High School Volleyball

In high school volleyball, each team has six players and three hits to return the ball over the net. The sport is generally exclusive to girls. A rally scoring system is used, with points awarded on every serve. Matches are best of five sets, with the first four sets played to 25 points (win by 2) and the fifth set to 15 points (win by 2). A player cannot touch the net, and the ball must stay within the court boundaries. A libero (defensive specialist) may replace any back-row player without counting as a substitution. Each team is allowed 18 substitutions per set.

The regulation net height is measured from the center of the net to the playing surface. For girls, the net height is 7 feet 4 1/8 inches. For boys, it is 7 feet 11 5/8 inches. The net height should be consistent across its length, meaning the height at the center should match the height at the ends, but slight deviations at the ends are allowed (up to 3/4 inch or 1.9 cm).

There are six main player positions:

(1) Outside Hitter (Left-Side Hitter): Positioned at the left front, the outside hitter is often the primary attacker. They need to be versatile, handling both offense and defense, and are usually strong passers.

(2) Opposite Hitter (Right-Side Hitter): Positioned at the right front, the opposite hitter is responsible for blocking against the opponent's outside hitter and providing offense from the right side. They may also assist in setting if needed.

(3) Middle Blocker (Middle Hitter): Positioned at the center front, the middle blocker focuses on blocking the opponent's hitters, especially quick attacks. They also perform quick attacks or "quick sets" in the middle of the court.

(4) Setter: The setter is the playmaker, responsible for delivering accurate sets to the hitters. Positioned near the right front, the setter orchestrates the offense, deciding which hitter will attack the ball.

(5) Libero: A defensive specialist, the libero plays in the back row and is not allowed to attack or block. They wear a different-colored jersey and can substitute freely without counting as a substitution. The libero excels in digging and serve-receive.

(6) Defensive Specialist: Similar to the libero, the defensive specialist focuses on back-row defense. They can substitute for any player but must follow regular substitution rules.

Players rotate positions clockwise after each side-out, ensuring that all players experience every position on the court.

High school Volleyball is historically a women's sport. In the 1970s Volleyball was popularized as a high school sport for girls balancing the predominantly male sports like football and basketball. Volleyball was promoted and developed more extensively for girls at the high school level, leading to widespread participation. Although boy's Volleyball has become more popular in recent years it remains a predominately girl's sport.