Volleyball Thread

[StillAWarrior]

Taking two of my daughters to Columbus Saturday to see the National Championship match.  If I were a betting man, I'd say we're going to see Nebraska try to defend its national championship against Minnesota.  And fail.  Of course, I probably just guaranteed that we'll watch Texas vs. Stanford in the final.

And once again, the kiss of death.  It's a gift...I guess.  And that's why I'm not a betting man.

[wadesworld]

Of course the Minnesota freshman OH is 5 for 9 with 0 errors. Good call on my part 

Well, after going almost the entire first set at 5 for 9 with 0 errors (nearly a .600 hitting percentage), she made a hitting error to end the first set and then ended up 11 for 40 with 9 errors for a .050 hitting percentage.  Yuck.

Some of these statistics are baffling to me.  Wilhite took SEVENTY swings in a four set match.  That is an insane number of attempts even in a 5 setter.  But when the defenses are digging as many balls as those two teams did I guess it adds up.

Surprised to see Plummer down at a .104 hitting percentage.  She's very impressive but you could see she was getting winded at points throughout the match.

I said that I was most impressed with the freshman libero at Stanford even though she's not the best player on the court, but the more I see her the more I think she might be the best player on the court.  Inky is phenomenal but man, the libero plays with a ton of poise and no extra movement that you see pretty much everyone else have.  27 digs in a 4 setter.  There are so many plays that 99.9% of volleyball players make a lot more difficult that she keeps simple and makes it into a routine play.  A lot of defenders will see a hitter getting a big, aggressive approach and dig in early and be back on their heals.  She stays tall, weight forward, makes the read and makes a move.  Really fun to watch.

Texas is going to have a better chance to beat Stanford than Minnesota or UW did.  A lot of volleyball minds think a fast offense makes it easier to beat the block but in my opinion both UW and MN ran their offenses too fast that left hitters no time to see the block or adjust to the set.  They were just swinging into waiting hands and had no real chance to beat what is a very, very good blocking team.  Texas has a little higher, slower paced offense and their pins are really good.  If they're smart they'll use the perimeter of the block and use the tool quite a bit.  UM and UW never had a chance at the tool with any consistency.

Should be a great match.

[wadesworld]

Good first set. Something about Stanford. They don't make errors. They make you beat them and that's tough when you have such a big block and such a good libero.

Right now I think the setters are the difference. Couple key poor decisions at the end of set one by Texas and her location was off a bit.

[wadesworld]

I'm dumbfounded at the adjustment Texas made out of their first timeout in the second set. You have setter, middle, outside front row. Stanford has their 6'1" setter and 6'6" OH front row with the freshman MB.

They come out and stack their OH and S to the right and keep their MB on the left, leaving the setter one real option (right side set to the OH) or a bic, and something they don't normally do.

Not only that but you are also moving what you just created as your only option away from the 6'1" block and into the 6'6" block. Yikes.

[wadesworld]

Your adjustment is to take out your L1 and move your MB to the OH?!  Yeesh!

Go with what got you there coach!  You're in the National Title match for a reason.  If Stanford beats you they beat you.

I understand that the MB played OH in high school and RS last year, but she's been practicing/playing as a MB all year and hasn't played OH for 2 years.  That's terrible.

If the L1 struggles to start the 3rd set bring in an OH off the bench.  Shifting your entire lineup just isn't the move to make.

[wadesworld]

Guess this is why these coaches are paid the big $$$$.

[StillAWarrior]

Weird considering only one starting front row player is graduating. Someone has gotta be gone.

I'm reading on another board that Taylor Louis and Amanda Green are transferring.  That would certainly explain the need for a hitter.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I'm reading on another board that Taylor Louis and Amanda Green are transferring.  That would certainly explain the need for a hitter.

Knew Amanda would transfer, the second she didn't get the playing time she wanted she would be gone. Ever since high school she though she was better than she was.

What's with Marquette not being able to keep dominant outsides for more than two years? First Bailey and now Lewis?

[wadesworld]

The volleyball community lost a great member today.  Carl McGown passed away at 79 years old.  2 time NCAA champion coach at BYU.  Would've never guessed he was that old.  Had the pleasure/honor of having learned from him with the Gold Medal Squared clinics Lightning had put on for the club, so with only roughly 30 people and 2-5 GMS coaches attending, and putting in 24 hours of time with these coaches in a weekend, we had the chance to get fairly close with the coaches that put these on for us.  Carl was at our first 2, which would have been December of 2010 and 2011.  A great passion and energy for the game.  A true pioneer and great mind when it came to volleyball, and an even better person.  Him and his son (Chris, who put on probably 4 of the clinics and was a great friend to the Lightning program...would come and watch even our worst team at Nationals even though there was no chance in heck he was going to be recruiting kids to BYU from them) are truly great people.  Thoughts and prayers out to the family.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Knew Amanda would transfer, the second she didn't get the playing time she wanted she would be gone. Ever since high school she though she was better than she was.

