The motto of every successful volleyball team is bump, set, spike.
A good pass and a well-placed set leads to a kill. If all work in harmony, the game is won.
Just ask Minnesota State Moorhead coach Tammy Blake-Kath, whose team has worked all facets of the three-part equation almost flawlessly en route to a 13-0 record to start the season.
The No. 24 Dragons host Southwest Minnesota State at 7 p.m. today in their home opener at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.
"They've all done well," Blake-Kath said.
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However, the unquestionable leader has been sophomore setter Julie Vancura.
Vancura was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball newcomer of the year as a freshman. She also earned conference rookie of the year honors as a pitcher for the Dragons' softball team.
So she's a setter and a pitcher. According to Blake-Kath, she's also a quarterback.
"I don't think people realize how hard it is to be a setter," Blake-Kath said. "She makes a lot of the important decisions on the court."
Important decisions like who to set the ball to and where to place the ball in the air for the hitters while reading the defense of the opposing middle blockers.
All of it happens in an instant. One wrong choice and everything falls apart.
"I'm kind of used to pressure," said Vancura, an All-Metro selection at Anoka (Minn.) High School. "It was kind of a key part of me coming here. I'm a perfectionist."
And Vancura has been almost perfect at setting up her teammates this season. The Dragons are fourth in the conference with a .231 hitting percentage and third in the league with 15.83 kills a game.
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Senior outside hitter Sigourney Schaffer - an all-region selection last year - gives much of the credit to Vancura.
"I knew right away she would be an asset to the team," Schaffer said. "She knows how to adjust the ball very well with each player. I wouldn't be anything if I didn't have a good setter."
Vancura's talents don't stop with her setting ability.
Blake-Kath said Vancura also puts her perfectionist attitude to work on defense.
"There are not too many balls she doesn't get to," Blake-Kath said.
The Dragons are looking for a second consecutive NCAA Division II North Central Region tournament appearance. Last year MSUM opened the season with 16 consecutive wins and finished 22-7.
The Dragons were knocked out of the playoffs by perennial NSIC power Concordia-St. Paul. The Golden Bears, who reached the regional championship match, defeated the Dragons three times last season.
But a return trip to the playoffs will not be easy.
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Concordia-St. Paul - 64-7 the last two seasons - remains formidable, opening the season ranked No. 6. Conference foes Southwest Minnesota State and Wayne State are just outside the top 25 and regional competitor Minnesota Duluth is No. 4.
"Having a year behind us will help a lot," Vancura said. "We have a lot of confidence."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
