Gigi Artiles is currently committed to play college volleyball at the University of Georgia. Opposing defenses fear her when she is at the net.
However, the outside hitter recently fueled a never-ending debate with a questionable power tip.
For non-volleyball fans, the only way I can describe this constant discourse is to compare it to the question of “What is a catch?” in football. Nobody really knows the answer so it depends.
What is a carry?
Put simply, a “carry” or “lift” in volleyball occurs when a player makes prolonged contact with the ball. The ball must be contacted with a quick, firm motion. It cannot be held or guided.
There are a few different motions that most often result in a carry:
- Reaching back with palm up
- Catching and throwing
- Lifting the ball upwards
- Open palm contact
Unfortunately, there is no way to call a “carry” with any uniformity. Officials make a subjective ruling. Every referee sees the game differently.
Gigi Artiles got called for a carry.
Artiles plays for the Tribe Volleyball Club out of South Florida as the Gatorade Player of the Year in the Sunshine State. The 6-foot-3 outside is one of the best hitters in the country and will continue her career at the University of Georgia.
Although it is her arm swing that propelled her career to where it is today, she often catches the block off-guard with a power tip. A “power tip” is an attacking technique where the player uses a forceful, controlled push of the ball with their fingers or hand to direct it into a specific area of the opponent’s court instead of hitting.
Power tips can get dicey. An official might call a carry if the ball stays in the hand too long.
That leads us to the following play:
The head referee called Artiles for a carry. She disagrees.
Reactions to the carry are mixed.
“no that’s a power tip 😭,” said Nora O.
“No it was just a really good deep corner,” added Matysen.
“Nothing wrong with it, continuous forward motion,” chimed @reddevil20248.
“I do that 24/7 it’s just a powerful tip,” opined @daeonnanextdoorr.
With that being said, the majority of commenters actually thought otherwise.
“10000% as an official AAU ref myself i think that’s a carry,” said alex.
“That was a ridiculous carry it needed a passport for how long it traveled in your swing,” chirped Chris.
“I’m a ref… yeah you caught and threw that,” @DirtJarOfDirt thinks.
I am on the side of the haters here. I fully believe a carry was the correct call. That ball stayed in Gigi Ariles’ hand for way too long!