In the sport of volleyball, points are traditionally scored by outside hitters or middle blockers, being that they are the taller players near the net, but not every athlete needs height to help the team.
A player’s height tends to correlate with the different positions on the court. The libero and the setter are usually the smallest players on the court, because they need to get down to the floor the fastest in order to play defense effectively, while the taller players counter the opposition’s attack with blocks.
Ohio has a range of heights between 5 feet 5 inches and 6 feet 3 inches, but depending on their height, some players have been forced to play a specific position in order to be successful.
The Bobcats feature eight players that are 6 feet 1 inch or taller, but also have five players that are 5 feet 8 inches or shorter.
“Before I came here I was a setter, but then people told me I was never going to make it D-I,” sophomore libero Meredith Ashy said. “I thought maybe I should switch my position, I never wanted to give up on volleyball. My high school coach junior year switched me to libero, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
On the other hand of the spectrum, graduate student middle blocker Alexis Pinson is 6 feet 2 inches and said that she has always wanted to practice passing and other situations that you don’t see taller players doing as often.
“I was always the tallest one, so I was always told to go in the front row and block,” Pinson said. “I always asked if we could we work on passing, and they would always tell me to go block or hit. I’ve been tall my whole life.”
There are many advantages and disadvantages to being on each end of the height spectrum in volleyball. Shorter players can play better defense away from the net, which is tough for the taller players.
“In terms of defensive position I think that (being short) helps me defensively rather than a taller setter,” sophomore setter Abby Gilleland said. “It makes me less of a target in the back row, but in the front row it makes me more of a target. It’s just about balancing it out and making it work.”
Taller players are successful at scoring in volleyball, as it is tough to find an athlete that obtains the skills necessary for the sport, as well as the height. But on the other hand, shorter players sometimes let their height get to them and keep success away from themselves.
“That’s one of the things that I always hear from players that don’t play anymore. I’ll hear them around campus saying they don’t play because they’re too short,” Gilleland said. “That gets me because I’m short and I made it work.”
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