Morton girl’s volleyball head coach Jeanine Yepez says although the setter never gets the glory, the position is still the most important one on the court.

And Yepez would know.

While growing up in Archer Heights, she began playing setter in sixth grade and took the first steps in learning how to run an offense. In high school, Yepez (then-Racinowski) played at Queen of Peace and eventually competed for the DePaul women’s volleyball program.

“Since I began playing the position in junior high, it was very natural for me,” she said. “I liked being put in a spot were I was able to dictate the flow of the game.”

Over the last two varsity seasons, Yepez has passed along her knowledge to junior setter Lily Valencia, who started playing the position in club volleyball as a sophomore. Valencia admitted that she was initially intimidated about the idea of being the Mustangs’ setter.

“It was terrifying at first,” said the Berwyn resident. “If you’re doing bad, you can’t avoid it.”

But Valencia was able to become more comfortable with the position by gaining more of an understanding through repetition. She also gained inspiration as well when she saw Penn State setter Alisha Glass competing in a Chicago area tournament. The senior is an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and has aided the Nittany Lions to back-to-back national championships.

Today, Valencia believes she is more confident and just wants to continue to develop, and hopefully take her game into the college ranks.

“Accepting the fact that I’m going to be touching every ball has helped me overcome the pressure,” she said. “My teammates and I are much more comfortable working together.”

3 keys to playing setter

1. Leadership You are the quarterback of the team. You need to speak up and communicate with the team or you’re going to struggle.

2. Footwork Although you don’t need to be tall, using your speed and putting yourself in the right spot will make it easier to gather yourself and set with a soft touch.

3. Self-discipline After games and practices, try to go home and set the ball over your head 1,000 times. Also, it’s important to know when and when not to leave your spot or else you could throw off the back row.