Okay, so the other day I was looking for some fun ways to use my volleyball net, beyond just, you know, volleyball. I mean, volleyball is great, but sometimes you want to mix things up, right? So I started digging around and trying some different games with my friends.
First Try: “Volleyball Tennis”
We started with something I’m calling “Volleyball Tennis.” Basically, we lowered the net a bit – not super low, but enough that we could spike it over pretty easily. We used the basic rules of tennis, like serving from behind the line and letting the ball bounce once on each side. But, instead of rackets, we used our hands and arms like in volleyball.
- Lower the Net: This is key. You want to be able to hit the “ball” (we just used a regular volleyball) over without too much trouble.
- Tennis Rules (mostly): Serve from behind the line, one bounce per side. We didn’t get too strict with the scoring, just kept it casual.
- Volleyball Hits: Bumps, sets, spikes – all fair game!
It was… chaotic, to say the least. Lots of diving, some accidental face-plants (no injuries, thankfully!), and way more laughter than actual tennis. We quickly realized that smaller “courts” were better – we just used some cones to mark out a smaller playing area. We played in teams of 2 and it worked.
Next Up: “Hoop Ball”
This one required a little extra gear. I had an old basketball hoop lying around, so we set that up about 10 feet behind the net, on one side. The goal was to get the volleyball into the basketball hoop, but you could only use volleyball moves to do it.
- Set up a basketball hoop at the back.
- Score by getting the ball into the basketball hoop by passing it through the net.
We tried a few different variations:
- Teamed up, two-on-two.
- One team tried to score, the other team tried to block using the net.
- Awarded points based on how far away you were when you “shot” the ball.
This one was surprisingly tiring! Lots of running and jumping. It definitely worked best when we had one team focusing on offense and the other on defense, switching roles every few points.
The Grand Finale: “Blind Volleyball”
For this, we kept the net at its normal height. The twist? We draped a big, old blanket over the net so you couldn’t see the other side at all.
- Hang a Blanket: Make sure it’s big enough to completely block your view of the other side.
- Listen Up!: You have to rely entirely on sound to figure out where the ball is.
- Call it Out!: Yelling “Mine!” or “Got it!” is even more important than usual.
This was HILARIOUS. So many missed hits, so much confusion, and so many times we ended up bumping into each other. It really forces you to communicate and listen to your teammates (and the sound of the ball). We played with teams, but it might even be fun to try one-on-one, just for the sheer absurdity of it.
Overall, it was a super fun day of experimenting with the volleyball net. We definitely discovered some new favorite games, and I’d recommend giving these a try if you’re looking for something different to do with your net. Just be prepared for some laughs and maybe a few bumps and bruises along the way!
