Volleyball statistics are good at counting the end of a rally and bad at counting the start of it. Kills and aces are easy to see. The pass that made the kill possible, and the dig that kept the rally alive, are easy to miss. A volleyball award list should cover both ends.
This page sorts serious awards by skill, the way a stat sheet does, then gives a full section on paper plate awards, the team tradition where every player gets a superlative written on a plate. Use both: the plates for the laughs, a few earned awards for the season.
Attacking
- Kill Leader Award: the most kills on the team.
- Hitting Efficiency Award: the best hitting percentage, kills minus errors over attempts, for the hitter who rarely gave a point away.
- Back Row Attack Award: the best pipe hitter.
- Tool Award: used the block better than anyone, off the hands and out.
- Slide Award: the middle who ran the slide behind the setter.
Serving
- Ace Award: the most service aces.
- Zero Misses Award: the highest serving percentage.
- Tough Serve Award: put the other team out of system most often.
- Serving Run Award: for the longest run of points from one server in a match.
Passing and defense
- Dig Leader Award: the most digs.
- Perfect Pass Award: the best serve-receive rating, for passes that gave the setter every option.
- Back Row Boss: the libero or defensive specialist who ran the back court.
- Pancake Dig Award: saved the ball with a flat hand on the floor.
- Never Let It Drop Award: chased balls into the bleachers.
Setting and blocking
- Assist Leader Award: the most assists, for the setter who ran the offense.
- Setter’s Touch Award: turned bad passes into hittable sets.
- Roof Award: the most stuff blocks.
- Wall Award: the most total blocks, solo and assisted.
- Read Blocker Award: the middle who got to every pin.
Team, effort and improvement
- Court Talker Award: called every ball and every rotation.
- Bench Energy Award: the loudest support from the sideline.
- Most Improved: the biggest gain from tryouts to the final match.
- Rotation Ready Award: never once out of rotation.
- Coachable Player Award: took a correction and used it on the next point.
Paper plate awards for volleyball
Paper plate awards are a team tradition: a coach or captain writes a superlative on a paper plate for every player, decorates it, and reads them out at the banquet or the last practice. They cost almost nothing, everyone gets one, and the best ones are inside jokes only the team understands.
Some ideas to start from:
- Most Likely to Dive for a Ball That Is Already Out
- Human Knee Pad, for the player on the floor most often.
- Best Pre-Serve Ritual
- Ball Retriever of the Year
- Most Likely to Know the Other Team’s Rotation
- Ankle Tape Artist
- Loudest “Ace!” From the Bench
- Best Court Shoe Collection
- Hair Tie Supplier
- Hotel Room DJ, for a travel club team.
- Most Likely to Start a Team Cheer
- Snack Bag Champion, for the longest tournament day.
A few rules keep plates kind. Every player gets one. Nobody’s plate is about a mistake they are embarrassed by, their body or their playing time. A captain or assistant should read the full list before the banquet.
Paper plates are the tradition and we do not make them. What we make is the earned award that sits beside them, and a piece for every player if the team wants something that lasts. More ideas are in funny award ideas.
Club seasons and school seasons
A school season usually ends with a banquet soon after the last match, with the whole program in one room: varsity, JV and freshman teams, each with its own short list. A club season runs through winter and spring and usually ends after the final tournament, often with a team party instead of a banquet.
That changes what to give. School programs lean on statistical awards, captains and senior recognition. Club teams travel together for months and lean on the paper plates, a team piece for every player and one or two earned awards decided by the coach. A club running a dozen teams can use one design for the whole club with the age group changed on each set.
How many to give
| Kind of team | Earned awards | Everyone receives |
|---|---|---|
| Youth rec | Effort and improvement only | A paper plate and a team piece |
| Club | Kills, digs, aces, assists, blocks, most improved | A paper plate |
| School JV | Three or four, by skill | A paper plate |
| School varsity | One per skill, MVP, captains, academic | Senior recognition |
Five skills give five natural awards, which is the right size for a twelve-player roster. Awards that cross every sport, such as leadership and character, are in sports award categories.
Presenting them
Do the paper plates first, while the room is loose, then the earned awards, then seniors and MVP. Plates are quick; earned awards deserve one sentence of reason and one statistic.
When a club runs several age groups at one banquet, present youngest to oldest and keep each team together. The parents of the youngest team can leave without missing anything. If the team is thanking a coach, see coach awards.
Wording and ordering
Roof Award
Mia Torres · Middle Blocker
Summit Volleyball Club 16U
2026–27 Season
We build volleyball awards from the club or school logo, in acrylic, wood and metal, with medallions for whole rosters and MVP trophies for the top award. One award or a full club order, there is no minimum, the design costs nothing and nothing is cut until you sign off on the proof. Tournament and season sets are on volleyball trophies, and the banquet plan is on end-of-season awards. Start from the date of the banquet and read how far in advance to order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are paper plate awards in volleyball?
A team tradition where each player gets a funny or kind superlative written on a decorated paper plate, read out at the banquet or the last practice. Every player gets one.
What are good volleyball awards for the end of the season?
One award for each skill, kills, digs, aces, blocks and assists, plus MVP, most improved and a coach’s award. Paper plates for everyone add the fun.
How do you recognize a libero?
With a passing or defensive award: dig leader, best serve-receive rating, or a back row award that names the role.
How do you keep paper plate awards from hurting feelings?
Give every player one, keep them about habits rather than mistakes or appearance, and have someone read all of them before the banquet.
How many volleyball awards should a club team give?
Five or six earned awards is typical for a twelve-player roster, one per skill plus most improved, with a plate for every player.
Awards for the whole team?
Send the club or school name, logo and award list. We design one set for every team and send a proof before anything is produced.
See team awards
