Johnson gives Denmark a junior setter in a lineup that advanced into the second round of the state playoffs. By junior year, my expectations at setter begin shifting. I’m no longer evaluating only whether the ball reaches the target, i’m looking for manipulation.

Can Johnson hold the middle blocker long enough to create separation for a pin? Can she recognize an opponent leaning toward one attacker and punish that tendency elsewhere? Can she change tempo without changing the quality of the location? That is where setting starts becoming offensive rather than simply functional.

Court leadership also becomes increasingly important. A junior setter should be developing enough understanding of the system to help solve problems during the match instead of waiting for every adjustment to come from the sideline. The setters who can process information, communicate it and immediately apply it become extremely valuable recruiting pieces. ~ Samantha Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga

Denmark finished the night with 55 team assists, and Leah entered the matchup as the program’s primary setter and one of Class 7A’s early assist leaders.

Her most important contribution in a comeback like this cannot be summarized by one setting number. After losing the opening two sets, a setter has to help an offense reset without reinventing everything. Keep hitters confident. Recognize which matchup is beginning to work. Stay composed enough that a difficult pass does not automatically become a predictable ball. With Azaria producing heavily and Reece remaining involved through the middle, Denmark’s offense continued giving Milton more than one problem to solve. That balance starts with the player making the second-contact decisions. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga