Especially in girls volleyball, blocking is considered the first defensive skill used to attempt to keep your opponent from spiking successfully into your court. While teaching volleyball fundamentals I focus on explaining what the responsibility and positioning is for each body part.

Feet

Place your feet shoulder width apart parallel to each other and with both feet perpendicular to the net.

Lower Body

Your hips and whole body should be squared up and facing the net. Knees are in a slight squat in a ready position that allows you to side step along the net either to the right or left quickly. You should be about Half Your arm's length away from the net.

Upper Body

Shoulders are squared up and facing the net. Your starting position for your hands are bent elbows with hands -palms facing the net just above shoulder level. Your hands stay Just above your shoulders and not below your waist or below the net ...so that when you jump your hands and arms are in a ready position to block the ball and you don't waste precious time bringing them from a low position.

When blocking its always important to watch the hitter that you are going to block. This way you can see and Anticipate where the hitter is going to hit.

If you see that your hitter's spike approach is coming toward you - at an angle... more than likely they are going to hit cross court so then you line up in front of them to block their cross court. You need to line up in front of the hitter and prepare to block the extension of your hitter's arm.

If your spiker's approach is in a straight line they will likely hit down the line and you need to make sure that your body is squared up in front of them ready to block the extension of their arm.

Block Jump

Watching your hitter is very important because this is how you know when you need to time your jump to block. Once you've determined where your hitter is going to block and you've adjusted your body position by side stepping left or right in order to line up in front of your hitter - concentrating on the extension of their arm -wait until JUST as the hitter contacts the ball to spike - then you block jump.

Hands and Arms

As you jump, Extend Your Hands, Arms And Shoulders over the net or as high as possible in order to grab the ball. You are literally trying to catch the ball as it passes over the net. Your hands are spread and fingers are wide apart in order to catch or "block" the ball.

Once you contact or Block the ball your ...widespread fingers (with solid rigid wrists) should just deflect the ball back into your opponents court (some say you are presenting a wall with your hands and arms that will deflect the ball back into your opponents court.