Good volleyball quotes can be inspiring, motivating, and make you laugh. When we assembled this collection of volleyball quotes and sayings, we went for all of those qualities and more.
We’ve set you up with some lists that are here to inspire and entertain. And, our opening serve is our ten favorite quotes selected by our editor.
Ten Best Volleyball Quotes
Our Sports Feel Good Stories panel selected these top 10 volleyball quotes.
1.) You have to be willing to fail to improve.
Al Scates speaks to the commitment to practice and willingness to try new approaches. When you hit a brick wall, sometimes you have to back up a step and look for a loose brick.
2.) Even Cinderella can’t get to this ball.
Confidence is a big deal in sports. Imagining your opponent not being able to return your serve might give you the confidence to hit a winner.
3.) Your Mom called and said you left your game at home.
Turn up your talking smack game. Remember, use this saying with care as you won’t make me friends tossing off comments like this.
4.) Don’t fire your opponents up. If they’re down, don’t tick them off. Let them stay down.
Sinjin Smith lets you know that a word to the wise should be sufficient.
5.) A hard practice makes an easy game.
A volleyball phrase that really works for any sport or competitive activity. As they say, “Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement.”
6.) You Got Served.
Serving plays such an important role in the game. If you serve well, things usually go well for your team. Playing off the double entendre associated with subpoena servers, this quote about volleyball serves notice that your server is one to reckon with.
7.) Volleyball is just a really intense version of “Don’t let the balloon touch the floor.”
This is a whimsical quote about volleyball that usually can’t help but generate a chuckle or two. Who hasn’t played the “Don’t let the balloon touch the floor”?
8.) If you wanted a soft serve, you should’ve gone to Dairy Queen.
Who is noted for their soft-serve ice cream? Duh, Dairy Queen!
9.) Do you want a manicure with that facial?
That’s cold! Again, probably best used with friends in a pick-up game with a “just kidding” follow-up.
10.) Kiss my ace!
This is trash-talking at its best or worst, depending on your perspective. Again, probably best used with someone you know who can take a joke.
Good Volleyball Quotes
11.) My body is a vehicle for the mechanics of my sport.
Gabrielle Reece
12.) No volleyball play can begin without a serve, and the serve is the only technique that is totally under your control. In other endeavors, you cannot succeed without believing in yourself, and that belief is completely under your control.
Karch Kiraly
13.) It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, just like any pro sport. Especially for beach volleyball, you don’t have to be tall or as fast as other sports. You just have to have the skills.
Misty May-Treanor
14.) If it’s worth it, then you do it.
Logan Tom
15.) Breathe, believe, and battle. My former coach, Troy Tanner, told us that before each match. Breathe – be in the moment. Believe – have faith that you can rise above it. Battle – you gotta be prepared to go for as long as it takes.
Kerri Walsh
16.) Volleyball anchored me at a time in my life when I needed it. It gave me a reason for being this big, big girl.
Gabrielle Reece
Game Day Volleyball Quotes
17.) There is pressure on every play. You can’t make a mistake, but that also means your opponent can’t make a mistake. It makes the matches more exciting to watch.
Holly McPeak
18.) Being a volleyball player is what I was born to do. I loved every day of it. I loved every practice, every weight training, every video meeting, every match! (And) I loved playing in front of people. I loved entertaining them. With all of that, go along with very high expectations! Some players do not like that. They don’t want the stress and pressure from the club to win. I loved it. I knew that it was NOT acceptable to lose.
Lloyd Ball
A simple formula for success in volleyball. Plus, the rhyme holds it all together. Who cares if “pass” and “hit” are the preferred terms?
Funny Volleyball Quotes
19.) Our game is tighter than our spandex.
20.) If you’re dating a volleyball player, raise your glass. If you’re not, raise your standards.
21.) I’m so good, your mom cheers for me.
22.) Volleyball: More than a sport – it’s a way of life.
23.) Even Cinderella can’t get to this ball.
24.) Volleyball: Invented by men, perfected by women.
25.) There’s no elevator to the top. Take the stairs!
26.) Volleyball is my life. Everything else is just details.
27.) Title match game. Final Set. Down by two. Dig Deep.
28.) The setter, a hard-working, talented volleyball player who receives NO GLORY!
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Short Volleyball Quotes
29.) Just serve it.
30.) You didn’t lose. You just ran out of time.
31.) You know an ace more than a card.
32.) Sore or sorry? You pick.
33.) PrACTice like a champion.
