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PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/CONTRA COSTA TIMES (July 25) Michael Lewis, of Berkeley, California, is the author of "Moneyball." Lewis has made waves locally with his book that focuses on the Oakland A's and their contrarian general manager Billy Beane. (ded) 2003

The Fatal Flaw in Overvaluing Players

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Kaushik Chatterjee

15 years ago Michael Lewis wrote one of the most influential books on baseball – and arguably sports – ever: Moneyball. In it, Billy Beane – former Oakland A’s General manager -rewrote the principles of sports analytics, and shed light onto undervalued and overvalued qualities (i.e. Beane found that batting average was overvalued, whilst on-base percentage was grossly undervalued). This new practice had profound effects, and it’s principles can be used in almost any sport, including volleyball. In Tod Mattox’s engaging article, ‘10 qualities we overvalue in volleyball players’, he explores the 10 skills in volleyball which are overvalued.

  • Height: Maddox begins with one of the most desirable traits in athletes. Is someone who is 6’0 superior to someone who’s 5’10? Maddox says no. He states that he “prefers using ‘length’ rather than ‘height’ as the measurement benchmark”; A 5’10 player with long arms could have the greater reach of a 6’0 player with shorter arms. But he may be tossed aside based on raw appearance.
  • Jump touch: jumping is one of the most common actions in volleyball. Thus,having a good jump touch is viewed as one of the most important metrics in volleyball, particularly in juniors (at the national level, margins are incredible slim, and technique is immaculate). But just because a kid has a high jump touch, doesn’t mean they’ll hit high. Someone with a lower touch and great technique will be more effective.
  • Tall setters: Having a greater height is associated with having better positioning and vision. Maddox disagrees. “A 5-2 setter with great location is a bigger asset to the team than a 6-foot setter with inconsistent location.” Until setters have to face strong hitters, blocking isn’t an imperative attribute.
  • Defender’s raw speed: Athleticism is something we all love to see; but it is not a synonym for hand-eye coordination (one of the most crucial skills in volleyball). Maddox states that a less athletic passer who consistently hits the sweet spot is better than a super-athletic player who always hits out of bounds.
  • “Impossible” lay-out digs: There are times when player’s dramatically fall down for a dig, or dice to keep the ball in play. But did they need to fall down, or did they choose to fall down? If they needed to, then that indicates that they have poor vision and didn’t read the play.
  • Strong physique: Being in shape is important, but you don’t have bias towards more strong, ‘ripped’ players. A major point in ‘Moneyball’ was most power hitters with big swings weren’t as valuable as players who got on base more, and read the game better.
  • Attractiveness: Don’t show bias towards more ‘attractive’ players. Choose the one who is the better fit for the team and improves the team’s dynamics.
  • More vocal ‘Tiger’ mentality: “Just because players are vocal doesn’t mean they’re more competitive or better in the clutch.” Quieter players who play good volleyball and can lead silently are a big asset to your teama, and often better than louder, less-skilled players.
  • Exaggeration of technique: Penn State coach Russ Rose say he wants great serve-receivers, not players who look like great serve-receivers. If someone can consistently perform a skill to a good level, don’t tinker with it too much. Correct technique, but do what’s best for the player and team.
  • Stats: Stats can often be misleading. Maddox provides a prime example of this: “You have two hitters with 3 kills and no errors on 10 attempts. Both hit .300. But maybe the 7 in-play attacks by Player A were roll shots to the other team’s libero that resulted in points for the opponent. And maybe Player B’s 7 in-plays stressed the opponent in ways that resulted in B’s team winning the majority of those points.” Player B is superior to A, even though the stats don’t show that; read between the lines.

 

Tod Mattox wrote an engaging article stating 10 traits overvalued in volleyball. You can read the full article here: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/10-qualities-we-overvalue-in-volleyball-players/

I highly recommend that you also read Michael Lewis’s Moneyball, for an acute description of the use of sabermetrics. It’s concepts can be used far and wide, and can be crucial in determining a team’s success.