I’ll never forget the first time I scored an ace in a high school volleyball match. It was during the Minnesota High School Invitational, and our team was facing a tough opponent from across the state. As I stepped up to serve, my palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing.
I took a deep breath, tossed the ball high, and struck it with all my might. Time seemed to slow down as the ball sailed over the net, curved slightly, and hit the floor just inside the back line. The opposing team looked frozen, and the crowd erupted in cheers. That moment was awesome – to serve an ace and that feeling of being in the zone to do it.
From high school tournaments to college championships, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-executed ace can change the game. As an outside hitter turned volleyball blogger, I’m excited to share the secrets of this game-changing skill.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your technique, this guide will help you master the art of the ace in volleyball.
Are you envious of the famous aces of Karch Kiraly or Bartosz Kurek? I surely was in awe of their aces back then. But with years of playing on the field, I can tell you one thing for sure – anyone can master an ace with proper practice and dedication.
An ace is a type of serve where the serve lands on the court untouched by the opposing team. To deliver it, the server needs a powerful strike to achieve the speed required.
This might sound a little confusing but don’t worry.
In this blog, I will explain everything related to ace in volleyball. So, read on to learn how to perfect your aces for your next volleyball match.
Ace – Detailed Explanation
Imagine you served the ball, and nobody on the receiving team could touch or return it. Voila! You hit a point there for your team with an ace. Though it might sound like just a point, it may change the outcome of your match.
An ace can be scored in two ways. First, the serve must land directly in the opponent’s court without being touched. Second, it can touch one of the players before landing out of bounds.
An ace showcases a server’s power, strategy, placement, and deception. It can also highlight the weaknesses in the opposition’s skills and positioning on the court.
4 Types of Serves That Lead to an Ace
Strong and well-placed serves are the launchpads for an ace. So, start building up on your current serving positions. I bring you four kinds of services that lead to perfect aces. You can try them out and identify which works better for you.
- Topspin Serve
In this serve, snap your hand upon contact with the ball while serving, applying a topspin to it. The ball, in such a state, quickly starts going down after crossing the net. The receiving team struggles to judge the landing point.
And that’s how you seize the opportunity of the opposite team being off guard and score an ace with topspin serves.
- Float Serve
Two key points in this serve are unpredictable movement and minimal spin. Ironic right? The ball looks like it will travel in the air without any spin. The opponents will fail to guess its direction and end up missing it.
Here’s how you should do it:
- Start the serve by tossing the ball slightly in front of you at shoulder height
- Approach it with your dominant foot forward
- Create a knuckleball effect by hitting the ball with your flat palm
- Aim it towards a weak position, keeping your wrists relaxed and firm.
The appearance of sudden direction changes startles the opposition player leading to an ace.
- Jump Serve
The success of your jump serves depends on your power, aggression, and height.
Throw the ball high and nudge it slightly towards the front. Then swiftly taking a few steps ahead, hit it at its peak in a downward direction and with great power.
Opponents will feel overwhelmed by the speed and direction of the ball, thus resulting in a miss. You get the point!
- Jump-float Serve
This is a mix of the jump serve and the float serve and one of the moves I secretly envy.
Throw the ball as you do in a jump serve, take some quick steps, and strike the ball using the float serve technique. While you jump to hit the ball at its peak, keep your palms flat.
This is a harder serve for the opposition to tackle because of its speed, power, minimum spin, and unpredictability. It may be risky, but this serve has a higher chance of scoring an ace successfully. Risk comes with high rewards, you see!
4 Top Strategies for Better Aces
Mastering your serve can give you a significant edge on the court. Let’s explore four key strategies to improve your aces:
- Target Weak Opponents
Keenly observe your opponents and identify the ones weak at receiving. Or observe your target’s weak positions. Use them to plan your serve type, its speed, and placement.
For example, if your opponent has trouble with speedy downward strokes, place your jump serves right.
Smart placements can be a game-changer for your team.
- Find Vulnerable Spots
Keep a constant eye on the position unattended in the receiver’s court. Be prompt at service in these cases. Using float serves to make your movement unpredictable.