34.) The volleyball season is every season.
Volleyball Quotes For Setters
35.) Life is better when I’m digging and passing.
36.) You know you’re a setter when your wrists turn red from bumping so much.
37.) What all good spikers know: Thank your setters!
38.) Love me. I’m a setter.
39.) You know you’re a setter when no one understands how difficult your job is.
40.) Why did the setter cross the road? To get to the shanked ball.
41.) My setter is better.
Karch Kiraly Quotes
42.) Most people put a hat and glasses on to go incognito. I take them off.
43.) We play at the world’s most beautiful beaches but in the world’s most challenging conditions. It is not like you to play one match, and you go back to air conditioning. We do it all day long.
44.) Physically, I’m not as strong as I was, but I try to make up for it mentally. It’s a big challenge, and I relish it, competing with guys half my age.
45.) The beach game taught me great lessons about how to elevate the play of my teammate or teammates and how to anticipate and expect the ball so much more than the indoor game ever could.
46.) It taught me — even forced me — to be a much better all-around player. That allowed me to help our USA Olympic Team in many more ways than I ever could have otherwise.
47.) I still get excited just attending a final four because the process is so long, so arduous, so challenging that when it finally arrives, the adrenaline can’t help but take over.
48.) I love the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that the indoor game can engender.
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Karch Kiraly Volleyball Quotes
49.) The indoor game is much more of a team game, having to work effectively with a group of 15 to 20 people, striving to improve every day, every drill, even every contact. The beach game is much more of an individual game within a team sport, much less about organized practices with coaches and much more about just playing the game.
50.) I never did. I only prepared to win the next day.
(When asked how he prepared to win Olympic gold.)
51.) It’s the best. And the job site isn’t too bad, either.
(About his work outfit – shorts)
52.) It’s hard to give a career like this up when I tell my wife I’m going to the office, and it’s the beach.
Inspirational Volleyball Quotes
53.) A lot of people had doubts. I tried to tell people I never had doubts.
Misty May-Treanor, after an Olympic victory.
54.) I grew up on the beach and played side-out scoring all my life, but rally scoring is better for our sport. There is pressure on every play. You can’t make a mistake, but that also means your opponent can’t make a mistake. It makes the matches more exciting to watch.
Holly McPeak
55.) Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.
Vince Lombardi
56.) You touch every other ball and, if you screw up, you only have one more person to back you up. You can’t go hide in the corner.
Kerri Walsh
57.) We don’t have a World Series or a Super Bowl, so to be able to come home with a gold medal is amazing. I want to do it again in four more years.
Kerri Walsh
58.) Don’t ever let the ball hit the ground without a body hitting the ground with it.
Unknown
59.) Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.
Mia Hamm
60.) Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden
61.) Whoever said, “It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,” probably lost.
Martina Navratilova
62.) Champions keep playing until they get it right.
Billie Jean King
Motivational Sayings
63.) Once you get the taste of ruining somebody’s great hit, it stays with you. And it changes the game. A great defensive play is worth about five points in emotion.
Caren Kemner
64.) Don’t fire your opponents up. If they’re down, don’t tick them off. Let them stay down.
Sinjin Smith
65.) If you want to stay fit, surround yourself with a couple of chicks who are fired up so that the one day you’re not, you can feed off their energy.
Gabrielle Reece
66.) Volleyball is the sport through which I am able to express my God-given talents of being an athlete. It is a sport that involves relating, pushing, and encouraging your teammates. It has helped evolve me into the person I am today.
David Beard
Inspiring
67.) The best passing drill is pass-set-hit. The best setting drill is pass-set-hit. And, the best hitting drill is pass-set-hit. Anything less than a game situation, unless very well planned, has the possibility of introducing artificial situations, and complete transfer to the game might not occur when drills are constructed in this manner.
Marv Dunphy
68.) Anyone serious about playing indoor, you should play outdoor.
Sean Scott
69.) Volleyball is one of the most interactive games going. It is a game of intuition, imagination, improvisation – but most of all, of reciprocity – of teamwork. There is no way to freelance in volleyball.
Marv Dunphy
70.) To be true to one’s self is the ultimate test in life. To have the courage and sensitivity to follow your hidden dreams and stand tall against the odds that are bound to fall in your path. Life is too short and precious to be dealt with in any other fashion.
Flo Hyman
71.) Volleyball rules are simple. If it is on the floor, pick it up and get it into the air. If it is in the air, keep it off the floor.
