Aylesbury Vale Volleyball Club
Guide to Volleyball Statistics
Basic Definitions
Volleyball statistics are built up from some basic definitions. For further clarification see the AVCA Volleyball Statistical Guidelines.
Attacks
- Attack attempt - any overhead shot designed to score
- Attack kill - any attack attempt resulting directly in a point for the attacking team
- Attack error - any attack attempt leading to a direct loss of a point for the attacking team
Generally, any fault whistled by the referee counts against the person or team penalised. So, a net touch by a spiker counts as an attack error. Similarly, a net touch by a blocker counts as an attack kill for the spiker.
If the spkier misses the set then that counts as an attack error. If the attacker volleys rather than spikes, then it still counts as an attack attempt.
If a second (or even a first) ball is volleyed over then this counts as an attack attempt, and a kill if it hits the floor. And any ball dug over which hits the floor counts as a kill.
Assists
- Assist - any pass followed directly by an attack kill
Service
- Service ace - any service leading directly to a point for the serving team
- Service error - any service resulting in the direct loss of a point for the serving team
As for attacks, faults count against the perpetrator, so a foot fault by the server is a service error and a rotation fault by the receiving team is a service ace.
It still counts as an ace if a receiver touches the service but does not keep it in play.
Service Reception
- Reception attempt - any attempt to receive service or any service ace which should have been received by that player
- Reception error - any service reception attempt resulting in the direct loss of a point
If there is a service error then there cannot be a reception attempt.
Block
- Block - block of an attacking shot not successfully kept in play by the attacking team
- Block error - any fault in blocking penalised by referee (eg net touch)
If the attacker tools the ball off the block for a point, then this counts as a kill but not a block error. Similarly if the blocker leaves a gap which is exploited then this is also not a block error.
Dig
- Dig - any successful attempt to keep an attack attempt in play
A dig only occurs after an attack. If the ball is served then the corresponding pass is a reception attempt. If the ball is picked up off an opposition block then this is a not a dig.
