The Libero Standard? Osseo's Taylor Quan is a Great Example

I recently watched a very good match between the Wayzata Trojans and Osseo Orioles that resulted in a tightly contested semifinal in which the Trojans prevailed by a score of 16-14 in the fifth set. Although Wayzata claimed the win I was more impressed by the play of Osseo’s libero [player_tooltip player_id="71658" first="Taylor" last="Quan"] (5’7 | Lib | 2020) and her ability to produce big plays time and again that served as a big reason why the Orioles were able to climb their way back into the match after falling behind 0-2. Quan, a North Dakota State commit, provides a great standard for what highly reliable and impactful libero play should look like and provide. The role of the libero is to steady the ball control. First and foremost they must direct and anchor the serve receive responsibilities and execution. Most good coaches will overwhelmingly contest that matches are won upon the backs of the serve/serve receive battle; serving aggressively to disrupt the offense of your opponent and receiving serve in a manner that allows you to be in system and productive at a standard high enough to win. The second aspect of ball control is on defensive side and finding ways to keep the ball off the floor with the skill to position the ball in an optimally designated location so multiple attackers can become options in transition. The third piece of which has become the trend for more and more teams in recent years is that the libero should be able to confidently control and deliver the second ball within a defense-to-transition sequence most likely when the setter has just made a defensive dig. Quan does all of this exceptionally well. Quan is a primary passer for her team and is so adept at keeping her team in system that her setters should be praising her often given the fact that she helps to make their job very easy by locating the ball within an in-system zone at a high rate of efficiency. Whether from the serve receive perspective or on defense, Quan understands well the role of both patience and balance. She establishes her body position in a manner that allows her to simplify what has to happen next. This body position entails a light presence in that she is not heavy on her heels so as to not limit her ability to react in any direction. Her weight is balanced so her reaction time can be immediate. Her arms are prepared to create the platform she needs, ready to absorb the pace and deflect the ball with accurate trajectory. Her preparation habits are very clear and as this foundation is set she is mindful to shift her focus to what perhaps is the most critical element for any libero, their vision. Much like a quarterback and their progression after the snap, the vision is teaching you critical elements in a span of just a couple of seconds that, if not connected or if you are not watching the right things, then the rate of effectiveness will be immediately challenged. There is a precision in Quan’s pursuit of the ball that is extremely efficient and it starts with her read and reaction to the ball. She has a great knack for doing only what is necessary in a given moment, which is established in the early preparation and work associated with creating good balance and watching the right things. She is never surprised that the ball is coming her direction and she has terrific range with the amount of space she can cover not only to get her hands on the ball but also to put it in a great location. These are all signs of a mature, high I.Q., and well coached athlete. Every team should feel fortunate and be encouraged if their roster includes a libero that understands the standard of execution needed for her team to be successful and has the skills to go out and produce. They are often the unsung heroes that certainly deserve more recognition for the work they do. Unfortunately, for Quan and her Osseo teammates, their season came to an end last night. The great thing for us prep volleyball fans is that she has one more year to continue to develop her skills to even more impressive levels. Other liberos that have impressed me from matches I have seen throughout this season include the following athletes: <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="9947" first="Riley" last="Decker"] - 2019, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="9929" first="Alena" last="Moldan"] - 2019, Lakeville South</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="71656" first="Mia" last="Schnaible"] - 2020, Marshall</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="29806" first="Audrey" last="Schumacher"] - 2019, Robbinsdale-Armstrong</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="71945" first="Abby" last="Stark"] - 2021, Willmar</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="9902" first="Kaitlyn" last="Weimerskirsch"] - 2019, Champlin Park</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="10020" first="Halle" last="Wolfe"] - 2020, Lakeville North</li> </ul>