Natural Instinct – Senior Setter (Now Outside Hitter) Jen Flynn’s Abilities Shine For The Buckeyes – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/14/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 14, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – By Andy Fledderjohann
NOTE: Last week Flynn returned to the outside hitter position where she played as a freshman. Katie Virtue, a freshman, has taken over as setter. In weekend action, Flynn was named to the Furama Volleyball Classic All-Tourament Team.
Certain athletes are simply great. Then there are those special few blessed with natural talent.
Jen Flynn fits the latter category.
The senior setter has taken natural talent and produced for the Ohio State volleyball team, leading the team to a preseason No. 17 national ranking this year. When she came to Columbus three years ago, Flynn’s hopes were not to play setter, but to fill an outside hitter position.
But a change was in the works. For most athletes, thoughts of a change would be foolish. Change a hitter to a Division I-level setter? Impossible.
OSU head coach Jim Stone didn’t think so. He saw the tremendous ability in Flynn and took the chance, switching Flynn from her customary outside hitter position to setter after her freshman season.
“Jen’s an exceptional athlete,” Stone said. “She’s one of those special athletes that can go from sport to sport to sport and be special and excel in each one. We figured that she could go from position to position in volleyball and still excel as well.”
Flynn earned 12 varsity letters while playing volleyball, basketball and softball at Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh, displaying a wealth of talent while starring in each sport. Yet despite her vast array of talents, Flynn was uneasy about the move to setter.
“Coach Stone asked me during January of my freshman year if I wanted to set,” Flynn said. “I told him that I didn’t want to do it and that I wanted to hit. But he gave me this look like ‘that’s the wrong answer.’ I started setting soon after that.
“It was a lot of hard work,” Flynn said. “I had to go in every day during the winter and offseason to practice setting. The other players usually came in two days a week to work on their individual drills, but I was out there every day doing setting reps. I basically worked my butt off getting as much contact with the ball as possible and getting comfortable on the court as a setter.” Flynn’s diligence and hard work paid off immediately. As a sophomore, Flynn earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors, racking up 1,587 assists, which ranks third on the OSU single season assists chart.
“I was leery of setting at first, but now I love it,” Flynn said. “I have to make all the decisions on the court, which I wasn’t very comfortable with at first. I’m much more comfortable with that now. I control the court. I can say ‘no, you’re not hitting it now, we’ll go the other way and try it another direction.’ I have to be smart and quick while I’m out there.”
“She has natural instincts and has played in a lot of games,” Stone said. “She sees things very well, anticipates well and can make quick decisions. All of those are qualities of a good setter. Plus her athletic background was a perfect fit for a setter.”
Flynn’s meteoric rise to the top hit another peak last summer as she earned a spot on the U.S. Team at the World University Games in Spain. While earning a place on the team was an honor in itself, the distinction was even more special since Flynn had been setting for just a little more than two years.
“It was a huge honor,” Flynn said. “Going into tryouts I thought I had a chance, but to make it as a setter is an even bigger accomplishment since I haven’t been doing it very long. I probably wouldn’t have made it at the other position, especially with the great hitters we had. But it was a huge opportunity and a great experience for me to play with some of the top players in the world.”
Flynn’s coach at the World University Games was none other than Stone, which made the trip even more special.
“Having Coach Stone there made things a lot easier for me,” Flynn said. “It was good for me because I didn’t have to change at all. A lot of the drills were the same ones we run here at Ohio State, so I would lead a lot of the drills since no one else knew them. It was great to have him there with me.”
Flynn entered the 1999 season fourth in all-time assists at Ohio State with 3,018. She is guiding a talented crop of freshmen this year while leading an experienced team which has all six starters back from the 1998 squad which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With high expectations for the season, Flynn’s contribution will be key to the Buckeyes’ success. As a senior leader, Flynn leads by example on the court.
“Jen has a calm demeanor and communicates well with her teammates,” Stone said. “She’s a very competitive individual who doesn’t get flustered in situations that others would. She understands the game through her many experiences and she understands the flow of the game, which is critical. She’s a great leader and is very competitive and calm at the same time.”
With all of her accomplishments, Flynn’s future continues to look bright, not only on the court, but off it as well. An OSU Scholar-Athlete with a sparkling 3.6 grade-point average, Flynn is nearing the completion of a Sports and Leisure degree. She is looking to parlay her athletic experiences into a successful future.
“I hope to play as long as I can,” Flynn said. “I may look into a professional team, which also would be a lot of fun. After my playing days, I would like to coach at the collegiate level. Volleyball and sports are a part of my life and always will be. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
