libero or setter

Question
QUESTION: Tom-My daughter is a 5'3" rising HS freshman that played libero on her 14-1 club team this season.  My guess is that she won't ever be taller than 5'6", and I think her future in VB is at libero.  She tried out for her HS team and made varsity, but they want her to play setter.  What are your thoughts about her playing libero for her club and setter for her HS -- good, bad?

Thanks,
Mike


ANSWER: Hey Mike!

This happens often around here.  One of my freshman setters on my 2007 15's team became an opposite for her school team as a soph.....then an OH on her 2008 16's club team!  The Virginia AA player of the year in 2005 and 2006 was a MB.  Yet, for her final two years of club ball, she was too "small" to play MB for her National team, thus played OH.  The best libero around here, who was just named to PrepVball's Defensive Dandies list, was a setter in the 7th and 8th grade.  Her little sister was also a setter in middle school (I refereed her games!), yet was converted to an OH by her school coach.  Then in February, still playing OH, she was named the MVP of the 52-team Capitol Hill Classic in DC (I was her coach!  Cool!!)  

The only problem I see in it......the girl doesn't reach her full potential at EITHER position, b/c she spends only half of her time playing it.  This would really concern me if my school team setter played another position during club ball.  I'd hope my setter would hone her skills during club season, not let them rust.  But.....what can I do?  I can't tell the club coach how to play my girl, just like the club coach isn't going to tell me how to play my school girls.  

There's more good than bad to your story.  She just spent 4 to 5 months serving & digging......skills that all setters must have!  

My advice to you:  Not many kids out there who will get a college scholarship. So have a great time, love seeing her play, enjoy the ride.  My stepd. begins her jr. year at Radford University this fall.  My wife & I have 2 more seasons to watch her, then after 10 years of school ball and 6 years of club ball, it'll all be done.  What will we do with ourselves?

Thank you for the email.
Hope to hear from you again!

Tom



Head Coach, 2007 and 2008 Roanoke Juniors 15抯 Open

Head Coach, 2006 Roanoke Junior 15 Nationals, JOVC Qualified  

Director, STAR Volleyball Camps

Author, 揑 Can抰 Wait?Drill Collection and Ebooks

www.coachhouser.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Tom -- just one quick follow-up -- does it help a libero's chance of being recruited if they have experience at a 2nd position like setter....I know that many coaches like to recruit an OH that they convert to libero, but I'm not sure how setter fits into the equation

Answer
Yes, I know that coaches like to recruit kids that they can turn into liberos.  Reason:  The coaches figures that if they need their libero to be a setter or OH for a week, then fine.  (My stepd. was an OH for a week this past season b/c of a teammate's injury.)  

Coaches aren't that keen on recruiting kids who are 5'0" and can only be a libero.  They believe that giving a scholarship to a 1-dimensional player isn't the best use of the team's resources.  

But that's always puzzled me.  If a big-time D1 vball program recruits a setter, will she ever do anything other than set?  Maybe, but probably not.  (Jeeeze, she's probably been a setter for 8 years!  Not many kids are athletic enough to catch up with the passers or hitters that long!)  Coaches also recruit the 6'3" MB's.  Can/will she be an OH? Probably not.  S or DS or L?  Definitely not.  Right.  Possible.  

My point is, coaches recruit one-dimensional players all the time.  So why not a libero?  I don't know.  Maybe someone out there can answer that on www.volleyball.about.com  

Back to your question:  From my experience, even the small D3 schools are looking to fill the setter position with an athletic kid who's "been there, done that".  If your daughter is recruited as a setter and then becomes a DS/L, then that's normal.  But if your daughter is recruited as a DS/L, then is offered an opportunity to set, I don't see that happening unless the team has a setter emergency -- injuries, recruit changed her mind, etc.  

I guess a good analogy is a pitcher on a college baseball team.  Will the coaches give him a shot at playing other positions?  Maybe.  But will they take an outfielder, who isn't a pitcher, and try to make the boy into a pitcher?  Seldom.

Hope this helps some!
Chat soon.  Thanks for the questions!
Keep 'em coming!
Tom



Head Coach, 2007 and 2008 Roanoke Juniors 15抯 Open

Head Coach, 2006 Roanoke Junior 15 Nationals, JOVC Qualified  

Director, STAR Volleyball Camps

Author, 揑 Can抰 Wait?Drill Collection and Ebooks

www.coachhouser.com