Katie Herman has a detailed scouting report.

But it's not on her opponents on the volleyball court at Kutztown University. It's for her teammates.

"I know my hitters," Herman said. "I know exactly where they want the ball. I like having control of the offense, of the tempo."

Herman, a Grove City High School graduate and a sophomore setter for Kutztown, has put her scouting report to good use.

And her teammates have been putting her sets to good use.

The Bears are 13-1 overall and 3-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division this season, and Herman has been a big reason for their success.

In a five-set win against Clarion, Herman set a Kutztown match record with 73 assists. Her teammate and roommate, Sarah Brandon, set the school's kill record in the same match with 27.

That is no coincidence, Herman said.

"We all work together," Herman said. "I can't have a good set without our passers, and our hitters can't get kills without a good set. We know each other so well."

That has been the key this season for Herman, who is well ahead of her record setting assists pace of a year ago.

As a freshman, Herman recorded 1,073 assists, breaking the school record for a season. She averaged 9.68 assists per game.

This year, she has 603 assists already and is averaging 12.31 assists per game.

"Katie stepped in and took control of our offense from day one last season," said Kutztown coach John Grupp. "I expect her to be even better this year now that she has developed a comfort level with our system and a familiarity with her teammates."

Playing from day one was the main reason Herman opted for Kutztown over schools closer to home.

She wanted to go somewhere to make an impact.

So far, so good.

"My goal was to have my club team be better than my high school team," Herman said. "And my college team be better than my club team. I wanted to go somewhere where I could make a difference right away."

Traditionally, the PSAC West has dominated the volleyball landscape in the conference. Herman is hoping to change all that.

Kutztown is off to a good start. It will get another test tonight when it plays Slippery Rock University at Morrow Field House.

She will also face a close friend in The Rock's Gwen Oberlin, a former Grove City High School teammate.

"It's going to be strange," Herman said.

What isn't strange to Herman is how well Kutztown is competing against the West.

"Each year, the gap closes more," Herman said. "Hopefully, it will be a cat fight during the crossover matches this year. That's why I came out here."

Herman also leads the team in kill percentage and service points per game.

Last year, Herman had 52 aces, the second highest total in team history. She already has 26 aces this season.

But Herman believes she can get better.

"There is always room for improvement," Herman said.

To do that, she watched the Olympic volleyball tournament intently.

She examined the Olympic setters and looked for ways in which she could get better.

"I watched the Olympics, I get volleyball magazines," Herman said. "My mom sends me stuff. A lot of it has to do with the mental approach to setting. You have to be confident.

"I really try to stay on myself."

She also believes her team can get better.

"We can push tempo more," Herman said. "It's all about knowing the opponents, what their strengths and weaknesses are. If I know they have a weak blocker on the right side, I will try to set that way."

To Herman, knowledge is power.

"It's all about knowing what you can do," Herman said. "And getting the job done."