Nyack volleyball libero Lila Shaw (6) must wear a different jersey than her teammates due to her position. September 24, 2016.
Minutes before Nyack hosted Tappan Zee in a volleyball match between two of the four remaining undefeated teams in Section 1, Indians head coach Christian Collazo pulled his sophomore libero, Lila Shaw, to the side of the bleachers.
“This is your game,” Collazo said to Shaw. “You’re a stud.”
Collazo then began hitting balls at various speeds at Shaw to simulate what she would soon expect on the court. As Shaw passed Collazo’s attacks back to him, Collazo continued to send positive words of reinforcement at her while bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Thursday was the biggest match of Shaw’s young career, and the first-year starter flourished in it. Shaw served three aces and recorded 13 digs in the Indians’ sweep of their league foes to remain unbeaten.
VOLLEYBALL: In battle of undefeated teams, Nyack sweeps Tappan Zee
RANKINGS: Nyack, TZ ranked in the Top 10
Liberos cannot pass in front of the 10-foot line on the court, and cannot attack a ball in front of the 10-foot line if the ball is completely above the net at the moment of contact. Liberos must wear a contrasting jersey from that of their teammates so that referees and scoring officials can easily spot them on the court.
Shaw, like many liberos in the sport, often do not get the recognition they deserve. Despite wearing a different uniform than their teammates, their efforts even seem to go unnoticed when hitters are igniting crowds with their powerful attacks.
“One hundred percent,” Collazo said. “I think (liberos), and even setters sometimes, go a little bit under the radar. Everywhere you go, hitters tend to get all the praise. There’s two plays that have to be made before you get the ball to the hitter, you know?”
Panas libero Sabrina Patriciello (15) was a first-team all-state selection as a sophomore last season.
Derived from the Italian word for “free,” a libero is often the best defensive player on the team. They are allowed to substitute for any back row player, and they do not count against a team’s number of substitutions allowed. In essence, liberos are a “free” substitution.
Liberos were first introduced to the sport on Apr. 20, 1998, when Dr. Ruben Acosta, then-president of the Federation for International Volleyball, announced the new position for the World Championships that November.
North Rockland assistant coach Lauren Myers was a defensive specialist on the Red Raiders’ state championship team in 1996, before liberos made their way to Section 1. Defensive specialists and liberos are closely related, but Myers said there are a few traits that a libero embodies.
“They both have to be really scrappy and they both have to be involved,” Myers said. “A libero is more like a defensive captain, because they’re running the back row.”
North Rockland senior libero Ariel Olavarria was a defensive specialist last season for the Red Raiders after spending two years as a libero for the junior varsity team.
“They take charge,” Olavarria said of liberos. “I feel like it gives me more of a drive and I have so much momentum when I’m on the court. I love it.”
While her teammates wore pink jerseys for their annual “Volley for the Cause” game against Suffern on Friday, Olavarria sported green camouflage in the back row.
North Rockland libero Ariel Olavarria (2) poses with her teammates and Suffern after the team’s annual "Volley for the Cause" match. Oct. 7, 2016.
Volleyball is arguably the most complete team sport there is.
Unlike baseball or softball, where a player can hit a home run and singlehandedly change the outcome of a game, almost every single play in volleyball must include a clean pass off an attack, an accurate set off the pass, and a solid attack off the set.
Too many great volleyball players go unnoticed because there is not enough talent around them. Setters miss out on assists when they don’t have a put-away hitter. Hitters don’t get as many kills when they have a sub-par setter. And liberos are often at the start of it all. A team that can’t get a clean ball up off the opponent’s attack can’t properly run an offense.
Liberos are so much more than the players who wear a different jersey. The good news is that next time you go to a volleyball match, they will be easy for you to spot.
Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud
Nyack celebrates a point during a varsity volleyball match against Tappan Zee at Nyack High School Oct. 6, 2016. Nyack defeated Tappan Zee in three straight games, 25-12; 25-19; 25-22.
Nyack celebrates a point during a varsity volleyball match against Tappan Zee at Nyack High School Oct. 6, 2016. Nyack defeated Tappan Zee in three straight games, 25-12; 25-19; 25-22.