Looking around at a volleyball game, you’ll see five players on the court wearing one color, but the odd one out wearing a different color. This player is called the libero.
The libero position is often one that many people have questions about, such as why they have different colored jerseys.
“The libero wears a different colored jersey so the referees, scorekeepers, and players can easily identify them,” head volleyball coach Christina Krajicek said in an email. “Because liberos have special substitution rules and can only play in the back row, the different jersey makes it clear who is playing that role at any given time.”
Liberos play a specific position in volleyball in which they are in for the full six rotations in the back row. They are in charge of defense, like taking on serve receive and calling shots for their hitters.
Krajicek looks for a multitude of different characteristics in a libero. Krajicek said that things like passing accuracy, court awareness, and quick reaction time are valuable. However, mental strength is just as important.
“Beyond skill, attitude and communication are just as important—they need to be vocal leaders in the back row and bring energy to the team,” Krajicek said. “At tryouts and practices I look for consistency in serve receive, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and how well they anticipate the game before the ball is even hit.”
All players practice in serve receive. However, liberos are required to spend a little extra time on it.
“Liberos spend extra time on ball control, footwork, and reading hitters. They often work in more fast-paced, high-repetition drills to sharpen reaction time and consistency,” Krajicek said.
Junior Emma Derogatis plays the setter position on the varsity volleyball team. The setter and libero spark is an important part of the game.
“We have a special connection because we’re the first people to set up our offense,” Derogatis said.
Derogatis understands that the libero position is difficult, the mental and physical aspect can be very tolling.
“They have to get a good pass in order for our offense to finish the play,” Derogatis said.
Junior Teagan Glomb is the libero for the varsity volleyball team. Glomb said she has played a few different positions throughout her volleyball career, yet libero is by far her favorite.
“Anybody can be a leader, but you really get a sense of leadership because sometimes you’re the only one that’s on the court the whole time,” Glomb said.
Although there’s a lot of physical traits needed to play the libero position, Glomb said those mental aspects are just as important.
“I display being calm on the court, calm and collected so your teammates can always rely on you and I think that is important to be a libero,” Glomb said.
