The 10 Best Setters in NCAA Volleyball
The 10 Best Setters in NCAA Volleyball
Lauren Carlini, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Ainise Havili are among the top 10 setters in NCAA women's volleyball.
We've all heard the comparison: Setters are to volleyball what quarterbacks are to football. They run the offense, set up plays. However, unlike quarterbacks, setters rarely seem to get the credit they deserve.
So remember, people, behind every great hitter is a great setter, and here are 10 of the best setters currently playing NCAA ball.
Lydia Dimke played her freshman and sophomore seasons at Purdue, seeing playing time as a setter, outside hitter, and serving specialist. The Ham Lake, Minnesota, native then transferred to Creighton where she is now the starting setter and ranks 14th in the country with 11.26 assists per set.
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With 10.35 assists per set, Penina Snuka ranks second in the Pac-12. The three-time honorable mention All-American led the Pac-12 in total assists as a junior (1,349), and at the end of the 2015, she ranked fifth in Arizona history with 3,779 career assists. Snuka also contributes on the defensive side of the ball. She ranks second on her team with 251 digs and is only 182 digs away from breaking the career digs record at Arizona. After collecting her 10th double-double in the October 9 victory over UCLA, Snuka was named the FloVolleyball Player of the Week.
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8. Bailey Tanner, Junior, Washington
In her first season as the sole setter in Washington's 5-1 offense, Bailey Tanner is excelling. The junior boasts a conference-leading 10.72 assists per set, and, as a whole, her Huskies squad has the second-best hitting percentage in the Pac-12 (.274). Against Arizona on Sunday, Tanner surpassed the 2,000 career assists mark. Tanner earned the FloVolleyball Player of the Week honor on October 17 after leading her team to sweeps of Utah and Colorado.
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This season, Olivia Dailey took over the setting duties from three-year starter Morgan Bergren. The Trussville, Alabama, native quickly made the position her own, ranking second in the SEC and fourth in the nation with 11.69 assists/set. The three-time SEC Setter of the Week earned the FloVolleyball Player of the Week honor on October 3 after leading her team to an upset of then-No. 5 Florida.
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6. Ainise Havili, Junior, Kansas
Kansas' starting setter since her freshman season, Ainise Havili led her Jayhawks squad to the NCAA Final Four last season. This year, Havili ranks 33rd in the country in assists per set with 10.74, and her squad is 18-2 more than halfway through the season. The junior has also contributed 55 kills, hitting .387, and is second on the team with 185 digs.
In her junior season, Chloe Collins took over the full-time setting duties for perpetual powerhouse Texas. At 5-foot-6, Collins isn't the typical quarterback of a 5-1 offense, but her speed, athleticism, and game IQ more than make up for her lack of size. Collins' 11.55 assists per set ranks ninth in the nation and second in the Big 12, and as a team, Texas is hitting .304, the fourth-best average in the country.
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With 11.22 assists per set, the setter for No. 1 Nebraska ranks 16th in the country and third in the Big Ten. A 2015 honorable mention All-American, Kelly Hunter was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team after contributing 42 assists to Nebraska's national championship victory. The Big Ten has named Hunter its Setter of the Week three times already this season.
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3. Allie Monserez, Sophomore, Florida
Allie Monserez started her college career at South Carolina in 2014 and was forced to redshirt in 2015 after transferring in-conference to Florida. This season, she inherited the setting duties from the graduated Mackenzie Dagostino. Monserez is now the most productive setter in Division I with 12.22 assists per set, and her offense is the most effective in the country, hitting .331. After tying the most sets in a match by any player in the SEC this year (57) versus Texas A&M on October 16, Monserez was named espnW, SEC, and AVCA Player of the Week.
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Although only a sophomore, Samantha Seliger-Swenson has already become a veteran setter for her Minnesota squad. As a freshman, she led her team to the NCAA Final Four, and this year, she averages 11.68 assists per set (fifth in the nation, first in the Big Ten). The four-time 2016 Big Ten Setter of the Week is also a threat behind the service line: Her 19 aces are good for second most on the team.
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Lauren Carlini has been touted as the future setter of the U.S. Olympic team since she burst onto the college stage with a national championship match appearance as a freshman. Although her Badgers squad hasn't repeated that initial success since the 2013 run, Carlini has continued to improve, and she made her international debut with Team USA this summer at the Pan American Cup. At 6-foot-2, Carlini is a defensive and offensive threat and no slouch behind the service line. Her 21 aces are good for second on the Wisconsin roster and her 172 digs trail only libero/outside hitter Kelli Bates. Carlini is the complete package.
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So remember, people, behind every great hitter is a great setter, and here are 10 of the best setters currently playing NCAA ball.
