#hitting cross court is usually defensive and hitting down the line is usually aggressive

[13thpythagoras]

tennis is a fun sport, if you wanna learn tennis shots, the main rules for practice are to first,

Learn consistency

then learn accuracy

and learn power only if you have those first two mastered.

If you do this you'll be playing a solid level of tennis fast...have fun :)

[deheyvidtan]

ANALYSIS

The Sea Games 2019 is a very unforgettable and one of the exciting game that shocked the Asia sports community, it is the battle between Philippines vs Vietnam. A women’s division volleyball game held in Araneta Coliseum where the venue is almost full because of the Filipino fans supporting the team. Vietnam players are much taller than to the Philippines so it’s much easier for them to block the attack coming from their opponent so they get a lot of scores in blocking the attack of the Philippines. On the other side the Philippines they are more aggressive and they are winning because they know how to defeat their opponents by using their wonderful spikes and aggressive plays. The game itself is down to the wire where it last at the set 5 where every position is really important on both teams to be able to win. The result is Vietnam win against the Philippines that has a home court advantage. For me, if our star player Valdez contribute more points Philippines have a bigger shot to win that certain game because Valdez game is read by their opponents and they do a scouting report on Valdez but it is an opening game there are more game will come and maybe they will have a rematch in Grand Finals will see.

Court Dimension

This sport uses a court that has 59 feet long and 29.5 feet wide, divided into two 9 m × 9 m halves by a one-meter (40-inch) wide net placed so that the top of the net is 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) for women's competition which is the men’s division is much taller net than the women’s division.

Equipment

·         Ball

·         Net

·         Knee pads

·         Shoes

Basic Skills

Spiking or attacking- is the strategy used to send the ball over the net to the opponent in such a manner that ball is not returnable. The spike is performed by moving the arm in a way such that you angle the ball to land on the ground of your opponent's side of the court.

Passing- is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.

Serving- is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points. Blocking- is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball. Digging- is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.

Setter- position is considered to be the most important position in volleyball. The setter basically runs the team offense.

Technical and Tactical Skills

Defensive Tactics in Volleyball

It’s no surprise that the success of a volleyball team depends a lot on its defense. Obviously, a volleyball team should have defensive players, who must be able to resist attacks of the opposite team successfully. You need to know that the defensive tactic in volleyball is all about blocking as well as diving, rolling and sliding.

It’s important to point out that a successful volleyball block oftentimes becomes a successful attack hit. The reality is the ball may go in the unpredictable direction after it’s blocked. Finally, the opposite team may find it hard to resist such an attack hit. That means that if a blocker does a

Passing Tactics in Volleyball

After the attack of the opposite team is resisted successfully, the next important thing that a volleyball team has to do is to pass the ball and start preparing for carrying out an attack hit. According to the rules of volleyball sport, a team has to make no more than 3 shots to setup an attack (dig, set and spike). That means that volleyball players need to get focused on developing volleyball passing skills. It’s important to know that a passing tactic in volleyball is all about digging and setting.

Attacking Tactics in Volleyball

The goal of every volleyball team is to carry out a successful attack hit and get a point. It’s worth noting that there are two types of attacking hits in the sport of volleyball – serve as well as spike. That means that an attacking volleyball tactic is all about serving and carrying out attack hits. Now, we’ll give you some insights into attacking tactics in volleyball.

Rules of the Game

A volleyball game consists of two teams of six players each, separated by a net. The six volleyball court positions are: setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite hitter, libero and serving specialist. To score points, a team must send the ball over the net, grounding it into the opponent’s court.

> Only 6 players on the floor at any given time: 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.

>There is a maximum of 3 hits per side.

>Points are made on every serve for the winning team of rally (rally-point scoring).

>Players may not hit the ball twice in succession (a block is not considered a hit).

> Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

>A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

>A ball is out if it hits an antenna, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stands or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable area.

> It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.

>It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.

> A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.

>After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.

>Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play.

>3-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team to win two sets.

>5-set matches are four sets to 25 points and a fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 points unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The first team to win three sets is the winner.

Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

Committing these volleyball rule violations result in a point for the opponent.

>Stepping on or across the service line when serving while making contact with the ball.

>Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

>Ball-handling errors and contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

>Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

>Blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net if your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND has a player there to make a play on the ball.

>Attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net when the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

>Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body, with the exception of a hand or foot. It is only considered a violation if the entire hand or entire foot crosses the court centerline.

>Serving out of rotation or out of order.

>Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back row player is near the net and has part of their body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

> Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

How to officiate

Volleyball officials have a number of different responsibilities, and they must keep a watchful eye on every point for the duration of the match. Two people form an officiating team for each match, with one acting as the head referee who stands on the referee stand, while the other is "down" referee assisting with monitoring substitutions and plays at the net.

Referees

The referee is the individual at the center of the court, dressed in black and white stripes. A referee’s duties include signaling when a rally begins and ends. The referee is responsible for officially recognizing team requests, substitutions, time-outs and communicating with the coaches at the appropriate times. There are often multiple referees in a match, according to the Strength and Power for Volleyball website.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper creates official records of volleyball games. Before play begins, the scorekeeper records team and player information. Once the game begins, scorekeepers not only track points, but also player substitutions, sanctions and time-outs. The scorekeeper keeps an eye on the individual serving the ball to track the rotation and notify referees of potential lapses. At the close of the game, the scorekeeper records the final score of the game.

Assistant Scorekeeper

The assistant scorekeeper or libero tracker is responsible for updating the scoreboard and keeping an eye on the libero. The libero tracking duty was added in 1999. This individual records changes in the libero rotation, notifying referees when problems occur in the rotation.

Line Judges

There are usually two line judges, one at either end of the court, usually in opposite corners. Line judges work with the referees, signaling to assist in making judgment calls. These officials often use flags to signal when a ball is in or out, hits the antennae of the net, or when the server commits a foot fault, or steps outside the line as they serve.

[jaredzamorano]

ANALYSIS 

           The Opening Game of Sea Games 2019 is truly remarkable and one of the exciting game of all time it is the battle between our very own Philippines vs Vietnam. It is a women’s division volleyball it is held in Araneta Coliseum where the venue is almost full because of the Filipino fans supporting are team. When we talk about the game both teams have different strategies. We will start at Vietnam their players are much taller than to the Philippines so it’s much easier for them to block the attack coming from their opponent so they get a lot of scores in blocking the attack of the Philippines. On the other side the Philippines they are more aggressive and they are winning on that tactic because they know that if they not use speed they will easily loss the game. The game itself is down to the wire where it last at the set 5 where every position is really important on both teams to be able to win. The result is Vietnam win against the Philippines that has a home court advantage. For me, if our star player Valdez contribute more points Philippines have a bigger shot to win that certain game because Valdez game is read by their opponents and they do a scouting report on Valdez but it is an opening game there are more game will come and maybe they will have a rematch in Grand Finals will see.

Court Dimension

The game is played on a volleyball court 18 meters (59 feet) long and 9 meters (29.5 feet) wide, divided into two 9 m × 9 m halves by a one-meter (40-inch) wide net placed so that the top of the net is 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) for women's competition (these heights are varied for veterans and junior competitions).

Equipment

·         Ball

·         Net

·         Knee pads

·         Shoes

Basic Skills

Spiking or attacking- is the strategy used to send the ball over the net to the opponent in such a manner that ball is not returnable. The spike is performed by moving the arm in a way such that you angle the ball to land on the ground of your opponent's side of the court.

Passing- is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.

Serving- is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points. Blocking- is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball. Digging- is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.

Setter- position is considered to be the most important position in volleyball. The setter basically runs the team offense.

Technical and Tactical Skills

Defensive Tactics in Volleyball

It’s no surprise that the success of a volleyball team depends a lot on its defence. Obviously, a volleyball team should have defensive players, who must be able to resist attacks of the opposite team successfully. You need to know that the defensive tactic in volleyball is all about blocking as well as diving, rolling and sliding.

It’s important to point out that a successful volleyball block oftentimes becomes a successful attack hit. The reality is the ball may go in the unpredictable direction after it’s blocked. Finally, the opposite team may find it hard to resist such an attack hit. That means that if a blocker does a

Passing Tactics in Volleyball

After the attack of the opposite team is resisted successfully, the next important thing that a volleyball team has to do is to pass the ball and start preparing for carrying out an attack hit. According to the rules of volleyball sport, a team has to make no more than 3 shots to setup an attack (dig, set and spike). That means that volleyball players need to get focused on developing volleyball passing skills. It’s important to know that a passing tactic in volleyball is all about digging and setting.

Attacking Tactics in Volleyball

The goal of every volleyball team is to carry out a successful attack hit and get a point. It’s worth noting that there are two types of attacking hits in the sport of volleyball – serve as well as spike. That means that an attacking volleyball tactic is all about serving and carrying out attack hits. Now, we’ll give you some insights into attacking tactics in volleyball.

Rules of the Game

A volleyball game consists of two teams of six players each, separated by a net. The six volleyball court positions are: setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite hitter, libero and serving specialist. To score points, a team must send the ball over the net, grounding it into the opponent’s court.

·         Only 6 players on the floor at any given time: 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.

·         There is a maximum of 3 hits per side.

·         Points are made on every serve for the winning team of rally (rally-point scoring).

·         Players may not hit the ball twice in succession (a block is not considered a hit).

·         Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

·         A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

·         A ball is out if it hits an antenna, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stands or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable area.

·         It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.

·         It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.

·         A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.

·         After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.

·         Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play.

·         3-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team to win two sets.

·         5-set matches are four sets to 25 points and a fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 points unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The first team to win three sets is the winner.

Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

Committing these volleyball rule violations result in a point for the opponent.

·         Stepping on or across the service line when serving while making contact with the ball.

