VICTOR – Setters are to volleyball what quarterbacks are to football.
Namely, they run a team’s offense.
Few weapons boost a team more than a quality setter. Victor enjoys one of Section V’s finest.
Sophia Heltemes recently surpassed 2,000 career assists at Victor. Just a junior, she’s the catalyst behind one of the area’s top offenses.
“(Heltemes) dictates where players go before serves and reads defenses,” Victor coach Matt Glover said. “She knows what our kids’ strengths are and tells them where to swing on the court. She is literally touching every ball on every set before it crosses the net.”
More to come
Heltemes first played varsity volleyball as an eighth grader, affording her experience she still carries today. It also gave her a head start toward career
milestones compared with players who don’t reach varsity until later in high school.
“(Setters) need to make a lot of decisions,” Heltemes said. “My teammates make it easy because they’re very reliable. I can always count on them to put a ball down.”
Heltemes hopes to play college volleyball. She’s thankful for the talented attackers who have, and who still do, finish the plays she orchestrates.
“I try to focus on our side and see who’s hot,” Heltemes said. “All of my teammates are really good at communication so that makes it really easy to run the offense.”
Heltemes and the Blue Devils will soon begin pursuit of Section V glory in Class AA.
“This is (Heltemes’) time to shine,” Glover said. “She is a fantastic player and someone to look out for. She’s going to make our team go a long way in sectionals.”
Jeff Uveino joined the USA Today Network in 2023 and began covering Rochester-area high school sports in 2026. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University's Jandoli School of Communication and native of Perry. Contact him at juveino@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @realjuveino and on Instagram @jeffusports.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Victor volleyball player reaches rare milestone of 2,000 assists
