NU to Run Two-Setter System

[knapplc]

Any competition for playing time this fall between decorated setters Sydney Anderson and Lauren Cook is limited to which of them will start matches for the Huskers.

 

With the Nebraska volleyball team set to open practice today, John Cook said the Huskers will enter drills focused on running a two-setter system.

 

“Based on what I saw in the spring and our China trip, we’ve played at our highest level in a 6-2,” Cook said Saturday, just days from starting his 11th season as head coach at Nebraska. “I think our players understand that and are committed to that.”

 

Nebraska last utilized a two-setter system in 2005 when Dani Busboom and Maggie Griffin shared duties in leading the Huskers within one win of a national championship. In 2003, Busboom worked in tandem with Michelle Lynch in Nebraska’s two-setter system. Lindsay Wischmeier and Jill McWilliams split time in 1999.

 

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[General Blackshirt]

I don't know much about volleyball, but I sure do follow the team as much as possible. Does this mean that we will have two setters on the court at once? Or will they rotate in and out in the same game/match? Or will one play one day, and then the other play the next?

[knapplc]

They'll rotate out when it's their turn to come to the front row and a hitter will take their spot. Then when that setter cycles through the back row she'll come out, replaced by a hitter, and the hitter who came in to replace her comes out.

 

A 6-2 ensures that you always have three hitters in the front row, which is an advantage against a team playing a 5-1, where you have five hitters and a setter, with the setter going to the front. In those instances you only have two hitters, making blocking decisions easier.

[General Blackshirt]

What are the disadvantages to the 6-2 as opposed to the 5-1?

[Husker Runner]

What are the disadvantages to the 6-2 as opposed to the 5-1?

 

In a 6-2:

 

1. You lose the ability of the setter to attack on second contact at the net.

2. It puts more pressure on the passing game; overpasses and passes too tight on the net can be especially troublesome (since the setter cannot block or attack).

3. If opponents attack the setter's back court area, it can force the setter to pass to a front row player (usually the RS hitter) to set and you lose the three hitter advantage. Or, if the setter moves to the front row too early, you have a vacated area in the back, leaving two passers to cover more area.

4. It can be difficult for hitters to adjust to two different setting styles. (IMHO, it's best to have setters with very similar styles to run a 6-2.)

5. If you sub out the setter in the front row, it leaves few other subbing opportunities. (It helps if you have a tall left-handed setter who can play the front row, like Ashley Engle for Texas last season.)

 

Some of these disadvantages also exist in a 5-1 when the setter is coming out of the back row, they just don't affect every rotation like in a 6-2.