When Shy Hinata was in elementary school, he saw "little giants" playing volleyball and decided to give it a try. Tobio Kageyama, his competitor, defeats him in his first and last tournament in middle school. As a result, Hinata joins the volleyball team at Kurasuno High School, vowing vengeance on Kageyama. Kurasuno's team, however, includes Kageyama. With Hinata's mobility and Kageyama's exquisite ball-handling, the erstwhile adversaries become a renowned combination. They compete in local competitions together, vowing to face Kurasuno's fated rival school at the nationals.