Editor’s Note: Tenth in a series of 12 volleyball articles recapping the outstanding 2006 season, previewing the 2007 season, giving fans basic volleyball rules, terminology and scoring basics leading up to the season-opening Mizuno Tiger Classic tournament in the Maravich Center on Aug. 24-25.
BATON ROUGE — Just who is that player on the court wearing a different color uniform? No, she didn’t just wear the wrong uniform when she left the locker room. She’s the libero, a defensive specialist who plays by her own set of rules on the court.
In 2002, the NCAA adopted the libero position, which was previously adopted by the FIVB, the world governing body for volleyball, in 1998. The libero is a designated back-row player, intended to be used as a ball-control specialist.
The introduction of the libero was designed to add excitement to the game and raise the level of play by keeping a good defender on the floor throughout the match. She must wear a contrasting uniform from her teammates and is allowed to replace any player on the back row without counting as on of the team’s 12 allowed substitutions per game.
So, what exactly can this person wearing the different color uniform do and what can’t she do? First, she is only allowed to play on the back row. Primarily, she is used to play defense and to receive serves. In 2004, the NCAA allowed the libero to serve for one person in the rotation in each game, although international volleyball still does not allow the libero to serve.
The libero may not block or attempt to block. In addition, she may not attack the ball if contact is made while the ball is completely above the height of the net. If the libero passes the ball to a teammate using an overhead set in front of the attack line, the teammate can not attack the ball above the height of the net. If the libero passes the ball using a forearm pass, commonly called a “bump” set, or sets the ball behind the attack line, then the teammate can attack the ball using any technique.
The libero must be designated on the line-up sheet for each game, although a team may choose not to have a libero and leave that position blank on the line-up sheet. For each game, a different libero may be listed, but only one may be listed per game. The libero technically does not start a game, but may replace a back-row player before play begins only after the referee has checked the line-ups.
Since the libero does not count as an official substitution, she will replace a back row player between the attack line and the end line. When the libero replaces a player, she must remain on the bench for at least one play before coming back into the game, unless the libero is replacing the server and will serve the next rally. A libero replacement can not occur during a timeout.
Did you know that the NCAA record book keeps separate records for digs from 1981-2000 – before the libero was introduced; from 2001-2003 – when the libero was not allowed to serve; and for 2004-the present – when the libero was given unlimited substitutions and the right to serve. The NCAA Division I single-season record for digs from 1981-2000 is 777 by Kim Diehlmann from the University of Hartford in 1990. For the period from 2001-2003, Sarah Gascon from Southeastern Louisiana set the NCAA single-season record with 786 digs. The current NCAA single-season record is 924 by Paula Gentil from Minnesota in 2004.
You can now share that bit of knowledge with your friends when you come out watch the Tigers win in 2007. The team will open the season on Aug. 24 against New Orleans in the Maravich Center in the Mizuno Tiger Classic at 7 p.m. The Tigers will then take on Louisiana-Monroe on Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. before closing out the two-day tournament against Saint Louis at 7 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches is only $5 for adults and $3 for children. Team posters and schedule cards will be available to pick up throughout the tournament.