Beyond the glory

The role of a setter is invaluable to the chemistry on the court, as well as to the overall success her team achieves.

She is the backbone of the team. She is the driving force of every play. She is a leader on the court.

A setter realizes that her hard work is beyond the glory. It is the respect and appreciation she gains from her teammates that wins her the greatest satisfaction.

Freshman Jessica Mihm is the Mustangs’ starting setter.

Mihm, a 5 foot 9 inch setter, was a “Fab 50” recruit nationally who comes from athletic genes. Her brother, Chris, was an All-American basketball star at the University of Texas and now plays in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After the loss of junior setter Jackie Erazmus to a serious’ injury, Mihm works overtime to prove her place on the court.

Coach Lisa Seifert is confident in her athletic ability to set for the team, and is very excited to work with her.

“Jessie’s extremely talented,” Seifort said. “She could be the best setter coming out of Texas, and in our opinion, is one of the best in the nation.”

Mihm is a four-year letter winner at Westlake, her high school in Austin, Texas. She led the team to a third-place finish in the 2001 state tournament. She was named to the Texas Championship All-Tournament Team and was chosen for the Texas All-Star game as a senior. She was a three-time All-District pick and a two-time All-CenTex selection.

Mihm said she started playing volleyball in 5th grade. Her parents made the decision to get her involved in a team sport because she had only participated in individual sports like tennis and swimming.

Volleyball was her first pick when selecting a sport that involved playing with others.

Although she started as a freshman on the varsity team and was named All-American in high school, Mihm said playing at SMU is a big challenge.

“College ball is played at a much faster pace than high school. I am still having to adjust.”

Mihm realizes that the setter has a great responsibility. The setter is capable of creating the magic, but she must also be prepared to take the blame of a failed play.

“You definitely don’t get a lot of credit as a setter. People just like to see girls kill the ball, but it is a big enough pat on the shoulder when your teammates and coach congratulate you because they know the game, and know if you did well or not,” she said.

Mihm says the hardest part of being a setter is a mental challenge rather than a physical challenge.

“You have to call all the plays and be smart and know what plays are the right ones to run.”

Jackie Erazmus, the other SMU setter who currently resides on the injured list, says that Mihm is a great athlete who is competitive and quick. She has had to work extra hard being the only setter on the team and has done so to the best of her ability.

“Jessie has done an unbelievable job so far, and I am sure that she will continue along just as strong,” Erazmus said. “She has had to step up to a huge roll on the team and has fit in perfectly.”

Although frustrated about her injury, Erazmus feels there is no rivalry between Mihm and herself.

“I hope the best for the team and that includes her,” Erazmus said. “But like any athlete with a competitive spirit, you want to be on the court and playing.”

Erazmus began her volleyball career after playing a number of sports like basketball, softball and swimming as a young girl. She chose volleyball because it was the most challenging and she set a goal to master every skill on the court.

“There was always some kind of new challenge with hitting, setting, serving, passing etc. It was all about being smart. “You could be great, but if you didn’t think on the court then you would not be that great,” she said.

Erazmus says her greatest thrill in athletics is finding her niche as a setter, after playing every position during her high school career.

“I loved the idea of being setter because in my mind, a setter made the decisions on the court. She is like the quarterback.”

At her high school in Barr Ridge. Erazmus was awarded Honorable Mention All-State, three-time All-Conference and All-Area selection her senior year.

As a true freshman at SMU Erazmus appeared in 105 games and all 31 matches. As a sophomore, she appeared in 86 games and 26 matches for the Mustangs, backing up WAC setter Tara Hatfield.

“Jackie is such a team player,” Seifert said. “I hope she’s able to recover and get back on the court this season, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Erazmus is frustrated and scared that she will no longer be able to make the difference that she had planned to after her injury. She now feels that everything happens for a reason and knows the changes that she needs to implement to make her and her team better.

“It made me realize how much I love the game and I will never take a day for granted again,” Erazmus said.