Top 5 Setters of the NJAC

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The captain of the offense, the play-runner, the brains behind it all… no, I'm not talking about the coaching staff. I'm talking about the setter. The player who pulls it all together and makes the magic happen-- always the first blamed and the last praised. Start scrolling for the top five setters of the NJAC, ranked by stats, affirmed by coachability and technical skill.</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="99843" first="Brenda" last="Jaroker"], S, Chatham High School, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This athlete truly embodies being the brain behind a team's offense. Jaroker has been the starting, full-rotation setter for CHS's varsity squad since she was a freshman. She knows her coach's expectations inside and out, and always has the pulse on which hitters are hot. Her 439 assists last season speak to that, and her 103 digs, 15 blocks, and 34 aces remind us that she's fully competent all over the court.</span></p> <p><b>Sarah Wilcock, S, Mendham, Class of 2023</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Incoming sophomore Sarah Wilcock had an incredible season last year. Setting opposite senior Nora Mulligan, she still managed to top team stats with 441 assists. She'll have to fill that role on her own this season, but not without the help of two super-competent returning hitters and a strong returning libero. If she isn't recruited by the end of this season, she's all but guaranteed to be even more impressive in her junior and senior seasons.</span></p> <p><b>Meaghan Lawrence, S, Pope John, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's nothing about this senior setter that doesn't impress. She tops the charts with 468 assists, 130 digs, and 63 aces. Fortunately, Pope John has a slew of competent hitters for her to choose from, but her tenacity chasing down the ball and strong pulse for what hitters are hot kept her squad ahead. You can check out more on this player </span><a href="https://prepdig.com/2020/08/player-spotlight-left-handed-setter-meaghan-lawrence-21/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here.</span></a></p> <p><b>Quinn Longo, S/RS, Roxbury, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another senior you need on your radar is Quinn Longo of Roxbury High School. A truly unique player, Longo is both a setter and an outside hitter for her school. She was predominantly an outside during the 2018 season but came into her role as the primary setter for the 2019 season easily. Not only did she command the offense with grace, but she also racked up 481 assists, 45 aces, 150 service points, 172 digs, and 46 kills. Having strong defense as a setter is key, especially in a 5-1 rotation. It seems like her training as equal parts outside and equal parts setter helped round out her game.</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="99865" first="Emily" last="Carcich"], S/RS, Jefferson, Class of 2022</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The top-ranked player in this countdown also had the highest number of assists in the entire division. Blowing the next highest stat leader out of the water, Carcich garnered 513 assists in the 2019 season. She also impressed me with 174 digs, 136 service points, and 42 aces. Having been the primary setter in her sophomore season certainly set Jefferson up for greatness. Even though there are several graduating seniors and only a few key hitters remaining in the program, I'm confident Jefferson will continue to dominate with the upcoming season. Carcich's tenacity and technical skill propel her team's offense to the next level. Her father is the coach at Wayne Valley High School, so she's been learning the game since she was little and it certainly shows. I expect to see some great things from this setter in her upcoming seasons.</span></p>