What is an Outside Hitter?
An outside hitter is the player who hits and blocks on the front left side of the court. This player is also known as a left side hitter. On offense, this person is usually one of the main passers and a go-to hitter. The outside hitter gets lots of swings at the ball not only because she is a solid hitter, but because the outside is where the ball goes most often when the pass is not perfect. The high outside set is the easiest and safest choice when the pass is off the net and other options are unavailable.
What Does an Outside Hitter Do During a Play?
- Passes the ball in serve receive
- On defense, she calls out the hitters on the other side of the net
- Watches the hitters to see which one is coming her way
- Sets the block in the right place so the middle blocker can close to her
- On offense, runs the play that the setter calls
- Is ready to take a good swing or make a good play over the net whether the set is good or bad
- Covers the other hitters
What Attributes Are Important in an Outside Hitter?
- Good height, but not necessarily the tallest on the team
- Good ball-handling Skills
- Good passer and digger
- Solid hitter who can kill a perfect set and can also work with an off the net or over the shoulder set
Read More About the Outside Hitter