·         Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

·         Ball-handling errors and contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

·         Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

·         Blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net if your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND has a player there to make a play on the ball.

·         Attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net when the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

·         Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body, with the exception of a hand or foot. It is only considered a violation if the entire hand or entire foot crosses the court centerline.

·         Serving out of rotation or out of order.

·         Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back row player is near the net and has part of their body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

·         Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

How to officiate

Volleyball officials have a number of different responsibilities, and they must keep a watchful eye on every point for the duration of the match. Two people form an officiating team for each match, with one acting as the head referee who stands on the referee stand, while the other is "down" referee assisting with monitoring substitutions and plays at the net.

Referees

The referee is the individual at the center of the court, dressed in black and white stripes. A referee’s duties include signaling when a rally begins and ends. The referee is responsible for officially recognizing team requests, substitutions, time-outs and communicating with the coaches at the appropriate times. There are often multiple referees in a match, according to the Strength and Power for Volleyball website.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper creates official records of volleyball games. Before play begins, the scorekeeper records team and player information. Once the game begins, scorekeepers not only track points, but also player substitutions, sanctions and time-outs. The scorekeeper keeps an eye on the individual serving the ball to track the rotation and notify referees of potential lapses. At the close of the game, the scorekeeper records the final score of the game.

Assistant Scorekeeper

The assistant scorekeeper or libero tracker is responsible for updating the scoreboard and keeping an eye on the libero. The libero tracking duty was added in 1999. This individual records changes in the libero rotation, notifying referees when problems occur in the rotation.

Line Judges

There are usually two line judges, one at either end of the court, usually in opposite corners. Line judges work with the referees, signaling to assist in making judgment calls. These officials often use flags to signal when a ball is in or out, hits the antennae of the net, or when the server commits a foot fault, or steps outside the line as they serve.

[marlalarraz]

SEA Games 2019: PHL VS VIE Volleyball Women's Opener (Full) | Volleyball

Court Dimensions

Indoor volleyball

The playing court is 18m long and 9m wide and is surrounded by a free zone 3m wide on all sides.

The space above the playing area is known as the free playing space and is a minimum of 7m high from the playing surface.

For FIVB, world and official competitions, the free zone measures a minimum of 5m from the side lines and 8m from the ends lines. The free playing space is a minimum of 7m high from the playing surface.

Playing surface

The playing surface is flat and a light colour. For FIVB, world and official competitions, only a wooden or synthetic surface is allowed.

White colours are required for the lines. Other different colours are required for the playing court and free zone.

Line markings

All lines on the court are 5cm wide and are a light colour different from the colour of the floor.

The boundary lines are the two side lines and end lines. The centre line divides the playing court into two equal courts, 9m x 9m each. This line extends from beneath the net from sideline to sideline.

On each court the rear edge of the attack line is drawn 3m back from the middle of the centre line and marks the front zone.

Zones and areas

The front zone on each court is limited by the axis of the centre line and the rear edge of the attack line. The front zone extends beyond the side lines to the end of the free zone.

The service zone is a 9m wide area behind each end line and extends to the end of the free zone. It is 15cm long and drawn 20cm behind the end line as an extension of the side lines.

The substitution zone extends from both attack lines to the scorer’s table.

The Libero Replacement zone is part of the free zone on the same side as the team benches, extending from the attack line up to the end line.

A penalty area, 1m x 1m, is located in the control area outside of the endlines.

Nets and posts

The net is 2.43m high for men and 2.24m high for women. It is placed vertically over the centre line. It is 1m wide and 9.5m‑­10m long and is 10cm square black mesh.

The height of the net is measured from the centre of the playing court.

The antenna is a flexible rod, 1.8m long and 10mm in diameter and made of fibreglass or similar material. It is fastened on opposite sides of the net. The top of the antenna extends 80cm above the net and is marked with 10cm stripes of contrasting colour, usually red and white.

The 2.55m high posts are placed 0.50m‑­1.0m outside the side lines. The posts are rounded and fixed to the ground without wires.

Equipment

Runners/Court Shoes:

Any indoor athletic shoe is adequate for the beginner volleyball player, however, the use of runners versus court shoes can lead to more ankle sprains due to the higher heel height (made for shock absorption) in the runner

Socks:

Due to the repetitive motions required on the volleyball court, blisters are common, but you can avoid blisters by both choosing the correct shoes as well as the correct socks.

Knee Pads:

Knee pads are commonly worn by indoor volleyball players to protect the knee from the impact of the floor when diving for a ball or going down onto one knee when passing a ball.

Ankle Braces:

Ankle sprains occur often in volleyball due to the frequent action near the net with many players in a small space at one time

Hydration Gear:

Keeping hydrated will help you stay alert while playing volleyball. It may also help to prevent muscle cramps and will help your post game recovery.

Basic Skills

The six basic volleyball skills are passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging, and serving.

Passing is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.

The importance of serving is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points.

Blocking is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball.

Digging is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.

Rules of the Game

Basic Volleyball Rules

6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row

Maximum of 3 hits per side

Points are made on every serve for wining team of rally (rally-point scoring).

Player may not hit the ball twice in succession. (A block is not considered a hit.)

Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.

It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.

It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.

A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.

After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.

Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play. 3-set matches are 2 sets to 25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team to win 2 sets. 5-set matches are 4 sets to 25 points and fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The winner is the first team to win three sets.

Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

Rule violations that result in a point for the opponent

When serving, the player steps on or across the service line as while making contact with the ball.

Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

Ball-handling errors. Contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

When blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, it’s illegal to contact the ball when reaching over the net if both your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND they have a player there to make a play on the ball.

When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a violation if the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body is a violation. Exception: if it is the hand or foot. In this case, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.

Serving out of rotation/order.

Back-row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back-row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

Back-row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

Officiating the Sport

Referees

The referee is the individual at the center of the court, dressed in black and white stripes. A referee’s duties include signaling when a rally begins and ends. The referee is responsible for officially recognizing team requests, substitutions, time-outs and communicating with the coaches at the appropriate times.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper creates official records of volleyball games.

Assistant Scorekeeper

The assistant scorekeeper or libero tracker is responsible for updating the scoreboard and keeping an eye on the libero.

Line Judges

These officials often use flags to signal when a ball is in or out, hits the antennae of the net, or when the server commits a foot fault, or steps outside the line as they serve.

Technical and Tactical Skills, and Analysis

Bidding to end a 14-year medal drought, the Philippine women’s volleyball team starts its uphill SEA Games climb against dangerous Vietnam. The Philippine women’s volleyball team put up a good fight but Vietnam proved steadier in the deciding set to hack out a 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8 decision in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the PhilSports Arena. Sill locked in a 6-all tie in the 5th set, the Filipinas got undone when the Vietnamese staged a game-sealing 7-1 run capped by back-to-back blocks on Alyssa Valdez to take a huge 13-7 lead. Valdez then ended the match as her crosscourt hit sailed out for the 15-8 finish The Filipinas, though, stunned the favored Vietnamese in the opening frame, 25-21, but the visitors came alive off the leadership of young star “T4” Thi Thanh Thuy Tran, escaping the 2nd set, 25-23, then taking the 3rd in convincing fashion, 25-19. The Philippines, however, then started off strong in its comeback attempt at the 4th, netting a 10-4 edge off the lead by Jovelyn Gonzaga and Valdez.  Although Vietnam tied it up, 13-all, the Philippines eventually ran away in the 4th, 25-20.  Vietnam then cranked up the defense in the final frame, with 4 of their first 6 points coming off blocks. T4 stamped her dominance on the Filipinas with a triple-double of 27 points, 13 digs and 13 receptions as Valdez led the losing effort with 22 markers.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4kGC_d-i8

References:

AOC Volleyball. (2018, November  23). Retrieved from theartofcoachingvolleyball:  https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules-and-terminology/

Barclay. (n.d.).  Retrieved from barclayphysicaltherapy:  http://www.barclayphysicaltherapy.com/Sports-Activities/Volleyball/Guide-to-Selecting-Volleyball-Equipment/a~2855/article.html

Callaway, C.  (2011, August 17). SportsRec. Retrieved from SportsRec:  https://www.sportsrec.com/504918-how-to-officiate-a-game-of-volleyball.html

Kuhl, R. (2019,  July 12). DLGSC. Retrieved from dlgsc: https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/volleyball#:~:text=The%20playing%20court%20is%2018m,high%20from%20the%20playing%20surface.

Strength and  Power for Volleyball. (n.d.). Retrieved from  strength-and-power-for-volleyball: https://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/basic-volleyball-skills.html#:~:text=The%20six%20basic%20volleyball%20skills,of%20serving%20is%20often%20undervalued.

[aweirdkindofyellow]

The Royal Invitation, Pt. 7

Aerowyn Matilde George Rothchester might seem like a very long name, but it definitely is not for a royal in the Kingdom of Dalewin.

After her grandfather, the beloved king, passed away, Aerowyn (also known as Winny) is called back from her art school in New York. She’s thrown back into her royal duties, expected to know what to do.

But with the Royal advisor on tour with the new king, Winny is left to figure things out with his stepson. The only problem, he has no idea what he’s doing, after all he’s only the lead singer in a band.

Co-written story with @scream-tears.

Chapter 7

Winny’s POV:

“Alright, Mr. Gaskarth, what’s up next,” I asked Alex as we walked back inside through the front doors to the castle. My heels clicked loudly against the marble.

He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. “Well, it seems your schedule is open until dinner, Miss. Rothchester.”

“Very delightful.” I clapped my hands together in satisfaction and gave him a forced smile. “But it is actually Her Royal Highness, Princess of Dalewin, or Princess Aerowyn.”

