Between the Pass and the Swing
Erin Debiec runs Rams’ offense in her first full season at setter.
Liv Sewell
The crowd roars, but Erin Debiec barely reacts.
She takes a breath, wipes her hands and moves to the net. A high five here, a quiet word there and then she’s ready for the next serve. When Colorado State trails, her face doesn’t give anything away. When they rally, the calm remains – a quiet anchor amid the noise.
There’s something about a calming old soul who peeks out in the quiet moments. They raise their heads when the noise settles, when the silence feels full enough to listen. Sometimes a little silence is needed for peace of mind or just to let thoughts settle before the next move.
Volleyball has those quiet spaces too. The half-second between the pass and the swing, when everything hangs in balance and all eyes turn to the setter. The game’s rhythm lives there, in that breath of calm before motion.
Colorado State volleyball has an old soul of its own in redshirt freshman Debiec. Currently the only starting setter, she carries that rhythm on her shoulders, five hitters looking to her for tempo, timing, and trust. It’s a new role for Debiec, who ran a two-setter rotation in high school. The change has been a challenge, but one she’s embraced.
“I haven’t really done a true 5-1 before now,” Debiec said. “It’s super nice to be able to run the court and find different things that work and sets that click. It’s all about the chemistry.”
That chemistry doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built quietly over long bus rides, between the lines of scrimmages and in the steady rhythm of games which test patience as much as skill. Teams built on trust learn each other’s timing, and Debiec has learned hers through repetition and small adjustments that add up over time.
Assistant coach Ted Kopacz has watched that process unfold, even when Debiec stayed in the background.
“When you’re redshirting as a freshman you can kind of hide behind other people,” Kopacz said. “She’s more of an introverted person, so that’s kind of where she thrives. She’s more than happy to let others take the limelight and be the star of the show. She just came in every day, worked hard but wasn’t this loud, boisterous person.”
Now, that quiet confidence is starting to show more clearly. Her celebrations are small – a quick nod, a brief smile – but they carry weight. They show comfort and a growing sense that she belongs in charge of the flow.
And it shows a confidence that when it’s time to set the ball it’ll be not just where it needs to be, but exactly where it belongs.
“I think we’ve got our connection down really well at this point,” Halle Jameson said. “I think she just gets better every day and she’s constantly working to improve. She’s always asking what we need from our sets. And she’s just really receptive to everything. If I need to hit line, she just does everything we need.”
I think it gives us a lot of confidence knowing she knows what the best option is and that she’s going to give us a good opportunity.Halle Jameson
That’s the kind of leadership which doesn’t ask for attention. It just works quietly and consistently until everyone feels it in the moments of quiet.
Old souls tend to notice the little things. They pay attention to timing, to body language, to the moments which slip by too quickly for most to see. For a setter, those moments are everything. A half-step, a breath, the way a hitter’s shoulder tilts before a swing: they all matter. Debiec sees them. That awareness gives her control of the game’s pace without ever raising her voice.
“We all get along really well, so that makes life on the court a lot easier,” Debiec said. “I always try to listen to their feedback and take what they tell me. If they want it higher or faster, I just adjust to that and their preferences. We’re really close, so it’s just fun at the end of the day.”
Like someone who’s been playing for years, Debiec focuses on what’s right for the team, not just what feels right in the moment. Winning takes patience, and she’s learning how to lead with it.
It makes sense, though. Debiec spent her redshirt season under fifth-year setter Emery Herman, the 2024 Mountain West Tournament MVP. Her calm demeanor might echo her mentor’s, but those who’ve known her longer say that steadiness has always been there.
“I think she came in just very mellow and even-keel as a person,” Kopacz said. “When you talk to her mom after games, she says Erin’s always kind of been the quieter introvert. Never too high or too low about anything. She’s got a few siblings, so I think she’s just used to fitting in and filling her role. She took some things from Emery, but the attitude on the court? That’s all her.”
She’s kind of like the steady rhythm in the background of a song, never loud or rushed, but always keeping the rest of the team in time.
That consistency is starting to show up in her stat line. Over the past four weeks, Debiec has been hitting the mark most college setters aim for – an average of 10 assists per set – and doing it with quiet regularity.
“I just love seeing it that way,” Debiec said with a small smile. “It’s exciting because every week we come in and practice new things like different sets, new tempos. Being able to apply that in games and then see it show up in the stats is kind of inspiring.”
It seems far-fetched to think she’s new to leading the 5-1 scheme with the way she shows up on the court. The poise and awareness feel far from freshman.
Because it’s not just in the stats. Her teammates see it too.
“She doesn’t look new at all,” said Jameson, a true freshman. “She knows what she’s doing, and she leads the court well. She tells us what to run and does a really good job. I think it gives us a lot of confidence knowing she knows what the best option is and that she’s going to give us a good opportunity.”
That kind of trust isn’t built overnight either. It’s earned through quiet repetition, through the daily rhythm of someone who does the nuanced things right, every single time.
Maybe that’s what being an old soul really means – not wisdom beyond your years, but patience. The ability to listen when others rush to speak. To watch when others move too fast. To find comfort in stillness until it’s time to act.
And knowing when to act is practiced too.
“Being new, we just had to adjust to everything,” Debiec said. “But a lot of people have stepped up into a bunch of different roles. We just stick together because we’re all newer. We’re finding ways to gel on and off the court. But it’s nice to see all the new leadership emerging.”
Even in her first year running the show, Debiec still points to others. It’s not false modesty; it’s how she leads. She sees herself as part of something shared, one piece in a rhythm that only works when everyone listens for the same beat. Her quiet steadiness isn’t simply a trait – it’s the signal on which the team can rely.
Because for all the noise that comes with college sports in crowds and marching bands, some of the most important work still happens in silence. In the small adjustments no one cheers for. In the space between the pass and the swing.
So, she doesn’t need to say much, because every rally runs through her hands – and that speaks volumes already.
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