Nebraska's State Title-Winning Standouts: Setters

Bring on the setters.   Yesterday, we started our evaluation of state championship participants by looking at the liberos who helped lead their teams to a state title. Now, it's time to do the same with setters, another position group that showed a wide array of talent in Lincoln.     Different Paths to Success   Yes, two-setter systems can win championships! Though we still saw a good share of 5-1 offenses at the Devaney Center last week, the 6-2 also proved viable for two of Nebraska's most recognizable powerhouses.   The first case in point: Papillion-La Vista South. After do-everything setter Ava LeGrand graduated from last year's title-winning squad, the Titans would inevitably undergo quite a setter transition in 2022. That transition yielded an entirely new system with junior [player_tooltip player_id='109587' first='Kyla' last='Dyrstad'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='155053' first='Charlee' last='Solomon'] sharing the setting duties en route to another state title. The seamless transition between setters was a key to Papio South's success in the championship match, where Solomon tallied 30 assists and Dyrstad had 24. Running a 6-2 also allows both athletes to display their defensive prowess in the right-back area, which yielded double-digit digs for both Titan setters against Westside. Don't forget that Solomon can get some time in the frontcourt, too, and she also notched a block in the Class A championship.   Omaha Skutt Catholic also wielded a 6-2 system in 2022--a rare occurrence for the SkyHawks during their run of eight consecutive state titles. One of Skutt's two setters, senior [player_tooltip player_id='104586' first='Ivy' last='Leuck'], evolved into a triple-double machine as a setter and a go-to frontcourt opposite. The UNO commit racked up 14 kills, 21 assists, and 13 digs in her final match as a SkyHawk, and that just feels like just another ordinary outing for Leuck. On the other side of the rotation, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='155045' first='Brooke' last='Banker'] stepped in and had a huge influence on Skutt Catholic's 2022 campaign. She pitched in with 26 assists and eight digs and looked undeterred by the pressure of upholding the big SkyHawk streak.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/11/IMG_2041-scaled-crop-2029x1333-1668228936.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-245799" width="433" height="284"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">McGregor back sets in the 2022 Class D1 state championship match.</figcaption></figure>   The rest of Nebraska's title winners wielded a one-setter system, and these were some of the state's best signal-callers in their respective classes.   Grand Island Central Catholic junior [player_tooltip player_id='104674' first='Carolyn' last='Maser'] returned to the Class C1 championship stage last week, and she was clearly not ready to settle for another semifinal finish. The savvy, physical setter guided the Crusaders to the championship match, where GICC posted a 3-1 over Gothenburg to add another trophy to the school's large collection. Maser found a way to tally some numbers in every statistical category in the championship: two kills, 46 assists, 13 digs, three blocks, and an ace. Better yet, her unflappable connection with GICC's group of veteran attackers set the Crusaders apart in pursuit of the title.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/11/IMG_1966-scaled-crop-1353x888-1668228834.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-245797" width="433" height="284"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fiala bump sets in the 2022 Class D2 state championship match.</figcaption></figure>   It was a stat-stuffing swan song outing for Lincoln Lutheran senior [player_tooltip player_id='152108' first='Elecea' last='Saathoff']. This dynamic veteran's effectiveness went far beyond her ability to accurately distribute the ball. Compiling 35 assists in three sets in a title match is impressive enough, but Saathoff also proved to be an incredible anchor in right-back defense. The senior notched a match-high 24 digs against Archbishop Bergan and denied several different opportunities for the Knights to score down the line. Because Lincoln Lutheran had so many reliable secondary setters this fall, you certainly don't mind seeing Saathoff getting her share of first contacts.   Cedar Catholic's run of upsets in Class D1 was, in part, engineered by senior setter Meredith McGregor. When the Trojans were in a good rhythm, McGregor showed that she can run an up-tempo offense that not many other teams can wield. The speed and precision of the Cedar Catholic offense yielded a whopping 53 assists for McGregor in the state title match against top-seeded Norfolk Catholic. Not a bad way to go out on top.   Another senior setter was the star of the show in Class D2 as Blair Fiala earned another state title with Howells-Dodge. Fiala showed a knack for finding her hot hitters throughout the D2 title match, and that hot hitter was often fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='59193' first='Grace' last='Baumert']. After sharing setting duties on last year's team, Fiala proved this year that she can run the offense herself and had 61 assists in the championship to prove it.

Bring on the setters.