Leadership of the libero

Since 1999 indoor volleyball has featured one of the most defensively specialized positions on the court, known as the libero. Allowed to remain in the game at all times, the libero is the only player not limited by the rules of rotation. For Team BC’s men’s and women’s volleyball players at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta., this position could be all the difference in the team’s success.

“For sure passing – you have to be the best passer on the team,” said Team BC libero Hali Drezet (Prince George). “Defensively, you have to not let anything hit the floor. You’re the one that goes and gets the ball even if it’s not your ball. You have to be the boss of the back court and be aggressive.”

Drezet has been playing volleyball for 10 years but was only just thrown into the libero position on Jul. 1 leading up to these games. Formerly Drezet was a 2012 BC Summer Games participant and was an All-Star at the Canadian Western Elite Championships in 2014 and an all-star at the AAA Girls Provincial Championships.

“Being positive and making sure everyone stays up,” added Drezet on what she needs to do to help her team. “If you can’t pass the ball you’re pretty much swamped so I have to stay on top of that, too.”

Only in grade 11, Drezet still has one more year of tuning up in high school but has already committed to Thompson Rivers University to begin her post-secondary volleyball career. Elijah Risso (Kelowna) will play at UBC Okanagan and is Team BC men’s volleyball libero, a 2012 BC Summer Games alumni and fellow newcomer to the position.

“You have to be a leader, vocal on the court and just needs to be ready to play defence and put everything on the line for the team,” said Risso on what makes a good libero. “I can bring experience and knowledge, I think. I see it pretty well and give a lot of feedback to the guys.”

Risso, a graduate of Kelowna Secondary School, has been playing volleyball as long as he can remember. He was a First Team All-Star at the BC AAA High School Championships and BC Under 18 Club Championships and will head to the UBC Okanagan Heat as a libero.

“Volleyball is so different because it’s not a sport where you can catch the ball, hold it and make a decision,” explained Risso on the uniqueness of the sport. “It’ so different. It’s a rebounding sport that is fast paced and it’s under appreciated. People think it’s really easy to play volleyball but it’s not as easy as it looks.”

Both men’s and women’s Team BC volleyball teams are currently in a good place to qualify for the finals and it could all come down to the play of liberos Drezet and Risso.

“Libero, for me, is someone who is athletic, a strong leader and they are basically the quarter back of the defence,” adds Team BC men’s volleyball coach Christopher Berglund (Vancouver). “They need to be strong mentally. They have different rules. They have to wear a different shirt and they can’t do the same things. They are basically playing on their own island and they have to be strong mentally to handle that.”

All things being said it still comes down to team play, which will continue for both Team BC indoor volleyball teams through until Aug. 16.