“Well I’ll be damned,” he shook his head and scanned his document as if he had missed an important point, “I’ve got a princess on my hands.”

“A princess with a shitload of free time all of a sudden,” I snorted. My dad was getting ready to go on his tour and slowly but surely I was getting all these responsibilities that I had to take over now. There was no time for myself.

“What will she be doing with this time? Maybe some sowing or playing the piano?” Alex suggested in a horrible posh accent.

“Hmm, no… she thinks she’ll go out in the sun and play some tennis.” My high heels continued to echo in the hall as I started towards the stairs. “Oh, and she requests your presence.”

“My presence?”

“Yes, your presence.” I stopped to turn around and nod at him before stepping up the stairs. “I’m done talking in third person. See you outside at the tennis court in fifteen minutes.”

“Wait! I don’t know where the tennis court is!” He shouted out.

“Outside!”

I went up to my bedroom to get changed. My feet were more than glad to leave the cage that was my heels. I used to be able to wear them for ages without feeling a thing. It was like I had trained them. But New York has softened me in that aspect. Sneakers were my go to there for everyday attire. Heels weren’t exactly the best to paint in either.

Usually, I had somebody who would lay out the clothes I needed to get changed into, even if it was just getting into pajamas or changing out of formal clothes. The thing was, for somebody to do that, they would have to know. I was assuming that Alex hadn’t notified anybody. I only gave him fifteen minutes to meet me. Given how panicked he was about not knowing where the tennis court was, I guessed he wasn’t going to waste any time.

Not that I minded. I had gotten very used to doing things all by myself and I really enjoyed it. Privacy, who knew it was a thing?

I had a very nice generic tennis outfit to wear. Pretty sexist, if you asked me. You know, the white skirt, white t-shirt, white long socks, and white shoes. Oh, and don’t forget the white visor cap. Although... I was pretty thankful for that one, it was quite sunny outside.

I brought two rackets with me to the court. Alex wasn’t there yet. Granted, I was two minutes early, and he probably had more than just changing to do beforehand, but I still didn’t know what to do. Everything was already set up to my surprise. Two towels, two bottles of water, and even a sunshade with two chairs available.

I wandered around the court aimlessly, only holding my racket. It was in the position you’d expect a guitar or ukulele to be. Although it obviously wasn’t an instrument, I still let my nails rake against the strings as if I was. It made some awkward scratching noise. Nothing like a nice melody.

“Wow, you’re good at playing the guitar,” Alex said behind me, catching me off guard.

I turned around and smirked at him. “I am the lead singer of the world-famous band All Time Low!” I ‘strung’ the strings again dramatically. “The crowd goes wild!”

“Well, aren’t you funny.”

“I know, I’m hilarious,” I agreed and started holding my racket normally, pointing towards the right side of the net. “Your racket’s over there.”

He walked over and picked it up, twirling it around. “Thanks, but I must warn you, I have no idea how to play tennis.”

“You at least know how to hold it, right?”

“Yeah?” He nodded and clumsily put his hands around the handle.

I took a peek at his grip and sighed. “It’s good enough, let’s just play. Rules don’t matter. Yet.”

Alex went over to the otherside of the net as I went to grab a ball. I bent over and bounced it a few times before I got to serving. It always helped me focus on the ball and track it easier. When I looked back up at Alex, I saw him staring right at my but with a hint of amusement on his face.

“Ay!” I called him out and pointed my racket at him aggressively. “Disrespectful!”

“What?” He quickly redirected his eyes back to my face and held his hands up in defense.

“I’ve worked hard for this ass, it deserves to be appreciated, but I’m a princess. That’s the highest level of insult!”

Alex whistled lowly. “Well, I apologise.”

“You better!”

I served the ball, making it wizz across to Alex’s side. He was unprepared and jumped out of its way to avoid getting hurt. The funniest part was the weird yelp he let out as he noticed the ball was zooming right towards him. I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“I wasn’t prepared!” He whined.

“That’s what they all say.”

I went easier on him afterwards. There was a fine line between messing with him and it being funny and messing with him until it turned into borderline bullying. I actually did need a partner to play with, even if he had no idea what he was doing. The ball went out more often than not and I was racking up points like it was nobody’s business. It was so bad that we had to get rid of the entire point system.

Technically, the game would have gone forever like that, but Augustus interrupted us by simply showing up.

“Somebody told me a pathetic match was being played.” He opened the gate and came sauntering in.

“Umm, excuse me,” I scoffed, “we’re just playing for fun.”

“You’ve just gone soft.”

“You wish!”

“I am feeling a competition coming on.” Alex slowly backed away over to the shade, “so I’m just going to take a break now.”

Augustus and I did not turn down the offer of playing against each other. It was one steamy dramatic game. There was one sport we played avidly in our family and that was tennis. Why? I don’t know. It wasn’t some prestigious sport, but our parents got us started early on. Technically, I had a 4 year headstart on Augustus, but I didn’t play back in New York.

We were going head to head. I would get a point, then Augustus would. It was a constant battle between who would break the tie. There was a heightened suspense all the way up until match point. It was all or nothing.

I served the ball, throwing it up high into the sky. It managed to go back and forth between us for quite a while. We both tried to trick the other, making us run all over. My heart was pumping so quickly. The beat of the ball hitting the ground was drumming in my ears. And then Augustus was the last one to hit it.

“Yes!” He screamed out.

“That was out.” I shook my head.

“No it was not.”

“Umm, yes it was.”

“You’re just a sore loser,” he mocked.

I crossed my arms and gave him a disappointed look. “Am I? Am I really, Gus-Gus?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then, why don’t you just let me win if you’re the better loser?” I challenged, to which he looked at me with wide mad eyes. “Maybe you are the sorer loser.”

“No, no, no, you aren’t tricking me! I’d win this easily whether or not that point was given to me.”

“So you’d be down to ignore that point and redo?”

“Umm, yes.” He rolled his eyes as if it was the obvious answer.

I put my hands on my hips and turned to Alex in one swift jump. “You wanna play the winner?”

“I think I’m good,” Alex declined with a small wave of his hand. “Watching you is entertainment enough.”

“We’ll see about that.”

I reserved the ball and the game started again. Augustus was so focused, I could just see it. He kept his eyes on the ball. It was like a puppy following a treat. Part of me wanted to let him win. But what was the fun in that? I couldn’t simply do that. He was the one that agreed to a redo.

I swung harder than I had the entire game, causing the ball to zoom right past the end of Augustus’ racket. It loudly slammed into the metal fence behind him, stopping the ball from rolling down into the gardens, and bounced back towards us.

“What. The. Fuck.” Augustus panned his eyes from the ball to me with his mouth open wide.

I shrugged and gave him a smile. “I was holding back the entire time, sorry.”

“That’s unfair!” He whined and kicked the tennis ball. “You tricked me!”

“It’s all about making your opponent think they have a chance and then swooping in for the kill, Gus-Gus. You should know that by now.”

He repeated my last sentence in a high pitched mocking voice.

“Who’s the sore loser now.”

He glared at me. I had learned to deal with losing, Augustus hadn’t that much. He was more taught to deal with it the same way all kids were. Just told to get over it. I was drilled about it. You can’t have some butthurt queen, can you?

“It’s okay, though,” I decided to cheer him up a little, “you’ll always be better at sparring.”

“I fucking destroy you in that,” he emphasised.

“Okay, now don’t go murdering me in my sleep like some power hungry second born,” I told him sternly while simultaneously brushing him off. I had something much more important to ask Alex. “Wanna play again?”

“Umm,” he frowned with uncertainty.

“We can play as a team against Augustus.”

“I will most definitely make you lose.”

“Why do you think I just got myself a win?”

Alex couldn’t continue to argue with me. I knew he secretly liked playing, so he didn’t need that much convincing. He may have been trying to hide it, but I saw that he was having fun while it was just the two of us playing.

So, we started a new match. The plan was for me and Alex to switch position occasionally, while Augustus just did as he usually would do by himself. I started out in the front and Alex started in the back. Alex was right, we were losing by a lot. The ball would often hit in his zone, and he wouldn’t be able to reach it fast enough. But it didn’t matter.

The longer we played, though, the more focused I got. Good thing for a normal game, not so good when I wasn’t really properly playing in teams. Usually, it would work out perfectly. But, with Alex, it was just a bit all over the place. The ball was flying towards the other side of our half of the court. I rushed towards it, but rather than my racket colliding with the ball, it was my body that collided with Alex’s. I tripped over and found myself on the floor.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry!” Alex quickly apologised.

I just laughed and rolled over on my back. “That was all me.”

“Everything good? No broken bones?” He immediately started worrying.

“I’m all good,” I continued to giggle and sat up, brushing off all the sand on me. “Calm your tits.”

“I’d love to, but if you get hurt, it’s on me.”

“Live a little, Gaskarth.” I slapped his leg and stood back up.

[soda-kpop]

Volleyball!NCT Dream AU

So I know I said that I couldn’t see Dream as a volleyball squad, but after watching a bit more of youth volleyball, I could see the Dreamies as a squad! 

Outsides: The big guns. These boys are all about the offense. The go-to attackers ready for any set, even off of a 1-point pass. Get the most sets and make the most errors, but their kills make up for any points lost

Mark Lee

I know what you're thinking, "you put mark at libero last time!" Well yes I did, but that was a completely different squad. With U/127, he would absolutely be the libero. With Dream, however, he would be an outside hitter. He is one of the most athletic members of the Dream team and they need his strength and power on the left pin to crush down balls. He is also one of the smartest players due to his experience. He's played the game for a long time and with that, his toolbox has expanded as well. Loves hitting the sharp angle when it's open. When he hits it, expect the largest, brightest smile. Most of the time he hits line though, it's away from the two main passers and if they play the rotations right, will take the setter out of the play. He serves a jump float when behind the line. In practices, he always works on his top spin serve, but always goes back to the trusty float. Since he is a libero on another squad, his passing ability is exceptional. Very rarely does this team get out of system and a large portion of that is thanks to Mark. Yes, the team may have its own libero in Chenle, but he doesn't have the experience playing as many elite teams as Mark has which is why Mark mentors Chenle. Mark takes his experience and shares it. He doesn't want the whole team revolving around him - after all, there is no I in team.

