Volleyball player's skills make her an ideal setter

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Surrounded by tall, athletic hitters, Missy White fits right in.

She is, after all, a 6-foot-1, athletic volleyball player capable of pounding the ball.

White is not, however, pounding the ball at opposing blocks while leading her Brighton teammates to the top ranking in 5A volleyball.

Instead, the unassuming sophomore is playing a position uncustomary for high school girls standing taller than some boys basketball players.

White plays setter.

And the Bengals couldn't be happier with the arrangement.

"I think we've got all the hitters we need," Brighton coach Jeremiah Larsen said. "We just need someone to get them the ball."

Even with a new offensive scheme to learn, White has had little difficulty getting that ball to her teammates. She's been doing it so well, in fact, the Bengals are undefeated and cruising through Region 2 action with barely a bump in the road.

Last week when then No. 5-ranked Skyline paid a visit to Brighton, the Bengals had little trouble sweeping the Eagles out of the gym.

"The new offense took a little while for us to totally get used to," White said. "But I think we've got it pretty good now and it's a lot of fun."

As tall as she is, White fits in perfectly with Larsen's offensive designs. The plays often call for quick, sharp sets that leave the ball skimming near the top of the net where her outside hitters are able to smash quick strikes before a defensive block is established.

Hitters like Sage Aune (6-3), Cassandra Rickets (6-3), Krista Kelley (6-1) and Kelsey Price (5-10) have been racking up kills with ease as White places the ball where they need it.

Being taller than many opposing hitters only helps White with her delivery.

"I personally really like it," Aune said. "Most other high schools don't do it like that. It puts us at a higher level."

When White is not setting her teammates up, she's fully capable of being an offensive force herself.

"She's a good blocker at that height and she surprises people a lot by just dumping the ball in on people before they know what's coming," Larsen said. "She did some setting for us last year as a freshman, but this offense is much more precise. She's made the transition really well for us."

The top-ranked Bengals will have White around for another two years — not especially good news for Region 2 rivals — as she perfects her sets. Through five matches as of last week, Brighton had let to lose a game and had allowed its opponents to reach more than 20 points only three times in 15 games.

White, though just a sophomore setter, is as big a part of that success as any of the upperclassmen hitters on her sides.

"They make me look good," White said. "We've got a lot quicker sets but everyone has gotten better as the season goes along. I think we'll have a lot of success doing that."

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