Life with the libero

Aja Linton may be only 5-foot-2 inches tall but don't let those little feet and delicate hands and arms fool you when she takes away a kill from the opposing team on the back row.

"Being so short, I didn't have too many options. I could either be the digger or the center and I chose the digger," Linton said.

As the libero -also known as the defensive specialist - for Western Albemarle's volleyball team, this itsy-bitsy girl is quite well known amongst her teammates, especially when she puts on that different color uniform that is just for her.

"She loves her little libero uniform. We call her our 'Secretary of Defense'," said Warriors' coach Lance Rogers. "She's truly our captain in the defensive effort she gives."

Libero (meaning free in Italian) is a designated back-row player that was integrated on the international level in 1998 to help give volleyball a defensive boost. The position got so popular that the NCAA decided to allow collegiate volleyball teams to use and offer scholarships to in 2002. Not until 2004 did the NCAA allow the libero to serve.

In 2005, the Virginia High School League gave teams the option to use them. In 2006, the libero became part of the regular volleyball scene on high school courts and, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the libero position will be fully active across the nation during the 2006-2007 season.

Sue Leonard, the current volleyball coach at Grace Christian, was a part of that integration when she was head volleyball coach at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

"It helped keep rallies alive," Leonard said. "That person can change the game around because usually that person has very high energy and is a great leader. They are the dynamo type of players."

Many coaches like the libero position because it gives players that may not have the hitting or setting capabilities to still make a difference on the court. For Leonard, it takes a certain type of player to play the position of libero.

"It used to be that you needed to have height to play volleyball, not anymore now," Leonard said. "You can be below 5 feet and still be dangerous."

Plus, using a libero does not count as a substitution. The libero may replace any back-row player without taking away from the team's total number of substitutions.

"It saved you a sub if you ran out of substitutions," Leonard said. "It's great to have in the game."

Rogers said he doesn't understand why more coaches don't decide to use the libero.

"There's gotta be a passer that can pass better than anybody else on the team," Rogers said. "I think the libero is such an amazingly flexible position."

Rogers is glad he has Linton, a junior, for one more year at the position.

"She's a spunky teeny girl who moves very well and has got great ball control," Rogers said. "She can see what the other team is doing in terms of hitting. We expect a lot from her."

In order to be successful at the libero position, one has to be quick on their feet and have a fast reaction time in order to anticipate the other team's strong offensive attack.

"As my coach likes to say [Rogers] I play under the net vs. over the net. You have to be ready for anything and at any time," Linton said. "I adjust as the match goes on. I am always looking to get the ball up as high as I can so it can be playable."

Unlike a power hitter wanting to have a high number of kills, liberos greatest stat is how many balls can they dig out from the opposing offense. To Linton, there is no greater pleasure than taking away a kill and setting up a perfect pass to the setter. In the 52 individual games Linton has played for the Warriors, she has accumulated 139 digs.

"I look at the hitter and make sure that I read their shoulders and their hands," Linton said. "That way I can see if they will tip it or hit it."

Holly Hartman, another prominent libero that plays for Robert E. Lee's volleyball squad, has 201 digs. Like Linton, Hartman is very dangerous at her petite height of 5-foot-2.

"She's just so good. I'm sure she does get tired of the passing though," said first-year Lee coach Tiffany Eimers. "I didn't know that she played that position last year, but I picked up on her skills pretty early on to know that she was meant to play that position."

However, digging out impossible balls is not the only weapon these coaches are bragging about, it is their liberos high serving percentage. After the NCAA allowed liberos to serve, word got around at the high school level. Linton has an 88 percent serve percentage that has allowed her to receive 94 service points and 28 aces.

"She plays a very vital role to our success," said Western setter Laura Wilson. "She definitely is the backbone of our team. A lot of teams don't have the consistency that Aja has."