BATTLE- volleyball is a competition. It is a contest of skills, abilities, tactics, and strategies. There are many factors which determine the victorious team and victory is usually not given to you freely. You have to fight for it, work for every point and sideout. It is not just what you do while you are in the midst of the battle, but also what takes place before the first ball is served.

Preparation. You will have a much better chance for success in future games by how much you prepare for a match, how you train, and who you compete against.

Play against better players when you have the opportunity, since this will help you to improve your game. Observe what they do, what strategies they use, what works for them. You'll eventually raise the level of your game to deal with harder hits, sharper cuts, and whatever else they throw at you from their arsenal. You'll see where you need to improve your hits and shots so that they are effective against a better team.

Get in shape and stay in shape. This means going to the gym and working on both strengthening muscles and endurance conditioning. Volleyball is a very physical activity and your body needs to be able to handle the stress and strain of this activity. Work on strengthening your shoulder muscles to help prevent injury from the repetitive motion of striking a volleyball.

Get your body warmed up before you get on the court. You may be able to fool yourself because you are young and recover quickly, but it is safer and wiser to treat your body kindly by doing a proper warmup. Start off by jogging slowly for a few minutes, then stretching your muscles lightly. Bump the volleyball around a bit. Take a few easy warmup swings. Don't start by spiking the ball as hard as you can to try to intimidate your opponents during the warmup!