Lee Jeno

The definition of a power hitter (I MEAN HAVE YOU SEEN HIS ARMS LIKE JENO CALM THE FUCK DOWN.) During the drafting of this, I thought that he was maybe like the second most athletic on the dream squad but recent studies have shown that that's a lie. Jeno = power and that goes for wherever he is on the court. In the front, he very rarely uses off speed unless the opposition has been picking up his hammered balls. From the back line, he has a crazy top spin jump serve (that to be honest Libero!Chenle is afraid to return during practice.) From the back court, he loves running the BIC attack. That's his bread and butter. It's so exhilarating to just fly in behind the middle attacker and attack basically an open net, it gives him such a thrill. He's the fourth best passer on the team but that doesn't mean he's bad. He just has to complete with an outside who is a libero at heart, an opposite with libero training, and their actual libero for that title. Passing is more of an after thought to him (which is why he is still under Opposite!Haechan in passing.) He'd rather let Libero!Chenle take a ball in the back row so he can get in position for the combination play than getting eliminated from the play in the first touch. Off of the court, he is a total gym rat. He always want to head to the gym in order to get stronger. A man's gotta keep his vertical am I right?

Middle Blockers: Part 1 of the major defense of each team. Height and speed are needed, although height can be substituted for a mad vertical. Don't get set often but their efficiency is through the roof.

Park Jisung

So I almost put this tall boy as a setter, but after much deliberation, I placed him in the middle. Either way, this boy is gonna be aggressive. His favorite ball to hit is when his server just rips one over the net, forcing the overpass from the opponent, and he just slams the ball straight down. He gets so exhilarated every time it happens. Same goes for a stuff block. He turns off the net and everyone is pointing and screaming at him and he just basks in the glory. Definitely more of a blocking middle. He can get his kills don't get me wrong, but this kid is known for his blocking. He is first on the team! When hitting, he usually swing across his body deep into the 1 location. He usually has a high kill percentage when he hits here because either 1. the setter left early and no one is defending or 2. setters USUALLY don't like playing defense or aren't as skilled. When he gets into the service box, he serves a jump float. His height lets him get a good angle over the net, needing nothing but downward trajectory to send that ball curving towards the ground. He would probably be the only one to really mess with a short serve. The team can't help but baby the small giant despite the cries from Jisung. Jisung can't help but roast the squad despite the cries from his elders. It goes hand in hand to be honest.

Na Jaemin

So this little ball of sunshine is the other middle for the squad. He is definitely more of the attacking middle. Kills are big and flashy and he loves getting all of the attention that comes with it. Loves catching the side lines, especially the spot between locations 4 and 5, right in front of the libero. He loves testing the libero so much. Like any time he can beat them, it just adds a boost to his confidence. As for blocking, he is speedy getting to the pins and transitions well, almost too well. The exhaust he puts on his body often results in injury. When he is out, the team brings Middle!WinWin down to fill his spot. When Jaemin rotates to the back row, he serves a jump top spin but not with a lot of power. He is more focused on consistency than absolutely slamming the ball. You could have power but hit it right to them and be dug so easily. Placement is just as important. His pregame includes spending hours in the training room getting taped and his legs warmed. If anyone ever complains about soreness and pain, he always recommends his favorite remedies or methods of being taped. Is currently out due to injury and everyone loves and misses him. There are rumors he is joining the squad again and the hype could not be more real.

Right Side/Opposite: Swings from behind the setter. In charge of shutting down the outside attack, which is vital since the outside gets the most sets. Does not get set often but when they do, they usually terminate.

Lee Donghyuck (Haechan)

Like the U + 127 squad, Donghyuck would be the opposite hitter. In this team, he plays all 6 rotations defending the right side of the court. When he hits, he loves hitting line but it doesn't always go down. He's another one who loves testing the libero. Most of the time he will go cross though because that's where USUALLY the worst defenders on the court are, and often that's an easy kill. I say usually because it's not true all the time - even Haechan is an exception to this. He has libero training meaning he is quick and balanced. He knows his spots like the back of his hand and can deliver a perfect pass. He is very vocal on the team: calling open spots, how many blockers are up, and whether the setter is front row. Basically if anything is happening, Hyuckie is calling it out. He’d normally jump float serve but if they are up by a lot, he'd try a top spin serve. Has so much heart for the game, he'll go after anything. He sacrifices his body so much that he's basically Jaemin's pet. Uses 99% of Jaemin’s tape and patience. During practice, he is always asking when they are gonna do ball massages. "If I get three pancakes, can we do ball massages???" King of Pancakes, he calls himself as to him, there is nothing better. He jokes around with all the members but always reassures that he loves them with all his heart. 

Setter: In charge of spreading around the ball, allowing the offense to be run. Need nice hands to deliver a clean ball to any area of the court. Speed is also vital as location of the first contact varies especially when the level of play increases.

Huang Renjun

This little bean is the setter of the squad. I originally had him as a middle but instantly thought twice about it. This boy is so gentle and sweet, I could see him as a setter in a heartbeat. He would definitely be more about sharing the love than slamming a ball down. That doesn't mean he wouldn't be offensive as a setter though. If the pass is tight, don't be surprised to see Renjun slam the ball down. He likes to run a faster offense. If he could, he'd have the outsides hitting 3's, the middles running 1's, and the right side running I's all the time. 3's and I's aren't too common in the men's game however so he just settles for a faster set all the way to the pins. Him and Hyuckie will dabble with I's from time to time however. When he rotates to the back, he will serve a jump float so he can get to his base as soon as possible. He doesn't feel the need to score from behind the service line, just get it in. As far as defending, he's only really comfortable defending the opposite attack while in the back row. He really gets his defending going while blocking. Being able to shut down the strong pin just gives him such a confidence boost and you get to see his wonderful smile, it's great. I have a feeling he would be the team mom always carrying snacks and extra socks and knee pads. Very very responsible.

Libero: Have the best passing skill. Second part of the major defense team. Reserved as best receivers and servers. Height is not required as they don't play at the net. Liberos do not take up substitutions and they wear an off-colored jersey. Goes into the back row for the middle.

Zhong Chenle

My brother from another motherChenle would be the libero on this squad. He is so energetic and active, I think he would make such a nice libero. He would be fast moving to locations and can stop on a dime when the attack is about to start their swing. If the ball is not directly hit at him, you know he will dive for it every single time. He loves getting a one handed dig, just scooping up the ball with his forearms. If they win that point, he just kind of smuggly brushes the dust off his shoulder before he just shines the brightest smile. Not one to swing to much if they are out of system and he needs to send the third ball over. Watching this kid during warm ups would be so cute. Every time he gets a good hit, everyone will be cheering as loud as they can. Liberos can't serve in the men's game, but during practice he would serve a jump float for the same reason as Setter!Renjun. The faster he can get to his base, the better. He looks up to Mark so much as a libero. If Chenle has any questions, he will instantly go to Mark. He is quite young and questions he's abilities often, but the rest of the team frequently tells him how much of a good job he is doing. Every one wants to protect him, even the maknae. His cuteness is just contagious.

I hope I didn’t use too many volleyball terms where you can’t understand. If I did, please tell me so I can make a little guide!

So the format of these, I think, is getting better and better so I’m wondering if you guys would want me to rewrite some of my older, messier au’s! If you like that idea, message me or send me an ask!

NEXT: UP10TION & A.C.E.

Other Volleyball AUs: ASTRO | BTS | GOT7 | SEVENTEEN | GFRIEND | KNK | MONSTA X | NCT U+127 | SF9

[nickireadstfc]

The Foxhole Court, Chapter 7 – The Literal Opposite Of Squad Goals

In which the Foxes don���t exactly win Squad Of The Year, everyone fights with everyone, disturbingly weird sexual tension is more disturbing and weird than sexual, and just when you think ‘oh man, it can’t go downhill from there’, spoiler alert: It does.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Foxhole Court.

Since we finally – finally! – got the gang together last time, I thought this chapter was going to be entertaining Exy practices, getting to know our new characters better and some fun squad banter.

Apparently, I had not been reading this series correctly if I assumed there was any fun to be had.

           The entire first week of summer practices was eaten up by in-fighting as the court hierarchy fell into place again.

The Foxes do not fuck around, you guys.

Let’s sum this up: Momma Dan keeps them all in check, Kevin is next in line because of his expertise but like everyone hates him, Matt is the underappreciated real MVP, next is my baby Renee who is still calm and gentle (and I’m not buying one bit of it), and then the rest is left to bash each other’s heads in at the bottom of the pecking order.

           It seemed Allison and Seth didn’t believe much in middle ground: either they were slinging vile insults at each other or they were making out in the locker room regardless of whoever might be around.

Oh Allison, I was just debating on whether to like your or not, but you sort of took that decision from me with your choice in sexy-time partners.

I’m sorry. I still deeply, deeply dislike Seth.

Here’s to hoping he comes around at some point.

           Even Andrew seemed quite taken with [Renee]. Neil saw them talking off to the side several times throughout the week. It was obvious no one else approved of their odd friendship, but neither goalkeeper paid any mind to the unhappy looks sent their way.

This is amazing. I cannot get over how amazing this Brotp is. Goalie BFFs for LIFE <3

Also, how is Renee so wonderful, how is she even REAL.

