Middles

When a volleyball player talks about middles, they mean the middle in the front row, not the back row. They are usually some of the tallest players on the court along with the right side. Their main jobs on the court are to be a big blocker and run a fast offense, which helps out the other hitters. They have to be a big blocker because they block every hit- the other team's middle, left and right side hitters. They are always putting a block up to help the back row and to make it difficult on the other team's hitters. They also have to be quick to be a middle because they block every one. So when the setter sets the hitters they have to react fast and get there to block bridge the hitter hits the ball, which can be only a 1 or 2 second period of time. Their main responsibility is to stay on the other team's middle, so when the middle comes in for a fast set they go up with them, but if the setter sets a different hitter, the blocker has to land and try to get to that hitter and put up  a block before they hit as well. Another reason they have to be fast is to run a fast offense with the setter. Most of the sets that go to the middle are faster paced, or more tempo, than the pin (outside) hitters. Some of these tempo sets are quicks, which are low sets right in front of the setter, 31's, which are fast low sets that that are in a spot in between the middle spot and the outside spot, a six, which is just like a quick but behind the setter, and a slide, which is a fast low set behind the setter that goes all the way to the right pin. The middles have to be very fast to run these plays because during a play, or in transition, they have to come down from blocking and be fast enough to track the ball to the setter and already be taking their steps for an approach before the setter even touches the ball.

Defensively, however, they aren't as important, unless you have a middle that is also a stud at defense. Typically, they are taller so they don't move as fast when they are down low for defense. This is why the libero usually goes in for the middles so that they don't have to play defense.

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