Volleyball Positions Explained: Setter
Posted on: 12/2/24
Last updated: 12/2/24
Author: Thalia U.
All Volleyball positions explained:
Setters position
Volleyball is a sport that includes a lot of technicalities which aids in the confusion new players/coaches/parents experience when first learning the sport.
In this blog post series, I will explore each volleyball position in depth. This post is all about the setter position!
We will go over:
1) What is the setter's position + What are they responsible for?
2) What sets apart a great setter from a phenomenal setter?
3) Coach T’s setters to watch (College, and Olympic athletes!)
As a former setter myself, I’m excited to (dolphin) dive right into this post!
1) What is the Setters position & What do they do?
The setter’s position in Volleyball is arguably one of the most important positions on the court, as they “set up” our offense every rally. The setter is mainly associated with the offense, as this position is known as the team's offensive leader.
It is well known that in each volleyball rally, there are 3 touches allotted to a team, and in an ideal scenario the setter’s position intends to get the 2nd ball every rally to set up our offense (yes, that's a lot of touches!)
In an ideal scenario that looks like this:
1st contact: Pass (defense to setter)
2nd contact: Set (Setter)
3rd contact: Attack (Offensive hitters, OH/MH/RS)
A great way to fully grasp this concept is by understanding the similarities between the Volleyball setters position, and a quarterback in football.
Much like a quarterback is responsible for distributing the ball to their offense, the setter is responsible for distributing the ball to their offense. Furthermore, the setter needs to make immediate and effective decisions on who to distribute the ball to every rally to set up a successful offensive hit, resulting in a point earned for their team. This point earned from “setting them up” is known as a “kill” much like a football touchdown, and the setter would receive an assist for a successful attack attempt.
This shows how impactful the setter's position is, as they are one of the two main leaders on your court (Libero = defensive leader, Setter = Offensive leader).
Knowing how important this position is, let's dive into what sets apart a great setter from a phenomenal setter.
2) What sets apart a great setter, from a phenomenal setter?
While there are different levels to being a setter due to rotations, the mechanics of making a great setter stay consistent. Teams still developing/learning typically use 2 setters out of their 6 players on the court, while higher experience teams (Varsity) tend to use one setter out of their 6 players.
A phenomenal setter typically has these attributes:
Agility
Consistent Over-hand performance (Setting)
Ability to lead/be a leader
Loud/communicative
Efficient decision making
Coachability
Agility is a no-brainer when it comes to athletics, but as a setter, you need to be quick/light on your feet. A slow reaction time completely changes your set’s effectiveness, and how much your team-mates trust you to get that ball up and playable. Much like athleticism is given for traits of a great athlete, agility is a must when you are a setter.
Consistent over-hand is another major area that helps coaches see who could be coachable as a setter. Your hand/wrist placements are correct, alongside your hips/feet/etc. There is a lot that goes into the technicalities of setting, and a trained setter knows how to move their feet, hips, arms/hands/wrists to set up a consistent offense. It isn’t “I hope this is a good set!” it should be “I’m so consistent I know this set will be good”.
The ability to lead is important because as we mentioned earlier, a setter is responsible for the effectiveness of their team’s offense. A phenomenal setter can lead with confidence, and grace while having that fire in their eye to win each point!
Being loud + communicative is essential to being an effective setter. Most volleyball athletes know that communication is a key factor in the sport, so imagine having a quiet setter who can’t communicate with their team properly. This is not meant to discourage anyone, as I was a “quiet” kid, but I quickly learned if I wanted to be a setter I had to become loud (and I did!)
Efficient decision-making ties back into the quarterback comparison since quarterbacks must make quick, but intelligent choices as they distribute the ball. A setter similarly only has a few seconds to move to the ball, read both courts and choose the best option to set with the goal of their set ending in a complete attack.
Coachability is something all positions should strive to have as a trait, but as a setter you are a leader for your team. Communicating with your coach, but also being able to listen and then perform the adjustments your coach gives you is a vital part of setting.
3) Coach T setters to watch
The best way to get better at volleyball can be done not only by getting repetitions yourself but also by watching the sport.
Micha Hancock has been my all-time favorite setter since I was a freshman in high school (many years ago). As a Penn State alumni, and now an Olympic athlete (USA women’s team) earning herself medals. She is a powerhouse lefty setter that showcases agility, and efficient decision-making like a boss.
Micah Christenson is also an Olympic volleyball player for the USA (mens) team earning himself medals during his career. He makes setting look easy with his simple footwork, and ability to read his opponents.
Bruno Rezende is often known as the “best setter” in modern times, he is a part of Brazil’s men’s national team. Best known for his ability to take a swing himself, one-handed sets, and creating plays that are impossible for opponents to read.
Alexis Stucky is a current University of Florida setter who is so fun to watch. Her connection to her team-mates is evident in their trust for her, and her consistent performance. Stucky exemplifies what fully loving/engulfing yourself in volleyball can do for your performance.
In conclusion…
There is a lot that goes into volleyball, but learning the positions is a great place to start when looking for improve your knowledge of the game.
If you are looking to become a setter, I strongly suggest you do your “homework” by watching the setters I mentioned or finding your personal favorite setters to learn from. This will help you go from a great setter to a phenomenal setter when combining this with consistent repetitions weekly.
Hope to see you in a future blog post!
Let me know what position i should cover next!
-Coach T