(She’s not. They’re all fictional. I have to constantly remind myself of that.)

I’m also beginning to realize how far we’ve already come in this book. We’re halfway, you guys, and they’ve only now got the whole team together and are starting summer practices. We may not even meet Riko and the gang in this book, let alone play any league Exy games.

Halfway, what the hell. It feels like it just fucking started.

Speaking about getting started! Remember that fun party trip with Kandreil, Exy Courfeyrac and Small, Blonde And Shady that was promised to us last chapter? Well, it’s time to suit up, guys, ‘cause we’re going to Columbia.

           “This is for you,” Nicky said. “Andrew said you don’t have anything appropriate for where we’re going. He told me what size to get you, and I picked it out. Trust me, it’s awesome.”

Not to be gay but……… How does Andrew know Neil’s size………..

Can’t be an educated guess, Nicky could have done that himself, so the only logical conclusion I get from this is that Andrew paid special attention to Neil’s clothing size when going through his duffel in case he’d need to get him an outfit for something at some point.

I can’t decide if that’s more creepy or cute.

Today’s Casually Mentioned, Yet Heart-Breakingly Sad Neil Fact is this:

           Nicky hooked the twine handle over Neil’s fingers. Neil watched him do it, trying to remember the last time someone gave him a gift and coming up blank. That his first one should be from Andrew was unsettling.

No shit dude, I’d be unsettled by that as well. Gifts from Andrew could, in all likelihood, include everything from bloody knives to living snakes to tips on how to get the freshest ‘I just murdered a dude’ look, none of which sound particularly appealing to me.

           “Ditch them tonight. Your contacts, I mean. (…) It’s not like they’re a secret. Anyone who’s looking can see the ring in your eyes that means you’re wearing lenses. I saw ‘em day one.”

I fucking called it. You can seriously always tell when someone is wearing contacts, especially if they’re coloured. I just spent an entire weekend at a cosplay convention, trust me, you can tell.

           “And seriously, brown? How boring can you be?”

           “I like brown.”

           “Andrew doesn’t,” Nicky said. “Take them out.”

And since when does Andrew’s opinion on Neil’s appearance matter? Homeboy seems to have a pretty defined taste in boyfriends. The ‘creepy or cute’ question begins to lean more towards creepy.

           Every piece of [the outfit] was black. The cargoes were light and cut to accommodate a pair of heavy boots. The shirt was long-sleeved, tight and fashioned to look like it’d been torn through in places. A charcoal inner layer peeked out through the gashes.

So what we’re saying is that Nicky shops at the Tumblr Department of the Soft Edgy Grunge Moodboard Store?

(10/10 would wear in real life. GIMME.)

Right on cue, the monsters show up again, and we’re kicking off this night of disturbing debauchery with yet another ‘creepy or cute’ incident:

           Neil couldn’t leave with Andrew in the way, so he stopped as close to Andrew as he dared and waited for Andrew to move. Andrew did, but only to reach out for Neil with one hand. Neil tensed as Andrew’s finger wrapped around the back of his neck, but Andrew only wanted to pull Neil’s head down. Neil focused on Andrew’s cheekbone so as not to go cross-eyed and let Andrew study his eyes.

A classic. Blocking your boyfriend’s way, getting into his personal space, pulling his head as close to yours as possibly to check out his eyes, who gave Andrew a handbook on how to aggressively flirt with people and how can we take it from him.

           Nicky perked up as the two stepped into the living room, but his happy expression faltered when he got a look at Neil. “Oh man. Neil, you clean up good. Can I say that, or is that against the rules? Just – damn. Aaron, don’t let me get too drunk tonight.”

           Andrew (…) put his lighter in Nicky’s face.

           “Don’t make me kill you,” Andrew said.

           Nicky held up his hands in self-defense. “I know.”

           “Do you?”

           “Promise,” Nicky said weakly.

This just in: Neil is a Banger™ and Andrew is Possessive™.

I’m still undecided on the ‘creepy or cute’ matter, although I have to admit I find this scene wonderfully funny. Because honestly, everyone having the hots for Neil and talking about how attractive he is while Neil just doesn’t care is probably one of my favourite things about this.

They drive out to Columbia and at this point I got really excited. Fun party times! Banter! Nicky fucking killing it on the floor! It’s gonna be great!!

Oh boy.

Was I an idiot.

The first stop on this night of debauchery is a nice little restaurant where they stop for some ice cream. Oh, sorry, did I say ice cream? I meant fucking drugs.

This is not off to a good start.

Next up: Fun club time!

           There was a line of people waiting to get in, and the clothes they wore made Neil’s outfit look plain. Most of the men wore leather, half the women had corsets, and a good number of both genders were covered in buckles and chains.

Fun club time at a fucking bondage house, apparently. Aaron seems to be besties with the bouncers. No biggie.

As soon as they’re in, Andrew drags Neil off to the bar, and this is the point where the ‘creepy or cute’-o-meter officially swings towards very, very creepy.

           [The bartender] flashed Andrew an easy smile. “Back so soon, Andrew? Who’s your newest victim?”

           “A nobody,” Andrew said. “It’s the usual for us.”

I am decidedly not liking the use of the word ‘victim’ in any context involving Andrew and alcohol.

                       “Cracker dust,” Nicky said as he ripped his packet open. “Heard of it? Tastes like sugar and salt and gives you a small rush. Sure you don’t want in?

           (…)

Dust isn’t bad. It just makes the night more interesting. You think Kevin would ruin his future over a night out at the club?”

           “What future?” Neil asked.

Get #rekt.

Remember when I said I’m not liking the word ‘victim’ here? GUESS FUCKING WHAT.

           As soon as it hit the back of his throat, Neil knew he’d made a serious mistake.

           His sodas had tasted sweet, but this shot as almost unbearably so, and the aftertaste on Neil’s tongue wasn’t sugar. Neil lurched to his feet, but Andrew grabbed him by the hair and slammed him back into his seat. (…)

           “Just noticed, did you?” Andrew asked. “You’re an idiot.”

WHAT THE FUCK. Are you guys DRUGGING HIM. This whole thing just flew way past ‘creepy’ and landed firmly in ‘disturbing and abusive’.

           “Did you think you were safe because you were up there ordering you own drinks? Roland knows what it means when I bring outsiders here.”

I FUCKING KNEW IT. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. What, is this what they do for fun at the weekends? Drive newcomers up to Columbia, drug them against their will, and then what, date rape?

           Bodies and lights blurred around him, making Neil nauseous. He clawed bloody lines down Nicky’s arm as he fought to get free. Nicky didn’t let go until they’d reached the middle of the dance floor. He pulled Neil up against him and caught Neil’s chin in his fingers to force his head back.

           Nicky’s kiss was harder than Neil expected it to be, and there was more than just tongue in it. Beneath the burn of vodka Nicky shared with him was the sweet tang of cracker dust.

Oh god. Wish I’d shut my mouth.

NICKY, I TRUSTED YOU. You’re disowned from being Exy Courfeyrac, Courf would never.

Seriously, what the actual fuck. I have nothing else to say but WHAT THE HELL YOU GUYS NO.

           “The team is split, you know. Most of them think you’re trailer trash like Dan. Renee knows better. So do I. I think you’re something a little more like us.” Andrew leaned forward and enunciated every syllable. “Runaway.”

I can’t even perk up at the mention of Renee’s name or hints at her possible backstory because this is so beyond fucked up. I’m in shock.

           “Mind your own business.”

           “Tonight is Mind Neil’s Business Night,” Andrew said. “Didn’t you notice? Give me something real or I won’t let you stay here.

           (…)

           Edgar Allan is in our district and you are on my team. You, a know-nothing from Arizona who somehow managed to catch Kevin’s eye. You, a lie from head to foot, with a bag full of money and a hard-on for everything Kevin and Riko. Do you understand?”

You bring Neil out to Columbia, drug him, practically rape him, just to find out if he’s a fucking MOLE? Are you KIDDING ME??

I’m slowly beginning to realize why Kevin puts this much trust in Andrew’s abilities if this is what the fucker is willing to do to keep him safe.

I’d love to interpret this in some funny shipping way, except I really, really can’t find this anything other than disturbing, fucked up and so, so not okay.

Also, NICKY WHAT THE FUCK. I knew Kevin and the twins were varying degrees of shitty, but I had some trust left in you. You know it’s a fucked-up story when even the comic relief is an asshole.

Come find me at the bottom of the trashcan, angrily crying over recent developments.

[flauntpage]

Got The Job Done: Four Observations from Sixers 117, Raptors 111

Still time left to enter our $500 tailgating giveaway from AmeriGas. The prize includes a portable grill, a portable heat lamp, two tailgating chairs with sunshade, a hose to hook it all up, and $200 worth of apparel from the Crossing Broad Store. You can enter here.

  They blew another lead but not the game, hanging on for a 117-111 win in the regular season finale against the Toronto Raptors.

The takeaway could be that they almost coughed it up, or you could go with the glass half full approach as they found a way to weather a Raptor run and make enough plays down the stretch for a good win against a really good team.

It was a 102-101 ballgame with 3:03 to play and Ben Simmons, who had missed his last two shots and turned the ball over three times in a row, drove right to the rim for a contested bucket. After a stop on the defensive end, Simmons came right back down the floor, put a defender on ice skates, then dished it out to Dario Saric for his only three pointer of the game, a triple that extended the Sixer lead to six points.

That was it, right? Aggressive Simmons showed up to close out the game.

Sort of.

The next trip down, he tried to find Saric in the low post and turned the ball over, leading to a Sixer foul and pair of foul shots for DeMar DeRozan.

