Volleyball and school program Offensive Systems: Different Ways to Run the BIC | Page 5

stop so the middle has an idea of where the setter is. If running a fl oating BIC, our setter has to be
great at getting to a general spot, stopping, and being able to jump straight up and down. Also, your
setter has to understand the eff ect of sending the middle one way and your BIC hitter another or
overlay.
• Th e BIC is a great option because if the pass gets blown up and you are out of sys- tem and too far
to the right or left, there is still something you can do off ensively. Sometimes in the traditional fl
oating BIC system, if the pass gets too far toward area 4 or 2, you call the whole thing off . If we are
playing a really tough serving team, the BIC allows us to stick to the system and still be able to do
what we want, even in a medium pass situation. Any pass within the attack line in the net on this side
of the court and we still have a BIC route and still have a quick. If it is passed toward area 4, we still
have a quick and the BIC is behind, which again forces the opposing block to make decisions.
• We like our players to have the heel of their third step on the ground when the setter is delivering
the ball. That is a good cue for coaches to give to players. • Volleyball is a contact sport in our gym.
We want our blockers to have a ton of contact and our hitters are going to land on each other a bit
here and there.
• We like for the middles to be able to audible and for everybody to hear it. We also – especially in
transition – like to have them far enough back they can see it.
• We always want to hav e four players on the route, which means the libero is open. Many times we
get a ball that gets hit off the block and into the deep third of the court. In this situation, the player
should turn around toward where the play is happening and do the best he can.
• We don’t feel you have to be a gigantic jumper to do well with the BIC. You do have to have a
pretty good arm, though. A quick arm will make up for a lot of things.

Conclusion
Making the decision regarding your current team’s strengths and weaknesses is impor- tant in
determining the ability to run the BIC effectively. You always want to have numerous hitting
opportunities for your four hitters on the route, and the BIC is an excellent way to ensure those
opportunities remain while simultaneously stressing the opposing block