There are five basic volleyball positions on any competitive volleyball team, each with their own responsibilities and skill levels. The five volleyball positions are: Setter, Outside Hitter, Middle Hitter, Opposite Hitter and Libero. Every one of these positions is important, and each serves a specific purpose on the volleyball court.

Volleyball Positions - The Setter

The Setter is in charge of offense for the team; they are like the quarterback in a football game or the point guard in basketball. The Setter is the second out of three players with ball contact, and they put the ball up in the air for the attacker. The Setter decides which attacker to set, so they must be quick thinking and able to easily assess a play. If a Setter plays the ball onto the other side of the court instead of setting it for an attacker, it is called a dump. A volleyball team may have more than one Setter.

Volleyball Positions - The Outside Hitter

The Outside Hitter is the team's primary attacker, and they attack balls that are set to the left side of the volleyball court, close to the left antenna. This position is usually the most qualified hitter on the team, because they are set from both the front and back rows. An Outside Hitter will sometimes take a longer approach, beginning from outside of the court's sideline, since sets to the outside are frequently high. The Outside Hitter is also called an Outside Blocker. In more advanced volleyball, all teams have two Outside Hitters.

Volleyball Positions - Middle Hitter

The Middle Hitter is also called the Middle Blocker or simply just the Middle. This player specializes in blocking and is the team's primary line of defense. The Middle Hitter is also an adept attacker and should be a well-practiced hitter. Most often, volleyball teams have two Middle Hitters, and they are normally the tallest players on the team.

Volleyball Positions - Opposite Hitter

The Opposite Hitter is responsible for hitting from the right sideline of the volleyball court, and this player is quite frequently the best hitter on the team. The Opposite Hitter also plays defense, and they are used to form blocks against the other team. This position is also known as the Right Side Hitter, Weakside Hitter or Weakside Blocker.

Volleyball Positions - Libero

The libero is the most defensive position on the volleyball court, and this player is a virtual master at the fundamentals of the game of volleyball. The Libero wears a contrasting colored jersey and always stands on the back row, where they specialize in receiving a serve or an attack. This player can substitute for any other player on the court, so they must be highly skilled and have great reflexes.

The Defensive Specialist or D.S. is the second most defensive position in volleyball, behind the Libero. This position requires a lot of the same skills, but usually the Libero is the better of these two positions. A team does not always have a Defensive Specialist