Northern Star: Colleen Claude

Claude is on the verge of 200 assists for the season.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- In volleyball, the saying goes bump, set, spike. And it seems that the crowd tends to remember the spike the most.

However, none of that happens without a perfect set.

For UWS, Colleen Claude is a player who can set up plays for her team.

Over the years, the senior setter has learned exactly what ball her teammates are looking for when putting together a play.

“Just put the ball up where they want it. I would say I have a pretty good connection with every hitter on this team. I know what every hitter likes. I just try to give them what they like and they do the rest. Every hitter has a different approach; they have a different spot that they like to swing,” said Claude.

A key piece to Claude’s game is her ability to move rapidly on the court to keep plays alive.

“Her quickness is her go too right. She is very quick on the court and gets to a lot of bad passes or passes that are maybe what we would call out of system and then puts up a hittable ball,” said UWS head coach Lynne Deadrick.

But Claude does it all for the Yellowjackets. On the defensive side of the ball, the senior captain has recorded 199 digs.

But a dig is much more than a defensive stat, It can bring life to a team when they need it most.

“I think it also adds a lot of energy to the game. If you make a crazy dig, like everybody is hype. It just adds a lot of momentum to the game,” said Claude. ” That’s a big piece of the game. You know it keeps the rally going, that opportunity to rebound like in basketball or whatever, it’s a second opportunity to get a swing and score a point,” said Deadrick.

In the grand scheme of volleyball, Claude’s favorite part of being a setter is.

“It’s so exciting getting to celebrate my hitters when they get the big kill like that. It’s so fun, ” said Claude.

Claude and UWS are next in action on Friday at Northwestern.