ALECIA NILSSON, OREM: Nilsson moved up from junior varsity last year to play the cornerstone spot for the varsity squad this year. She has to set a balanced game because she must keep four hitters happy. The Orem hitting game is a complicated chessboard.

But the Tigers have a similar problem to American Fork. No matter how solid your hitting and setting, the passing must be reliable in a long season, and Nilsson has been dealing with plenty of difficult passes this year.

ERICA MACKAY, SPRINGVILLE: This senior starter just moved into the Red Devil's boundaries and provided a big lift to the team.

"Now that we have Erica on our team we can run a lot more options," said Springville coach Melia Roberts, because the setter has much more experience than the team's setter did last season, and she has plenty of talent to go around.

The team has improved a great deal off last year's squad, but it's still in a tight battle with Orem and Lehi for the second through fourth spots in the league.

BROOKE HIATT, PAYSON: The Lions are depending on a setter with no experience coming into this year. Hiatt had never played volleyball before, but she'd been an athlete her entire life.

"She has a lot to learn," said Payson coach Jodie Beck. "But she's really athletic, and she's going to be good. She could be a hitter, too. She's a great leader and she has a great attitude."

The new setter is a freshman with potential, but she has a long way to go as far as experience is concerned. Her team should be able to count on her in coming years.

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E-mail: jolsen@desnews.com