Your elbows should be slightly above your shoulders, and positioned at about a 45 angle from your chest. Your elbows will be bent about 90, which should place your hands 4 or 5 above your eyes, with your thumbs and forefingers about 6 apart. Your palms should be angled toward each other, with your thumbs pointing at each other or back at your nose (not toward the ball). Your hands must be open, with all your fingers relaxed and slightly curled. Cock your wrists by pulling the base of both thumbs back toward your forearms. Your hands should form a large, soft, ball-shaped cradle for the ball to land in. As the ball touches your forefingers and thumbs, quickly (but softly) extend your arms and hands in the direction you want to set the ball. The ball should make contact with all of your forefingers, most of your middle fingers, and the pads (not the tips) of your thumbs. Your ring and pinky fingers will contact the ball as well, but only incidentally. Your palms should never touch the ball. Begin your setting motion as the ball contacts your hands (no earlier), and allow the stretch reflex to do its work. Step forward with your right foot as you extend your body. Follow the ball to hitter to help cover, in case s/he gets blocked. .
Serving .
As with any volleyball skill, you should use as little body motion as possible when you serve. Prepare to serve by standing just behind the baseline with your weight on your right foot (for right-handers) and your left foot slightly in front. Hold the ball at your waist with both hands. When the referee whistles and motions for serve, you have five seconds to serve the ball. .
There are two methods for tossing the ball: a one-handed toss and a two-handed toss. Raise the ball in front of your right shoulder with your arms nearly straight, keeping your left hand on the bottom of the ball and your right hand on top. Lift your right hand off the ball and slowly draw your right elbow back and slightly up, so that it passes by your right ear.
