Sept. 10, 2015
By Samantha DelRosso, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Setter Bryanna Weiskircher had big shoes to fill at the start of this season. Coming in as the setter behind three-time All-America setter Micha Hancock was no easy task. But through training and with the help of her teammates, Weiskircher is on her way to starting a legacy of her own.
The foundation of her college career began many years ago in Rockford, Illinois. She comes from a volleyball family, as her parents and three siblings each had a volleyball career themselves.
"Although I started [playing volleyball] in fifth grade, I grew up around [volleyball]. I was in the gym all of the time," Weiskircher said. "I was always the kid underneath the ball carts during my sister's practices."
In her early years as a volleyball player, she was as a middle hitter. She then moved to the outside until she was on a 15 and under club team. After that, she played on both the right side and as a setter. But it wasn't until her senior year of high school that she became solely a setter.
Her nine years of volleyball led her to continuing her career at Penn State. Weiskircher committed to Penn State during her sophomore year of high school on her third visit. The volleyball program, the academics and the Penn State atmosphere helped make the decision easy.
"I just completely fell in love with the school. Everything about it," Weiskircher said. "Playing under the legend of Russ Rose and carrying on the tradition that is Penn State volleyball is just amazing."
She spent her first year as a redshirt freshman, running the "B-side" offense at practice and working to make the "A-side" better. She watched and learned from Hancock from the other side of the net.
"[Micha] showed me how tough she was," Weiskircher said. "She showed me that [setting] is about making the hitters be the best that they can be and making an impact in any way you can. Whether it's from the service line, setting, blocking, or defense. "
In her five matches in the lineup this season, she has averaged 9.6 assists per set and has had five aces, eight kills and eight blocks. She led the Nittany Lions to victory against then No. 2-ranked Stanford last weekend and has helped the team achieve a 5-0 record on the season.
Head coach Russ Rose said Weiskircher has been gaining more confidence with the players that she is playing with and has adjusted well to playing at the collegiate level.
"She's progressing. She has a really good serve, she's a good blocker and her hands are good," Rose said. "One of the great intangibles of a good setter is the ability to make others better and the ability to take a bad pass and make a good set. That is why we practice everyday."
Another important aspect of being a setter is strong communication. It is crucial that a setter communicates with the hitters. Setters must understand where the hitters want the set, how they want the set and if they are ready for the set. Outside hitter Aiyana Whitney said Weiskircher has done a great job of communicating and gains more confidence everyday.
"Naturally, when any young player comes into a program like this, it takes a minute to find your feet. Through the communication from the hitters, I know sometimes it can be super overwhelming for a setter at any program, much less this one," Whitney said. "She's done a really good job working with us, trying to be as communicative as possible with us, as well as listening to what we need from her."
Weiskircher hopes to continue progressing with each practice and to continue winning as a team. But above all, her goal is to get the offense going during every match.
"Being able to spread out the offense is always great. Having four hitters with over ten kills is amazing and having that makes it so much easier for me."
Weiskircher and the first-ranked Nittany Lions hope to remain undefeated through this weekend as they travel to Sound Bend for the Golden Dome Invitational. They will first face Eastern Kentucky on Friday at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Penn State will take on Mississippi State at 10 a.m. and Notre Dame at 7 p.m.