Oklahoma Setters with Second Touch Magic

Setters are the playmakers of volleyball. They rack up the touches but have to trust others to score. Here are five setters who connect with their hitters and control the tempo of the game.    [player_tooltip player_id='394209' first='Amelia' last='Mullen'] plays a cat-and-mouse game with her opposing block. She moves the ball well and keeps the blockers guessing which hitter she will assist. Her height allows her to use her middle, not as an out, but as an option on a tight pass. She runs shoots and quicks with both of her middles and consistently checks in with her hitters, making sure everyone is on the same page. I'm excited to see how Amelia's connection with her middles continues to develop this season.     I was impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='739951' first='Kaylin' last='Cook']'s setting performance at Redlands Rendezvous earlier this month. She is a tall six-rotation player who sets with laser precision. Her constant communication with her teammates is essential because she likes to run combos and quick outside offense. As a young player, she has loads of time to continue developing her skills, but she is already making an impression on her opponents.     Brooklyn Davidson is a supportive setter who is incredibly self-aware. She handles out-of-system balls well by targeting her pins. In a pool play match, I watched Brooklyn dislike one of her back sets, reset her body and hands between rallies, and correct the angle for the next ball to her right side hitter. Coaches love players who can assess and develop their skills in live action situations, and Brooklyn showed her setting IQ through her self-correction.     Rachel Maynes showed off her beautiful hands at the Redland Rendezvous tournament earlier this month. She is a lefty setter who keeps her strong hands high and runs a quick offense. Effortless jumpsets float right to their target. Her middle connected really well with Rachel's shoots and quicks to score several points for her team.     Ariah Wright runs quick-tempo sets all over the court. I watched her set all three front row hitters and a back row hitter within a few rallies. Her ability to trust the versatility of her hitters shows confidence in her team. Not only did she show off with her sets, but she also worked a great service run early into a set to give her team an 8-4 advantage.

Setters are the playmakers of volleyball. They rack up the touches but have to trust others to score. Here are five setters who connect with their hitters and control the tempo of the game.