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January 11, 2005 Record-Eagle/Douglas TesnerEmily Noss runs the offense for the TC Central volleyball team this season, averaging 9.5 assists per game.
Setting the tableNoss takes charge running the offenseByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - It was the Holland West Ottawa tournament and Traverse City Central setter Emily Noss was struggling. Things weren't going right for the Trojans - or for the two-year varsity starter. A lot has gone right for Noss and Central since. Noss was a sophomore then. Now the senior table-setter for TC Central's volleyball team, Noss has played every second of every match since that one blip. "That was the only time I have ever seen Emily crack, that one tournament," TC Central coach Lisa Placek said. "That's the only time she's ever struggled emotionally for me. "She's a rock. She's very consistent emotionally, very consistent physically and she's so smart. She's done a great job learning the game and running things on the court. "She's the quarterback of the team." Noss admits she was emotional when TC Central's offense was crumbling at Holland West Ottawa. "After that, I didn't want to feel like that again on the court," said Noss, who plans to play at Alma College next season. "I wanted to get more confident and able to make the right decisions." The statistics indicate Noss has done exactly that for the Trojans. Noss averaged 3.5 assists per game as a freshman when she split the setting duties with Stephanie Solak. As a sophomore, Noss averaged 6.0 assists a game before jumping to eight last season, when she also topped the 1,000-assist mark for the season. As of Sunday, Noss was averaging 9.5 assists a game for TC Central. "She's so steady," Placek said. "She's not a kid that has a lot of ups and downs." Still, Noss has grown up from her days as a freshman with the Trojans. "My freshman year it was all new," she said. "I was still real nervous on the court. It was like, 'Oh my gosh, I hope I don't screw up.' "I had a lot of people depending on me and confidence-wise, I wasn't as confident as I am now. I just continued to try and get better and get more comfortable." That confidence and willingness to improve is what first caught Placek's eye back in the fall of 2001. Having a four-year varsity volleyball starter at a Class A school is not a common occurrence, much less as the setter running the offense. "For the most part, it's rare when you find a freshman that's ready mentally and physically to run a varsity program," Placek said. "And Emily wasn't ready as a freshman. "Emily just had an amazing level of commitment and work ethic and that's something I liked in her. If you have a kid like that, it's someone you can go and spend time with." Noss is one of two four-year starters on the current team, along with Chris Spencer. Noss said playing alongside such dangerous hitters as Spencer and Kelley Larkin has made her a better player. "It's been awesome," Noss said. "This has been one of the best high school experiences I could have ever imagined. I never thought I would play varsity as a freshman, but I wouldn't be near as good without that. Even practicing with people that are good makes you better." In addition to Noss' willingness to work, her stamina was also evident as a freshman. "She's got amazing endurance," Placek said. "When you play in those all-day tournaments, you get tired. "Emily doesn't get tired. She is never less than 100 percent. I was always amazed at her endurance, especially as a freshman. She's never breathing hard." As her knowledge of the game grew, so did Noss' ability to run the team. In addition to quarterbacking the action, the setter is also a direct extension of the coach. "When you have someone like Emily, not only is she capable of running our offense and making the sets, but she's learned how to create situations and make decisions on her own," Placek said. "As a coach, that's such a nice feeling." Noss said she's just trying to do her job on the court. In a way, it's the same feeling she had as a 'I hope I don't screw-up' attitude she had as a freshman - and in that West Ottawa tournament as a sophomore. "I couldn't do it without the pass and I couldn't get the assist without the hitters," Noss said. "It's definitely a team game. "If you screw up (as the setter), everybody sees it. If it's a good set, everybody looks at the hitter. "It's not the place where all the glory is."
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