Short Volleyball Players (Find Out The Shortest Players In Volleyball!)

Last Updated on October 23, 2023 by Alex PT

There are some short volleyball players, and the shortest to ever play the game professionally was Farhad Zarif, who measures just 165cm or 5 foot 5 inches. In the female category, the shortest to ever play the game professionally was Jorella Marie de Jesus, an international player from the Philippines, who measures just 152cm or 5 feet. 

The 6 Shortest Men’s Volleyball Players

• Farhad Zarif (Iran) – 5’5″ (165 cm

Farhad Zarif is a libero, a defensive specialist who plays in the back row. He is known for his incredible reflexes and agility. He has won numerous awards, including the FIVB Best Libero at the 2014 World Championship.

• Libor Utrata (Czech Republic) – 5’6″ (168 cm)

Libor Utrata is a setter, a player who is responsible for distributing the ball to the hitters. He is known for his intelligence and creativity. He has won several medals with the Czech Republic national team, including a bronze medal at the 2019 European Championship.

• Benjamin Toniutti (France) – 5’7″ (170 cm)

Benjamin Toniutti is a setter, a player who is responsible for distributing the ball to the hitters. He is known for his accuracy and consistency. He has won several medals with the French national team, including a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Games.

• Georg Klein (Germany) – 5’7″ (170 cm)

Georg Klein is a libero, a defensive specialist who plays in the back row. He is known for his strong passing and digging skills. He has won several medals with the German national team, including a gold medal at the 2017 European Championship.

• Masahiro Sekita (Japan) – 5’7″ (170 cm)

Masahiro Sekita is a setter, a player who is responsible for distributing the ball to the hitters. He is known for his high volleyball IQ and his ability to read the game. He has won several medals with the Japanese national team, including a silver medal at the 2018 World Championship.

• Satoshi Ide (Japan) – 5’7″ (170 cm)

Satoshi Ide is a libero, a defensive specialist who plays in the back row. He is known for his excellent passing and digging skills. He has won several medals with the Japanese national team, including a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championship.

Libero’s In Men’s Volleyball

In the game of volleyball, liberos are generally the shortest players in any volleyball team, mainly because their heights are not needed. The average height of the Libero in men’s professional volleyball is 182.23cm or 5 Foot 11.7 Inches. 

Outside Hitter In Men’s Volleyball

This is a very diverse and fluid position in volleyball which comes in all shapes and sizes. You are expected to be a reliable hitter as well as a good defender in you won’t to play in this position. 

The table below contains relevant questions and answers on short volleyball players. 

The Benefit Of Height When Playing Volleyball	Volleyball is a tall individual game that rewards height. Short volleyball players won’t ever be at their height amount when playing close to the net as the taller counterparts.
Height Requirement Of Being A Volleyball Player	As long as you have some basic skills of volleyball and you’re around five feet 5 inches, you are still all set.
Requirements Of Being A Setter	Volleyball is a tall individual game that rewards height. Short volleyball players won’t ever be at their height amount when playing close to the net as their taller counterparts.

Who Is The Shortest Player? 

Farhad Zarif! Just like we mentioned above, he’s the shortest player, measuring only 165cm. 

What Is A Good Height For A Volleyball Player? 

Generally, in professional volleyball, women’s heights normally fall between 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) and 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in), while for women, it ranges between 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) to 2.10 m (6 ft 10 ¹⁄₂ in). 

Why Is There A Short Player In Volleyball? 

Volleyball is a tall-person sport that rewards height. Short volleyball players will never be at their height level when playing near the net as their taller counterparts. Unless a player is tall enough, the angle just doesn’t work up there for short players who couldn’t get their hand above the net. The libero’s position gives a chance to short players to succeed. 

Can I Play Volleyball If I’m Short? 

As long as you have some basic volleyball skills to hit, pass, serve, and block the ball, you’ll do just fine. So, If you’re around 5 feet five inches, you’re still good to go. Most of the best players around are not really tall, so you don’t need to be discouraged if you’re not too tall. 

Why Are Liberos Short?

Liberos are normally short because they mainly play from the back row and they need to be close to the ground to defend the ball from hitting the side of their court. Also, they are short because they need to be quick so as to be able to pick up the correct spot to receive serves and play defense. Most liberos are very short, measuring an average of just 5” 1. 

Can I Be A Setter If I’m Short? 

Being a good setter requires you to have good decision-making skills and excellent ball control. If you’re really passionate about becoming a good volleyball player, your height should never discourage you, even if most people lay more emphasis on height in volleyball. 

Can A Libero Spike?

Any player can be replaced by the libero in a back-row position in both male and female categories.  However, the liberos are not allowed to block or attempt to block but they may serve. If the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net at the moment of contact, the libero will not be permitted to spike the ball. 

Can You Have 2 Liberos In Volleyball?

Coaches are given the opportunity to choose one, two, or no liberos per set in USAV volleyball for 2016. However, if the coach decides to choose two liberos, then they must be the two liberos for the entire game. 

Final Words – Wrapping It Up! 

The shortest player to ever play the game of volleyball was Farhad Zarif, who measures just 165cm or maybe five feet five inches. The shortest player in the women’s category was Jorella Marie de Jesus, a worldwide professional from the Philippines, which measures merely 152cm or maybe five feet. We’ve come to the end of this informative article. We hope you were able to find resources in your quest to know the short volleyball players. Please do not hesitate to contact us for questions or comments. Thanks!

References:

https://www.themodestman.com/shortest-mens-volleyball-players/
https://volleybox.net/7-short-pro-volleyball-players-that-are-still-beasts-m24899