(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bountiful libero Holland Vande Merwe earned All-Tribune team honors last season.
Volleyball is known for its big hitters, and Bountiful has featured its share over the past two years.
The Braves were led by 6-foot-4 middle Kennedy Redding in 2015, then explosive outside Seyvion Waggoner last year. Redding, now at BYU, and Waggoner, a recruit to play at Rice, led Bountiful to back-to-back Class 4A state championships.
But Bountiful may have to assume a defensive posture for 2017 if another Division I recruit doesn’t emerge — and that’s fine with senior Holland Vande Merwe, because that’s the kind of mindset necessary for a libero.
“I think what’s going to set us apart this year is our defensive abilities. We’re just going to make teams work to get points on us,” said Vande Merwe, who has grown used to explaining in relatively simple terms what she does on the volleyball court.
“I just tell them I’m the one wearing the different colored jersey,” she said. “And that I stay back row the whole time and pass and dig — those are my responsibilities.”
A player that’s designated as a libero, as Bountiful coach Sarah Chism says, is like a soccer goalie (also with a different colored uniform) in that different rules apply to her.
While a libero can substitute freely, only having to sit out one rotation, the player wearing the jersey is restricted from either jumping or using her hands inside the 10-foot line. Since those limitations exist close to the net, the primary spot on the floor is in the back row.
If everything goes according to plan, the libero often will be positioned in a spot to defend a kill or serve. That means the libero often is diving for the balls and hitting the floor full-on.
“My knees are always bruised, my hips,” Vande Merwe said. “I have some scars from flying around, but I’m getting better at it.
“We watch film and watch hitters’ tendencies and see where they like to hit. A lot of girls will just hit where they’re facing the ball, and they have one specific shot they go to a lot.”
Chism played as a setter and defensive specialist for Utah, graduating in 1997. The libero position had not come into existence at the time, and Chism wishes it had.
“It enables shorter, athletic players to be part of the game,” Chism said. “I think to be the libero, you have to have a certain personality. You have to have the relentless pursuit of, ‘I’m going to take that kill away from you.’
“They’ve got to be very unselfish for the team because they’re not going to be out there getting the kills. They’re the workhorses, doing all the grind before the hitters go up and get the glory.”
At 5-foot-6, Vande Merwe is a little taller than many liberos. A more typical height is that of Bingham senior Kenzie Cloward, who coach Melissa Glasker puts at around 5-2.
“It’s now one of your critical positions. For me, it’s second only to your outside hitters in importance,” said Glasker, who places an emphasis on defense as crucial to the Miners’ success. “And no, I absolutely don’t have to convince them to do it.”
Taylorsville coach Clint Barnes worries some players converted at an early age sometimes see their other skills neglected in favor of digging and passing as the years go by.
He also won’t always designate someone as a libero if the player’s passing isn’t up to snuff.
“If my libero can pass, she’s money,” he said. “It’s a very vital position. You can put her where the balls are going to — and you can really speed up the offense.”
Chism said: “A lot of people don’t appreciate the importance of that first contact. It impacts the development of the whole pass-set-hit [sequence]. It’s huge.”
While Vande Merwe said she likes to hit at the net and would be better at it with a “bigger vertical,” she stopped needing convincing to play libero long ago.
“I wanted to hit — I liked to hit — and I kind of miss it. But there’s nothing like taking a kill from someone,” Vande Merwe said. “That’s the best thing. It’s the best feeling.”
