Back row players acting like front row.....Im lost!

Question
My question is HS Federation rules.  I know that we have been called for having our setter jump at the net when she is in the back row, and I know the libero cannot jump in the front row.  My question is, who can?  Yesterday we played a game where the team had one very good hitter.  They set her from everywhere.  When she was in the back row, she "flew" into the front row to hit.  Can she do that?  Seems like it's a little inconsistent.

Answer
Good afternoon Owen:

Thank you for visiting www.allexperts.com.  
Let's get right to it.  Here's the bottom line.

If ALL THREE of these happen to a back row player, the play is illegal:
* she is on or in front of the spiking line, and;
* the ball is completely above the height of the net, and;
* the ball crosses into the opponent's court, or is blocked.

Notice that jumping is not a part of the rule.  So, a 6'2" setter standing can be in violation of all three; but, a 5'0" setter can jump and not be in violation of all three.  
You ask, "Who can?"  Well, a back row girl can do ANYTHING as long as her actions don't include all three.   :)  

Here are some examples.  I'll tell you below if they are legal or illegal.
1)  Your back row setter is at the net, jumps and sets a ball (that's above the height of the net) to a hitter, who hits it.  
2) Your back row setter is at the net, jumps and sets a ball (that's above the height of the net), the ball then drifts over the net and the opponents blocker hits it.  
3) Your back row hitter takes her approach to spike a ball, jumps from behind the spiking line, hits the ball and lands in the front row, about 5' from the net.  
4) Your back row hitter takes her approach to spike a ball, jumps with one foot on the spiking line, hits the ball and lands in the front row, about 6' from the net.  
5) Your back row setter is at the net, jumps, turns her body toward the opponent's court and hits the ball (that's above the height of the net) into the bottom of the net.  The ball bounces up, and is forearmed passed over the net by a teammate.  
6) Your back row setter is at the net, jumps, then drops her right hand to try to left-hand slam a ball (that's above the height of the net) into the opponent's court; however, the blocker reads it, jumps and roofs the ball right after it left the setter's hand (the ball never crossed into the opponent's court).  

When you play a team with a dangerous back row hitter, your defensive attitude is very similar to if she was hitting from the front row.  This is why my team double blocks and respects all back row hitters, starting the first day of practice....even though most probably shouldn't be respected.  I ask my team to do this so that when we play a team like you're describing that has hitters that we MUST respect, then we're used to defending against it.  

You said the libero cannot jump in the front row.  Now no one has ever said that to me before.  Sure she can.  What she cannot do is this:
a) She may never send a ball across the net if the ball is above the height of the net when she hits it.  
b) To prevent her from being a setter, the following three things may never all happen:  She may never (a) be on or in front of the spiking line and(b) use her hands to set a ball that (c) an teammate attacks when the ball is completely above the height of the net.  So, whether the libero jumps or not is irrelevant.  

Answers to the above situations:
1) Legal.     2) Illegal. Whistle blows as soon as the blocker touches the ball.   3) Legal.   4)  Illegal.  Where she lands doesn't matter.   (5) Legal.  The ball never cross into the other team's court.    (6) Illegal.  When a ball is blocked it is considered to have crossed into the opponent's court.  

Now, will you do one favor for me? Will you visit us at www.coachhouser.com?  My staff and I have directed 38 camps in the past 4 summers, and we're already getting inquiries about summer 2013 from Oklahoma and Ohio.  Do you want to see why business of increasing every summer?  It's the price, the camper:coach ratio, the professionalism and experience (all summer, every summer), the smiles and the love of the sport.

Let me know whenever we can serve you in any way.
Tom