We used both of these units to stat a simulated game. Both were capable of supplying the basic stats.
The Volleyball Ace was somewhat easier to use and gave a more complete picture of the game by allowing the coach to record a typical rally consisting of passing (or digging), setting, and attacking in 4 taps. The Volleyball Ace does not record individual stats for the opposing team, however it does give you a summary of the opposing teams attacking positions by rotation. We really liked the automatic rotation advancement, automatic Libero switch, and the automatic switch to offensive positioning that the Volleyball Ace offered. As of February 2002, the Volleyball Ace has added a charting feature. This allows the user to chart a players (or opponent by team) serves or attacks and will show your individual players favorite shots or serves and the opponents favorite shots/serves as a collective team. The Volleyball Ace now also has added the standard 0-4 rating system for passes & serves.
The Digital Scout did not show a players position on the court. It will track the rotations, but only shows in the corner R1, R2, R3 meaning Rotation 1, Rotation 2, etc. It's rotation tracking does not keep track of who should serve next nor does it prevent you from entering the wrong server. The stats we gathered were complete however it could require more taps to input the same information depending on which mode you selected. For example in the "Pro Mode" a pass-set-attack combination would require 8 taps and during a fast match would be difficult to keep up with. In the "Lite Mode" it requires only 4 taps to record a serve or attack (the two features which are tracked in the Lite mode). The best feature of the Digital Scout is the charting of Attacks and Serves for both your team and the opponent by individuals. It provided a very clear picture of what each individual player's (on each team) favorite shots or serves were during that game. The Digital Scout has also added a nice "0+-" rating for attacks.
If you looking for a quick and easy way to gather stats and keep track of the game the Volleyball Ace is the way to go. It provides you with individual player information for your team, and a collective team information for the opponent. With the addition of the new charting feature the Volleyball Ace now can show a player's trends but like the Digital Scout you will have to tap more times to get this information if you want it.
If you are looking for more information and wanting to analyze where individual players (home and opponents) are attacking from and attacking to, the charting feature of the Digital Scout is great and offers more charting info than the Volleyball Ace. We no longer carry the Digital Scout software. To purchase it you will need to visit their website at http://www.digitalscout.com. Information in this review concerning the Digital Scout Software was based on the version that was current on 1-1-03.