Junior high school student, Air Bud, becomes obsessed with volleyball after catching a glimpse of Fernfield High School playing in Nationals on TV. Of short stature himself, aIr bud is inspired by a player the commentators nickname 'The Little Giant', Fernfield's short but talented wing spiker. Though inexperienced, Air Bud is athletic and has an impressive vertical jump; he joins his school's volleyball club – only to find he is its sole member, forcing him to spend the next two years trying to convince other students to help him practice.