One important component to being a great outside hitter is the mentality you bring to the court. As former Oregon State coach Mark Barnard says, an OH should always be thinking, "I'm going to get this point. I'm going to save this team."

This is easier said than done because outside hitters have a tough job. For one thing, they often get the bailout set when the team is out of system, and those are never easy swings. Another challenge for outside hitters is that they frequently have a big block in front of them, which means they get a lot of practice resetting their confidence after getting blocked.

According to Barnard, the one thing you never want to do after you get blocked is tip the next ball.

"If you're going to go, go out big," he says. "Swing again, swing harder, swing higher. You want to develop (the mental part) of being resilient."

A good attacking tip that Barnard shares in the AOC Volleyball Coaches Handbook is the importance of timing. "Timing is crucial to an effective hitting approach," he says. "Sometimes you wait until the set peaks out before you start. Sometimes you start when the ball is in the setter's hands – or even sooner. Whatever your timing is, once you start your approach, DON'T STOP until you hit the ball. The higher the set, the longer you wait."

For a detailed presentation on pin hitting, check out Karch Kiraly's video "Developing your outside attackers."