Columbus East’s Krea Martin sets the ball against Bloomington North at Columbus East, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.
Krea Martin stepped into a different role on the volleyball court for Columbus East volleyball team this season.
The Olympians freshman became the team’s top setter. Playing volleyball since she was 5 years old, Martin has had familiarity in the role playing in club, but played in the libero spot the past couple years.
Martin said she was “speechless” when coach Ellyn McIntosh approached her about becoming the starting setter.
“I was shocked. I didn’t know what to say,” Martin said. “The more I started practicing, I was like, ‘OK, I can do it.’ It’s going to be tough, but I’ll be able to do it.”
Playing either as a setter or libero means it is a greater responsibility for the team. The setter is responsible for setting up the offense and normally gets the second touch on the ball.
Having played in both positions, Martin sees the contrast between the roles, but also points out that it can be stressful at times, too.
“If I get told a correction, I will try to fix it,” Martin said. “When I get in trouble, I will always try to put more work into it.”
Martin has been shaking off some of the rust from not being a setter for a few years. She said she put in a few hours of work in the gym or at home every day practicing setting the ball in preparation for this season.
“It took lots of practice to get my hands back,” Martin said, “and into rhythm of getting the smooth sets and getting the timing and the heights right.”
Columbus East’s Krea Martin serves to Bloomington North at Columbus East, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.
McIntosh was confident in Martin’s ability to step into the role. As a former East volleyball player herself, McIntosh mentioned she was in the same shoes as Martin was when she stepped into the setter role.
“I did it when I was a freshman. I know how I was, and how timid and shy I was, and I stepped into the role just fine,” McIntosh said. “I kind of saw the same qualities in her that I saw in myself. We had some older leaders she was friends with that I knew she would be able to rely on if she needed somebody to have her back.”
The Olympians have had their ups and downs this season. They are 6-17 prior to Tuesday’s game with Bloomington South, but are hoping to peak in time for the Franklin Sectional in two weeks. The first step into doing that is defeating crosstown rival Columbus North at home on Thursday.
Krea Martin
Martin is glad to see all the work that she put in translate to the volleyball court.
“When we run new sets in practices, I’m not as scared to do it. If we do it in games, I’m not as nervous because I know if I put in the work, and the effort and the time, it will get there,” Martin said. “Usually, I tend to freak out on things like that, but spending my whole summer putting in the effort, and the work and the time, I’m not as stressed out about things.”
