The Wylie volleyball team has no shortage of headline-making players. That is why the Bulldogs are 27-4 and ranked No. 8 in Class 5A.

However, there are six players on the court. One those is the setter, a player who most often touches the ball on a particular point. In fact, when the setter touches the ball, the better the chance Wylie can score a point because an attack is on.

The setter often is referred to as the quarterback of the volleyball team (no one refers to the football quarterback as the setter, however). The setter is responsible for calling the play - who will hit the ball - and getting the ball to that hitter. The better the set, the better the chance of scoring.

The setter is different from the libero, a defensive specialist in a different jersey who stays on the back row and is restricted on offense. A setter can score a point.

Wylie’s two setters are senior Kenley Collier (9) and junior Annalise Loudermilk (7). Coach Shay Cox, who is in her 13th year, said her duo this year ranks as two of the best.

“They have worked so hard and played for so long. They do so much extra outside of what we do that they are great players,” she said.

Though Collier has seniority, so to speak, it is important that they are close to equals on the court. When one comes out and the other goes in, Wylie doesn’t want to see a ripple of change.

“They encourage each other and work well together,” Cox said.

Both have to know their hitters and how to the set the ball to them to make them as effective as possible. That may change during a set - a hitter may want the ball a little higher, for example, to complete the hit.

When fans see, say, junior Kiki Bolden pound one of her hard-hit winners, it likely was the set that allowed the junior to sky above the net and blast the ball to an open spot on the opposing side of the net.

“You want your setters to be quick, to be savvy, and to make great decisions,” Cox said. “And share the wealth.

“We have two that do an amazing job.”

MEET KENLEY

A senior, Collier has been playing since she was 8.

“I started on a rec team, the Diving Divas,” she said. “That’s how my love of volleyball started.”

Then it was on to club volleyball.

“A lot of us who are seniors have been playing together for 8-10 years,” she said.

She played all the positions early on to learn the game but decided that she needed a main job.

“I tried out for setter in seventh grade but didn’t make it,” she said. She took the libero position, though she was a setter with Key City Volleyball. “That’s where my love setting came from.”

Collier played with today’s Wylie teammates, but also with Abilene ISD players and others from around the area. That solidified her desire to keep playing and to be a setter.

The setter has to know the plays and call out to her teammates which one to run. It’s her job to touch the second ball and complete the call.

“But you also have to serve and play defense. You don’t just want to have good hands when you’re setting the ball, but be a defensive setter and how to spread out the ball well,” she said.

Wylie runs a 6-2, meaning the setting comes from the back row to the three attackers at the net. The 6 refers to a six-player rotation of hitters and the 2 to the use of two alternating setters - Collier and Loudermilk for Wylie.

Collier subs in for the right side of the offense.

“The momentum definitely flows when we are both on,” Collier said of her teammate. “She does an excellent job of speaking the ball around and tempo and keeping the rally going when I go off the floor.”

The hitters can make suggestions to the setter but the setter has “full authority” on the court, she said.

“You definitely have a lot of leadership when it comes to being a setter,” Collier said.
The thrill is in the finish, she said.

“You know when you get it to our hitters, they are going to slam it down,” she said. “The better you do with the set, the better the outcome. Our job as setters ultimately is to make the hitters look good.”

If a hitter is having an off night or the tempo needs to be changed, it’s the setter's job to spread the ball around or adjust the speed of play.

“Communication between the hitters and setter is usually the most important thing,” Collier said.

The senior wants to make the most of this season because she won’t play volleyball in college, she said.

“I did when I was little,” Collier said. “Now I’ve decided that I just want to be a student.”

She plans to attend Abilene Christian University to study either pre-nursing, kinesiology, or occupational therapy.

“My passion is just being around kids,” she said, adding she also wants to enjoy the college experience. Volleyball demands such a focus.

THEY CALL THE PLAYS

Each hitter is unique, so the setter needs to know her girl at the net.

Thus, both players need that skill.

“They give something different to different hitters,” Cox said. A hitter may prefer one setter over another, she said, “but they all share it well.

“We train and we train and to get everything as close to the same but each setter has a different touch. The hitters do such a great job of getting up in the air and taking care of it.”

Setting is just part of the job description. After the opposing team tries to score, but doesn’t if the defense is playing well, the setter gets the second hit to the hitter for the third strike. Of course, not every point goes like that. The setter also has to play defense, scramble on a free ball, and serve well. A setter who has a great serve can be doubly effective, like a hitter who also can be effective from the line.

Volleyball moves too fast to call plays, different from football or baseball. Players in football have time to look to the sideline for guidance each play.

Cox entrusts her setters to make the call. If something is not working, she will signal a change. Otherwise, it’s Collier and Loudermilk who are the boss.

“They are in charge,” she said. “You don’t want to second guess their confidence, or second guess their decision. If we have one or two points get away from us, they’ll look at us and I’ll suggest look at this or this, and they go back to work. “

MEET ANNALISE

Loudermilk, too, has played volleyball for many years, starting before she was 10. She also has played for Key City Volleyball.

It’s a sport she has shared with her sister Catelee, a sophomore.

They challenge each other and for the Bulldogs, don’t play the same position.

“But for club we do, so that’s really fun that we kinda get to do things together,” Loudermilk said.

Younger players play all the positions generally, but when she was 12 and beginning club ball, Loudermilk took on the setter’s role.

“It has been my favorite thing to do,” she said.

She knows that how the team fares depends on the continuity at setter. She and Collier have to be in sync even though they are not on the court at the same time.

“Me and Kenley get to work a lot together and make each other better. I think that’s one really fun aspect of it, pushing each other to be better. We learn a lot from each other.set other hitters. We grow from each other,” Loudermilk said.

It’s important to communicate with hitters, who will provide feedback to their setters on how the sets are going, she said.

“We want to be on the same page,” she said. And “there’s not a drastic difference between the two of us. For the most part, I think we’re very consistent together. We do a good job of running the same offense.”

The team’s attention is focused on this season and getting by No. 2 Argyle in the playoffs. However, with Loudermilk a junior, grooming a setter for next season is something going on in the background.

It could be her sister but “I know the girls on JV have been working really hard. I’m excited to see how it’s going to be next year,” she said. Catelee Loudermilk will be a setter during club play between school seasons, so she would be ready for that role, if needed by Cox.

THEY DON'T GET THE SPOTLIGHT BUT...

One of Wylie’s big wins this season was over defending Class 6A Division I champ Byron Nelson. It didn’t hurt that the 3-0 win by Wylie on the road came on a night one of their opponent’s top setters was out.

“It’s such a leadership role,” Cox said. “(Setters) are the servant-leaders. They don’t get the spotlight a lot but without them, we don’t get the ball down.

Byron Nelson currently is No. 4 in 6A with only three losses - one to Wylie.

Collier and Loudermilk are thrilled with how the season has gone so far - 27 wins in 31 matches.

“It has been so good, so good,” she said. “We have been working really hard and showing up in big moments,” Loudermilk said. “We’re handling pressure really well and beaten some really big teams that shocked some people. I think it’s cool how we are continuing to prove to people that we are really good.”

Collier said the team’s sights are set on Argyle but to get there and beyond is about one set at a time - bouncing back from a loss to play the next one.

“The girls have worked so incredibly hard and we want the same for each other,” she said.