There are two different types of volleyball played in the Olympics: ‘beach volleyball’ and ‘indoor volleyball’.  Many in the United States are watching the women’s beach volleyball team very closely these Olympic Games because of the women who are playing.  The USA women’s beach volleyball team of Misty May and Kerri Walsh (often just called ‘Misti & Kerri’) are the reigning* two time gold medal Olympic champions and (at the time of this writing) undefeated in any volleyball set in the Olympics.  They have some strong competition in London though, this competition includes the Brazilian team with their star Maria Antonelli.  Whether you watch women’s or men’s volleyball or beach or indoor volleyball the following English terms related to volleyball will be very helpful to you.  Reading about these new words will improve your vocabulary overall in fact as it will help you with you reading comprehension skills.

If you are not familiar with the rules of volleyball there are a few simple rules you need to know.  Players compete in teams (2 players per team in beach volley ball and 6 players per team in indoor volleyball).  Each team is allowed to touch the ball three times before it must cross over the net to the opposite team.  In the Olympics all matches are played as the best of 3 sets (in beach volleyball) and the best of 5 sets (in indoor volleyball).  21 points are needed to win a set in volleyball.

Volleyball vocabulary:

a block – a way of preventing the oncoming ball from coming over the net by forming a wall of hands at the net

a dig – a defensive shot from close to the ground in order to keep the ball from touching the ground

to hit – to jump and spike a ball with an overhand, forceful shot

a match – a match is made up of sets or games; matches are played until one team wins 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 5

a set – 1) a game  or 2) when a player tries to place the ball near the net to assist in spiking the ball

the serve – the initial contact between a ball and a player that begins play

to spike – to jump up and hit the ball with maximum force toward the opponent’s side of the court

to wipe – to return the ball so that it lands out of bounds

Go teams, go!

* reigning = current