Position of the game: Set

As football has its quarterback and basketball has its point guard, the “set” or “hole” is water polo’s pivotal offensive position.Positioned just a few feet from the goal, the set is in the best position to score. Thus, the majority of teams organize their offense around getting the ball to the set.“The game revolves around the set,” Damian Kenyon (’14) said. “When I play set I always have to work as hard as I can to hold off my defender, keep my position [and at the same time] try to [shoot the ball]. I always have to be prepared and mentally strong.”According to Kenyon’s teammate and fellow set Ben Brown (’14), because the set is in a prime scoring location the opposing team makes sure the set is heavily guarded. Often, defenders will drown, punch and elbow the set players, so they don’t score. During practice, coach Matthew Flanders requires the sets to undergo unique training to be ready for anything the defensive unit can throw at them.“Set players do a lot of leg work,” Flanders said. “They have to be at their best because without an effective hole set, you can’t have an offense. The set has to [have control of the ball] and control the pace of the offense. A set [who] isn’t good takes a lot away from your game.”According to Efe Toros (’15), the Samo coaching staff designs special plays which allow the sets to score and take advantage of the defense.“Players often maneuver themselves to help the set get open for a pass,” Toros said. “Sometimes, the set will cut to the goal, or we’ll put two players on opposite sides of the goal to give the set a better chance of scoring.”For set guard Matt Cianfrone (’14), guarding the most important person in the pool involves an equal amount of technique and discipline.“Since I’m not usually as big as them, I try to keep an arm’s distance apart from the set to avoid having to out-muscle the opposing player. The most important thing about guarding is technique — for example, counter spinning to get out of an arm bar,” Cianfrone said. “Set is the most influential position in the pool besides the goalie, when your team has a good one. More scoring opportunities come from the set position than anywhere else in the pool.”