Young Hands, Big Impact: Freshman Setters Who Stole the Showcase

When it was decided that I would cover the setters at the Freshman Showcase, I was honestly so stoked. I always had pipe dreams of being a setter and honestly, I wish more young ladies (and their parents) would consider setting, as it is one way to keep yourself on the court and be in high demand (if you work at it). These five young ladies have certainly been working at it consistently and clearly enjoy being floor generals for their respective teams. They are all uniquely talented in their own way and deserve to be recognized for the skill they already possess at such a young age.    Anytime I see a 6'0"+ setter on the roster, I get really excited. And Izzy did not disappoint. Sports Performance certainly has a reputation for training setters well (I played with a product of their training at IU who was so good), and you can tell that Szawinski has seriously good fundamentals. When you pair her butter soft hands with her length, you get a setting range that is insane at this age. She can already push the ball to the outside with tempo and accuracy, as well as run a quick middle attack efficiently. Her high contact point when jump setting makes her really hard to read as a blocker. Add in her WAY above average blocking ability to the mix and Izzy is definitely going to be a name we come to be very familiar with over the next few years - she will certainly be in high demand.     Along with Szawinski, Rylie was a Top Performer for me at the Freshman Showcase. She has a definite swagger and confidence about her that you don't find in most incoming freshman. This allows her to lead the floor, even when she doesn't know anyone she is playing with. This floor leadership is exactly what you look for in a high-level setter yet seldom see in a player this age; for Neal it seems to come naturally. At first, I thought she was an OH because of how she was passing and swinging in the back row during queen of the court play, so when I saw her setting, I was taken aback. Rylie is clearly well-rounded as a player and can do it all (which is a Providence H.S. player standard), from passing, attacking, setting and blocking. I was most impressed by her ability to jump set the RS accurately over and over again, and she was REALLY good at keeping tightly passed balls on her side of the net for her teammates to get a good attack on. If you love watching confident AND competent setters, Neal is one you should keep an eye on.     Emerie was easily the most vocal of all the setters we had in the gym during the showcase, as well as the most encouraging with her hitters. She wasn't just talking to talk either, she was providing great feedback as well as constant positive snippets to those on the floor with her. Tester is definitely a player that I would want to play with and coach - hard working, positive, AND talented. She works hard to jump set every ball and does it well with accuracy. Emerie also does all the off the ball things well - she covers after every set and she is always ready to play, no matter where the ball is. This allows her to run down many balls that others can't and keep plays alive that normally would end for players this young. We were super blessed to have Tester in the gym at the showcase as she certainly raised the level of play and made it fun for those she played with.     What instantly stood out to me most about Lutz was her quickness in getting to less-than-perfect digs and passes and then making sure she gave her hitters a ball they could do something with. During drills and hitting lines you could tell the attackers were excited to be with her, knowing they were going to get accurate and consistent sets that they could terminate. Kiersten is also a solid blocker on the right side who got lots of touches and some stuff blocks - she doesn't just get her fingers above the net like many setters her age, she actually blocks and does it effectively. Lastly, this young lady is strong and can push a ball clear across the court, allowing her side to be in system the majority of the time, no matter where the pass was. If Lutz can continue to work on being more vocal as a floor leader, she has a bright future ahead of her as a setter at both Circle City and Noblesville.     Karly was one of smartest setters of the bunch during the Freshman Showcase. She had an innate sense for when to be offensive and she was able to score at will on well-timed dumps and attacks. What I loved most about her sense of when to dump was that she didn't overdo it - an issue you often see in young setters where they want to attack all the time and forget to use their offensive weapon - Lowes knows when to use her toolbox and when to use her hitters. She may have had the softest hands of the whole setting crew, and you can tell she spends a lot of time working on her fundamentals. But probably my favorite skill of Karly's was her ability to play with anyone and make it a JOY for everyone! She was always encouraging, always smiling and always working her tail off. This young lady is another setter that I would love to play with or coach and I'm super excited to watch her over the next couple of years.    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">If you loved this article, please follow our Instagram page, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abovethenetvolleyball">Prep Dig IN | Above The Net Volleyball</a> for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes action.</h3>   After following our page, take the next step and subscribe to PrepDig! By subscribing, you'll not only stay connected to the latest coverage of your favorite events, but you'll also be helping to shine a spotlight on rising volleyball talent.   Use discount code Smith30 for an exclusive discount!   Year-Round Coverage: Access all PrepDig articles nationwide.   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When it was decided that I would cover the setters at the Freshman Showcase, I was honestly so stoked. I always had pipe dreams of being a setter and honestly, I wish more young ladies (and their parents) would consider setting, as it is one way to keep yourself on the court and be in high demand (if you work at it). These five young ladies have certainly been working at it consistently and clearly enjoy being floor generals for their respective teams. They are all uniquely talented in their own way and deserve to be recognized for the skill they already possess at such a young age.