Warren verbally commits to Seton Hall

Joliet Catholic's Alyssa Warren has verbally committed to Seton Hall.

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JOLIET -- As an outside hitter, Joliet Catholic Academy junior Alyssa Warren passes like a Porsche, serves aces to the rhythm of Van Halen's "Jump," defends better than Johnnie Cochran during a high-profile trial and attacks with the determination of a shark at suppertime.

Over the past decade, the outside hitter has evolved into an oftentimes offense-only position, with many coaches willing to sacrifice the ample other aspects for a crowd-pleasing kill. The 5-foot-9 Warren rates as classic throwback because of her expansive, four-tool repertoire.

She can pass.

She can serve.

She can defend.

And she can hit.

"I guess I would say that I like passing most of all, and I think that's the most important part," Warren nodded. "You can't get a set and then you can't get a kill without a good pass -- or a dig."

Because of those digs -- 304, to be exact, last fall for the Class 3A state champions -- Seton Hall could not pass on Warren, who has verbally committed to the South Orange, N.J., university. A Herald News first team all-area selection, she led the Angels with 62 aces and 287 service points.

In her first season as a varsity starter, this after making her debut a year earlier in the regionals, Warren helped JCA (39-3) to its second state title and first since winning Class AA in 2003. She delivered those 304 digs and 184 kills, both second behind junior all-state outside Annemarie Hickey, the Wisconsin recruit.

Showing versatility to spare, Warren added 25 kills on 87 blocks and 10 set assists. A power hitter, 163 of Warren's kills were the conventional variety, with 21 on tips. She was second on the team to junior libero Stephanie Keca in serve-receive attempts, 404 to Keca's ultra-active 459.

That is where she overwhelmingly shined as well, notching a 2.41 serve-receive rating. Seton Hall actually recruited Warren, a Sports Performance product, as a libero. But what sealed the Pirates' deal traced to her capably handling the outside for the Angels -- particularly in the all-around, or "Al"-around, phase.

She can play.

"There's no doubt that she is an effective hitter," JCA coach Christine Scheibe said of Warren. "But the thing that gets her on the floor ahead of other outsides is that fact that she does play defense and she does pass the ball so very well. I'm confident that when a serve goes to her, that ball is going to target.

"Defensively, she just reads the play so well and is so quick to the ball. She brings a lot of balls right back up in the air, and that gives us extra chances to transition smoothly into our attack."

Last year, Hickey paced JCA's attack to the tune of 427 kills. Sophomore middle Lainey Wyman, another Division I prospect, tied with Warren at 184. Senior right-side Katie Hickey (148), Annemarie's sister, junior middle Claire Randich (143) and senior setter Gina Vera (108) each reached the 100-kill chart.

Ask Vera, the Butler signee, to

to assess Warren's impact and the answer involves more than her serving run sending the Angels to a 9-0 lead in Game 3 of a 23-25, 25-23, 25-20 upset over Benet, ranked No. 3 in the nation, at the Autumnfest Tournament.

"From August through November, Alyssa was always one of our primary passers, and we won a state championship because of our passing," Vera said. "And having her and Annemarie in that left back enabled me not only on serve receive, but on defense to consistently run the three options of our offense."

"Other people getting the spotlight more than her doesn't make her any less valuable to us," Scheibe said. "It was everybody, including her, working together and playing their roles -- doing the job that needed to get done on the floor -- and she's the type who will battle for you every single day and every single play."

Not every single recruiter, however, was after Warren. Colleges have been slow to react in offering full-ride scholarships to liberos, the spot considered the defensive nerve center on the court. Since so many liberos are converted outsides, Seton Hall cashed in with JCA's No. 10.

Big positive: she can do both.

"It's a great school, and it's really rare for my position, libero, to get four years," said Warren, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average. "The coaches are nice, and that pretty much sold it for me. It's hard because I also love hitting and I love passing, but this is a great opportunity."

"A lot of my friends are liberos, and I've noticed that," Vera said. "It's a very underrated position because, as a setter, you know you're not going to get anywhere as a team unless you get that pass. Plus, Alyssa adjusted well to hitting for four months when you consider she's used to passing for eight months."

Eight months in club covers the dedication aspect for Warren, whose beaming smile acknowledged the benefit of being on the outside as a junior with JCA in her ensuing collegiate search.

"I think that helped me a lot," she confirmed. "We sent him the videos of my season at JCA and winning state, and the coach at Seton Hall (Kris Zeiter) actually said that it sold it for him, finding out I could play the outside."

"I can't think of one match where Alyssa didn't contribute something from the outside to help us win," Scheibe said. "I think her serve is underrated, too. She likes to get on runs, she has a lot of movement on it, and it gives other teams fits. She'll get in a zone back there at the service line and wreak havoc."

Eventually, Warren will tweak her major, deciding between graphic design, business or secondary education. She turned down Iowa State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Missouri for Seton Hall. First, she wants to work on a senior-year repeat.

Big positive: can-do attitude.

"Stephanie Keca and I talk about it every day in English -- that we can't wait to win state," Warren said. "I think about it every day, I wear my (state championship) ring every day, and I wish the season would start right now. It's something I always wanted to do, and now that we've done it, I want to do it again.

"This is what I've been working my whole volleyball career for, winning state and getting a college scholarship. Now that I've chosen where I'm going, I can just play for the love of the game."