Top Setter/Middle Combos To Watch This Postseason

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Think pairs figuring skating.  Both have to be in sync, it takes plenty of repetition, trust, and almost an unspoken language between the two.  The same can be said between most middles and setters. They have to communicate, plenty of times with coaches saying, “Run it again!”.  When it works, it's a thing of beauty, an art from. There is something special about the connection about the setter/middle combination and the teams that run it well have a really solid advantage.  Here are a few combinations that are on point with their setter/middle combos. </span> <strong>Setter: Kaley Blake</strong> <strong>Middle: Emily Alan </strong> <strong>Burlington </strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Watching Blake set Alan last year in three matches of the state tournament was like watching a well-orchestrated dance routine.  There was a level of trust where Alan just knew Blake would have it on the money for her to take a swing or find a spot in the deep corner to score points.  Blake will go on to play at UW-Milwaukee and Alan will head to IUPUI, both in the Horizon League.  </span> <strong>Setter: Bekah Day</strong> <strong>Middle: Holley Baierl </strong> <strong>Luxemburg-Casco</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">These two have been playing together for a long time and it shows.  Bekah Day plays with a lot of fire and energy, a big smile on her face and is definitely a setter the team can rally around.  Her ability to find Baierl along the net is clutch, especially when its a shoot set, its almost automatic for these two. Baierl is extremely dynamic and will be heading to UW-Oshkosh who has picked up some big 2020 commits in Baierl, <strong>Nikki Censky (Germantown), Maddy Pearson (Kimberly), Amelia Hust (Verona), and Abby Larson (River Falls). </strong></span> <strong>Setter: Maddi Kealy</strong> Kealy setting for RF <strong>Middle: Haley Graetz, Anna Wolf </strong> <strong>River Falls</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Two of these three athletes started the season on the injury report with Kealy in a boot healing a stress fracture and Wolf with a back injury.  With Minnesota-Duluth recruit, Kealy back in full form, there has been a new level reach for River Falls. Wolf is back as well and with her 10'5 reach, she has plenty of options to hit some sharp angles.  Graetz is a Class of 2022 prospect that is on the rise where her ability to play in the middle or on the pin. A really strong overall athlete is such an “X-Factor” with her ability to hammer or find an open spot with a tip. </span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alden to Koch for @oconomowocvoll1 - always a solid connection. Ocon fighting back <a href="https://t.co/zfrdIQigL5">pic.x.com/zfrdIQigL5</a></p> — Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris/status/1175525966527041536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2019</a></blockquote> <strong>Setter: Tayler Alden </strong> <strong>Middle: Haley Koch and Lizzy Danelski</strong> <strong>Oconomowoc</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Alden is one of the top setters in the state and will be heading to Northern Iowa next year.  Danelski and Koch are in their Junior and Sophomore year and have been able to connect with Alden for key points all season long.  Danelski is the high IQ middle who knows where the open spots are and will find the deep corner and Koch is able to run a variety of tempos with a quick arm swing.  With Alden jump setting and these two running various routes, they are tough to stop. </span> Mau setting Doering <strong>Setter: Kalli Mau </strong> <strong>Middle: Carlee Doering </strong> <strong>Kimberly</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mau and Deoring have been connecting for Kimberly and for [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] the past two years.  Mau is able to really speed up the tempo when she can jump set and Doering is really solid when she can take off on one foot.  For setters and middles running a slide, there is definitely a lot of repetitions and trust behind every successful attempt. Kimberly had plenty of options of what they can do with their lineup, but Mau and Doering have always been a solid connection for the Papermakers. </span> <strong>Setter: Tatum Kebisek </strong> <strong>Middle: Morgan Daugherty and Abby Wucherer</strong> <strong>Brookfield Central </strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mckenna Wucherer is no secret for Brookfield Central on the pin, but setter Tatum Kebisek has been able to connect with Morgan Daugherty and Abby Wucherer in the middle.  Daugherty is 6'3, extremely physical and is such a presence offensively and defensively for BC. Abby Wucherer is a Southern Utah commit and has such a high IQ when it comes to finding the open spot on the court.  She knows when to go for the score, but also getting the defense out of system with a variety of shots. </span> <strong>Setter: Jade Stefan </strong> <strong>Middle: Monica LaFleur, Lindsay Krznarich, and Elise Schneider</strong> <strong>Arrowhead</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Arrowhead has a cupboard full of hitters, starting with Aubrey Hamilton on the outside who will be heading to Notre Dame.  However, setter Jade Stefan has been able to connect with the likes of Elise Schneider (committed to Wofford), Monica LaFleur, and Lindsay Krznarich.  LaFleur is long, athletic, and has been continuing to be a threat along the net, which Schneider and Krznarich are able to score points out of the middle or right side.  Either way, they are all making a huge presence at the net with their block. </span>