WI Juniors Grand Slam: New Setters to Know!

There were some obvious "lights out" setters that we have seen and written about before that showcased their stuff at the Grand Slam tournament. However, as I wandered the courts at the Baird center, I found numerous new setters jumping out at me. These floor generals were not only captivating to watch, but have a big future ahead of them in the volleyball scene. Below are some new setters that you have to see. They all made the list for several reasons - they may be fast, have good hands, are young with a promising future, or versatile in that they play multiple positions, etc. Regardless, these gems gave it their all during the Grand Slam and they need some serious recognition.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    Lasse is one of the most versatile athletes I saw on the weekend. I watched her set in rotations 1-3 and then play middle for rotations 4-6. I have only seen an handful of athletes pull off that grueling task. It is daunting enough to play middle with all of the blocking, but Lasse also ran all over the the court tracking down out of system balls while setting. While I would have expected to her to tire and her setting suffer, it did not. She moved quickly, got her feet underneath the ball, and delivered clean, precise sets to her pins and middle at weekend long!     Oppermann is one of those up and coming setters that does a good job setting to the pin and finding her middles in transition. She also has a dynamic float serve that comes across flat and has some serious movement on it. I watched her in one match serve her team out of a huge hole with a 9 point run with many aces. Oppermann is going to be one to keep tabs on she continues to grow and develop her game over the next few years.     Rauda is one fast, smooth setter that has excellent court vision and decision making. Due to her quick footwork, Rauda is always in position and can it make it many balls that other setters simply can't. She also has a high window and super quick release which makes it hard for defenders to read her. She routinely isolates her attackers giving them “one on one” opportunities repeatedly which they capitalize on. Rauda is one of those setters that I can't wait to see again as she has a bright future ahead of her.     Turlais is a setter that does a solid job moving the ball around to all of her attackers. She gets her feet to the ball to deliver clean sets to her pin. She also gets her middles going and can find them easily in transition. While she can incorporate a variety of sets into her game, its seems like Turlais' backsets are primarily her favorite. Her team has a solid offensive presence from the right side that many 14u teams lack.     Roberts was fun to watch as she worked hard on the court all weekend long. Running a 5-1, Roberts fed her pins, middles, and even backrow attackers with ease and precision. She is able to get everyone firing on the court and contributing to the teams success. Where Roberts outshines many other setters is in her defensive efforts. I believe she is cross trained as a libero and it shows. She moves to track down just about any tip, dump, and push and also dug some great balls in right back. A+ in effort, determination and grit from this versatile setter.     Martin is a setter from Digtown that helps her teams in many ways. As a setter, she moves quickly, reads the floor, and feeds the hot hand. She can find her middles when out of the pocket and also can push the ball to the pin. She is also a versatile attacker. She will take big swings from the right pin scoring her team many points. Martin is one of those players that any coach would want as you can put her in any position and she will not only help the team, but she will shine while doing it.     I like Belanger as a setter. Speed seems to be the name of her game and it is awesome to see from such a young setter. I love how versatile she is...she will set the gap, run the quick out of the middle, set tempo to her pins, and even reverse against the flow. She runs a well balanced offense that many teams can not only keep up with, but can't defend against. I can't wait to keep tabs on Belanger as she is going places.

There were some obvious "lights out" setters that we have seen and written about before that showcased their stuff at the Grand Slam tournament. However, as I wandered the courts at the Baird center, I found numerous new setters jumping out at me. These floor generals were not only captivating to watch, but have a big future ahead of them in the volleyball scene. Below are some new setters that you have to see. They all made the list for several reasons - they may be fast, have good hands, are young with a promising future, or versatile in that they play multiple positions, etc. Regardless, these gems gave it their all during the Grand Slam and they need some serious recognition.