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| Setting up for an overhand serve. |
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| A player making a jump serve. |
A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt
to drive it into the opponent's court. His or her main objective is to
make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's
direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the
receiver to handle it properly. A serve is called an "ace" when the ball
lands directly onto the court or travels outside the court after being
touched by an opponent.
In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:
- Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the
waist instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing
motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are
rarely employed in high-level competitions.
- Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach volleyball,
where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line.
This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian
team in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. In Brazil, this
serve is called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek).
- Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and
hits it with a wrist span, giving it topspin which causes it to drop
faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight
path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific
returner or part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used
above the high school level of play.
- Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.
- Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in
the air, then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make
contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is
the most popular serve amongst college and professional teams.
- Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough
that the player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float
serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact
is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular
amongst college and professional players because it has a certain
unpredictability in its flight pattern.