PREP VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW <br>CLASS 6A • Lone Peak triumphed in the big schools classification last year, 5A which is now 6A, and the Knights have returning personnel to make another run. Senior setter Jaquelyn Langhaim and junior outside Tasia Farmer will step in as regulars, while Lone Peak also has Kennedi Boyd back in the middle, strong outside hitter Madi Robinson and Corner Canyon transfer Autumn Spafford. After two straight runner-up trophies, Pleasant Grove will contend again behind middle Heather Gneiting and hard-hitting outside Kazna Tarawhiti. Look for Bingham to present Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove problems in region and at state. The Miners bring back setter Seleisa Elisaia and hitter Journey Tupea, among others. Outside of Region 4, where American Fork and BYU-recruit Tayler Tausinga also will challenge, 6A title contenders are sparse. But Weber's leading hitter in 2016, Bridget Triplett, was only a junior, and Alo Thompson is expected to be a force for Northridge, although the Knights do have a new coach. <br>CLASS 5A • Bountiful was senior-heavy at the hitting positions while winning its second straight title at 4A, but the Braves do return setter Bri Mortensen and libero Holland Vande Merwe. Look for Box Elder and Woods Cross to challenge Bountiful in region, and the door to the state championship is open for others, particularly Corner Canyon and Timpview out of Region 7. Corner Canyon brings back junior outside Madison Brunatti and senior Emma Mangum to battle with Timpview, which has returning middles in seniors Savannah Neves and Grace Allen. Skyridge, which battled evenly with the Chargers and Thunderbirds in Region 7, is now in Region 8 and should be the team to beat in that league with experience in junior outside Kenadee Christensen, senior middle Emily Rupp, junior setter Kaitlyn Standifird and senior opposite Brinley Watkins. Skyline normally can be counted on as a contender, but the Eagles will be with a new coach after Jami Hutchins retired following his 17th year. Brighton, in many years, would be considered a favorite in this classification, but the Bengals lost top hitter Dani Barton to graduation. <br>CLASS 4A • This year's 4A, by and large, is last year's 3A, with a couple of notable exceptions when it comes to volleyball powers. For one, defending 3A champ Morgan is still in 3A while Lehi, Class 5A champ only two years ago, is now in the classification. Even with the Pioneers as a new foe, 4A members likely will be looking south for state crown favorites. But Desert Hills graduated its twin-tower hitting team of Charity Bradley and Rachel Winters, so teams like Dixie and Pine View will look to take the next step up to displace the Thunder in the Region 9 standings. In Region 10, Mountain View's Janet Kalaniuvalu and Salem Hills' Megan Treanor also were seniors, and that gives Lehi an opportunity after a rebuilding year in 2016. Others looking for a breakthrough include Park City, with junior Grace Wiczek back following a 201-kill season, and Bonneville, led by Lauren Sotomayor's 285 kills as a sophomore last year. <br>CLASS 3A • Morgan has a little bit of rebuilding to do after having a relatively easy run to the 2016 championship. The Trojans have a good rebuilding block in setter Ellee Anderson, who has returning hitting options in twins Brookelyn and Baylee Loertscher on the outside as well as senior Marcie Stapley in the middle. Looking for contenders outside of Morgan? Check the underbelly of last year's 3A state tournament bracket, where both Union and North Sanpete made nice runs after battling each other in an epic quarterfinal. Union has a trio of solid junior hitters in middle Carly Blake, fellow middle Reagan Anderson and opposite-side hitter Marleigh Horrocks. North Sanpete, which fell to Union in that match, brings back setter Allyssa Ericksen as well as senior outside Shelby Ison and senior right-side Madisyn Allred. South Summit played in the 2A championship last year, but a sizable chunk of seniors were a big part of that Wildcats' team, which now looks to junior Jessa Gines to lead the way. <br>CLASS 2A • North Summit is the defending champions in 2A and good news for the Braves — Hunter Vernon (394 kills in 2016) is back for her senior year, along with junior Gracie Peterson on the outside. Enterprise could be trouble for North Summit and everyone else because standout outside hitter Jaslyn Gardner was only a junior last year when she scorched opponents for 408 kills — and the Wolves also will have junior outside Ronnie Robinson returning. Kanab, Millard and North Sevier should give Enterprise a push in Region 18 and, as a result, might toughen up themselves for a postseason run in the end. Others like Layton Christian, with Jada Wyms returning after a 244-kill season, also are thinking about more than usual at the region and state levels. <br>CLASS 1A • It took about three years for anyone on the small-school level to compete with Panguitch, but Rich caught the Bobcats at the tape last year to win the 1A state title match. The good news for the Rebels is that several key components from the team are back, including senior outside hitter Julia Hopkin, senior middle Savannah Peart and senior setter Kierra Groll. The cupboard hardly is bare for Panguitch, which looks to rebound to its championship form from 2014 and 2015. The Bobcats have junior McCall Tebbs and sophomore Taylia Norris at outside as well as senior Jordan Bennett and Abbey Blevins in the middle. A dark horse that could come through is Duchesne, which returns the vast majority of a semifinal team, including outsides Ashtyn Spencer and Makell Remund as well as setter Katelyn Lisonbee and middle Jayde Moon.