Lauren Ferrett

Setting the Tone

Even casual sports fans know the impact of a good quarterback on a football team or a good point guard on a basketball team. However, most casual sports fans would probably overlook the setter position in volleyball.

Outside hitters that rack up kills get noticed. Middles throwing down huge blocks get noticed. Liberos making diving digs get noticed. But the setters that are involved in every play? They get overlooked.

Maybe it's the name of the position. On most professional rosters in Europe, the setter position is called the quarterback. That's probably a better term for what setters do in volleyball.

But unlike star quarterbacks and star point guards, what often defines their position, is being okay with being overlooked.

Temple Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Akiko Hatekeyama, actually looks for players like this when the staff is recruiting future setters.

"I look for physicality on the floor and rhythm and the technical aspect, I'm pretty picky about that," she explained. "But at the same time, I'm looking for personality characteristics, if she's attention seeking or needs the spotlight, you can sense that vibe.

"I look for signs that the setter is a team player. Is she all about herself, or is she doing everything she can to help her teammates? With a good setter, you never notice when they're having a bad day."

Temple has a pair of talented "quarterbacks" on the squad in seniorHannah Vandegriftand freshmanTyler Lindgren. The duo splits rotations, with their stats virtually identical – Vandegrift has averaged 5.30 assists per set, while Lindgren is at 5.04 per frame.

Vandegrift, Lindgren, and Hatekeyama, who was an All-District setter for Temple that later played professionally, all started their careers at setter and have never played anywhere else. And like fans that can sometimes overlook the position in favor of the more exciting ones, often times kids starting out in the sport would rather be hitters. So it's up to coaches recognizing their potential early or simply their physical characteristics to get started at setter.

At 12, Vandegrift's coach told her she had "good hands," so she was told that's what her position would be. At nine, Lindgren was too small to serve the ball overhand from the 10-foot line, so she said setter was about all she could play physically. It didn't hurt that her aunt and coach, Trisha (Lindgren) Kroll, was a setter for Kansas that recorded over 1,000 career assists.

Hatekeyama was the opposite height-wise compared to Lindgren -- she stood tall for Japanese standards. However, when asked what position she wanted to play, she wasn't enticed by any of the hitting positions, but was intrigued about what the student managers were doing around the court - setting up the nets, taking stats, etc. So early on, her coach told her that she could be a successful setter and he'd train her as one.

"Maybe that's one of the characteristics that my coach saw in me," said Hatekeyama. "I never needed the attention or spotlight."

It didn't matter how they started as setters, though, they all grew to love the position, despite it not coming with the same glory as some of the other positions.

"I like the strategy behind the position," noted Lindgren. "I don't need the attention of a kill, that's not why I like the game. I'd rather put my hitters in the best position to get the kill, I don't need the praise."

The setter position is a perfect combination of physical and technical. Not only your own physical and technical abilities, your hitters' abilities as well. A good setter has athleticism, ball handling ability, game strategy, and leadership in their repertoire.

When the ball is served or crosses the net, the setter is the second touch and the touch that leads to the attack. The defense receives or digs the ball, the setter perfectly puts it up for the hitter she wants to attack, and the hitter swings for the kill.

Whether it's Vandegrift or Lindgren on the court, the setter is the primary play caller for the Owls. Before a serve, they will indicate to their hitters what play they're calling, and execute it once the serve comes.

Hatekeyama, Temple's setting coach, lets her setters run their game. "I try not to overdo it. They create the offense and feel out the plays in the crucial moment. I give some advice and feedback, like this person is having a great day, or there's a big blocker here, but for the most part, they make these decisions."

Part of the decision making that goes into play calling forces setters to have to memorize two scouting reports - the opponent and their own team. Each of Temple's hitters has different needs for the kind of sets she gets, and it's up to the setter to deliver.

"Setters have to know the sets and the system and individual preferences for the hitters," explained Lindgren. "On a brand new team, I needed a lot of feedback at first. But now, we're making a lot better connections."

As a senior, Vandegrift has helped Lindgren learn the preferences for her hitters and still helps give advice, reassurances, and feedback to her rookie counterpart.

