MOSCOW, Idaho—Idaho volleyball closes out the spring season on Saturday with its alumni game. The Vandals have spent the past month on the court, honing in their skills and preparing for the fall. Two key components of the 2017 Vandals will be returning setters, Haylee Mathis and Megan Ramseyer.

GoVandals.com caught up with the pair for a little insight into the position and their roles on the team.

Last season was the first year in the system for both of you. How you feel your first season at Idaho went?
HM: Last year was my first season back since taking a year off. Getting my confidence back was a key thing for me. I think I have that confidence now so it is a little bit easier to run the offense at the speed coach wants.

MR: I think for me, building the connection with my hitters and middles was a big thing. Not just on the court, but off the court as well. It makes me more comfortable playing. At this point, having a full fall and then most of the spring I feel much more confident.

Last season the team ran both a 6-2 and a 5-1 offense. How do your roles change as the offense differs?
MR: I think in running a 5-1 vs a 6-2 my mindset is kind of the same. It is just different sets sometimes. We might go the middles and incorporate the back row a little more, since you do not have as many options when I am front row. Working on my blocking game is a bit different for me.

HM: I think the 6-2 is definitely an advantage for us. We get to mix up how we run the offense. Megan runs the offense a little different than I do, I run it a little different than she does. It really throws the other team off their game. We do a great job with the 5-1. I think the mentality is just to keep a fast offense.

How difficult is it to know where each hitter likes to be set and keep it constant every time?
HM: Honestly, I do not think it is a huge issue. They train hitters to get their feet to the ball, even if we give them an awful set. Their job is to get there. It really creates this big trust between the setters and hitters and it is awesome.

MR: I agree. Coach Lamppa is always saying to have that trust. Not just that we trust that the hitters are going to be there, but that the hitters trust that we are going to get the ball to them. It is kind of new to me to have the outsides trust me. I had always been taught middles. Previously, it had just been set the ball high. Now it is a different, faster connection.

How big is that trust and establishing it now in the spring?
HM: I think it is super important. We do not have enough time in the fall to work on those connections. It is really important to establish that now.

MR: I think we have done a good job of that. I feel like it has gotten so much better even from the start of the spring to now. Haylee had the last spring, but I just came in as a freshman in the fall. It was kind of hard to have that trust right off the bat. It has definitely improved.

HM: I think the connections are better right now than they were at the end of the season.

MR: I do to.

The Vandals will play two matches on Saturday against returning Idaho alumni. The first match is set for 1:30 PM with the second at 2:30. The alumni will square off against each other at 3:30 to wrap up the day.