Line Shot
A ball you send straight down the sideline with the antenna as your guide. The window is tight, so your volleyball hitting percentage on line swings is usually lower than cross, but when the defense shades hard middle, the line is often the only honest score. Watch the NCAA men’s game: the pipe and the BIC get the clips, but matches still turn on late line rips when the libero cheats across.
Example
The outside sells cross with her shoulders, rips past the outside hand, and the ball paints the line in zone 5 before the middle back can slide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you hit a line shot in volleyball?
Keep your approach line until the last step, hold your shoulder closed, then snap out on the outside of the ball. You are trying to freeze the block inside, not give the read early.