"Anytime we come off, I go over to her immediately," said Vandegrift. "Even when she's doing great, I just try to let her know that she's making good decisions, and she's doing a good job."

Teams designate captains for the season, but on court, each setter is the captain of the offense. They need to keep the team balanced and mentally in the match, whether or not points go their way.

"Setters make the calls, they make the plays, we make sure everyone knows what they're doing at all times," said Vandegrift.

The weight ofthe game is sometimes on the setters' backs, or hands that is. They provide the spark when the team needs more energy or the calming influence when the team has too much energy.

"A setter needs to be a lot of things sometimes," explained Hatekeyama. "They take all the responsibility and all the blame, but they also have to be a motivator. Everyone looks at the setter every single play or every single rally, so they need to be emotionally consistent all the time."

The next time you watch a Temple volleyball match, pay special attention to the setters. Not because they want or need it, but because they deserve it.

Setting the Tone

When the season kicks off for the Temple gymnastics team this weekend, the Owls will be soaring into a new era.

After 14 seasons competing in the ECAC, Temple has made the leap to the Eastern Athletic Gymnastics League (EAGL). Back-to-back conference championships weren't enough to satisfy the Cherry and White, as the team looks to new heights for the 2021 season, starting with an upgrade in competition.

"The EAGL will be a challenging step up for us competitively, but we can't wait to bring Temple gymnastics to the next level," said third year head coach Josh Nilson, when the conference change was announced. And as the preseason progressed, these thoughts were only cemented.

A year ago, Temple was poised to repeat as ECAC Champions, leading the conference in NQS from the start of the season. Owl gymnasts were at the top of every event ranking in the conference as well. But then, three weeks before Temple was to host the ECAC Championships at McGonigle Hall, the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To end the season like we ended it last year was gut wrenching," remembered Nilson. "That last day in the gym was tough, especially for the seniors, none of us really believed it was true. We got a phone call that things were on, and then five minutes later we got another call that everything was done."

Like many teams, Temple has had to deal with complications surrounding the pandemic for months. The team has varied timelines for getting athletes competition ready, as several members of the team were out of training for nearly six months due to gym closures. But while every athlete may be on a different path back to competition this year, Nilson knows the team, as a whole, is ready for the season to start.

"Taking six months off from a sport like gymnastics isn't smart," he said. "It's going to be a total team effort; it's going to take everyone on the team. So, while individuals may not be ready on every event, the team as a whole is ready."

The offseason brought many changes for the Owls, new gymnasts, a new assistant coach, a new TV network (ESPN+), and even new gear, as the Temple Athletics Department signed a contract with Nike. But despite those changes, the drive that the team has remains unchanged, as they step into the new era.

A strong vaulting team in 2020, the Owls averaged a 48.614 last season, including setting a program record with a 49.150 in the penultimate meet of the year. Temple returns just three regular vaulters from that group, but it includes junior Ariana Castrence, who won six event titles a year ago, and has a Yurchenko double twist in her arsenal.

Also returning for Temple on vault is sophomore Madison Brooks, who took home one title on the event last season, while scoring a 9.8 or better in each of her final three meets. Senior Tori Edwards, who had five scores over 9.700 in 2020, brings veteran poise to the vault group.

Newcomers to the lineup could include Bridgeport transfers Caitlin Gray and Julianna Roland, as well as true freshman Renee Schugman.

Temple shook off any notion of the Owls being "bad at bars" in 2020, recording a season NQS of 48.715 on the event. The team recorded the program's second highest total in history, notching a 49.300 at George Washington, a score which ranked 22nd nationally on the event.

Temple will miss the routines of graduating senior Jazmyn Estrella, who's 9.950 set a new program record in 2020, but the Owls return four consistent performers on the event. Castrence, Brooks, Edwards, and senior Delaney Garin, who combined for seven event titles in 2020, will be back to anchor the bars lineup in 2021.

Look for Gray to make an impact to Temple's lineup this year, along with junior Nichole Smith and newcomers Cyrena Whalen and Roland.

Though beam was the Owls lowest scoring event in 2020, the team proved that with greater consistency, they could shine. Temple beamers combined for a 49.100 in a late January meet last season, which ranked second all-time on the event in program history.

