From the Mind of a Setter

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Picture this. You are the setter for the South Dakota State volleyball team. North Dakota State is about to serve and you think to yourself, 'All right, I have to make sure to set it to my hottest hitter right now and get the point.' That's what junior setter Mattison Munger said the first thing she thinks of when she gets ready to set an attacker. Who's is her hottest hitter? Who is her backup? Then, where do I need to place the ball to get the kill? "Getting the ball to my attackers so they can get a good swing and figuring out where the attackers will be are some of the hardest things during a match," Munger said. "Middles are the hardest to communicate with because they move around and are never in the same place twice. That's why communication is top priority." For Munger, it's important to make sure everyone is on the same page. She has taken that leadership role on because she touches the ball just about every time the Jacks are on offense. "Communication is key," Munger said. "I will sometimes say what we are running and if they don't say it back, I could forget what I told that specific person and not get them the right set." Munger added that following through with third-year head coach Nicole Cirillo's game plan is another difficult thing about being a setter because once you get into the match you have to adapt to the situation on the court. "There are a number of factors that impact who I set during a rally. My hottest hitter may have played defense and isn't ready to attack, the hitter could be out of place, or the pass could be off," Munger reasoned." Munger has improved becoming more offensive minded compared to her first two seasons as a Jackrabbit. As a freshman, she had 25 kills and as a sophomore she compiled 34. This season, she has recorded 21 kills with 10 matches left. She credits the change to graduate assistant coach Hannah Nimrick. "Hannah was a setter in college," Munger said. "She is a great setter coach; she has been very supportive and has been pushing me to be a third attacker." Long before she had to think of what to do as a college setter, the 5-foot-8 Munger was a middle hitter at Saint Albert Junior High in Council Bluffs, Iowa. "Eighth grade was my first time playing setter," Munger said, "I was getting recruited to play for my high school team and they wanted me to start getting ready to play it. I used to be a middle before, so quick change up, but also I didn't grow much after that." "If I could play a different position, it would be a defensive specialist," Munger said. "But I really love being able to set my teammates and then when they get a kill from one of my sets for a point, that is the greatest feeling." Even though she has two-plus years under her belt, she is one of the few returners on the team. She has taken it upon herself to help in the leadership role as one of the teams two captains. "Always be supportive, especially with all the new people we have this year," Munger said. "Instill confidence in the hitters and they will start to come through. Nothing feels better than someone who has confidence." She said that volleyball is a mental game and if she had to give advice to her eighth-grade self or anyone playing, it would be leave your mistakes in the past and move on to the next play. "Always keep working hard, don't get frustrated by little mistakes," Munger said. "They still happen at the college level but, focus on the things you did right rather than the things you did wrong. Practice harder to improve on the things that were bad. If you love the sport, you always want to get better." Munger and the Jackrabbits play at Western Illinois Friday at 7 p.m.