A large part of volleyball is anticipating what your opponent will do next. Knowing where the setter will send the ball, if the hitter will go across court or down the line, or where the ball will be served is a huge asset. Most good players have at least one thing in common; they are able to read other players.

Often, reading a player hinges on noticing small details. If you want to be able to read other players you must start to look for things such as the direction of a hitter's approach, which direction a hitter's shoulders are facing, or if a setter opens his shoulders to the court when setting behind him. Simply pay attention to what is going on around you and you will be surprised with how much you pick up on.

This is also one area where doing your homework on a particular team is key. Scouting a team will give you a players tendencies (all players have them). Simply knowing what a player feels more comfortable doing will make it that much easier to shut him down.

Reading other players is a subtle art, but one that is well worth the effort to learn.