University of Georgia Athletics
Leaders On The Court: Setter, Libero
November 20, 2009 | Volleyball
In football, the quarterback is more than just the person who chunks the ball downfield or hands the ball off to a star tailback. The quarterback is the field general, marshaling the troops down the field and picking up the coverage from the defense. Defensively, the linebacker is the field marshal for the defenders, scouting the offense’s looks and barking out coverages.
Volleyball has an offensive quarterback position of its own called the setter. The setter sets the offense up and calls the shots on the floor. On defense, the volleyball equivalent to a linebacker is the libero position, the lead defender. Sophomore Kathleen Gates fulfills the setter role for the Georgia volleyball team, and sophomore Carla Tietz plays the libero position on defense.
“Basically, I’m in charge of directing the offense between what the middles are running and the outsides and the right sides,” says Gates, now in her second year as setter for Georgia. She played the same role last year as a freshman. “For receiving the ball, I call the plays for the hitters on different routes. I basically just direct the offense on different routes.”
Gates’ job does not just end with calling the plays. While calling the plays, she is also scanning the defense in order to prepare the Georgia offense.
“I’m definitely looking at the defense, in particular the small blocker,” says Gates. “If they are on my side of the net then I am going to pull off and leave one person open. If I see that there is a hot hitter, I want the offense to focus away from them.”
One of the keys of being a successful quarterback is having strong leadership skills on the floor and maintaining a composed demeanor in battle. Gates feels being cool and collected is the main leadership role she brings to the table.
“I think it’s more of having a really calm presence throughout the whole match,” says Gates. “I think people feed off my energy, so if I am really stressed, the team will be stressed as well. My job is to keep everything calm and controlled and keep us focused on the match.”
While volleyball is a fast paced sport, Gates is planning the next offensive possession when she is on defense.
“You have to be two steps ahead of the play,” she says. “If someone is passing I am thinking about what I am going to do. As I am running to the ball, I am seeing where their middle clocker is going and thinking about whom my hitters are.”
Head coach Joel McCartney says that the decision making process is a large portion of playing the setter position, and like a quarterback, the setter must be familiar with the players on the offense.
”The setter role is generally someone who is always initiating the decision on who gets the ball,” says McCartney. “Luckily, we have a really intellectually minded and gifted decision maker in Kathleen Gates. She does a phenomenal job at studying who is good at what and when, and being able to precisely put the ball into the place where they can be successful. It’s a real craft and art.”
“The most dramatic growth I have seen with her is the way she has come in and connected with the athletes. Because that connection, both on and off the court, matters when the pressure is on. There is a trust factor of being able to know that this person is going to put it away in this situation, here is my go to. And the more go to options you have available, the more efficient you can become in those moments.”
Defensively, the libero (pronounced li-bare-oh by many with knowledge of the game) position acts as a leader on defense. Tietz has been Georgia’s libero since her freshman year last season, and she equates her role as very similar to the setter.
Her job is to pass and play defense throughout the match, staying back and making sure the team's systems work. Each player has responsibilities, so Tietz watches and makes sure those are worked out.
The most important thing about playing the libero spot is being vocal. There is a lot of talking going on, yelling out hitters and trying to figure out what offense is being run by the other team. Once the offense is diagnosed, Tietz communicates the play to the middle blockers up front in hopes to set up a good block.
“My block determines a lot of other blocks,” says Tietz. “So the blockers in front of me, I have to position myself behind them to make sure I can see that hitter. As the match goes on, you see tendencies of players on the other side. Our scouting before shows us that too, so that’s a good picture before, but once you get in the match you get into a rhythm of what you are looking for.”
While both positions are opposite as far as offense versus defense, Tietz feels that she and Gates balance each other out in the differences.
“Kathleen and I both have opposite roles in that she deals with offense and I deal with defense, but with energy, we balance each other really well,” Teitz says. “She knows the offense better than I do and I know the defense better than she does.”
Communication is very important between the offensive and defensive sets. Tietz says that she and Gates have a good relationship in that they can tell each other what they see out of opposing players and that information can then be relayed to the offense or defense respectively.
While many describe the libero position as a quarterback on defense, McCartney feels that it is more of a true defensive position and mindset.
“Think about it as a linebacker who is behind the defensive line, much like our blockers are in front of her,” says McCartney. “She is seeing the options that the offense is running at us. She is able to really orchestrate and set the pace of the defense in how we want to accomplish defending the ball. Her job mostly is to vocalize what she sees. She has a specific commitment at playing in the left back position where she has to pick up the setter first, and then play off of that to either their middle or pin player or whatever play set they are running. Her job is in between each play, to be a coach on the floor as far as how are we going to organize this, and what kind of adjustments we are going to make.”
Like Gates, Tietz started her role last season as a true freshman and has grown more comfortable in the position in year two.
“She has become more confident on the floor, which is a vital character trait for that position,” says McCartney. “She floats in and out of the match with the substitution role, and she has to fill our court with excitement and enthusiasm. That’s a natural trait for her, so she fits very well into that role.”
McCartney is pleased with the growth that Gates and Tietz have shown in their roles as leaders and playmakers on the team, especially with the responsibilities that the positions bring.
“Those are two very natural leadership roles on a team so that’s a great fit for us that they are the ordained leaders of our team. It’s really beneficial when their peers place them in those roles versus coaches putting them in that place. So it was nice to see their teammates recognize their leadership, recognize that they have done so much in two very important roles.”
