2022 Setters
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21
The one position on the team that has no new players. We return 3 setters and all three had their moments last season. No newcomers, but I expect this to be one of the most competitive positions again this year...just like the preseason last year.
Alyssa Miller, a true Sophomore is the most athletic and probably had the most acclaimed prep career out of Kansas. The times Ive seen her play she is very smooth on the court. Its almost effortless. Her game has a rhythm to it, which is usually good in volleyball. She also seemed to become more vocal as a leader as the season progressed last year. Horsmon has a history of wanting his Libero and a Setter to be the floor leaders, so it was good to see Alyssa step out in that area. One year in the program should make her more comfortable quarterbacking the Flyer offense if she can beat out the other two setters.
Brooke Nichols, out of Texas, committed late and then came in and won the starting job the first weekend. She did split the setting with Livie Sandt the first weekend, but started the Cincy match and was clearly in the battle to win it full-time. However an injury in week two was a season ending injury resulting in a medical redshirt. So she is a redshirt freshman this year. But, a year with her foot in a cast watching from the sideline can help a freshman. I expect Brooke to come in ready to challenge for the setting duties again. It will be a battle.
Livie Sandt out of Missouri, redshirted her freshman year so this is her 4th year in the program and shes tagged as a redshirt Junior. Livie took over as the starting setter after Brooke was injured and worked her tail off to get better. Coach Horsmon commented in an interview before the NCAAs that the team got better last year because Livie got better. We were not a good setting team at the beginning of last season. It didnt matter who was on the court. Even when the pass was good, we struggled to set good balls. That changed as the season unfolded because Livie put in the time and work to get better and ended up A10 Setter of the Year.
Clearly Livie comes in at the top of the depth chart, but I expect Brooke and Alyssa to challenge that every minute of the preseason. They are all three competitive and all three State Championships as the setters in high school. I cant ever remember that being the case at any position on the team ever. All three of these setters are winners and I expect it to be a battle to win the setting job, even with the A10 SOY in the mix. That competition will make all three setters much better. But the best thing about the setter position is we enter preseason practices this year so much farther ahead of where we were last year. Its polite to say we werent a very good setting team at the beginning of last year. Its truthful to say we were a terrible setting team for the first month. That will not be the case this season. Starting with the Kentucky Exhibition on Aug 20th, it will be good to see how much better we are at setter.
Alyssa Miller, a true Sophomore is the most athletic and probably had the most acclaimed prep career out of Kansas. The times Ive seen her play she is very smooth on the court. Its almost effortless. Her game has a rhythm to it, which is usually good in volleyball. She also seemed to become more vocal as a leader as the season progressed last year. Horsmon has a history of wanting his Libero and a Setter to be the floor leaders, so it was good to see Alyssa step out in that area. One year in the program should make her more comfortable quarterbacking the Flyer offense if she can beat out the other two setters.
Brooke Nichols, out of Texas, committed late and then came in and won the starting job the first weekend. She did split the setting with Livie Sandt the first weekend, but started the Cincy match and was clearly in the battle to win it full-time. However an injury in week two was a season ending injury resulting in a medical redshirt. So she is a redshirt freshman this year. But, a year with her foot in a cast watching from the sideline can help a freshman. I expect Brooke to come in ready to challenge for the setting duties again. It will be a battle.
Livie Sandt out of Missouri, redshirted her freshman year so this is her 4th year in the program and shes tagged as a redshirt Junior. Livie took over as the starting setter after Brooke was injured and worked her tail off to get better. Coach Horsmon commented in an interview before the NCAAs that the team got better last year because Livie got better. We were not a good setting team at the beginning of last season. It didnt matter who was on the court. Even when the pass was good, we struggled to set good balls. That changed as the season unfolded because Livie put in the time and work to get better and ended up A10 Setter of the Year.
Clearly Livie comes in at the top of the depth chart, but I expect Brooke and Alyssa to challenge that every minute of the preseason. They are all three competitive and all three State Championships as the setters in high school. I cant ever remember that being the case at any position on the team ever. All three of these setters are winners and I expect it to be a battle to win the setting job, even with the A10 SOY in the mix. That competition will make all three setters much better. But the best thing about the setter position is we enter preseason practices this year so much farther ahead of where we were last year. Its polite to say we werent a very good setting team at the beginning of last year. Its truthful to say we were a terrible setting team for the first month. That will not be the case this season. Starting with the Kentucky Exhibition on Aug 20th, it will be good to see how much better we are at setter.