FaR Out’s Dunn embraces challenge of new position

<p>Adaptability is important in volleyball, and it is proving to be very important at this time in life.</p> <p>When FaR Out 15 Black lost its starting setter to mono, the team needed someone to step up and move to a new position.</p> <p>That’s where <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="49402" first="Sarah" last="Dunn"]</strong> came in.</p> [caption id="attachment_89047" align="alignright" width="300"] [player_tooltip player_id="49402" first="Sarah" last="Dunn"][/caption] <p>The Class of 2023 outside hitter from Forest Hills Central was asked to change positions and become the team’s setter before it headed to the Adidas Bluegrass Tournament in Kentucky in early March.</p> <p>“I had set before in seventh grade, so coach had me and a couple other players give it a try in practice and by the end of it, he told me that I would be the new setter,” Dunn said. “I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I did everything I could to be as ready as I could be. I got to practice early to work on it and spent a lot of time at home working on setting with my parents.”</p> <p>FaR Out 15 Black’s starting setter was 2023 standout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66296" first="Skylar" last="Bump"]</strong>, who was All-State in Division 2 at Lakewood this past fall. Bump was having a great club year for the team before falling ill at the end of February.</p> <p>“Skylar played for us at Power League in Louisville, but said she hadn’t been feeling great through the weekend. That next week, we found out she had gotten mono and this was one week before we had to go back to Louisville to play in the Bluegrass,” FaR Out 15 Black coach Russ Carney said. “I had to go around and try some girls at setter during practice and Sarah, who is one of our best passers and best attackers, I decided she was the best option for us.”</p> <p>Carney recognized Dunn’s leadership skills as a big asset in replacing Bump.</p> <p>“Sarah is a great leader and that is something you need at the setter position,” Carney said. “I am sure she didn’t envision herself as a setter this season, but she never complained, and she put everything she had into being the best setter she could be.”</p> <p>It was a big challenge for Dunn, who has grown into being a solid outside in the Class of 2023 and has been focused on furthering her all-around skills as an outside. However, after some initial doubts, she embraced the new challenge.</p> <p>“At first I was wondering why this was happening to me, but then I thought about my team and realized that my team needed me to step up and that really motivated me,” Dunn said. “It’s a big change. A big thing is really having to know your team and know all of the traits of each player you are setting for. You have to have an understanding of when is the right time to set a certain player and how best to distribute the ball. Each player likes the ball in a different position as well, so there’s a lot mentally you have to work through.”</p> <p>As the team arrived in Louisville for the Bluegrass Tournament, Dunn settled in quickly and helped FaR Out picked up wins in their first two matches, besting EliteVBTC 15 Blue in three sets before topping Piedmont VBC 15 Elite in a sweep.</p> <p>“I felt a lot more comfortable after our first game,” Dunn said. “Thankfully, we got a win and it just gave me confidence that this could work. My teammates were very supportive and that just made me more calm on the floor.”</p> <p>Dunn put together a solid performance throughout the weekend. While the team suffered three losses, they still put together three wins against strong competition.</p> <p>“She set a really good and consistent ball to the pin,” Carney said of Dunn’s showing. “She also had great eye contact with her teammates and communicated very well. If she had a bad set, she just moved on and went to the next point. She was engaged and accepted the challenge that was in front of her.”</p> <p>Dunn was anticipating more time at setter, but the club season has come to a stop due to the coronavirus outbreak. She is trying to keep her skills sharpened as both a setter and an outside hitter.</p> <p>“I keep working on my hitting when I get the opportunity because I know that I need to be ready to be either a hitter or a setter when we get to play again,” Dunn said.</p> <p>Carney has encouraged Dunn to really embrace this new opportunity, as it could open doors for her at the next level.</p> <p>“I have talked to her about how having the ability to play setter could increase her marketability in terms of playing in college,” Carney said. “It doesn’t hurt to have the ability to play multiple positions if her team needs it. It never hurts to build your skillset, especially as a freshman. I think it is good for her to be challenged like this. It’s only going to make her a stronger player.”</p> <p>Dunn is more than willing to play setter if the team needs her to when play resumes, but she also knows that Bump is one of the top setters in her class. As of now, Dunn would prefer to be a hitter in the future.</p> <p>“Skylar is an amazing setter and she has had big shoes to fill. That’s her spot when she’s healthy,” Dunn said. “If the team ever needed me to play the role again, of course I would do it for my team. But, being a hitter is my No. 1 choice and I still love that position and love being able to play in the back row as part of it.”</p>