Four Defensive Studs Who Control Their Backcourts
The importance of having an efficient defensive system in volleyball becomes even more evident at the high school level. While hitters get most of the attention and the spotlights, the players doing the dirty work at the back of the…
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Continue ReadingThe importance of having an efficient defensive system in volleyball becomes even more evident at the high school level. While hitters get most of the attention and the spotlights, the players doing the dirty work at the back of the court are oftentimes the real unsung heroes of their teams as their efficiency is what determines the success of their squads.
These four players were real defensive studs in the 2019 season and they will probably do it again when the 2020 matches start.
Genevieve Wilkinson – Libero, Defensive Specialist – Sultan
Sultan ranked third in the entire state in digs (1,830) in 2019 and most of the credit should go to the outstanding performances of Genevieve Wilkinson. As a sophomore, she brought her A-game to the back of the court last season and topped the entire state in digs with 566 (a state-high 7.2 per set). The libero was a stud for the Turks also in receiving as she turned the ball to the team’s setter with an impressive 88 percent efficiency rate.
Emma Adams – Outside Hitter, Defensive Specialist – Columbia River
Emma Adams was one of just two players to average seven digs per set in the entire state and her game was the highlight of Columbia River’s backcourt. As a junior, the 5’7″ was mostly used as a defensive specialist and she lived up to the position’s title as she registered a career-high 473 digs, twice as many as the team’s second-ranked player. She was also the Chieftains leading serve receiver as she ended the season with 342 positive actions, an impressive 94 percent of accuracy in the skill.
Mary Carlsen – Libero, Defensive Specialist – West Seattle
The 2019 high school season was one of huge improvements for Mary Carlsen. In her third year with West Seattle, the 5’4″ defensive star really stepped up and posted the best numbers of her career, helping the team to have the fifth-best in defense in the entire state. Carlsen ended the season with remarkable 479 digs (the sixth-best mark in the state) and 425 serve receives, both easily the highest in her team. As a comparison, during her sophomore year in 2018 she had 289 digs and 218 passes.
Rachel Cram – Libero – LaConner
Star freshman Ellie Marble played a key role in LaConner’s exceptional defensive game last season as the team ranked second in the state with 2,028 digs. But the outside hitter had sizable help coming from Rachel Cram. The 5’5″ sophomore libero shared the defensive responsibilities with Marble magnificently, registering nearly identical digging numbers (410 to Marble, 393 to Cram), and led the team in serve receiving, passing the ball 279 times over the season.