Written By: Sam Wasson and Jordan Bostic

SETTER

The setter is the quarterback of the volleyball team, and they run the show. With a 6-2 offense, the team has two starting quarterbacks that switch on and off, which can be an interesting situation. To be successful in the 6-2, the setters must be good defenders because they are always in the back row. Since running a 6-2 eliminates the ability to use defensive specialists, the setters have to be able to pick up the slack in this department. Setters also need to be able to execute sets to all three front row attackers with ease, especially back sets to the right side hitters. One of the advantages of running a 6-2 is always having a right side attacker, but if the setters are unable to back set accurately this advantage isn’t utilized.

Sophomore Jennah DeVries is the Aggies lone returning setter this season. DeVries who made the WAC All-Freshman team last season will be relied upon heavily due to her experience in the system. DeVries split time between two other setters last season but still finished in the Top 10 in assists per game in conference play (5.2 assists/game). DeVries has worked hard in the offseason with her set location and speed, and with a year in the system under her belt Coach Jordan and his staff are expecting big things from the sophomore. "I think Jennah has improved quite a bit over her freshman year. She spent a lot of time in the offseason working on her location and I think is setting pretty much everything we set with good solid location all the time," said Jordan when talking about DeVries. Jordan was also complimentary of her play defensively. "She's a tremendous defender and plays with a lot of confidence. She's fast becoming what we envisioned when we signed her, which is a premiere player at the Division I level."

Joining the team this year are a pair of freshmen setters, Lilly Wolfe and Sierra Whitaker. Both will be looking to fill the other setter spot should the Aggies continue to play the 6-2 offense this year. Lilly Wolfe, a freshman from Santa Rosa, Calif. helped guide her team to four consecutive league championship appearances, winning the title three consecutive years. Wolfe could prove to be this year's Jennah DeVries as Coach Jordan has high hopes for his freshman setter. "Lilly's pretty polished for a freshman. She played for a really good club program. She's a good athlete and she's got good size. She's capable of playing right away in a 6-2. She's shown so far that she's a little bit of a risk taker which we like a lot. I think she's going to see considerable time this year as a freshman."

Also figuring into the mix is Sierra Whitaker, a 5'8" freshman from Houston, TX. Whitaker does not have the same level of experience at setter as the either DeVries or Wolfe but what she lacks in experience she makes up for in athleticism. "Sierra is really gifted athletically," said Coach Jordan. "She's got the ability to hit and set and we're going to bring her along in both. I envision a scenario where she stays on the floor in a 6-2 system at some point, probably not this year but next year, and can attack and set. She's so athletic and has such a good arm and good hops, she could be an outside hitter for us as well."

Also See: Coach and Program, Schedule and System | Setter | Outside Hitter | Right-Side Attacker | Middle Blocker | Libero and Defensive Specialist | Outlook