I played volleyball all four years of high school. I’ve learned all of the fundamentals and basics that go into playing the game. There are three basic movements that are the most important in the sport, and all of them incorporate science, specifically physics, in one way or another. Each player must be capable of bumping, setting, and spiking. If the player recognizes how physics plays a role, he or she could use it to their advantage and improve his or her abilities on the court. Therefore, I am going to explain the exact role that it plays and hopefully give insight to better one’s game.

Of course, there is gravity which is constantly present. Gravity impacts the movement of the volleyball throughout the entire game. For example, when a player serves the ball, it starts to descend once it crosses the net because gravity is forcing it downwards. There are several techniques that can be used to help gravity bring the ball down faster. A top spin serve allows for the ball to fall down faster. It is done by flicking the wrist thus creating a top spin which forces the ball downwards. A top spin generally produces a faster serve making it harder for the other team to retrieve it. Therefore, science could greatly influence the players’ skills for the better if they paid more attention to it.

Each player needs to be able to pass to keep the ball alive after it is served. Gravity will keep bringing the ball back towards the ground. Someone has to exert enough force to keep the ball in the air long enough to be set by another teammate before gravity pulls it down again. Spiking is the most effective because it works together with gravity to produce a powerful downward force towards the opponent much like serving if done so appropriately. In other words, it is important to know how gravity works and the effect it will have on the ball as one plays volleyball.

There are several other scientific components that are present in volleyball such as work and velocity. Work is defined as the displacement of an object due to force. The corresponding equation being work = force * distance. Therefore, when one of the players comes in contact with the volleyball, the work would be how much force is exerted from the player and how far the ball travels as a result. Passing is one of the most basic concepts yet involves many aspects of science. Velocity is the speed of the movement, and it is calculated by using the equation velocity = displacement/time. A person would calculate this to determine the velocity at which the volleyball travels after being served or spiked. A higher velocity means that the volleyball is traveling faster and as a result more difficult to return.

To conclude, science is occurring all around us. There are so many athletes in the world that play sports, but more than likely they do not realize the importance that science has in the game and the impact that it has. The question is whether or not there is a direct correlation between the amount of science knowledge that a person has and his or her ability in the game. If players become more informed on the sciences behind the sport, they should know the best moves to make to win.