The setter is referred to as the quarterback on the court, the playmaker, or point guard of the team. A setter’s responsibility is to run the team’s offense and build up offensive scoring opportunities for the team. Setters need to make smart decisions and bear a huge load of responsibility for a team’s success. Help prepare your setter for his/her responsibilities with this setter checklist.
Who’s Hot?
What is each hitter’s best attack? Call that in crunch time!
Always look at the size and skill of each blocker that your hitters if facing. Set to attack over the weakest blocker.
On critical points know who to set and what to set them!
Go back to a hitter if they took a good swing. Do not go back to a hitter who takes a bad swing at a critical point.
Know what scored the last time you were in every rotation
Know which players are better to set in SR versus transition
Know how to adjust your serve receive patterns in every rotation:
Move passers
Just give opponents a different look at your SR
Run something we can connect on when we have lost 2 points
Run a spread offense against tough servers to ensure you can set more players off of bad passing
Know what the opponent’s blockers do:
Stand wide
Pinch in
Swing block
Double block the middle
1/2/3 blockers on the backrow attack
Small blockers
Injured hand blockers
A setter doesn’t have to see the blockers move during the play, but can take note immediately after a play and remember what the blockers did in that rotation or against that set.
Do not guess when you are setter attacking!
Know where you can score and when you should attempt to attack.
Know the opponent’s base defense for SR and for transition
Do the wing defenders pinch in on SR/defense?
Do the wing defenders leave early from base defense if you are off the net?
When does the MH serve and does she play LB or CB and can you setter attack/dump on her on SR or defense?
Know your free ball play when your team is in a 2 hitter phase and a 3 hitter phase. Make sure that all hitters know the play when your team is serving.
When do you have a backrow attack option and when should you use it?
Make sure to hold your MH accountable for getting to their transition point and immediately driving in to approach.
2 things on the court never change so don’t look at them: The net and the floor
If you set a bad ball, you should be the first player under the block to cover it because you set it!
For additional reading for coaches click here. This checklist was provided by Premier Academy (Maumee, Ohio), a JVA member club. To learn more about being a JVA member club click here.