Temple returns five of its six regulars on the event, led by Garin, who took home four event titles a year ago. Castrence, Brooks, senior Jordyn Oster and junior Taylor Newland provide veteran depth on the event.

Temple's depth on beam extends to over 14 athletes this season, but new faces could include Roland, Schugman, and freshman Brooke Donabedian.

Floor was Temple's second-best event of 2020 with a 48.600 average, and the team will look to improve on that for 2021. The Owls return a bulk of its strong floor workers from a year ago, as Castrence, Edwards, Garin, Newland, and Oster are all capable of going 9.8+ on the event.

Temple has upgraded its difficulty on floor across the board. New faces Donabedian, Roland, and Schugman should break into the lineup, while veterans Faith Leary and Grace Busch could also make an impact.

As a team, the 2020 Temple squad recorded three team scores which ranked in the top six in program history. The Owls closed the halted 2020 season on an upward trend, including a season-best 195.575 in their last time out on the floor. That score went into the record books as the third highest team total in program history.

The sky's the limit for the Owls in their new era for 2021. The team combines veteran leadership with talented newcomers and will be in the hunt for a bid to the NCAA Regionals.

We've had so many changes and adjustments and plans that fell through leading up to this year, I think the team is cautiously excited," said Nilson. "But when they walk in, I think that's when it's really going to hit them. They're ready and they're going to be on fire when it finally happens."

Downing's Late Trifecta Gives Men's Basketball NEWMAC Road Win at Wheaton

Norton, MA --- Kahleb Downing (Middletown, CT) nailed a three with under 2.8 seconds to play, buoying #19 WPI to a comeback win over Wheaton, 80-77, on the road on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers, winners of ten straight, improve to 14-1 overall, 6-0 in the NEWMAC. Wheaton falls to 5-11, 0-5 in conference play.

Downing's bucket gave WPI its first lead of the second half and capped a 13-point second half comeback to preserve the Engineers' unbeaten NEWMAC record. The WPI defense held the Lyons without a point over the final 2:56 in the game.

Downing finished the day with 18 points and six assists, while Andrew Lufkin (Auburn, NH) had a team-best and career-high 19 points off the bench. John Lowther (Hingham, MA) tallied his first double-double of the season, and third of his career, with 16 points and 10 boards. Colin McNamara (Arlington, MA) filled out the stat sheet with 17 points, seven assists, and three steals.

Wheaton's Aaron Williams (Springfield, MA) led all scorers, pouring in 31 points and completing a double-double with 12 rebounds. Alex Carlisle (St. Johnsbury, VT) notched a 23-point effort, while Evan Cook (Dunstable, MA) had 10 points with five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

The opening action was tightly contested with the game knotted at 12-12 eight minutes into play. Wheaton created separation with a 12-3 run that put the Lyons up 24-17 with 8:35 on the clock.

WPI came back to tie at 30-30 on a McNamara three and then went up 33-30 on a triple from Lufkin with 4:25 left in the first. From there, it was all Wheaton, however, as the Lyons put together an 11-0 run to close the half, including nine points from Williams to make it 41-33 at the break.

Wheaton had the hot hand in the first half, shooting 50% from the field and holding WPI to just 39.4%.

Lowther and McNamara scored early in the second to close the gap to 41-38, but a Carlisle jumper at 14:40 gave Wheaton its largest lead of the day at 52-43. WPI chipped away, but the Lyons extended the advantage to 13 points on a Williams layup to make it 59-46 with 11:44 to play.

WPI continued to cut into the deficit, with a McNamara free throw making it a four-point game (68-64) with 6:40 remaining. Wheaton answered with more from Williams, however, as a three from the junior pushed the lead back to nine points with 3:49 to go.

Five quick points from Lufkin cut the lead to six, while a steal from Lufkin and a jumper from Lowther tied the game at 77-77 with 1:06 to play. From there, tight WPI defense and Downing's three put the Engineers in the driver's seat. After the go-ahead bucket, WPI held Wheaton without a shot in the final 2.8 seconds to preserve the victory.

WPI has little rest, taking on Hamilton tomorrow at 2pm at home. Wheaton continues NEWMAC play on Monday, hosting Coast Guard at home at 6pm.