What's with Marquette not being able to keep dominant outsides for more than two years? First Bailey and now Lewis?

The coach? Both were Bond's recruits.

[wadesworld]

Loyola is going to be baaad this year.  They might be down for a while.  They got a godsend with last year's senior class.  There's no way anybody could've seen Jaeshke turning into what he did, and then you had solid 4 year starters in Hutz and Olson.  Disappointing to see they couldn't find a competent setter to come in knowing Hutz would be graduating.

[StillAWarrior]

Green to Louisville

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Green to Louisville

Was kind of surprised because I remember Louisville winning the conference every year in the old Big East, then I saw their record last year. Not a loss if were being honest.

[StillAWarrior]

Louis to re-join Bond at Iowa.

[StillAWarrior]

PrepVolleyball wrapped up its annual Senior Aces list today and Marquette has the best class in the Big East by far. Prep names and ranks the top 100, and also names the "Next 150" without ranking them. Marquette had the two highest ranked recruits (39 and 78) in the conference and a couple others. Creighton also got two ranked recruits (98 and 99). The breakdown:

Marquette (4) (39, 78, +2 Next 150)
Creighton (2) (98, 99)
Butler (2)
Xavier (2)
Georgetown (1)

I just saw Marquette's press release on their 2017 class, and it looks like their recruiting class got decimated.  Does anyone know what happened?  I don't recall seeing any mention here.

Players who were previously reported as being part of Marquette's 2017 class that were not mentioned:

• Elizabeth Orf (6'3" MB from St. Louis) (Prep VB No. 39)
• Hope Werch (6'1" OH from Neenah) (Prep VB No. 78)
• Kortlyn Henderson (6'1" OH from Waco) (Prep VB "Next 150")
• Sarah Rose (5'8" S from Elmhurst) (I think a walk-on)

Players who were mentioned in the press release:

• Martha Konovodoff (5'7" L from Aurora) (Prep VB "Next 150")
• Gabbi Martinez (DS from Austin) (Nothing in Prep)
• Liza Kastrup (RS from Germany) (Prep doesn't rank foreign players)
• Kayli Trausch  (6' MB) (a JC transfer who apparently originally started with Eastern Illinois in 2014)

Does anyone know what's going on?  I haven't seen anything anywhere about these players changing.  Orf still lists Marquette on her Twitter page, but  I can't imagine that they'd release the article without mentioning the obvious gems of the class.  I know nothing whatsoever about the German girl or the transfer -- they might be outstanding -- but on the surface this looks like the 2017 recruiting class took a huge hit.  They went from clearly the best class in the Big East to a real question mark.

[wadesworld]

I just saw Marquette's press release on their 2017 class, and it looks like their recruiting class got decimated.  Does anyone know what happened?  I don't recall seeing any mention here.

Players who were previously reported as being part of Marquette's 2017 class that were not mentioned:

• Elizabeth Orf (6'3" MB from St. Louis) (Prep VB No. 39)
• Hope Werch (6'1" OH from Neenah) (Prep VB No. 78)
• Kortlyn Henderson (6'1" OH from Waco) (Prep VB "Next 150")
• Sarah Rose (5'8" S from Elmhurst) (I think a walk-on)

Players who were mentioned in the press release:

• Martha Konovodoff (5'7" L from Aurora) (Prep VB "Next 150")
• Gabbi Martinez (DS from Austin) (Nothing in Prep)
• Liza Kastrup (RS from Germany) (Prep doesn't rank foreign players)
• Kayli Trausch  (6' MB) (a JC transfer who apparently originally started with Eastern Illinois in 2014)

Does anyone know what's going on?  I haven't seen anything anywhere about these players changing.  Orf still lists Marquette on her Twitter page, but  I can't imagine that they'd release the article without mentioning the obvious gems of the class.  I know nothing whatsoever about the German girl or the transfer -- they might be outstanding -- but on the surface this looks like the 2017 recruiting class took a huge hit.  They went from clearly the best class in the Big East to a real question mark.

I don't really know anything about women's volleyball recruiting, but could there be a spring and a fall signing period, and the players not mentioned had already signed and been announced in the fall, and the new players being mentioned are spring signings?  Otherwise I have no clue.

[warriorchick]

I don't really know anything about women's volleyball recruiting, but could there be a spring and a fall signing period, and the players not mentioned had already signed and been announced in the fall, and the new players being mentioned are spring signings?  Otherwise I have no clue.

