Height not an obstacle for spikers in Ostrava

Walk through the streets near the Otravar Arena right now and you are likely to feel a bit shorter than usual if you are like me – an averaged sized adult. That’s because volleyball is a sport where height is a key asset, and teams can have an average close to 200cm. But in this EuroVolley, there are a number of outside hitters going against the grain and excelling at the highest level despite their shorter than average stature (for volleyball, at least). This article will look at one player from each of the four teams battling it out in the eighth finals in Ostrava.

Francesco Recine

The son of volleyball legend Stefano Recine, Francesco has followed in his father’s footsteps and taken up the outside hitter position. Even with the pedigree, the odds were stacked against him at 183cm, among the shortest wings in EuroVolley or the Italian league. In the match against Latvia, Recine came in and quickly put up 6 kills & 2 blocks. Those blocks might be surprising given his size, but Francesco is a strong blocker due to his massive wingspan, great vertical jump, and solid timing. At only 22 years old he has advanced skills for his age, and there is still room to grow in his service and ball control.

Kristaps Smits

The Latvian volleyball team surprised by qualifying for EuroVolley, but decided that wasn’t enough and made it all the way to the eighth finals where they lost against Italy. One of the keys of this surprise was the explosive play of outside hitter Kristaps Smits, who scored 44 points throughout the tournament. He was an effective player at 188cm with precise and powerful attacks at the ball that allowed him to find angles not available to all players. The 2021 Latvian league MVP will play in Finland next season.

Moritz Karlitzek

The high flying German outside hitter makes this list at 191cm, but that hasn’t slowed him down one bit against one of the toughest blocking teams in the sport in Bulgaria. He scored 19 points in the 4-set match against Bulgaria, including a devastating 6 aces. Karlitzek does all the little things that make a volleyball player stand out against his taller compatriots. He passes the ball well, his spin serve is a weapon, and he can attack effectively from positions two, four, & six equally. If Germany is going to make a deep playoff run, Karlitzek will have to continue this high level of play.

Todor Skrimov

Although not as short as the others on this list, at 191cm Skrimov is still the shortest player on the Bulgarian side half the time. However, Skrimov possesses something that many players would sacrifice a few cm for, one of the fastest arm swings in volleyball. Watching Skrimov attack the ball is like watching lighting strike; it is over in the blink of an eye and the sound can be more impressive than the spectacle. Using this talent, Skrimov has scored the most aces of anyone in the tournament, with 17 in 19 sets of volleyball. Unfortunately for him this wasn’t enough to overcome the skilled receivers of Germany in their eighth finals match.

The players on this list prove that you are still able to be an effective outside hitter at the highest level, even if you may not be the biggest player on your team.