for. That leads to the anti-climatic "whiff" hit which sometimes goes down on the other side of the net, but is not nearly as satisfying as a great connection.

5. Not Paying Attention to the Block

If all of the first four things are done as they should be - the hitter watched the pass, got up early, stayed off the net and gave the setter a target - your set has a good chance of being right on the money. Don't blow it by then hitting it straight ahead and directly into the waiting blocker. The opposing blocker is most likely going to line up right in front of your hitting hand. If you can't hit over her, your best bet is to hit to her right or left.

Make sure you take a look at where she is and work to hit around her or off of her hands.

6. Swinging Away at Bad Sets

If any of the first four things goes wrong and your setter doesn't deliver a good set, the worst thing you can do is swing away. Yes, the one set is supposed to be a quick hit straight down. But if it is a tough set to hit -- meaning it is too low, the timing is off or the set is too close to the net -- just make a play to keep the ball alive. This could mean tipping it right over the opposing middle blocker. It could mean an nice roll shot to a spot on the court you think might be tough to cover. But whatever you do, don't swing as hard as you can into the blocker or worse, into the net. If you get the ball over the net your team might just get another chance at a good swing when it comes back your way. Always make the smart play.