New Volleyball Fans Want to Know All About the Sport, Including What "Unprotected Sets" Means

It might sound like a great band name, or even a joke of sorts, to people who aren't familiar with volleyball, but "unprotected sets" is important to both players and fans when they watch the sport. So, what does unprotected sets mean in volleyball, and what happens in a game if a team has one? It's not great.

But "unprotected sets" is one of many volleyball terms that people should probably know if they want to coach, play, or even watch a game. Unprotected sets don't have anything to do with scoring (or having unprotected relations with another player, thank you very much), but they are important because they should be avoided as much as possible.

When athletes play volleyball, they hope to serve, pass, and set the ball up for a spike. And, while unprotected sets is not an official volleyball term, it's used to describe when a set doesn't go so well. According to Gold Medal Squared, there are different kinds of sets involved in volleyball games. But an unprotected set, or play, is when a setter in the game hits the ball into a position where it's risky for a hitter to spike it over the net.

In a way, if the set is unprotected, it's a waste of a serve and the setter has to deal with improving their technique. The setter is one of the most important players on any given volleyball team, according to USA Volleyball. They are often considered the quarterback of the team, a la football.

Setters get their hands on the ball more than any other player, and it's their job to use their "second touch" and set up the play for someone to hit it. The setter also has to be quick on their feet and agile, since they are expected to not only be that second touch, but also move to the right spot on the court to hit the ball after it is served. So an unprotected set can, well, set back a team in a game.

An unprotected set might be a phrase that new volleyball fans are hearing for the first time, but there are other buzzwords that fans and players should know well if they want to follow or play a game. According to a Division 1 volleyball player on TikTok, players should also know what a "shanked ball" is. It seems to go hand in hand with an unprotected set, given how important it is to avoid.

"A 'shanked ball' is when a pass is executed poorly, and nobody's able to get a second touch on the ball," she explains in her video. She also explains that "sets alive" means a setter is in the front row, and "sets dead" is when the setter is in the back row and unable to attack the ball.

There are clearly a lot more volleyball terms than you might have learned in gym class once upon a time.