Spectacular defense can get a lot of oohs and ahs out of a crowd. But what's most important is that it can turn the momentum in your team's favor. If it's late in a match, and you dig a ball straight up that's pounded by the opponent with nobody up, it can be the difference between winning and losing.

JAM THE JOUST

At times during the match, the ball hangs above the net in neutral territory. When two opposing players contact it at the same time, you have a situation called a joust. The player with the most aggressive attitude and the best leverage will win the ball. You want to prepare for the joust by jumping as high as you can and forcefully extending your arms across the net with locked elbows. Have your full weight behind the ball. The situation you want to avoid is one in which the ball is pushed back onto your side of the net, and you end up falling backwards onto your backside like a knight knocked off a horse in real joust.

Here both the Stanford and Penn State players are doing a great job preparing for the joust. They have their arms extended with locked elbows. It's okay to reach with one arm as the Penn State player is doing here. Better one than none. Her best chance to win the joust is by pressing the ball into the block, feeling the blocker's resistance and then throwing the ball off the blocker's hands for a point. This is one of the few times in the game that you can actually grab or throw the ball without being called for a violation.

REACH FOR THE SKY

A player's spiking potential is often based on how tall they are or how high they jump. However, a much overlooked key to successful spiking is how high you extend your spiking arm when you contact the ball. If you're a shorter, vertical-jump-challenged player, it's important for you to learn to contact the ball at the peak of your jump with your spiking arm fully extended. Being tall and having the ability to sky doesn't guarantee successful spiking if you don't have a high contact point. Some taller players don't fully extend their spiking arm and only contact the ball by their head. A shorter player can easily match their contact point by using maximum arm extension.

To get maximum extension, drop your nonhitting shoulder like the spiker is doing in this picture. Work on staying behind the ball and contacting it when you're at the peak of your jump.

If you're up against somebody who is tall, can sky, and has maximum arm extension like the player in this picture, get ready to play some D!

HANDS UP

As a blocker, make sure you have your hands up high before the ball is served. If have you have your hands at your sides you might get beat by a quick set. Another less-touted reason to hold your hands up is so that you might "accidentally on purpose" obstruct the view of the passer. It's illegal for blocker to move and intentionally screen a passer's view, but you can get away with a little screening by just holding your hands up and leaning. Little tricks like this irritate your opponent, get their mind off passing, and just might lead to an ace.

EYES OPEN

All blockers have a tendency to shut their eyes as the ball is being hit. Try to keep your eyes open as long as possible. A spiker might change their shot to a dink at the moment your eyes close. If this happens, you'll be late reacting to the ball. In this picture, U.S. blocker Tom Hoff has his eyes open and is tracking the ball intensely. That is part of the reason why he is about to roof the hitter.

HUDDLE ETIQUETTE

Sometimes during time outs, players daydream and don't pay attention to their coach. If you value your playing time, avoid this behavior at all costs. It's important to make eye contact with your coach and nod your head in agreement to allcoaching instructions. For the sake of team unity, don't show signs of disagreement or argue if you disagree with your coach over game-time decisions. Debate match tactics with your coach after the match or later in practice.

Notice the way U.S. setter Lloy Ball is focused on Coach Doug Beal in the huddle. He is making good eye contact and standing in a posture that indicates he's paying attention. Beal is definitely feeling like he is getting his message across to Ball. With this kind of behavior, players and coaches can work together to determine a winning outcome.