John Kessel
Gabrielle Reece volleyball quotes
72.) I didn’t get into this to pick up a new hobby. I don’t want to be a golfer. And I want to be the best.
73.) Stay calm and aggressive.
74.) It’s sort of like, our bodies are designed to keep moving, and when we don’t move it, we’re not going to feel great.
75.) I think any time people behave in a way that’s truly them, then they never fail. You get in trouble when you try to copy others.
Misty May-Treanor Volleyball Quotes
From Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life
76.) We’d shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience over the past eight years, and we’d be forever joined. Sisters. Friends. Teammates. Business partners. Trailblazers. (On teammate Kerri Walsh.)
77.) There are a lot of people out there who would love to trade spots, so I have nothing to complain about. But we are spread pretty thin. People don’t see that. Sometimes they think we just come here and play volleyball.
78.) In the beach volleyball world, every major decision goes through Karch. He is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the sport, the Jedi Master of the sand, reminiscent of the wise, exalted character in the Star Wars universe who teaches Luke Skywalker the ways of the Force. He’s all-knowing, all-seeing.
79.) Was I the only person who wasn’t exhausted after the gold medal match? Was I the only one who wasn’t blubbering away? Sheesh. For once, I bet I was more amped up than Kerri.
80.) I was flying high, floating on a cloud, living life at 310 percent, with an angel on my right shoulder.
81.) …Olympic gold medals aren’t about the awards; instead, they’re all about the rewards. I want to spend the rest of my time on earth experiencing the gifts of my Olympic gold medals, connecting and building relationships with others, and sharing and expanding upon their strength, power, beauty, and majesty.
William G. Morgan Volleyball Quotes
82.) In search of an appropriate game, tennis occurred to me, but this required rackets, balls, a net, and other equipment, so it was eliminated, but the idea of a net seemed a good one. We raised it to a height of about 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 meters) from the ground, just above the head of an average man.
83.) …content in the knowledge that the game brought a richer life to millions of people throughout the world.
84.) We needed a ball, and among those we tried was a basketball bladder, but this was too light and too slow. We, therefore, tried the basketball itself, which was too big and too heavy.
Wilt Chamberlain Volleyball Quotes
85.) I assume that most people know that I’m a volleyballer of some renown. In fact, for a long time, volleyball became as big a part of my life as basketball once was.
86.) Everything is habit-forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing. (A View from Above)
87.) I believe that good things come to those who work.
88.) Nobody roots for Goliath.
89.) The man who won’t loan money isn’t going to have many friends – or need them.
90.) I started playing volleyball very late in my athletic career, around the age of thirty-three or thirty-four, but I became quite proficient.
91.) It’s a highly skilled and very fast-paced game.
92.) Being able to hold my own against the best in the world, on the beach or indoors, is something I’m very proud of.
93.) They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.
Read more about Wilt Chamberlain’s Volleyball Legacy.
Volleyball Captions For Instagram
94.) Our volleyball game is tighter than our spandex.
95.) Volleyball: Invented by men; perfected by women.
96.) Volleyball is my passion, and style is my fashion.
97.) Meet me at the net.
98.) You have to want it.
99.) Prepare to be stuffed.
100.) The Block Party is just beginning.
101.) The court is in session.
102.) Defend until the end.
103.) I play volleyball; what’s your superpower?
104.) Pass the expectations, set the standards, and kill the competition.
105.) Volleyball takes more than just believing.
106.) When the ball is in play, there’s always a better place to be than where you are.
107.) Volleyball: Can you dig it?
Tip: Use these volleyball quotes for photo captions, locker signs, and inspirational notes to players.
Notable Volleyball Quotes
108.) I think, therefore I am. Keep your head high and work hard every day, because you’ll never get that day back.
Lloy Ball
109.) A good setter is like a waiter.
Julio Velasco
110.) There are six people around the court and it’s literally like a ballet. And fundamentals are at the core of everything you do.
Caren Kemner
111.) Sorry, Princess, not even Cinderella could get to this ball.
Unknown
112.) I do not think about coaching as being the boss. Rather, I am here to see how all the parts fit together. I am in the middle of this storm, and that is where the calm is supposed to be.
Mark Pavlik
Motivation
113.) A great defensive play is worth about five points in emotion.
Caren Kemner
114.) If you don’t succeed it doesn’t mean you are a failure. If you do succeed it doesn’t mean that you are king of the world.
David Beard
115.) A setter should be high energy. It’s important that you learn how to give positive, constructive criticism. It’s crucial that you make your teammates feel comfortable. You should never be the most silent player in the gym.
