Hot Hands. Sparkle. Zentar. Ranger Rick.
Though these names may sound like characters from a failed Saturday morning cartoon, they are, in fact, a roster — just a few of the many nicknames given to players on the men's volleyball team. The nuances of volleyball lingo, however, are not limited to players' aliases. The athletes have developed slang to describe most every situation or action that can arise on the court.
To discover the intricacies of volleyball terminology, The Daily Princetonian sat down with seniors outside hitter Reid Joseph and middle hitter Evan Pasion and freshman outside hitter Carl Hamming. Some of the terms are applicable to volleyball players around the country, while others are specific to the Tigers.
One thing the Tigers wish to make clear is that certain terms that the non-playing public uses are no longer employed by the players themselves.
"We don't really say 'spike' or 'bump' anymore; rather, it's 'kill' or 'hit' instead of 'spike,' " junior Peter Eichler said. "And 'pass,' 'dig' — if passing a hard hit/kill — or 'recept' instead of 'bump.' "
Note: There may be other terms to describe certain occurrences that cannot be printed here for various reasons.
Attack (n.): a spike (also "hit" or "dig").
Note: "Spike" is now considered an antiquated term and rarely used by the players themselves.
B.R.D. (n.): team-favorite drill involving a competitive two-on-two game.
Note: Recently, junior middle hitter R.J. Liljestrom and junior libero Aaron Linsky created a randomizing program for creating the game's teams in order to mitigate the dominance of Joseph and Hamming.
Chuck (n.): "a bad volleyball player, gross dude or bad set," according to Joseph.
Corn-fed (n.): nickname of sophomore middle blocker Mike Vincent.
Cuz (n.): new nickname for head coach Glenn Nelson following his frequent referral to players using this term.
Dish (n.): a set.
Note: Like "spike," "set" is also rarely used by the players.
Donkey-punch (v.): to hit a player on one's own team in the back of the head with a serve.
Ex: Joseph donkey-punched Liljestrom during practice earlier in the season, leading to both bleeding and vomiting following the hit.
Goon (n.): any player taller than six feet, five inches; Goons are occasionally characterized by "awkward motions and grunting," Joseph explains.
Note: Hamming (6'7"), Vincent (6'9"), Liljestrom (6'6") and Pasion (6'6") qualify as the team's goons.
Goon squad (n.): "a disproportional gathering of goons on one side," according to Hamming.
Goon swipe (v.): to throw the ball down over the net; a "slam dunk" of sorts.
Note: Vincent is the team's most prolific user of the goon swipe.
Hollywood and Bollywood (n.): the nomenclature for the pairing of outside hitters Eichler and sophomore Harsha Dante.
Hot Hands (n.): Pasion's nickname.
Hot Snack (n.): Hamming's nickname.
Note: "Ranger Rick" has also recently been introduced as an alias for the freshman, due to Hamming's consideration of missing a match in favor of a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Hamming, however, is quick to point out that he ultimately attended the game.
"Icy" (n.): song sung by Gucci Mane, featuring Young Geezy and Boo; it serves as the team's theme song.
Jib (n.): previously a nickname for Linsky, currently a name for his serve; according to Pasion and Joseph, the serve is "easier to pass than a float serve, but less consistent."
Ex: "Did you see that jib that Linsky just threw up there?"
Kill (n.): the attacking of the ball; getting the point.
Note: Eichler currently leads the team in kills, with 182 on the season and averaging 4.04 per game.
Linsky-ettes (pl. n.): practice squad led by fan-favorite Linsky.
Note: According to various members of the team, the Linsky-ettes are often unsuccessful in their games.
Midget (n.): any player measuring in below six feet.
Ex: "Who are they kidding, trying to put a bunch of midgets up against our guys?"
Moons over Schrammy (n.): named after the popular Denny's dish, the nickname for former volleyball player Peter Schram '09, who has, according to various sources on the team, taken a more artistic path since leaving the squad.
Nectar (n.): a good set.
Note: Sophomore Brandon Denham is the Tigers' setter and leads the team with 673 assists.
Overpower the midgets (n.): a drill in which "the big guys hit the ball as hard as they can while the smaller team tries to get the ball over the net," Pasion explains.
Paint brush (n.): a swing at the ball, which is clipped with one's fingertips.
Ex: "No way was he getting to that one; he almost didn't make a paint brush."
Pancake (v.): to dive out for the ball, spreading out one's hands in order to lift the ball.
Sick Lippy (n.): a very good dig; the ball is very hard to get at because it goes up so high.
Note: The name "Sick Lippy" is derived from the character of Ms. Lippy in Adam Sandler's "Billy Madison."
Side Out (n.): preeminent volleyball movie. "Everyone should go see it," Joseph said.
Six-pack (n.): the mark left when a player is hit in the face with the ball.
Note: Injuries of this kind have multiple names (depending on manufacturer of the ball, they can also be known as "Spaulding tattoos").
Ex: "Oh man, we're playing the Tigers today. We'll be lucky if we get away without getting a couple six packs."
Sizzler (n.): a really bad player.
Note: Needless to say, the Tigers have no sizzlers.
Solid dome (n.): an exemplary block.
Note: Liljestrom and former teammate Reid Fritz created a "solid dome" chant but failed to convince any of their fellow players to join in, despite numerous attempts.
Sparkles (n.): nickname for Eichler, due to his affinity for sparkling water.
Tea-baggage (n.): a ball that bounces through the legs after being attacked.
Note: When possible tea-baggage occurs, team members yell for confirmation from the afflicted player.
Waffle (n.): essentially a knuckleball, which rarely goes in.
Note: According to Joseph, the waffle is a specialty of sophomore middle blocker Cameron Heggi.
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