Season Preview: Setters
August 26, 2010 | Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2010
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The Huskies are banking on a successful fall season in large part due to a decorated senior quarterback driven to leave on a high note. While Jake Locker returned to lead the football team out of a desire to complete a program turnaround, senior setter Jenna Hagglund has her own unfinished business, such as directing the volleyball team to its first Final Four since 2006.
Hagglund has spent the past three years setting up senior classmates Kindra Carlson and Becky Perry, and establishing herself as one of the top setters in the nation, earning consecutive AVCA All-America honors. The West Chester, Ohio native was the only setter named to the All-Pac-10 team last year, and now ranks second in UW history in career assists. But the one goal that matters to Hagglund and the two seniors on the receiving end of her sets is taking the Huskies to the Final Four and the national championship in their last season.
With all the honors Hagglund has accumulated over the past three years, it's easy to list her as "one of" the top setters in the NCAA. But that leaves plenty of room for improvement according to head coach Jim McLaughlin.
"I want Jenna to be the elite setter," he says, not mincing words.
In order to achieve that, McLaughlin talks more about Hagglund excelling in the mental and emotional aspects of the game, and the leadership role she holds among her teammates, again like a great signal caller on the gridiron.
"I love the way she's approaching this thing. The kid works extremely hard. She is very smart, very intellectual, and she's now understanding and becoming more aware of what the great setters really do. How they really contribute to their team," McLaughlin says. "Not just tactically or technically but also developing a relationship with the players, getting them to play for her, how to talk to them and what to say to them. She's beginning to invest in a relationship with every player on the team like a good quarterback would."
"So I think she has a chance, and it's very hard to do that, but she understands it, she's working on it, and she's getting better at it," says McLaughlin on Hagglund's leadership role. "I'm just excited about what's in front of her right now, because I think she can go to a new level, and I think she'll take it there."
Also making strides in that department is sophomore setter Jenni Nogueras. The Cayey, Puerto Rico native got some valuable experience last year, yet had some technical issues to iron out as well as stepping into the challenging leadership role that the great setters assume. Now McLaughlin sees Nogueras turning a corner.
"I was worried about Jenni, and then we sat down with her and showed her the mechanics we want to get in place, and we showed her what she was doing, and she started to make changes," he says. "Now she has reached a point where she knows she has to change, and she's not just trying to survive. She's actually looking forward to becoming a better player every day in practice, and making the changes she needs to make. And it's very hard; every kid comes to that crossroads at some point, and then the light goes on. The light has gone on for her."
Nogueras saw action in 11 matches last season, averaging 4.09 assists per set. Whether or not she sees more court time this year, her future continues to look brighter.
"She's narrowing the gap with Jenna, but she hasn't caught her yet," says McLaughlin. "I think she's aware of that, and she's trying to just get as good as she can be. But we're way more comfortable now with her, and see a much bigger picture for her, because of the way she's training."
As a freshman unfamiliar with the Washington system, Nogueras admits she was reluctant to assert herself or take an outspoken role on the 2009 squad. This season is much different and she is a much more vocal presence in practice. According to McLaughlin, that is a function less of familiarity and more of confidence in your own game.
"You can't talk to the team and influence them if you're not doing your job at a high level. So first you have to take care of your job, and become competent, and people are aware of that. Then you can have some influence on people. She's now becoming aware of that, that the greatest influence she can have is doing her job and then taking it to another level like Jenna."
A new face amongst the group this fall is freshman Anna Cesari, a graduate of King's High School in Shoreline, the same school that produced junior Bianca Rowland. Cesari will soak up as much information as she can this fall, but most of her reps will come in the spring. Still, McLaughlin is impressed with what she brings to the table.
"Anna has surprised me a little bit. I like the type of kid she is. I like what she's about. It just will take time for her to get better. She's got to have a little bit of patience, because right now she has a couple of pretty good setters in front of her. When Jenna graduates, then we're going to give her some reps. But she's doing a good job for this team right now, and I think she's a good teammate, and she'll get an opportunity to develop her game. But most of that opportunity will come in the spring, and she knows that, but I like her being in with this group."
But this year will be Hagglund's show to run. The Huskies led the Pac-10 in attack percentage last year, a product of the quick offense run through Hagglund, and the best quarterbacks, and setters, raise the level of their teammates as well. She certainly feels the urgency in her last season, and is ready to embrace it.
"This is it, we've had three chances already and this is our fourth and final one. So it really, really puts the pressure on us and makes us value every little thing," Hagglund says. "Not that we haven't before, but it's just a different perspective, that this is my last preseason, my last home games, my last Pac-10, and we want to make the most of it. We are holding ourselves and our teammates to a really high standard, because we want to be the best we can be. It's our last chance and we want to make it a good one."
