"The Girl with the Wrong Jersey"

Now that we've become acquainted with each other, I decided it was time to blog about something (or some position) very near and dear to my heart: the libero.

Now many people simply know the libero as "the player wearing the wrong color jersey." This an unfortunate failure of our sports fans that is extremely upsetting to me. Because, in reality, the libero is so much more than simply a player wearing the "wrong" jersey. 

Now, I might be a little bias when it comes to talking about the libero, simply because this was the position I myself played in middle and high school. But in general, I and many other players as well believe that the liberos are not properly understood and under appreciated. (Just so you know, I will be doing posts about the other positions too, I just decided to start with this one since it is my position.) So, let's get down to business. 

Obviously, the libero is a passer. I think most people understand that. She is usually the best passer on the team, and he/she will play the back row for hitters in the front row that are perhaps not-so-stellar passers. The libero can go in for as many different players as she pleases, and she does not need to sub in and out of the court. That being said, she cannot, under any circumstance, play the front row. She can also only serve for one player on the team, per set. (If you would like to read more about the specific rules that apply to the libero, click here for the official rules.)

All of the positions on the court are difficult. I'm not going to try and convince you that the other positions have it easy, because they don't. However, think about it this way: the libero, or simply the passers in general, are the only ones that have to play the ball off of an attack from the other team. The passers job is to pass balls that the hitters are trying to hit away from them at all costs. 

Setters, on the other hand, are getting a ball that is a passed to them from their own teammates, who are trying to give them as perfect of a pass as possible. Similarly, hitters are receiving the ball from the setters, who are trying to set them up for a kill. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the passers are the only position were the ball is not coming from a teammate. 

However, being the libero, or a passer in general, does have its perks. One of my favorite things about being the libero is when you get a great save. One of those moments when the hitter spikes it super hard, in an area that you're not, and everyone (including you) thinks it's down . . . and then you get it up. It's honestly the best feeling in the world.

Speaking of the best in the world, to end this post here is a little video of the Japanese National Volleyball Team's libero. She was voted libero of the tournament in the last Olympics, and for a good reason. If you're not a libero, or even a volleyball player yourself, watching this video should make you feel about 10% of what it feels like to actually be there, getting those incredible ups for yourself. :)