In continuing with our Virginia Tech athletics position series, we’ll cover the volleyball position called the setter. The setter is like the quarterback of the volleyball team and is absolutely intrinsic to the game – after all, he or she is “setting” up the ball for the rest of the players!

The natural progression of play in volleyball is that the ball is passed, the ball is set, and then the ball is attacked with a hit. The setter’s job is to place the ball in the right position for the intended hitter to make a decent attack. The setter must know which hitters are in the front row with them, and which blockers are on the other side of the net. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the hitters on the court is important so that a play has the best chance of success.

There are three basic setting strategies that most teams use:

4-2: This setting strategy has two setters on the court at a time; one in the front row and one in the back row. The rules state that only the three players in the front row can jump and attack a ball that is right at the net. In this strategy the setter that is in the front row is the one who sets the ball. This means that at all times you only have two front row hitters instead of three, but the setter is able to also sneak the ball over on the second hit, trying to catch the other team off guard.