Watch: Olympic volleyball player’s 'skyball' serve sends ball 100 feet in the air

Adrian Carmbula’s serve is tough to return because it flies so high into the air it becomes difficult for the receiving players to track.

Italian beach volleyball player Adrian Carambula has perfected a unique serve that sends the ball 100 feet into the air before dropping onto the opponent’s side of the net. 

He used the “skyball” serve, which is demonstrated in the video below, in Italy’s preliminary win over Canada this week.

Carmbula’s serve is tough to return because it flies so high into the air and becomes difficult for the receiving players to track. He explained his reasoning for employing the unconventional serve in an interview with the International Volleyball Federation.

“Skyball is pretty much a serve I use to get people off rhythm,” Carambula said. “I think it’s part of my game because it’s different and people don’t really train against it. It’s just a movement that, for me, comes naturally. I just know that I want to put the ball up, I feel the wind, and then I let the ball and my body and everything come natural.”

Italy plays its next match against the United States on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Carambula will next play on Friday at 2 p.m. ET after advancing to the Round of 16.