With a four-point lead, Simmons was intentionally fouled and sent to the line, where he nailed both free throws. Later, he stole the ball, but missed the ensuing dunk. That was really Philadelphia in a nutshell, where they did a lot of great things, then followed up with errors. But they did more of the former and less of the latter in buckling down to beat one of the NBA’s better teams for the first time this season.

  1) Blowing leads

Brett Brown was asked about the blown lead after the game, and specifically whether these scenarios were having a mental effect on the team, in the vein of, ‘here we go again!‘

“I think there could be a little of that. I think there could be. It’s the common things we talk about. I think you’re gonna hear me talk about turnovers. You’re gonna usually hear me talk about fouls. That’s not the case today (only 28 fouls for Philly, 31 for Toronto). You can talk about youth. I mean, look at some of the things we did at the end of the game, when all we had to do was like dribble it out, and instead we’re playing volleyball, and we can just dribble it out, spread it out, and win the game. At the end, going too early with middle pick and rolls with Joel and T.J., we should be going a little later (in the shot clock). Ben coming in, and his heart’s in the right place trying to find Dario. Joel, we know they’re going to double team him. That’s the stuff that keeps me up, really late at night. But we found a way to win. To our team’s credit, we went on a 7-0 run when game was in the balance. But I think that attitude, that feeling, that ‘uh oh, here it comes again,’ there’s probably a little bit of that in there. It’s stuff where we just have to get older and keep pushing forward. It’s not a mystery to me of why it happens. And it’s not simple, like, now you know why you’re sick, here’s the medicine. It’s not that. It’s growing a bunch of young guys and it’s part of the challenge. We’re 20-20. We’ve played Toronto and they’re done. One more game with Boston and they’re done. Houston done, Golden State’s done. In a twisted way I like where we’re at, but it is something I hear you on.”

I mean, if I told you that the Sixers would be 20-20 at this point with one of the NBA’s toughest schedules, you’d take that, wouldn’t you? The blown leads are what they are. You can’t blow a lead if you don’t build a lead, and I think the pragmatist starts with that when evaluating the Sixers.

You just don’t take a 20 point lead and then go on to win by 20. The only teams that do that in the NBA are the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, and it really does not happen that often. The Warriors put up 127 in Toronto last weekend and hung on to win by two points.

Ben Simmons, a guy who was dogged by foul trouble on some poor calls yesterday, kicked it up a notch when it really mattered. T.J. McConnell passed on an open three and was whistled for traveling, but poured in some crucial second-half points and a few key hustle plays. Joel Embiid committed too many turnovers but made some clutch free throws and rebounds.

So even though these guys are making errors along the way, you see that these three specifically have the capability to make plays down the stretch, and I’m looking at what they did yesterday and seeing a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, not focusing on how the team almost blew it again, because they didn’t.

  2) Turnover tracking

A lot of talk about turnovers yesterday, which I figured would be a topic, so I wrote down every single one as the game progressed to identity when they happen and how they happen.

Here’s what I came up with:

Covington travel

JJ Redick bad pass

Embiid offensive foul (push off while jockeying for low post position)

Booker dispossessed in transition after a steal

Embiid traveling

Dario bad pass

Simmons trying to throw ball off a defender, comes off him instead

Simmons offensive foul (charge, probably a bad call)

McConnell loses ball in traffic

(HALFTIME)

Robert Covington loses ball in traffic

(with 19 point lead now)

Embiid bad pass

Embiid loses handle, ball stolen

Embiid bad pass out of timeout

Saric offensive foul

(lead down to 12, then extended back to 21)

shot clock violation

Embiid offensive foul

Simmons bad pass

Simmons inbound bad pass

Simmons offensive foul (not a great call)

McConnell traveling

Simmons bad pass

Embiid loses handle

I’ve got 22 logged. ESPN.com only has 21, so they must have corrected something after the game. I’m not sure which one they went back and changed. Let’s just work off what I wrote down for the sake of the exercise.

As far as intervals, you see they committed 9 in the first half and 13 in the second half, so there was obviously a little more slop as they were blowing the lead. But even after the 14th turnover, that sequence where Embiid coughed it up three times in a row, their lead remained at double digits. At that point in the game, they had committed 64% of their turnovers and still had a 12 point lead.

From there, they had a shot clock violation, a couple of offensive fouls, and a trio of Simmons plays that really killed them down the stretch. Admittedly, two of the whistles on Simmons were really tough calls, so you could honestly say that his TO number could be slashed by at least one whole digit.

Here’s the basic breakdown of how they coughed it up:

Three traveling

five offensive foul

eight bad pass

three lost handles

one shot clock

one dispossession

You see it’s still passing and ball handling that kills them the most, which matches the numbers over at NBAMiner.com, where Ben Simmons is the fourth-worst in the NBA with passing turnovers:

Embiid is third-worst in lost ball turnovers.

The offensive fouls and traveling calls are what they are. It happens. Some of those whistles were questionable. And on the Booker turnover, he steals the ball, tries to move up court, gets the ball poked loose, and is credited with a turnover during what I would describe as a fluid play.

But more than anything, they built a 12 point lead while turning the ball over 14 times, so they’ve proven that they can push the margins even while making sloppy mistakes. It’s the cluster of Ben and Joel chunk turnovers that kill momentum and rhythm more than anything.

I’ve said before how this team is not going to change who they are, and that you’re just going to have to live with the turnover numbers based on the way they play the game (up-tempo and rhythmic). Brown elaborated on that Monday:

“I’m assuming some people saw the Golden State/Toronto game the other night. It’s the same, you know, Toronto was down 20-whatever points and found a way to come back. Turnovers are something that coaches are not proud of. I’m a little past the fact that, at times if you wanna lead the NBA in passes, and if you wanna play fast, and you wanna give a 4-man the ball and call him a point guard for 40 games, and you want to roll out Joel even though he doesn’t practice that much, then you’re going to have some turnovers. That doesn’t justify that they’re okay, but it does validate or better explain at times why we have them. Our mission is to continue to reduce them, but not let it be something where we’re scared. I don’t want these guys playing scared. I want them playing smart. We kind of stamped off a style of play. We won’t walk the ball up the floor. That’s not who we are. That’s not how I want to play. It comes with some pains.”

That’s not how I want to play.

If you want to criticism him, which is fair, the angle isn’t necessarily cleaning up turnovers, it’s about whether Brown is trying to carve out an identity for this team that makes sense.

  3) Defense

Overlooked in the blown lead and turnover storylines is the fact that the Sixers did a really nice job on Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan yesterday.

Lowry finished 3-16 and 1-5 from three point range for 13 points.

DeRozan was 8-18, 0-4 from three, and finished with 24.

The Raptors really shot like shit for the first three quarters, starting 0-10 from three-point range before finally hitting midway through the third period. Delon Wright was the one who actually keyed the comeback, shooting 5-5 from behind the arc in the second half.

DeRozan was obviously frustrated by the job Robert Covington and others did on him. He was unhappy with a no-call that caused him to push the nearest Sixer out of annoyance, and that happened to be McConnell, who didn’t back down from the confrontation. The officials copped out of the sequence with a lame double technical:

http://pic.twitter.com/BNqvloHRTb

— Nick Piccone (@nickpiccone) January 15, 2018

A short time later he fired up an air ball from deep before throwing a step-back three pointer off the side of the back board. The Sixers held him to his third-lowest scoring output in the last nine games.

As for Lowry, his frustrating return from injury ended with a double ejection alongside Simmons. He was welcomed back to Philly with cheers, then booed off the floor in the fourth quarter.

  4) T.J. McConnell

A career-high 18 points, plus 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and a block.

Yet when he spoke to the media after the game, he expressed disappointment with his decision to pass up on an open three-pointer in the second half. That’s T.J. for ya.

He showed up big-time when the Sixers needed something yesterday. And for a bench that has underwhelmed this season, he’s been the most likely to contribute when the rest of the second unit just doesn’t have anything else to provide.

If he can continue to get to his spots on the floor, hit those pull-up jumpers, mash along the baseline, and create for his teammates, he’ll make the evolution from local fan-favorite to a bona-fide and consistent NBA contributor.

Got The Job Done: Four Observations from Sixers 117, Raptors 111 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[justball4ever]

This article was written by Basketball HQ co-founder Kyle Ohman

  I saw this article the other day and the title was, “Learn 100 Signature NBA Moves” (or something along those lines) and I thought to myself, “Why are kids being taught NBA moves, let alone a hundred different NBA moves when most kids still struggle with the fundamentals of the game?”

Today’s game places so much attention on one on one moves, that people lose track of what really makes a great player. If you really watch and study the high level NBA players, you will see that not only are they able to make some very difficult shots and moves, they do all of the little things well (the fundamentals).

Before they spent time working on the high level shots and finishes, they mastered the fundamentals of the game to give themselves a strong foundation. You can’t leap jump the fundamentals and expect to be a great player. Even high level players are constantly spending time working on the fundamentals and reemphasizing good habits in their game.

This article is going to breakdown what you should be spending your time on as a player. And, if you really commit to spending time mastering these 10 different fundamentals you will have a chance to be a great player.

  Shooting

Down Ready

Get your work done before the ball gets there.

Show your palms to give the passer a target.

Get your momentum moving towards the basket on the catch.

Make sure that you are squared up to the basket on your shot.

Don’t raise up out of your athletic stance as you come into your shot.

Form

Get the ball loaded in your shooting pocket before you start to bring the ball up into your shot.

Keep a smooth fluid motion coming into your shot.

Stephen Curry isn’t the biggest or strongest player in the game, but his range is so great because his motion is so smooth.

Use your legs to help get the ball to the basket, don’t push with your arms.

Follow Through

Snap your wrist straight down.

Leave your hand in the basket .

Land on your toes and don’t be falling backwards.

Hold your follow through until you make or miss.

