NEQ3: Setters that shined

Setters are the connective force of the offense, and they come in many varieties. One of the hottest debated questions in volleyball is the 5-1 system vs the 6-2, where each has a setter which plays in a different way. This makes evaluating setters tricky, as they need wholly different skill sets at different clubs for different coaches. While there are many that stand out for the traits both styles have in common, these are the ones that caught my eye in a rather large room full of candidates, including a pair in a 6-2 on the same team.      Ella was in an interesting situation, as she plays for a team that runs a 6-2 system, and has two standout setters. She stood out for her great movement off the ball, reading the play and putting herself in the best position to receive the pass. For a very mobile setter, her soft hands and good touch never seemed to waver, no matter how much she ranged, which is a great sign for a setter. She did a great job spreading the ball around to all of her hitters, and then when serving showed a good, hard float serve that moved sharply.     Hayley is the other half of the 6-2 pair with Ella O'Conner, and was easily just as impressive when the rotation switch happened. She was a similar player to her partner being a mobile player that covered a lot of ground both offensive and defensively. Hayley also had a very soft touch setting, and good footwork.     Kinley was one of the best defensive setters I saw the entire tournament, she had great range and was constantly making digs, it was almost like having an extra DS on the court. She had very soft hands when setting, and her accuracy was spot on, rarely missing a spot with great consistency.     Jennifer runs a 6-2 with another knockout setter in [player_tooltip player_id='698761' first='Imagine' last='Peltier'], she showed good hands and made excellent decisions when in her rotation. Her reading the play and moving the ball around was top level, making this another club with a wealth of talent at the setter position.     Barrett is a star who shines whenever she hits the court. Continuing the trend of standout 6-2 setters, she shares the court on a fantastic Metro team as well as an excellent Broadneck team where she shares with a top tier 2026 prospect. Barrett is strong, and sends great, accurate balls to all three spots, but defensively is on another level when it comes to covering tips and the middle of the court. One of the best in Maryland, her high ranking is well deserved.

Setters are the connective force of the offense, and they come in many varieties. One of the hottest debated questions in volleyball is the 5-1 system vs the 6-2, where each has a setter which plays in a different way. This makes evaluating setters tricky, as they need wholly different skill sets at different clubs for different coaches. While there are many that stand out for the traits both styles have in common, these are the ones that caught my eye in a rather large room full of candidates, including a pair in a 6-2 on the same team.