Volleyball has an offensive quarterback position of its own called the setter. The setter sets the offense up and calls the shots on the floor. On defense, the volleyball equivalent to a linebacker is the libero position, the lead defender. Sophomore Kathleen Gates fulfills the setter role for the Georgia volleyball team, and sophomore Carla Tietz plays the libero position on defense.
“Basically, I’m in charge of directing the offense between what the middles are running and the outsides and the right sides,” says Gates, now in her second year as setter for Georgia. She played the same role last year as a freshman. “For receiving the ball, I call the plays for the hitters on different routes. I basically just direct the offense on different routes.”
Gates’ job does not just end with calling the plays. While calling the plays, she is also scanning the defense in order to prepare the Georgia offense.
“I’m definitely looking at the defense, in particular the small blocker,” says Gates. “If they are on my side of the net then I am going to pull off and leave one person open. If I see that there is a hot hitter, I want the offense to focus away from them.”
One of the keys of being a successful quarterback is having strong leadership skills on the floor and maintaining a composed demeanor in battle. Gates feels being cool and collected is the main leadership role she brings to the table.
“I think it’s more of having a really calm presence throughout the whole match,” says Gates. “I think people feed off my energy, so if I am really stressed, the team will be stressed as well. My job is to keep everything calm and controlled and keep us focused on the match.”
While volleyball is a fast paced sport, Gates is planning the next offensive possession when she is on defense.
“You have to be two steps ahead of the play,” she says. “If someone is passing I am thinking about what I am going to do. As I am running to the ball, I am seeing where their middle clocker is going and thinking about whom my hitters are.”
Head coach Joel McCartney says that the decision making process is a large portion of playing the setter position, and like a quarterback, the setter must be familiar with the players on the offense.
”The setter role is generally someone who is always initiating the decision on who gets the ball,” says McCartney. “Luckily, we have a really intellectually minded and gifted decision maker in Kathleen Gates. She does a phenomenal job at studying who is good at what and when, and being able to precisely put the ball into the place where they can be successful. It’s a real craft and art.”
“The most dramatic growth I have seen with her is the way she has come in and connected with the athletes. Because that connection, both on and off the court, matters when the pressure is on. There is a trust factor of being able to know that this person is going to put it away in this situation, here is my go to. And the more go to options you have available, the more efficient you can become in those moments.”
Defensively, the libero (pronounced li-bare-oh by many with knowledge of the game) position acts as a leader on defense. Tietz has been Georgia’s libero since her freshman year last season, and she equates her role as very similar to the setter.
Her job is to pass and play defense throughout the match, staying back and making sure the team's systems work. Each player has responsibilities, so Tietz watches and makes sure those are worked out.
The most important thing about playing the libero spot is being vocal. There is a lot of talking going on, yelling out hitters and trying to figure out what offense is being run by the other team. Once the offense is diagnosed, Tietz communicates the play to the middle blockers up front in hopes to set up a good block.
“My block determines a lot of other blocks,” says Tietz. “So the blockers in front of me, I have to position myself behind them to make sure I can see that hitter. As the match goes on, you see tendencies of players on the other side. Our scouting before shows us that too, so that’s a good picture before, but once you get in the match you get into a rhythm of what you are looking for.”
While both positions are opposite as far as offense versus defense, Tietz feels that she and Gates balance each other out in the differences.
“Kathleen and I both have opposite roles in that she deals with offense and I deal with defense, but with energy, we balance each other really well,” Teitz says. “She knows the offense better than I do and I know the defense better than she does.”
Communication is very important between the offensive and defensive sets. Tietz says that she and Gates have a good relationship in that they can tell each other what they see out of opposing players and that information can then be relayed to the offense or defense respectively.
While many describe the libero position as a quarterback on defense, McCartney feels that it is more of a true defensive position and mindset.
“Think about it as a linebacker who is behind the defensive line, much like our blockers are in front of her,” says McCartney. “She is seeing the options that the offense is running at us. She is able to really orchestrate and set the pace of the defense in how we want to accomplish defending the ball. Her job mostly is to vocalize what she sees. She has a specific commitment at playing in the left back position where she has to pick up the setter first, and then play off of that to either their middle or pin player or whatever play set they are running. Her job is in between each play, to be a coach on the floor as far as how are we going to organize this, and what kind of adjustments we are going to make.”
Like Gates, Tietz started her role last season as a true freshman and has grown more comfortable in the position in year two.
“She has become more confident on the floor, which is a vital character trait for that position,” says McCartney. “She floats in and out of the match with the substitution role, and she has to fill our court with excitement and enthusiasm. That’s a natural trait for her, so she fits very well into that role.”
McCartney is pleased with the growth that Gates and Tietz have shown in their roles as leaders and playmakers on the team, especially with the responsibilities that the positions bring.
“Those are two very natural leadership roles on a team so that’s a great fit for us that they are the ordained leaders of our team. It’s really beneficial when their peers place them in those roles versus coaches putting them in that place. So it was nice to see their teammates recognize their leadership, recognize that they have done so much in two very important roles.”
Georgia Volleyball vs LSU - Postgame Recap
Wednesday, November 12
Georgia Volleyball vs. Auburn Postgame Recap
Sunday, November 02
Georgia Volleyball vs Vanderbilt Video Recap
Saturday, October 25
Georgia Volleyball vs Mississippi State - Postgame Recap
Sunday, October 19