General Shooting Rules

If it is a good shot, shoot it with confidence.

Great shooters have a short memory.

Stay mentally tough even as you get fatigued.

Work on your shooting at game speed and practice shots you will get throughout the course of a game.

        Passing

Chest Pass

Make your passes on a straight line.

Use your body to help snap the pass.

If passing to a shooter, hit them right in their shooting pocket.

Bounce Pass

Bounce closer to the receiver so that the ball stays low away from defensive hands.

Know who you are passing to. Most post players can’t handle the same passes as guards.

Defended Pass

Fake a pass before you make a pass.

Use your pivot to create a better passing angle.

Be strong with the ball and then step through to make the pass.

Off of the Dribble Pass

Don’t scoop the pass, push the pass.

Stay low in an athletic stance as you make the pass.

Don’t stare down the receiver.

General Passing Rules

Don’t leave your feet to pass and get stuck up in the air with no where to go.

Be careful of making cross court passes.

Don’t stare down the player you are making the pass to.

The longer the ball is in the air, the more high risk the pass is.

Know who you are passing to and what types of passes that they are able to handle.

        Rebounding

Boxing Out

Locate your opponent with your forearm before turning to box out.

Keep your arms up and wide on the box out to keep the offensive player from getting around you.

Stay low and in an athletic stance and use your legs to drive the offensive player back.

If the offensive player has inside position, use your lower body to help drive them under the basket so they don’t have a good rebounding angle.

Don’t extend your arms as you drive them under.

Locate the ball on the miss as quickly as you can.

Go up and secure the rebound with both hands.

Don’t wait for the ball to come down to you, but go get it.

Offensive Rebounding

Locate the ball off of the miss as quickly as you can.

Read the player boxing out and use one of these 3 moves.

Spin Move: fake like you are going to angle past them on one side, and then when they slide to box you out, spin off of them using their momentum to angle past them on the other side.

Swim Move: If the player boxing out doesn’t have a wide strong base with one of their arms, come on that side of them and use a downward swimming motion with your arm over top of theirs and use that motion to help angle yourself past them.

Under the Basket: If the player boxing out is too tight to the basket, use your lower body to help drive them under the basket so that they will not have an angle to the ball when it hits off of the rim.

General Rebounding Rules

You must have a stronger desire and fight to get the rebound than anyone else.

Quickest to react to the ball usually gets the rebound.

Use your body and legs to help create a space for yourself to rebound the ball.

        Dribbling

Ball Control

Handle the ball and put it where you want it to go.

Change up the speed of your dribble and use pauses to set up moves.

Use your dribble to go somewhere with the ball (don’t waste dribbles).

Change Up Speeds

Set up your dribbling moves by slowing down and then making an explosive move.

Don’t raise up out of athletic stance when you pause.

Be able to stop on a dime to change directions or make a scoring move.

Sell Your Moves

Use your entire body to sell your moves; eyes, body position, footwork, etc.

Read the defender before setting up a move.

The longer you can pause the defender before making a move, the better the move will be.

If you can get the defender off balance with a move, they will be more susceptible to a second move because they will be trying to play catch up.

Ball Protection

Keep the ball away from the defense and active hands.

Don’t be predictable with your moves.

Use retreat dribbles to stay out of congested areas.

General Dribbling Rules

Dribble the basketball with purpose.

Play at different speeds and don’t be predictable.

Stay in an athletic stance when you are handling the ball.

Be under control and don’t let the defense speed you up and get you out of control.

        Moving Without the Ball

Hard Cuts

Always be a threat to score when you are cutting.

Set up your defender before you make your cut.

Keep your eyes up to see the passer on your cut.

Whether you get the ball or not, a hard cut can open up a scoring opportunity for a teammate.

Running the Floor

First 3 steps need to be a dead sprint.

Get your eyes up and be ready for the pass.

Catch the ball under control and make a controlled move or finish.

Stay in your lane as you run to help spread out the defense.

Sprinting the floor will help to open up shots and finishes for your teammates.

Spacing

Don’t allow one defender to guard you and a teammate.

Drift or fill on penetration to help create space and a passing angle.

After you drive and kick, don’t stand. Relocate to create space and an opportunity for another drive and kick.

General Moving Without the Ball Rules

Move with a purpose and know why you are in the spot you are, or why you are moving.

Read the defense and make them pay for over playing or falling asleep.

Cut hard and be a threat to score whether you are going to get the ball or not.

        Finishing

Finishing Through Contact

If you have an angle on your defender, don’t avoid the contact but create it.

Finish with a strong base to help absorb contact.

Be strong with the ball and don’t expose it to the defender.

Crafty Finishes

Use the rim to protect the finish from the shot blocker.

Get the ball up on the backboard quickly so the shot blocker doesn’t have access to the ball.

Float the ball over the defender.

Make sure that you are under control of your body and don’t pick up a charge.

Use change of position finishes to shake the defender; Euro Step, Pro Hop, Kobe Pivot, Rondo Fake, etc.

General Finishing Rules

Develop both of your hands so that you don’t have a weak hand.

Stay under control and know what you want to do with your finish before leaving your feet.

Read the defender.

Do you have an angle to create contact?

Are they beat and over pursuing so you can shot fake them?

Should you be athletic over the defender or use a crafty finish?

        Receiving the Pass

Catching the Ball

Don’t wait for the ball to come to you, go meet it.

The higher the defensive pressure is, the more you need to shorten passes and meet the ball.

Catch the ball already in athletic positioning.

Two Hands

Receive every pass with two hands (if possible).

Catch the ball and bring it into a position of strength away from the defense.

Body Positioning

Use your body positioning to help create a passing angle against defensive pressure.

Show a target hand to the passer so that they know where you want the ball.

Don’t release your body positioning until you are going to meet the ball.

General Receiving the Pass Rules

The more defensive pressure there is, the more you need to help out the passer by shortening the pass and meeting the ball.

Don’t let an aggressive defender push you out away from where you want to receive the ball.

Catch the ball under control and stay out of trouble situations on the floor (the corners and other trapping situations).

Anticipate the defense before and as you are catching the ball, especially on closeouts.

If they closeout short, shoot the ball.

If they closeout tight, attack with a rip through.

        Triple Threat

Position of Strength

Catch the ball in a position of strength and don’t let the defender force you onto your back foot with pressure.

Hide the ball on your back hip away from the defender.

Sell Your Moves

Use your eyes, the ball, and your jab foot to sell your moves.

Read the defender and read how they are guarding you before deciding on your move.

Don’t be predictable with your moves (don’t be a robot).

Play at different speeds. Playing slow to fast will help to get the defender to relax before making a quick explosive move.

No wasted movements. The more unnecessary movements that you have, the more the defender is able to recover.

General Triple Threat Rules

Keep your eyes up and see the floor while you are playing from triple threat.

Only look to iso when it is part of the offense and there is spacing for you to make a move.

Go somewhere with your dribble. It doesn’t matter how good your move is if you don’t make the defender pay by going by them with your dribble after the move.

        Screens

Setting Screens

Take a great path to set the screen.

Angle of the screen needs to help the player coming off of the screen.

Make sure that you are low and wide on the screen.

Get set before making contact on the screen.

Don’t lean or throw your arms out.

Make the defense pay by slipping to the basket if they try to cheat and show early on your screen.

Must take a great angle to set the screen so that you are able to make the defense pay on the slip.

Using Screens

Set up your defender before using the screen.

Take a great angle to the screen.

Read the defender as you are using the screen and then make the appropriate cut or dribble move.

Stay low and athletic as you use the screen.

General Screen Rules

Work together with the other part of the screen to make sure that the defense is put at a disadvantage.

Really look to read the defense to figure out the best cut or move off of the screen.

Give yourself good spacing so that the help defenders are not able to interfere with the screening action.

         Defense

Athletic Stance

Sit in an athletic stance (defensive stance) the whole time.

If you are standing up straight, you will have to load down to an athletic stance before being able to make an explosive move, and this makes you slower.

On the Ball

Know who you are guarding and do your best to force them to a weakness.

If they are a shooter, make them put the ball on the ground.

If they are a slasher, play off of them and bait them into a contested shot.

If they have a weak hand, play them to that hand.

Stay in an athletic stance and do your best to keep your chest centered with the offensive player and forcing them a certain direction.

Keep your hands active and mirror the ball if the player picks it up.

Trust your help defenders and be alert for calls on screens.

Use your chest to cut the defender off and angle them where you want them to go, keep your hands off the ball handler.

Get a hand up and contest every shot.

Off the Ball

Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Stay in an athletic stance and keep your head on a swivel.

Anticipate where the ball is going, don’t react to it.

Be there on the catch. You want to be closing out your man/woman as the ball is still in the air on the pass.

Always know where your man/woman is and where the ball is.

Don’t allow your man/woman to get below you and out of your sight or you will be susceptible to back cuts and lobs.

No free cuts through the paint.

Use your body to to block the cutter and force them below you while staying connected with your body.

Fight through all screens (unless game plan is to switch).

Communicate on all screens.

General Defensive Rules

Communicate your way through the entire defensive possession.

Understand what the offensive player is trying to do, and the force them to do something they are uncomfortable doing.

Don’t gamble unless it is part of team strategy. Stay disciplined and let your solid defense get the job done.

Fight and find a way to get it done.

Not every defensive possession is going to go perfectly, but it is your job to find a way to compete and get a stop.

Finish the defensive play every time with a box out and rebound.

      Conclusion

There are a lot of different points in these 10 fundamentals, and some are pretty minor while others are very important. Regardless of what the point is though you should be evaluating your game and making a note to what areas you should be working on and spending time on.

The difference between the greats in anything in life is the details. If you really want to set yourself apart from everyone else, spend time locking in on all of these fundamentals and start mastering them.

  The post 10 Fundamentals Every Player Should Master appeared first on Basketball HQ.

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[soda-kpop]

Volleyball!NCT U + 127

So I decided to combine these as just one unit would not be enough and I can’t picture much of Dream to be on a volleyball team to be honest. Like they are so young and scrawny, I can’t see the majority of them being volleyball players. I originally wrote this before 127’s comeback so rip me cause now I have to fit Johnny here.

Outsides: The big guns. These boys are all about the offense. The go-to attackers ready for any set, even off of a 1-point pass. Get the most sets and make the most errors, but their kills make up for any points lost  

Lee Taeyong

So I see Taeyong as a strong, responsible young man. He has that dancing build which allows him to get up and hammer balls down. Definition of “Big Gun” on the team. He would be a very intelligient outside hitter. Probably the smartest hitter on the team; he’ll mix up shots accordingly in order to catch the team on their heels. He is also a strong passer, as are the rest of the outsides for the NCT Volleyball Club (NCTVC). When he serves, he would serve a strong jump top-spin. He would also love the pipe set from the back row to really help his hitting percentage! He believes he has a huge responsibility for the team as the team captain (Haechan calls him the team mom, but Tae doesn’t approve of that nickname). That responsibility also transcends into his work ethic. He expects to win and expects his teammates to reciprocate that same desire. During practices, he’ll definitely want to practice as if every drill and scrimmage was played like a real game. When the others slack off, he’ll quickly remind them what they are here for. He really just wants what is best for the team and wants them to do well together.

Jung Yoonoh (Jaehyun)

Jaehyun would also be an outside hitter. He’d probably fall under the radar during the game, but that wouldn’t affect his rate of play. He is probably the most efficient outside for the team and swings for the deep corners. Would really like hitting the sharp cross court shot. When faced with a block, if he isn’t hitting above them, he is tooling them for a point. He puts up a pretty solid block himself and can shut down the opposing attack, although it doesn’t happen too often despite his strong hands. Speaking of pretty, he’s like the looker of the team and often gets the team sponsorships with his good looks. He’d probably become a model for like athletic clothes to be honest. Makes the crowd’s heart flutter every time he comes out for the starting line-up. He always starts blushing when the cheers go insane when we walks out. Anyways, as he goes into the back row, he would serve a jump float with a lot of heat. Like I mentioned earlier, he would also be a fantastic passer. His time in the back row is mostly focused on defense instead of offense like Taeyong. Strikes me as someone to watch a lot of film, probably with Libero!Mark.

Nakamoto Yuta

Yuta would be the fiesty outside, ready to go hard all the time. He’d be a lot of fun on and off the court, bringing a lot of energy to the team. He’d tend to just swing away all the time in search of that perfect kill only really using his off-speed shots when his teammates tell him that shot is open. He wouldn’t really do it on his own. His lack of experience makes him sit on the bench most of the time, but when he is on the court, he is able to terminate. He’s a fairly decent passer but looks on to Taeyong and Jaehyun to help him adjust to defending the left side of the court - he looks up to them and wants to learn from them. His other outsides are right next to him in order to teach him more about the game during practice. When he serves, he serves a jump float so he can quickly get to his base and focus on his passing. It wouldn’t be just an easy jump float; it would have a lot of weight on it which would help keep the other team out of system. Absolutely loves being on the team and the court, his smiling shining every time he walks into the gym.

Middle Blockers: Part 1 of the major defense of each team. Height and speed are needed, although height can be substituted for a mad vertical. Don’t get set often but their efficiency is through the roof.  

Seo Youngho (Johnny)

A new addition to the team line-up, Johnny quickly became a starting middle for the NCT squad. His height and his strength far outweighed that of the other middles. He gained a lot of fame before he joined the team so there was a lot of excitement over him joining THE NCT. He powers balls through blocks if he doesn’t hit over them. If the set isn’t where he needs it, he will blast balls off the block and out of bounds in order to score a team for my point. When he blocks, he has strong hands that are pointed inside the court resulting in a stuff most of the time. There will be times when he will get tooled, probably off his finger tips, but he’ll take that as sign that he needs to bring his fingers down towards the court more. Blocks are literally his favorite thing. Every time he gets one, he’ll be screaming at the top of his lungs with a clenched fist in the air. He’d be allowed to serve as a middle and would serve a jump top spin serve. He has a lot of power and could be honestly be an outside, but like I said, his height is what moved him into the middle of the net. Is seen a lot with Opposite!Ten.

Kim Dongyoung (Doyoung)

Doyoung would be the other starting middle. He would be another player who would swing for deep corners. The 3 set would be his favorite, he’d split the block finding the perfect spot to swing for. As for blocking, Doyoung would ask Johnny for help being efficient. He moves laterally very well, but sometimes he doesn’t press his hands in as much. Sometimes, that doesn’t matter and his recovery move won’t result in a straight down stuff, but it will fly out to the edge of the court getting the point. When he goes back to serve, he would serve just a basic jump float. He doesn’t pass that well for the standards of his team, but when he’s on the court during his service run, he will put everything out there for the team. His calm and mature persona makes him one of the go to players for media presentations. He’d give people a nice impression of his team and they aren’t disappointed.

Dong Sicheng (WinWin)

Little Sicheng would be the next middle for the NCT squad. He doesn’t see as much playing time as Doyoung and Johnny as he isn’t as powerful, but he does see a lot a time in the middle of the net during practice. WinWin is quite the lanky and fluid boy but I don’t see him having much power. He definitely has the speed required for the middle. When he swings, he would also try and swing for deep corners. When blocking, he can move to the pins very fast. He doesn’t get a lot of stuffs but he will definitely get a piece of it, sometimes it’s a bad thing. If he serves, I think he would just do a standing float or maybe a jump float - basically anything to just get the ball over the net. During practice, he’ll always be asking question. “Am I late on my block? How can I read that play better? Can I get tips?” Anything that would make him a better player he will try and do. 

Setter: In charge of spreading around the ball, allowing the offense to be run. Need nice hands to deliver a clean ball to any area of the court. Speed is also vital as location of the first contact varies especially when the level of play increases.  

Moon Taeil

Taeil, to me, is very soft and gentle. I don’t see him being too aggressive which means aye he’s a setter in my mind. Would always get his jersey dry cleaned (@mamaastro thanks bro) and he would try and get the rest of his team to do it as well but no, they don’t listen. (Who do they listen to though?) He would definitely be more of a front row setter, wanting to get up and shut down the outside attack (plus he doesn’t want to worry about his passing responsibilities when he is setting in the back row.) Strongest blocker against the outside attack. When he does go into the back row, he goes for the tough jump float. As far as passing, he doesn’t like it that much. He slowly has been getting better at defending the right back, but he prefers being in his setting spot, ready to deliver the next ball. He’d definitely be a quiet leader on the team, he keeps the team entertained and grounded.

Right Side/Opposite: Swings from behind the setter. In charge of shutting down the outside attack, which is vital since the outside gets the most sets. Does not get set often but when they do, they usually terminate.

Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul (Ten)

I see Ten as the starting right side attacker for this team. He is a little on the shorter side (okay a lot) but he still has the vertical to get up there. He is the other wall ready to face the opposing attack from the left pin. He doesn’t get many blocks, but he is one of the players that would absolutely go crazy from getting a block. Loves hitting the line shot, he loves challenging the libero making them guess what’s in and what’s out. If the outside is towering over him, more than usual, then he would tool it and hit that ball off high hands. Going into the back row, he would serve a jump top spin. It’s his favorite part of the game. Would spend time in the back row when facing a weaker opponent. He has good location on defense, but if the pass goes way out of the court, he probably won’t go for it. If not, would get replaced by other Opposite!Donghyuck. Spends a lot of time with Middle!Johnny like literally you can’t separate these two.

Lee Donghyuck (Haechan)

Haechan would be the other opposite hitter, although his main focus is defending the right back. I put him here because despite his focus in the back row, he is a hitter. He doesn’t get much time playing in the front row, but if they are absolutely destroying, he will stay in the rotation. He struggle getting over some blocks but he’ll be able to tool the block easily. He doesn’t serve as often since Ten has such a wicked serve, but he would serve a jump float. Would go all out on defense. When seeing them play, you’d see him layout for everything. When he makes an amazing save, running 15 feet out of the court, he’d wear this bright smile on his face and instantly run back to his base ready for the next attack. Definitely would love teasing his teammates. Would hide Mark’s knee pads before like every practice. He does it out of love though, he hopes that his hyungs know that despite all of the fun and jokes he plays on them, he respects and cares for all of them.

Libero: Have the best passing skill. Second part of the major defense team. Reserved as best receivers and servers. Height is not required as they don’t play at the net. Liberos do not take up substitutions and they wear an off-colored jersey. Goes into the back row for the middle.

Mark Lee

Mark’s only true position on the team is at the libero position. Most of the time, he doesn’t even pass of his platform when digging balls. During serve receive, sure but when those balls are getting hit at him at such high speeds, he just finds the right spot and tries. His reading ability would be great but actually getting the ball to his platform? That’s a different story. Pro at the shoulder pass to be honest. His location is great though! Would serve a jump float when he goes back to the service line. Watches a lot of film, probably watches the most on the team. Is honestly overworked and needs to take a break some times. Leaves the back-up libero role to Opposite!Haechan. He takes the younger one under his wing and helps him come into his role being the youngest defensive player on the team. If Mark is out, he wants the next in line to be ready at all times.

That moment when you accidentally put both your biases in the same position you play rip. 

Other Volleyball AUs: ASTRO | BTS | GOT7 | SEVENTEEN | GFRIEND | KNK | MONSTA X

Coming up next: SF9!!!