Super setter
Laurel Highlands senior Reed surpasses 1K mark in assists
Laurel Highlands senior Sara Reed compares the position as setter in volleyball to the quarterback in football.
Both require the player to have a keen sense of what is going on at all times, communication and leadership skills, and the need to be there to make a play in crunch time.
Reed, who began playing volleyball in seventh grade, started setting for the Mustangs in varsity matches her sophomore season, and in Tuesday鈥檚 match against Thomas Jefferson, she surpassed her 1,000th-career assist on Laurel Highlands鈥� home court at Harold 鈥淗orse鈥� Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
If there was any question that Reed had hit the mark on Tuesday, it was quelled on Thursday, as she recorded 39 helpers in the Mustangs鈥� match at Ringgold.
The setter may not receive the attention of an outside hitter, who pounds dominating spikes that normally come with 鈥渙ohs鈥� and 鈥渁ahs鈥� from the crowd, Reed is content with her position, and pleased to set-up her teammates.
鈥淎fter my first year in volleyball, I started to really work hard at it,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 joined Alliance Volleyball Club in Mount Pleasant my first year before moving on to P3R (Pittsburgh Three Rivers). I say with 100-percent certainty that playing club volleyball has helped me to be the player I am today.鈥�
Reed is also approaching 600 digs and 100 aces for her career, as Laurel Highlands readies itself for the WPIAL playoffs after finishing in a second-place tie with Belle Vernon in Section 3-3A.
鈥淒efense is so important, especially when you are playing those top-level teams that we will see in the playoffs,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 have played libero for my club team, and enjoy setting-up my teammates and watching them go to work.
鈥淐ommunication is key, and I relish the opportunity to make calls for my teammates. I have never been the tallest player, and even though I can jump, I can鈥檛 get high enough to be an outside hitter, which is fine.鈥�
The Mustangs have qualified for the postseason all four years Reed has been on the team, and the recently crowned Homecoming Queen at Laurel Highlands takes great pride in having been on successful teams in her high school career.
鈥淚t is pretty nice to have qualified for the playoffs all four years that I鈥檝e been in high school,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淲e are all friends off the court, and I believe that camaraderie has really helped us as a team. We really work well together.鈥�
Reed will attend college at Slippery Rock University and study early elementary and special education. She doesn鈥檛 plan on continuing her volleyball career at the next level, but would be open to the idea if it presented itself.