There has been a trend in girls high school volleyball toward having taller players as setters.

Setters in volleyball are like the quarterback in football or the point guard in basketball. They run the offense and determine which of the attackers should be set for a hit.

It used to be that smaller, quicker girls fit into the role of a setter, but coaches are now looking for taller athletes who are fast, quick and can beat the ball to the necessary spot on the court to set up teammates.

And taller setters are able to more effectively attack on the front line.

“In the perfect world, I would have a tall, left-handed setter,” Arapahoe coach Jordan Emily Wright said. “Since I cannot recruit at the high school level, I would take a setter that is difficult to read and smart on the court any day.”

Jasmine Schmidt, a senior who plays at Chaparral, is what could be termed a perfect setter. She is 6 feet 1 and is left-handed.

“It helps to be taller, especially if you are running your offense from the front row just to have a bigger person up front,” Schmidt said. “When you’re taller, you can reach the ball at a high contact point. When you are taller, you can set your middle at a faster tempo. They are reaching about as tall as I am reaching so they can hit it out of my hand faster. The ball doesn’t have to travel as far to them since we are the same height.”

Being left-handed is also a benefit.

“The left hand is a huge advantage, especially when you are in the front row, you can attack the ball on the second contact without having the ball cross over your body,” said Schmidt, who is committed to play next season at Palm Beach Atlantic University. “It’s a lot more comfortable and faster for me to swing on second contact because the ball doesn’t have to cross to the right side on my body so it is faster and more natural.

“Also if there is a stop jump to the middle of the floor, most setters kind of do that with their left hand, and your left hand is naturally stronger, so you don’t have to worry about missing it or tipping it to the wrong spot because you have more control and power.”

Lauren Lowry, a junior at Castle View, also fits Wright’s model as a good — though not tall — setter because she is smart and deceptive.

“Coaches want taller setters to compete with the taller hitters, but in my opinion I don’t think that necessarily matters,” Lowry said. “I’m like 5-foot-6, which is small for a setter. I feel like the most important thing is if you set your hitters and score points doing that.”

It takes familiarity with the game and teammates to be a valuable setter, particularly amid chaotic rallies.

“As a setter, you are involved every single play,” Lowry said. “The goal is to run a fast offense, to get your hitters in a one-on-one situation so they have more area to hit the ball, and I guess setting up your hitters so they have a chance to score points for the team. You definitely have to know your players.

“In general, being a shorter setter, it’s better to run a faster offense to keep the ball along the net more rather than shooting it up high. That gives the other team less time to go block and gives your hitters more time. You have to run the plays and tell your hitters what you are running on every single play.”

Volleyball teams play for a little more than nine weeks in an attempt to qualify for the regionals in all classes, which must be completed by Nov. 5.

The all-class state tournament is scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12 at the Denver Coliseum.