Size isn’t stopping Xan Hynes Xan Hynes 5'3" | S/RS GSI Academy | 2030 State FL from playing boldly at the setting position. The 5-foot-3 setter/right side works to reach target before the ball, then settles the feet underneath the contact rather than delivering while still drifting. From that base comes impressive extension through the release, helping Hynes create shape and distance on her sets. Communication adds another layer. She stays connected with attackers and makes sure hitters understand what’s coming, creating greater opportunity for setter-hitter timing to develop. Then there is the willingness to challenge conventional distribution patterns. Hynes appears comfortable sending the volleyball against the natural flow of the offense rather than always following the easiest path. Her ability to currently push a set roughly 28 feet is especially interesting for an athlete her age. Distance alone isn’t the story. Having the confidence and physical ability to reverse the ball across that amount of court can open possibilities for an offense and force blockers to travel. Hynes is young, fearless with her distribution, and beginning to show that the setting position can be used to make a defense move before the attack ever arrives. ~Sophia Jeanpierre @prepdig_fl