There are lots of volleyball terms thrown around at games, and these include terms you may not have heard before. If you find yourself asking ‘what’s an ace in volleyball’, we have a detailed explanation and sample video below!
If you’re new to volleyball, you may find this list of common volleyball terms especially helpful! Read on to learn about the meaning of the term ace in volleyball.
Ace In Volleyball – What Is It?
An ‘ace’ refers to a serve that the other team fails to return, after the first touch on the ball. An ace is typically celebrated in one of two scenarios:
- When a serve hits the floor (inbounds) on the opposing side of the net, meaning the other team was not able to get to the served ball before it hit the ground
- When the receiving passer ‘shanks’ the serve receive pass, making it impossible for their team to make a second touch on the ball
Example Video – Showing An Ace Serve
This short video on YouTube.com is a great example of an ‘ace’ serve. In this example, the second scenario described above occurs. You’ll see that the opposing team shanks the initial serve receive pass, making it impossible for their team to return the ball. The serving team earns the point in this case.
Aces are a commonly kept statistic in girls volleyball, and coaches will often keep track of ‘aces’ to later compare and prioritize the players who are the most effective servers in the rotation.
