Serve Tactics

Serve the weakest receivers. Make them move left, right, short or deep.

Serve areas to weaken the offense. Once weak areas are identified, continue serving them until the opponent makes an adjustment.

	See open spots on the court rather than receivers.
	Never serve directly to a player. Make the receiver move.
	Serve toward the sidelines. Make receivers move away from the court.
	Serve as close as possible to the opponent’s endline.
	Serve away from the strongest attacker if the setter is weak. Make it difficult for a weak setter to get the ball to her strength.
	Serve in the path of the penetrating setter.
	Serve short or deep to front row attackers to take them out of their normal approach routes.
	Serve zone 2, making it difficult for the setter to see the quick attacker.

Serve to psychologically strain a receiver.

	Serve toward the player who has just erred.
	Serve toward a new substitute.
	Serve toward a player who is upset or tired.
	Serve repetitively to one player, striving to “wear them down” and to “break them.”
	Use a combination of short and deep serves.

Serve tough but in bounds.

	After a teammate before you in the rotation errors.
	After opponents take a time out. They are in trouble. Keep the pressure on them to earn their points.
	On the first serve of the game.
	On match point (for either team).
	After opponents miss their serve.
	After a substitute or time out.
	After opponents have served a string (more that 1 point).
	After your team wins a big rally.
	After a big kill or stuff block.
	When your opponents are in their weakest rotation.
	When either team is within three points of winning the game.

Train to be successful.

Employ all tactics and serve expectations in drills and scrimmages.

	Give serving drills your full attention.
	Limit conversation in serving drills to acknowledgement of teammates’ good serves.
	Discipline self to never make two serving errors in succession.
	In pre-game serve-receive warm-up, get a feel of the gym and how much the ball floats.
	Progressively serve tougher.

Train to make teammates successful.

	Serve tough in drills. Help teammates become good passers by giving them the opportunity to receive tough serves.
	Serve tough but consistently in serve-pass combination drills. Frequent errors disrupt drill flow.

In pre-game serve-receive warm-ups, serve controlled balls to allow passers to develop a passing rhythm and confidence. Progressively serve tougher.