Defensive specialty

The evolution of high school volleyball – to come into alignment with the college and club game – has undergone another change for the 2005 season.

It’s certainly less subtle than rally scoring, but it’ll be more obvious to the eye of the casual or uninformed fan because of uniform apparel.

Idaho teams can now use a libero – a back-row defensive player only who dons a different colored uniform top and can freely come and go into a match at any time without taking away from a team’s allowed number of substitutions.

The only hang up so far appears to be in how to correctly pronounce the word. Some say “la bear o” and others say “lee bro.”

The most popular pronunciation among area coaches was “la bear o.” Of all the area coaches polled, 12 of 19 plan to incorporate the libero this season. The seven not using it aren’t necessarily opposed to it; in most instances they don’t have a player with the appropriate ability.

Washington schools are beginning their third year using the libero.

A libero will be able to play the full six rotations as opposed to the previous rule that allowed a defensive specialist to play for three rotations before being subbed out for a front-row player. The libero can’t serve – the NCAA instituted serving for liberos last year – and is restricted on attacking.

“It’s going to raise the level of defense and the level of play overall,” Lakeland coach Claudia Ebel said. “It will make the game more exciting.”

First-year Sandpoint coach Karen Alsager, who was the head coach the past two years at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., agreed.

“It’s a huge step forward for the sport,” Alsager said. “A good libero is touching the ball almost as much as the setter.”

Said Coeur d’Alene coach Carly Curtis: “It’s going to make a big difference in the game, a big difference on ball control. It will make teams strong defensively, and serve-receive and passing percentages will improve.”

Some coaches are reserving judgment.

“I still have mixed thoughts,” said St. Maries coach Jamie (Hammes) Loper, who isn’t going to use it this year. “For us, the girl I’d use is too strong of a server to not let her serve.”

Kootenai coach Mandy Love, a former standout player in her day at Gonzaga University, believes the inclusion of a libero opens the door for more girls to earn scholarships to college.

“It allows that little girl to excel and possibly go on beyond the high school level,” Love said.