Smooth transition for St. Charles East's Seidel

What is Jacqui Seidel really?

Is the junior on the St. Charles East girls volleyball team a hitter or a setter?

In the high school season with the Saints, she's a hitter. When she plays with her club team, Club Fusion, she's a setter.

Seidel has been setting longer, but she thinks hitting is more fun. But really, when you have the ability to do both, why classify yourself as one or the other?

"Jacqui is a phenomenal athlete and she's a competitor," St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull said. "She just want to do her best. She really cares about her team and loves her team. She was really unselfish by taking this time this season doing what we needed. I think she's enjoying (hitting) because she is one of our primary hitters."

"It's like the transition (from setting to hitting) is nothing for her," added teammate Caroline Niski, who plays with Seidel at the Marengo-based Club Fusion. "She can go from an amazing setter in club and go right into high school with no problem, and it's no big deal for her. Setting to hitting can be a big transition, but she's really good at it."

Seidel is just one of a handful of players who returned this season from last year's state team. As a sophomore, she tallied 133 kills, 52 blocks, 26 aces and 184 digs.

Last year's success has easily transferred over into this year's success. Through Thursday's matches, Seidel and the Saints are 16-1 overall and 4-0 in the Upstate Eight Conference.

"Last year was a lot of fun," Seidel said. "It was so much fun being an underclassmen and looking up to the older players. Coming into this year, I realized all the intensity of (going to state) and that makes me want to work harder everyday so we can get back to where we were last year."

So far this season, Seidel has 118 kills, 23 aces, 25 blocks and 98 digs. If the Saints needed her to rack up assists, she could, but they have Syracuse-bound senior Laura Homann. However...

"If we need to take (Homann) out or if there is a problem or someone gets hurt, I can fill in," Seidel said of her versatility. "It's never a problem."

What might not be a problem for Seidel is her college choice. Still just a junior, schools like Northern Illinois, Louisville, UNLV, Cal State-Fullerton, Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Ball State are all on her radar.

Kull is sure that list of colleges will grow as Seidel's high school and club career continues. It also helps that she is being recruited as both a hitter and a setter.

"I don't think people know how special she really is," Kull said. "They ask me, I tell them there's never a time where she's not working."

Kull said she's been blessed with the setters that have been with the program in the past few years - Seidel included. She may be a hitter this year, but next year is to be determined.

"The nicest thing I have now is Laura and Jacqui to teach the younger setters," Kull said. "That's one of the greatest things about our program is the setting. That's like the quarterback of the team."