Top Texas Setters in the Class of 2021

<p>The quarterback.  The pitcher. The point guard.  These positions are widely considered the General on the field or court.  They are the player that drives the flow of the team.  They are the usually the extension of the coach on the court.  They decide where the ball goes to get the out or score. In volleyball, we have this position also.  The Setter. </p> <p>Ask any college coach or other high-level volleyball mind and almost all will agree on one thing…if you have a great setter, then you have a chance to play at a higher level.  A great setter can make average hitters look great.  A great setter can turn an out of system pass into an attackable ball to score points.  High-level offense is the result of the hitters having the ability to consistently swing an aggressive attack.  All of this is made possible by a great setter.</p> <p>Most people find that setting well is the most difficult thing to do on a volleyball court.  But yet, so many setters seem to make it look so easy.  How in the world do they do this?  Two words: hard work.  These young ladies who I am about to discuss are widely considered some of the best to do this in the Great State of Texas.  And they got here with countless lessons, practices and matches over many years. Lets meet some of them.</p> [caption id="attachment_87126" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: Jeff Woo - Denton Chronicle[/caption] <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87388" first="Brooke" last="Slusser"]</strong> [2021] 6-0 Setter (Guyver/Texas Advantage/Alabama)</p> <p>This Left-Handed two time USAV Open Division National Champion floor general has a wicked float serve that often“jelly-legs” opposing serve-recievers.  Her success can be mainly attributed to her ability to run such a fast tempo offense from different areas on the court.  She has an uncanny ability to locate her set perfectly even though the ball may be slightly out of system.  Her ability to go “against the flow” of the pass and still deliver keeps her opponents off balance and gives her hitters so many one on one opportunities to score.  This young lady has been one of the best in the entire country to run an offense. She will do great things at the next level.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_87127" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: Lauren Day - Red Ledger[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87389" first="Averi" last="Carlson"]</strong> [2021] 6-0 Setter (Loveyjoy/Dallas Skyline/Oklahoma)</p> <p>Former national sophomore of the year according to Prepvolleyball.com is no stranger to success.  Her lengthy frame allows her to be extremely deceptive when deciding to push the ball in front or behind her.  She is such a gifted setter with extremely soft hands that led her high shool team to a state title as only a Sophomore last year.  This year she has her Dallas Skyline team running at a great pace against some great Texas Club competition. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_87128" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: SportsRecruits-Houston Juniors[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87410" first="Jessica" last="Frannea"]</strong> [2021] 5-11 Setter (Bridgeland/Houston Juniors/Northeastern)</p> <p>Jessica’s ability to control her set comes from the size of her hands. It allows her to be able to locate very well for her Houston Juniors Elite teammates.  Her opposing frame is showcased very well on the court.  She runs a very fast offense and has tons of firepower to deliver to.  She can play at a very high level and has the confidence to succeed. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_87129" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: Michael Minasi, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87416" first="Faith" last="Lynch"]</strong> [2021] 5-6 Setter (Magnolia/Houston Juniors/Baylor)</p> <p>Faith has textbook setting form.  Her ability to set behind her from a distance gives her hitters a great chance to kill the ball from the right side.  The tempo that she runs her pin sets are very fun to watch.  Her small size doesn’t stop her from playing with the big girls.  Pinpoint accuracy is what allows her to be at the top of her game against the best. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_87130" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: SportsRecruits - TAV[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87411" first="Ashley" last="Le"]</strong> [2021] 5-8 Setter (Plano West/Texas Advantage/Virginia)</p> <p>From a very young age, this young lady has been taking lessons from one of the great coaches in the country Ping Cao at TAV.  Those lessons have paid off greatly when it comes to her quick footwork.  This great footwork allows her to have such great balance when delivering her pinpoint sets to her attackers.  Her defensive ability in the position also helps her stand out.  She played Libero before switching over to setting which has helped her play the position even better.  She is a great floor general for her explosive TAV team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_87124" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Credit: Jason Fochtman - Houston Chronicle[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87412" first="Clara" last="Brower"]</strong> [2021] 5-9 Setter (Woodlands/Woodlands Revolution/Georgia)</p> <p>This fiery and athletic setter from The Woodlands high school plays with a ton of emotion.  It is very known who the general is on the court when you watch her play.  Her defensive ability as a setter is very fun to watch.  She pursues the ball with tenacity and very little falls when it is near her defensive zone. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This is just some quick analysis of a few of the top setters in Texas. Stay tuned for more coverage on the rest.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>