As the offseason wore on, something became crystal clear to Batavia junior Morgan Raiser.
A setter by trade, Raiser noticed that she also was going to have to be hitter for the Bulldogs.
“When summer league started and we had some of the players that were forming our team, we realized we needed me as an attacker,” she said. “It gave us a good look at what we needed.
“I never expected to be a hitter. When I actually improved my hitting, I realized that I like both.”
That’s been good news for Batavia (9-14). With young outside hitters and another capable setter in Ashley Bernal, the Bulldogs decided that unleashing Raiser all over the court made sense.
The 5-foot-11 Raiser leads the team with 107 kills, more than doubling the second-highest total. She also leads with 26 aces. She’s second to Bernal with 101 assists and third with 77 digs.
“Initially, the thought with Morgan was running a 5-1 as a setter,” Batavia coach Tom Barry said. “The fact that she attacks the ball really well and our second setter is playing really well, having that extra attacker is really hard to take away.
“One thing you learn about Morgan is that she lives and breathes volleyball, so as long as she’s on the court, she really doesn’t care.”
Helping her make the transition was her work at Sports Performance. Raiser made the switch to the renowned club program this past offseason and immediately saw the dividends.
“We work on everything every day,” Raiser said. “I guess being able to do that allows me to see more things. My defense has gotten better. I’m also jump-setting now, which helps my technique.”
Senior right-side hitter Sydney Enger, a co-captain with Raiser, has seen her game evolve throughout the years.
“Since freshman year, she’s improved so much,” Enger said of Raiser. “I’m proud of her as a person. She does so much for our team. She really does a lot.”
Enger is in the process of making her own transition from playing the middle in the past. Having a steady setter like Raiser has helped her as well.
“She’s really made the transition easy for me,” Enger said. “She really does a great job of controlling the court. It’s a lot on her plate and she handles it really well.”
The increase in responsibilities is also giving Raiser more film to show to potential colleges.
She’s already garnering interest from some NCAA Division II and Division III schools, and Barry feels like that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Raiser.
“I think she can play at an even higher level than that,” Barry said. “Whether she hits or sets, she’s going to get a lot of exposure.”
Raiser is noticing that her increased workload has been working to her advantage, although she admits the college recruiting process has been more challenging than she expected.
“This is a big year,” Raiser said. “It’s good to make these connections and get your film out to coaches. It’s a big eye-opener for me, learning how much work goes into this.
“Just seeing the posts of other people committing, it puts more pressure on you. The emotions go up and down.”
At least she knows now that she can excel in other area besides setting. It will help make the process go smoother.
“I think realizing hitting is another way to go if setting doesn’t work out is definitely an option,” she said.
Helping the Bulldogs get back on track after facing a gauntlet of some of the top teams in the state last week is at the top of the list for Raiser at the moment, however.
“It shows us how good we can be,” Raiser said. “Playing against those good teams allows us to get our skill up.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.