Standout Setters: Triple Crown NIT

Another Presidents day weekend has come and gone and the volleyball was as elite as we expected. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be at any of the tournaments, but don't even worry… I was snowed in watching matches all President’s Day Weekend. There was a lot of fun volleyball to be watched and I enjoyed catching some top setters in action. 

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Here is a group of 2027 setters at the NIT that I liked to watch and I know the college coaches did too!

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MaKenna Corrie: AZ REV- PPV 175: Corrie ran a really strong and balanced offense. I think her strong suit is her location ability. She put the ball in a hittable spot more often than not which allowed her hitters to be really focused on scoring points. Even in really bad positions she was still able to set really great balls. She is possibly a little bit undersized, but she makes up for that in defensive ability. I loved watching her make plays in the back court and think she really set herself apart from other setters with her defense, I wouldn't expect her size to be an issue. I DO expect a lot of coaches to have their eyes on Corrie for the rest of this club season to watch her and her AZ REV team develop.

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Sophee Peterson: TAV 16 Black Paul- PPV 265: Sophee Peterson had a standout weekend running a 5-1. She played really well at the NIT. I was really impressed with her ability to run an offense from anywhere on the court. It takes a special kind of player to be able to run some of the plays she runs as well as she does. I could watch her set the slide over her shoulder from 10 feet off the net over and over again. She's high with her contact point and has a quick release that keeps all of her options open (including herself) and her hitters feeling like they have huge windows to swing. This is a setter at the TOP of a lot of college boards.

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Lucky Fasavalu: Mizuno Long Beach- PPV 177: She is a really strong setter. For only being about 5’8” she plays much bigger. She took our team by surprise because of her incredible strength and ability to set the ball all over the court. I really love how quick she is and how much she utilizes the back row attack in and out of system. Her release point is quick and I was so surprised by her ability to still play in the plane at her height. This is a setter that can fill many roles and will make a gym better by being there so I can expect college coaches to keep their eye on Fasavalu. 

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Malorie Boesiger: Nebraska One- PPV 253: I love how balanced she is. Boesiger creates so much rhythm with her feet by being stopped and balanced before she sets the ball. So much of setting starts with having really great footwork and Boesiger has clearly worked on perfecting hers. She also loved to force the middle even from off the net which is something not many setters can do well. She has a great connection with her middles and runs the gap ball really well with them. She hasn't been 100% healthy playing against this level of competition in a while so it is cool to see her bounce back and be able to be playing right where she needs to be. 

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Kamryn Mullican: Drive Nation- PPV 171: This is a setter that caught my eye because of her hustle. She moves around the court and works to get to every ball. She doesn't square up to set but puts the ball in a good spot for her hitters. Mullican has some big time hitters so it's important to get them good balls and she does just that. This is a setter I will definitely be watching to see how she develops and changes over this season. 

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Tinsley Welker-Brown: Houston Skyline 16 Royal- PPV 226: We’ve said it before and we'll say it again… Tinsley has such a high volleyball IQ especially for a 2027. She knows who to run & when to run them. She also puts up such a good, hittable ball. I especially love to watch her and her opposite, Aspen Brown, connect on right side attacks in the front row and the back row. Tinsley also has some decent size to her so she is an effective blocker and an offensive setter. 

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Marley Robinson: Forza1 North- PPV 155: A setter with really great decision making skills. It is easy to set every ball to your strong top outside hitter, but Robinson does a great job keeping the offense balanced while still knowing who her terminal hitter is going to be in a tight game. I am impressed with her court awareness and ability to move the ball. She has really soft but strong hands that keep her playing much bigger than she is.

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Sophia Dostic: OT 16 T JP- PPV 213: I love to see a fellow tall setter. Sophia is 6’1 and makes sure her opponents don't forget it. I love when tall setters are offensive and include themselves as part of the offense and she does just that. She sets to the pins really well while maintaining a high contact point, I will challenge her to keep that contact point just as high when she sets the middles as well, but she keeps her team playing high in the plane and is a setter I would have on my board if I was a college coach!

‍Fara Bronson: AZ Storm- PPV 181: Really solid hitter with a TON of big swings on her side. This team has some incredible talent so they definitely need someone with skill to get the ball to those big swings and Bronson does just that. She is a smart setter that knows when to set which hitter. Not every hitter can always be “on” and she does a great job of being aware of that. I will be following Bronson this season to continue to see where she goes and if she can keep running her offense at a high level.