A new generation is standing up
Regarding general characteristics (age and body height, spike jump and block jump), you can observe young people (between 15 and 17, 5 years old) who are as tall as senior player and even taller. They jump as high as senior player and even higher. They are tall too (Serbia and Iran 197.7cm average without libero. Russia 201.2 cm average without libero) and they jump high.
We have seen a lot of tactical aggressive float serves with different technique (one/two leg(s) take off, backline and distance, 2 feet on the ground) but with a lot of mistakes. The variety of jump float techniques from changing positions was particularly conspicuous. The players toss the ball low and contacted it at the level of the head.
Concerning jump power and jump power controlled serve, we can say that there were a lot of controlling jump serve without mistake. They toss the ball just as for a powerful serve and with a movement of their wrist they give a lot of rotation to the ball.
The general level of the reception is very good with a lot of overhand reception on jump float and float. Libero has, as in defending, an important part in the reception formation. As in defending too, players are not in movement when they hit the ball and they have a very good dissociation of the lower part and higher part of the body.
Concerning setting we can say that some teams play with speed not high above the net (Argentina, Tunisia, Spain) other slower but higher (Russia) and to finish as Serbia and Iran play: higher and quicker. Setters have very good quality of setting of course but very good defending, serving and blocking quality too. They are very complete and demonstrate already a distinctive "sense" of an optimal situation-related set distribution.
The players are able to use different angles of attacking with different speed sets and different speed of attacking. When they are in difficult situation they „use“ the hand of the block or control their attack. They are able to hit the ball powerful or to tip over the block.
The players have a lot of control in their attack and quick attackers use the available angles in their attack.
All forms of block were used during this world championship. 1/2/triple block 3 block (triple block more used by Iran, Serbia and Russia). Defending and aggressive blocking.
In the case of single person block they respect the called blocking area and trust their defending players.
In the case of a 2 block or triple block they worry about homogeneity of body and hands.
In general we can say that as they have a high jump block they develop a useful activity of the arms and hands over the net. They are also able to dissociate different actions with their arms and hands over the net to close attack angles.
All teams respect a defense system. In general in all teams the libero has an important part in the defense system. They have a very good dissociation of the lower part and higher part of the body. At the impact legs are on the floor and don’t move anymore and only the arms move against the ball.
Works out of:
Dr. Berthold Fröhner
FIVB external consultant
FIVB Technical evaluator