This way, the receiver will fail to judge your move and adjust their position accordingly.
- Mix Your Serves Up
Keep the receivers on their toes by mixing up your serves. Mix and match the four types of services mentioned above to create your style.
However, do not be predictable. Occasionally switch your patterns or style. If you use power and height for your serve. After some of them slow the power and use unpredictable moves.
- Assess Your Opponents’ Skills
As you prepare for the game don’t miss out on studying your opponents. You must know the upper hand, strengths, and weaknesses of the team you are playing against. You can strategically practice and tailor your moves accordingly.
3 Ways an Ace Helps Your Game
Acing your serve isn’t just about scoring a point. Let’s explore three key ways it can elevate your entire game:
- Impacts Team Morale
Both receiving and serving teams feel the impact of an ace. Scoring helps the serving team feel confident motivated and have high team morale. They get a score and the server’s skill is acknowledged.
On the flip side, the receiving team feels the pressure and gets demotivated and frustrated about the missed serve.
- Alters the Game Momentum
The server can change the momentum by well-timing an ace. The serving team can disrupt the opponent’s rhythm by scoring the point without any rally or exchange of the ball.
Moreover, if the serving team scores a series of aces, it might put the receiving team in a defensive stance breaking the one-sided lead.
Therefore, aces have the power to change the game outcome.
- Strengthens the Team Statistics
The ace reflecting an individual server’s skill can help improve the serving statistics of a team. A team can rely on a player who can consistently score aces when they need to change a game’s momentum.
These teams are categorized as teams having high serving capacities and therefore, have a competitive advantage over the opponents.
4 Common Mistakes While Attempting an Ace
Even skilled players can stumble when aiming for an ace. Let’s explore four common pitfalls to avoid:
- Serving errors: Serving on the net, foot faults, and line violations are the most common errors. These will give off the points to your opponents.
- Overthinking your move: If you take too much time to plan your serve when you are at the service line, you will be predictable. Most fast to have the advantage of spontaneity.
- Reluctant to observe and study your opponents: Not knowing your audience before the match is self-inflicted harm as you will not have an upper hand.
- Poor adaptation: When you are on the ground you must be agile. Observe the receiver’s action and quickly adopt your strategies.
Final Thoughts
Volleyball is a game of power, precision, tactics, and fun. Many moves can make you stand out from the crowd. The ace is one such move you can try mastering if you feel confident in serving.
You can also build on it by practicing and perfecting the details of your move. Try to participate in simulated practice matches to learn how to score aces when your team needs it. Celebrate and reward yourself whenever you get it right because hey, it is a difficult serve.
I hope this blog has answered everything about Ace as an important point make in Volleyball. Keep your eyes on this space as I will bring more important guides on the crucial moves and tricks to be your best at your game.
FAQs
Ace is a hard serve to achieve. In professional volleyball, it does not happen very often. If you are a part of an amateur or practice match you can expect more. For example, a four-set practice match can have up to 20 aces.
But in the case of professional matches, the numbers are low. Considering both men’s and women’s volleyball matches, there are 1.8 aces per serve. As there are four sets in each match, the number sums up to 7 aces in total.
Ace is celebrated as one of the most difficult servers in volleyball, so it is also rare. The players do not want to miss the chance to celebrate it because it motivates the team. You can often see the team gathering or flocking in a circle. They come together and make some special movements or chants.
However, a team should not get too personal or taunt and disrespect their opponents at any time.
What did the fastest volleyball serve in the world?
A full-blown power strike with strategic placement that startles the opponents is the key to a successful ace in volleyball. In men’s volleyball, the fastest aces lay between 120-130 km/h, and in women’s volleyball, it ranges up to 90 km/h.
Here are some of the fastest aces recorded in the history of volleyball.
| Players | Speed (km/h) |
| Wilfredo Leon | 134 |
| Ivan Zaytsev | 134 |
| Matey Kaziyski | 132.9 |
| Ivan Zaytsev | 130.9 |
| Earvin N’Gapeth | 128.4 |