Nov. 16, 2007

Shelbi Irvin had just tallied her fifth assist to give Texas State a 7-3 lead during a match at Nicholls State. The set had been perfect for Lawrencia Brown, who slammed it down for the Bobcat point. But when the whistle blew after the play, Irvin headed to the bench.

Had she done something wrong? Made a freshman mistake?

Nope. It's just part of being a setter in Texas State's new offense Irvin and teammate Brittany Collins run.

Of the 14 players on the Texas State volleyball roster, only Irvin and Collins play setter. While most schools run a "5-1" offense where one setter stays on the court the entire match and the other serves as a back-up, the Bobcat coaching staff wanted to switch things up to take advantage of their roster depth.

The result was the decision to change from the 5-1 offense to a "6-2," which utilizes two setters who split time on the court while freeing up space for another hitter.

"Running a 6-2 gives us three hitters at all times," said Bobcat Assistant Coach Sean Huiet, who works with the setters. "We're going to have three front row players who can attack the ball at all times, so it gives our setters a lot more options."

The setters themselves provide options for the coaching staff. Huiet knows each one brings different strengths to the offense while their talents complement each other.

"I knew how good Shelbi was when we recruited her and knew she could play right away," said Huiet, who is in his second year at Texas State, "But I've also said since I've been here that Brittany is talented enough to win Setter of the Year in the conference."

Irvin and Collins still had to learn the ins and outs of a different offense in order to take advantage of those options and translate talent to on-court success.

Collins, a sophomore, ran a 5-1 offense last season in her first year at Texas State. The change in offensive philosophy during the off-season forced her to adjust her mentality on the court.

"Running a 6-2 is completely different than running a 5-1 because the setter is more of a constant in a 5-1 offense," said Collins. "Now instead of getting to block and attack where the setter is a complete threat, I have to focus on all three of my hitters being a threat instead of me being a threat."

A much larger adjustment came when Collins suffered a preseason foot injury.

"Brittany had the starting job coming in after having a great spring and working hard over the summer before the foot injury happened and held her back a little," said Huiet. "I think Shelbi would have found her way into the line up eventually, but the injury helped Shelbi gain more confidence to get on the court right away and perform immediately."

"I think the injury opened the opportunity for the 6-2," said Collins. "My injury held me back in the beginning, but I like the fact that we do what we do now. It works, and that's all that matters."

Irvin and Collins have also worked at making each other better with friendly competition.

"You can see them pushing and challenging each other in practice, asking `Why did you run this?' or `Why did you do this?' to each other," said Huiet. "Brittany and Shelbi battle every day."

Still, they have to remember that they wear the same jersey colors.

"We talk a lot about how it's not Brittany versus Shelbi, it's Brittany and Shelbi against whoever we're playing," said Huiet.

"We've both shown each other things because there's still that competition in practice, but in the end we know we play for each other," said Collins. "It's hard for one of us to be motivated for postseason individual awards, so we have to internally compete for ourselves knowing that we're collectively a better setter than our opponent."

The new offense has led the Bobcats to an 18-11 overall record and 10-6 mark in conference play, earning a spot in the 2007 Southland Conference Tournament this weekend in San Antonio. Despite Irvin's 7.66 assist per game average being only the tenth best mark among Southland players, Texas State still ranks fourth as a team in assists per game. The Bobcats also rank among the conference leaders in kills per game and attack percentage.

And to the Bobcat setting duo, the team is all that matters.

"If we're winning and running a 6-2, then I don't care," said Irvin. "Whatever it takes, even if it's Brittany running a 5-1 in order for us to win, winning is all that should matter."

"Shelbi and I work together to get the team going instead of competing for our spot," said Collins. "The team comes first, and we've got to run it."

Even if it means not always being on the court.