10. Lydia Dimke, Junior, Creighton
Lydia Dimke played her freshman and sophomore seasons at Purdue, seeing playing time as a setter, outside hitter, and serving specialist. The Ham Lake, Minnesota, native then transferred to Creighton where she is now the starting setter and ranks 14th in the country with 11.26 assists per set.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLbh5hCh9l9/?taken-by=creightonvb" hide_caption="0"]
9. Penina Snuka, Senior, Arizona
With 10.35 assists per set, Penina Snuka ranks second in the Pac-12. The three-time honorable mention All-American led the Pac-12 in total assists as a junior (1,349), and at the end of the 2015, she ranked fifth in Arizona history with 3,779 career assists. Snuka also contributes on the defensive side of the ball. She ranks second on her team with 251 digs and is only 182 digs away from breaking the career digs record at Arizona. After collecting her 10th double-double in the October 9 victory over UCLA, Snuka was named the FloVolleyball Player of the Week.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLZUlp7gLML/?taken-by=flovolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
8. Bailey Tanner, Junior, Washington
In her first season as the sole setter in Washington's 5-1 offense, Bailey Tanner is excelling. The junior boasts a conference-leading 10.72 assists per set, and, as a whole, her Huskies squad has the second-best hitting percentage in the Pac-12 (.274). Against Arizona on Sunday, Tanner surpassed the 2,000 career assists mark. Tanner earned the FloVolleyball Player of the Week honor on October 17 after leading her team to sweeps of Utah and Colorado.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL69UDshBK5/?taken-by=uwvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
7. Olivia Dailey, Sophomore, Kentucky
This season, Olivia Dailey took over the setting duties from three-year starter Morgan Bergren. The Trussville, Alabama, native quickly made the position her own, ranking second in the SEC and fourth in the nation with 11.69 assists/set. The three-time SEC Setter of the Week earned the FloVolleyball Player of the Week honor on October 3 after leading her team to an upset of then-No. 5 Florida.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLeC8Q8gypP/?taken-by=kentuckyvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
6. Ainise Havili, Junior, Kansas
Kansas' starting setter since her freshman season, Ainise Havili led her Jayhawks squad to the NCAA Final Four last season. This year, Havili ranks 33rd in the country in assists per set with 10.74, and her squad is 18-2 more than halfway through the season. The junior has also contributed 55 kills, hitting .387, and is second on the team with 185 digs.
5. Chloe Collins, Senior, Texas
In her junior season, Chloe Collins took over the full-time setting duties for perpetual powerhouse Texas. At 5-foot-6, Collins isn't the typical quarterback of a 5-1 offense, but her speed, athleticism, and game IQ more than make up for her lack of size. Collins' 11.55 assists per set ranks ninth in the nation and second in the Big 12, and as a team, Texas is hitting .304, the fourth-best average in the country.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLOeGtMg2GP/?taken-by=texasvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
4. Kelly Hunter, Junior, Nebraska
With 11.22 assists per set, the setter for No. 1 Nebraska ranks 16th in the country and third in the Big Ten. A 2015 honorable mention All-American, Kelly Hunter was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team after contributing 42 assists to Nebraska's national championship victory. The Big Ten has named Hunter its Setter of the Week three times already this season.
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3. Allie Monserez, Sophomore, Florida
Allie Monserez started her college career at South Carolina in 2014 and was forced to redshirt in 2015 after transferring in-conference to Florida. This season, she inherited the setting duties from the graduated Mackenzie Dagostino. Monserez is now the most productive setter in Division I with 12.22 assists per set, and her offense is the most effective in the country, hitting .331. After tying the most sets in a match by any player in the SEC this year (57) versus Texas A&M on October 16, Monserez was named espnW, SEC, and AVCA Player of the Week.
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2. Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Sophomore, Minnesota
Although only a sophomore, Samantha Seliger-Swenson has already become a veteran setter for her Minnesota squad. As a freshman, she led her team to the NCAA Final Four, and this year, she averages 11.68 assists per set (fifth in the nation, first in the Big Ten). The four-time 2016 Big Ten Setter of the Week is also a threat behind the service line: Her 19 aces are good for second most on the team.
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1. Lauren Carlini, Senior, Wisconsin
Lauren Carlini has been touted as the future setter of the U.S. Olympic team since she burst onto the college stage with a national championship match appearance as a freshman. Although her Badgers squad hasn't repeated that initial success since the 2013 run, Carlini has continued to improve, and she made her international debut with Team USA this summer at the Pan American Cup. At 6-foot-2, Carlini is a defensive and offensive threat and no slouch behind the service line. Her 21 aces are good for second on the Wisconsin roster and her 172 digs trail only libero/outside hitter Kelli Bates. Carlini is the complete package.
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