I've been thinking this while watching the Haikyuu!! anime, and I often notice how League and volleyball are pretty similar. Both games are about either outsmarting your opponent or brute-forcing through them with pure mechanics, and you attack one of three lanes (left/mid/right) to break them down.
And the positions feel pretty similar too, so here's my comparison:
Top - Opposite Hitter: There's only one opposite hitter on a volleyball team, and they're the strongest player in terms of power and physicality. If the defense gets a shaky pass and can't set up a quick attack? You have to go for a power play, so you always send the ball to this player.
"But wouldn't the whole defense collapse on them and make it hard to score?" That's exactly the opposite hitter's job—to punch through anyway. It's like the team's ultimate trump card. The same way a toplaner draws the entire enemy team's attention while split-pushing and ends up 1vN-ing them.
Jungle - Setter: The setter is the team's commander. In volleyball, after the ball crosses from the opponent's side and gets passed up once, that's called the "second touch," and it always belongs to this guy. Why? Because he decides who gets the final hit (the attack).
Sound familiar? That's ganking.
The setter needs the best game sense and ball control on the team. Just that should tell you it's the jungle position.
Sometimes, if things go wrong, he'll even attack on the second touch—that's called a "two-touch" or a dump shot. In League terms, that's counter-jungling.
Mid - Middle Blocker: The middle blocker is the center of the team, both offensively and defensively. But being the "center" doesn't mean you just stand in the middle like in basketball. Since you're the closest player who can shift left or right, you have to move your ass constantly. Even just relentlessly roaming as the midlaner doubles the stress for the opponent.
Also, the middle blocker and setter especially need the best synergy.
The hardest attack to block in volleyball is a "quick attack" where the setter and middle blocker coordinate a fast spike before the opponent can react. Isn't that pretty similar to the mid-jungle duo moving together for objective fights?
ADC - Outside Hitter: The outside hitter is the team's primary offensive tool. They'll probably hit the most spikes. Volleyball is a game of endurance where you have to keep jumping and running around constantly, and in that sense, the outside hitter works the hardest. Don't you always need an ADC whether you're taking dragon, teamfighting, or catching the toplaner who's trying to backdoor? People say the outside hitter is the team's "grunt"—not in a bad way, but literally every task needs them lol. Whether it's blocking the opponent's spike at the front or receiving a serve at the back, they're in on everything.
At the same time, it's a position that demands composure and mental fortitude. There are a lot of morale makers here.
Support - Libero: The libero is a defense specialist. They can't be positioned in the front row. What that means is they almost never score. In fact, trying to attack is against the rules.
They say volleyball isn't about who hits the hardest—it's about who doesn't let the ball hit the ground. Personally, I think defense is more important than offense. No matter how many different ways you try to attack, if this guy keeps saving everything, it's just exhausting lol. When you're getting bitten as you start a teamfight and you're just beating the crap out of the enemy ADC trying to force a trade, but they just won't die—there's nothing more frustrating than that, right ㅇㅇ...
And since they're always watching the court from the very back (vision), the libero gives the most overall shotcalling. Whether it's the setter or the hitters, they're often the ones making strategies based on the support's calls.
I kept thinking of more things to say while writing this. I know some people might not know volleyball well, but I tried to write it so you can understand with just the basic rules.
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