Hit it, Hit it, Hit it.

HIT IT, HIT IT, HIT IT:

These 6 words can be the most damaging 6 words on a junior girls’ volleyball court. Balls that are a mathematical impossibility of being hit for a winner are irresponsibly hit out by the spiker and yet the team celebrates. “Way to have a go”, “Way to swing,” are the usual words of consolation to the error maker and the team once again celebrates a poor decision making event.

Over many years of watching and coaching junior volleyball it is not hard to see balls that are in a position to be effectively attacked and there are balls that mathematically must be saved in order to fight later in the point. The attacker in this situation often has a next to zero chance of winning the point and so, in my opinion they DO NOT have the right to lose the point. If the rally continues, the opposition can and do stuff up the free balls, your team may win the counter attack with a block, the opposition can and do make an attack errors and your team may make a sensational dig and then you are back in the point again.

Hit it, Hit it, Hit it, in my view can be rightly used to encourage junior volleyballers to be more aggressive and to take a risk (especially girls). This is vastly different to throwing points away in the hope you may get very, very lucky with the hit it, hit it, hit it gamble.