I count 7 seniors on last year's roster.  It could very well be that all 8 of these ladies are going to be on the team next year.

[StillAWarrior]

I don't really know anything about women's volleyball recruiting, but could there be a spring and a fall signing period, and the players not mentioned had already signed and been announced in the fall, and the new players being mentioned are spring signings?  Otherwise I have no clue.

Mystery solved.  Thank you.  They had a release in early November that listed the others, and I missed it.  I don't think most schools do that.  I'm glad that's cleared up.  Marquette is, after all, my second favorite Big East volleyball team. 

[wadesworld]

Mystery solved.  Thank you.  They had a release in early November that listed the others, and I missed it.  I don't think most schools do that.  I'm glad that's cleared up.  Marquette is, after all, my second favorite Big East volleyball team.

So it sounds like they should have a really solid recruiting class overall then?

UWM played Minnesota in a spring match at Milwaukee Sting's facility about a month ago. Marv Dunphy's daughter was his GA when him and his staff came out to give us a clinic at Lightning with Chris McGown, so we got to know her and all the coaches there pretty well. She let us know they were playing there so I went and watched. My goodness does Minnesota have some physicality. Big, athletic girls at pretty much every position. Very disciplined blocking. Need to shore up their serve receive but if they do that they'll be back contending for a conference and national title again. Have never met Hughe but have heard great things about him. He definitely knows his stuff and has the very focused, yet you could see he also kept the mood pretty light.

[StillAWarrior]

So it sounds like they should have a really solid recruiting class overall then?

Yes, it's a good class.  Orf is really a nice player and a proven winner (although my daughter finally broke through and beat her for the first time this spring  ).  Lots of players coming in, and definitely some good ones.  Marquette will be strong.

You heading to Columbus this weekend?  My wife called today and asked me if I wanted to go (we're going to be in Columbus anyway for a VB tournament).  I left it up to my kids to decide if we'll stay for the NCAA match, but I'd like to.

[wadesworld]

Yes, it's a good class.  Orf is really a nice player and a proven winner (although my daughter finally broke through and beat her for the first time this spring  ).  Lots of players coming in, and definitely some good ones.  Marquette will be strong.

You heading to Columbus this weekend?  My wife called today and asked me if I wanted to go (we're going to be in Columbus anyway for a VB tournament).  I left it up to my kids to decide if we'll stay for the NCAA match, but I'd like to.

Outstanding on getting one on a team that has been tough to get to.  And on Marquette having a good recruiting class.  I was skeptical about the coaching hire after Bond left (for no real reason honestly, didn't know enough about the staff but just was skeptical), but it looks like it's been working out well so far.

I will not be in Columbus this weekend unfortunately.  This is the first time in a long time I have no connections whatsoever to any of the teams out there.  Have coached against some of the kids playing on each team, but never coached any of the players and don't have any type of relationship with any of the coaches.  Was hoping UCI snuck in but Hawaii was the hot team in the MPSF down the stretch.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Hope she's good enough to replace Louis.

[wadesworld]

Somewhere Chicos is trying to tell anyone who will listen that BYU was the better team and just had one or two bounces go against them for the second sweep loss in a row.

Serve and pass game.  OSU serves so dang tough, and BYU passes so dang badly.  Szerszens is really, really good.  His serve is international level good, very smart offensively, and he doesn't wow you with ridiculous digs out of the zone, but he is so, so good at staying middle/middle defensively and just making one move for a dig.  While most middle back defenders at just about every level get really antsy back there and are moving all over the place based on where the set is going, he is as good as I've seen at the college level at just relaxing, letting the play play out, trusting his wing defenders, and digging the balls that are diggable.  The other middle back defenders that are running all over the place might make one extra outstanding dig every match that Szerszens wouldn't, but Szerszens makes 5-10 that the other players wouldn't make just by standing where he should be.

Having a consistent right side option that can also play defense is absolutely huge too.  Patch is so good offensively but sooooo bad defensively.  Even blocking he's pretty poor.  Johnson being available and consistent offensively just spreads the block so much.

BYU's passers let their hips fly forward so fast.  They don't get an early read on the serve, are slow to react, and then let the ball get into their body and everything flies straight up as their hips fly forward.

5 of the last 7 NCAA titles to the MIVA/midwest.  Pretty remarkable.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Wades and I may not agree on football, but I think I can speak for both of us when we're all about that Midwest domination in volleyball. Ain'na?

[wadesworld]

Wades and I may not agree on football, but I think I can speak for both of us when we're all about that Midwest domination in volleyball. Ain'na?