For NIU volleyball player Marie Zidek, being a setter is always challenging.

But that’s exactly why she loves it.

Huskies coach Ray Gooden likens being a setter to being the quarterback of a football field.

In football, the quarterback runs the offense and touches the ball every play. On the volleyball court it’s much the same for the setter, who also runs the team’s offense and gets every second touch.

“She needs to know the responsibilities of her position as well as everybody else’s,” Gooden said. “Those are the best setters. They’re able to control their court, or their team, in all facets of the game.”

Gooden also said that like the quarterback, the setter is the most important position.

“I think it’s the most important position because there’s so much control,’ Gooden said. “She touches two-thirds of the balls per match and so she’s involved on the play most of the time.”

As soon as the ball clears the net, the setter has to begin thinking about where and who they are going to set the ball to.

“I’m thinking about getting my feet set and getting my hands ready,” Zidek said. “I also have to try and be deceptive, find the hot hitter and keep all the blockers in my peripheral vision.”

Another job of the setter is to call out plays to her teammates. Unlike in football, where an offense has a huddle every play to inform the team on what they’re running, volleyball has to use another method.

Plays are called from the Huskies’ bench to the setter, who then relays it to the rest of her team with hand signals behind her back. Gooden estimates NIU has about 15-20 offensive sets.

“Between her, the players and the staff, sometimes when we’re in a timeout, we’ll run a certain play,” Gooden said. “Other times it’s done on the fly or Marie controls it.”

The biggest goal for a setter is to get their hitters in a one-on-one hitting situation. This way, the attacker has the best opportunity at a kill, similar to how a receiver who has one-on-one coverage is more likely to catch the ball.

“As a setter, you have to be consistent,” Zidek said. “One or two bad sets could throw off team momentum and possibly lose a match.”

Gooden said setting could be the hardest position in volleyball.

“It all depends on how in-depth you create your position as a setter,” Gooden said. “Some setters just put the ball in a spot. The best setters are able to run an offense based on their team’s strengths and the other team’s weaknesses. You just have to acquire that over time.”