Lindsey Berg
116.) The winners in life think in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have done, would have done, and what they can’t do.
Dennis Waitley
117.) Everybody likes the guy who works hard. Nobody likes the guy who tells you how hard he works.
Lloy Ball, Volleyball Hall of Fame Member
118.) It’s important that you learn how to give positive, constructive criticism. It’s crucial that you make your teammates feel comfortable. You should never be the most silent player in the gym.
Lindsey Berg
119.) Once you get the taste of ruining somebody’s great hit, it stays with you. And it changes the game. A great defensive play is worth about five points in emotion.
Caren Kemner
120.) I never went to a prom or to movies like other high school girls did. My entire life was volleyball. I’d play six days a week, with Monday the only day I’d take off.
Debbie Green
121.) All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks will say, “There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived.”
Ted Williams
Great Volleyball Insights
122.) The Six W’s: Work will win when wishing won’t.
Todd Blackledge
123.) A good team can win a volleyball game when they are ahead, a great team can win when they are behind.
Unknown
124.) I wouldn’t be the best offensive player if I didn’t have a great setter. She serves me up nectar.
Misty May Treanor
125.) Good players rarely look like the game is stressful for them, and they never seem rushed because they adjust their position all the time based on what’s happening. They’re always compensating for the movement of their teammates and the movement on the other side of the court, whether it’s blocking or backcourt.
Doug Beal
126.) You know you’re a setter when your wrists turn red from bumping so much.
Unknown
127.) The will to win is more important than the skill to win. It is possible to achieve only what you actively pursue. Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. Keep your head high and work hard every day, because you’ll never get that day back.
Lloy Ball
128.) Effective blockers are unquestionably the keystone of a successful defense.
Don Shondell
129.) A lot of people told me I would never be a good volleyball player or high jumper because I never specialized. But I always knew that I could, believed I could, so I didn’t listen to what they said. I just followed my heart and did it.
Tayyiba Haneef
Team Quotations
130.) Somewhere behind the athlete, you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back—play for her.
Mia Hamm
131.) My entire life was volleyball. I’d play six days a week, with Monday the only day I’d take off.
Debbie Green
132.) We are all going to fall short. We are going to have some bitter losses, very painful defeats, and failures. And, we have to use those to come back even stronger. That’s what makes it sweeter when we can overcome those and figure out a way to win. The great teams can do that, and those are the gold medal-winning teams.
Karch Kiraly
133.) Coaches must be critical thinkers, not protectors of the status quo.
Mike Herbert
134.) Not only do you need to block, serve, and play defense, but you also need to have an excellent understanding with your teammates, manage the tempo of the game, and select the right hitter to set to. Hopefully, these quotes from a few of the best setters in the history of volleyball can inspire and motivate you, and lead you to greatness on the court.
Debbie Green
135.) Order on the Court.
Michael O’Halloran
136.) There’s no traffic on the extra mile.
Unknown
137.) Practice is the battle you must win.
Hugh McCutcheon, University of Minnesota Volleyball Coach
Volleyball Quotes Memes and Images
Here’s an in-your-face volleyball saying that serves your opponents; notice that you’re not here to mess around. Ok, let’s face it, you probably don’t want to say this to anyone except a fellow teammate.
History of Volleyball
Unlike the somewhat well-known name of James Naismith, who invented basketball, volleyball’s creator has enjoyed a much lower profile. Read on to find out more.
Who invented Volleyball?
William G. Morgan was the inventor of volleyball. A native New Yorker, Morgan met James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, while studying at Springfield College. The game was originally called Mintonette, which is a derivation of badminton.
While working at a YMCA, he noticed the game of basketball favored the more athletic and that some folks had a hard time getting up and down the court quickly enough. He desired to create a game that anyone could play, despite their age or athletic ability.
When was Volleyball Invented?
In 1895, William G. Morgan developed the game Mintonette, which became known as volleyball, and then ultimately, volleyball (one word).
Where was volleyball invented?
Morgan was a YMCA physical education director in Holyoke, Massachusetts, when he invented the game.
Whether you’re a middle hitter, a setter, a libero, a spiker, a coach, or a fan, we hope you enjoyed the collection above. If you think we’re missing any of your favorites, let us know via the contact page. Thanks!
By Mike O’Halloran
O’Halloran compiled this list of volleyball quotes. He is a youth volleyball coach, recreational player, and editor of SportsFeelGoodStories.com.