Season Position Preview, Part Three: The Setters
8/20/2025 3:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
We are three-quarters of the way through this year's volleyball preseason position preview. After taking a look at the outside hitter and middle blocker positions the previous two days, we now turn our attention to the setter position, where two 2024 veterans return in Elle Cotton and Lilli Etter.
The setter in volleyball is like the quarterback in football; the offense runs through that position. "What we need in a setter is someone who has control of the offensive side of the game when they're out on the court," said head coach Shawn Garus. "So you want them to give good direction to their teammates and make good decisions on the fly, so we can maximize our match-ups to score points. Preseason camp has been very good for both setters."
Both Cotton and Etter have experience playing the position for the Broncos. Cotton is a senior and is entering her fourth season in the blue and orange. The native of Elk River, Minnesota, has played in a combined 71 matches to date, with 11 starts. She has accumulated 314 assists, 70 service aces, and 115 digs in her career.
"Elle, as a senior, has come in with not just the experience of being a senior, but also the confidence that she knows our offense and what we expect," Garus said. "She knows the style of play that's going to help us be most successful, and she's competing hard every day. It's good to see her healthy with no nagging injuries or anything that has limited her in any way."
Etter enters her sophomore campaign with Boise State. Last year, she played in all 29 matches with 25 starts, splitting time between setter and outside hitter. The Spokane, Washington, native recorded a team-second-best 486 assists, along with 53 kills, 21 service aces, 236 digs and 19 blocks.
"Lilli is coming off a freshman year when she played in every match in our six-two system. She's very motivated heading into this year," said Garus. "I think she had a great summer. Worked really hard at not just her setting game, but also putting herself in a leadership position, where she was organizing a lot of off-season activities for our players. She's very motivated to run the show. As I mentioned earlier, overall, it's been a great fall camp for both of them. I love seeing them both compete. We have two great options at the position. "
We are a week and a half away from the season opener against Navy in Orem, Utah, on August 29. The home slate begins in week two, Sept. 4-6, with the Boise State Classic featuring Arizona, Oregon State and UC San Diego; the first of two consecutive home tournaments.
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Fans can purchase single-match and season tickets in person at the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 208-426-4737. All tickets can also be purchased online. Season tickets start at $50 per seat, and family plans are also available for $120 (must buy four seats).
The Broncos have already sold out of their reserved season tickets for 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year that reserved tickets have sold out. However, general admission season tickets are still available, so don't wait to buy yours today. Â
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