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Post by holidayhusker on Oct 14, 2006 17:34:01 GMT -5
How are the Huskers doing???
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Post by GatorVball on Oct 14, 2006 17:37:01 GMT -5
27, 18, 21 sweep of CU
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Post by holidayhusker on Oct 14, 2006 17:39:07 GMT -5
Thank You Gator
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Post by gobigred on Oct 14, 2006 20:34:49 GMT -5
Jordan Larson had a particularly good match versus Colorado today. 17 kills and 10 digs in the 3-game sweep. I believe that's 9 double-doubles in a row and 13 total this year.
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Post by FreeBall on Oct 14, 2006 21:56:08 GMT -5
Jordan Larson had a particularly good match versus Colorado today. 17 kills and 10 digs in the 3-game sweep. I believe that's 9 double-doubles in a row and 13 total this year. Were you at the match? I was and thought that she had a fairly mediocre performance. In addition to the stats that you cite, she had 7 attack errors, most of which were missing the court by more than a little bit. The string of double-doubles is impressive, but I think Larson needs to perform with a higher level of consistency for the Huskers to make a deep run at the end of the season.
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Post by huskervbfan on Oct 14, 2006 22:20:28 GMT -5
Did you notice the trainer working on her right arm before the match and that she also kept kind of shaking it during the match. It looked like she was having some shoulder problems or something.
That aside, I think she has been pretty awesome this season. Not perfect every game by any stretch of the imagination but she is so steady for the most part. That many double-doubles when you know the blockers are stacking up against her is pretty darn good. She hit .270 which really isn't too bad for an OH and this is considered an off night for her.
The good news is the way that Stalls has elevated her game this season. She is hitting about .450 with something like 6 matches over .500. Today it was .571 with 12 kills and no errors.
The other good news is that the middles are really getting a lot of activity compared to earlier in the season. Today they got 36 attacks compared to 37 for Larson and 33 for Pavan. They also only had one hitting error and hit for a combinded .432.
If we can get that kind of production out of our middles and play the type of defense we have been lately, I think we have a very good chance of playing well into the tournament. Nothing is guaranteed of course but I certainly like our chances.
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Oct 14, 2006 22:22:50 GMT -5
Did you notice the trainer working on her right arm before the match and that she also kept kind of shaking it during the match. It looked like she was having some shoulder problems or something. Oh, I see the injury card has been used...trumps, drama queen.
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Post by plm on Oct 15, 2006 0:48:58 GMT -5
Did you notice the trainer working on her right arm before the match and that she also kept kind of shaking it during the match. It looked like she was having some shoulder problems or something. That aside, I think she has been pretty awesome this season. Not perfect every game by any stretch of the imagination but she is so steady for the most part. That many double-doubles when you know the blockers are stacking up against her is pretty darn good. She hit .270 which really isn't too bad for an OH and this is considered an off night for her. The good news is the way that Stalls has elevated her game this season. She is hitting about .450 with something like 6 matches over .500. Today it was .571 with 12 kills and no errors. The other good news is that the middles are really getting a lot of activity compared to earlier in the season. Today they got 36 attacks compared to 37 for Larson and 33 for Pavan. They also only had one hitting error and hit for a combinded .432. If we can get that kind of production out of our middles and play the type of defense we have been lately, I think we have a very good chance of playing well into the tournament. Nothing is guaranteed of course but I certainly like our chances. I wouldn't read too much into what may look like Larson having shoulder problems. She often times will shake her arm. I've seen her have her shoulder worked on between matches in high school when she played more than one match on the same night. After the match when the Match Club had their pizza party for the team Larson was one of the first players to appear and she didn't even have an ice pack on her shoulder like Gates did when she arrived.
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Post by highflyer on Oct 15, 2006 7:11:53 GMT -5
I fear for the Huskers. I think that Nebraska has a very good team, but I do not believe that they will be battle tested come tournament time. It has become obvious as this season has progressed that the Big 12 is not a very tough conference. Aside from Nebraska, and perhaps Texas, when they get things going, every other team is mediocre at best. Many teams are improved and they are very competitive amongst each other, but these are not teams that can compete with the top teams in the country. Yesterdays match against Colorado was awful. The Huskers basically sleep walked through the match. And they did so because they can. But this is the case against most teams in the conference. Missouri was supposed to be a test, but that match ended up being a joke. Hopefully, for the sake of the Huskers, Texas will come out with their "A" game and push Nebraska to the limit. Even if they lose, this is something that Nebraska needs badly. Don't get me wrong, I really believe that the Huskers are one of the top teams in the country, but this conference is doing them no favors when it comes to playing the likes of Washington, Stanford, UCLA, Penn State, etc. As the PAC 10 beat up on each other making each other better, the good teams in the other conferences are basically walking through their conferences. Because of this the PAC 10 have a decided advantage over every one else.
Speaking of Penn State. The Big 10 is better, but not by that much. Like the Big 12, they may be very competitive amongst each other, but realistically they are very similar to the Big 12 (Minnesota is probably legitimate, but the jury is still out). You have to wonder if Penn State will be ready for the big boys from the PAC 10 when the tournament rolls around.
For the record, I am not a fan of the PAC 10. Far from it. Just a personal observation on what I have seen during the first half of the season.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2006 9:36:50 GMT -5
I worry about the Big 12 not preparing Nebraska as well. Hopefully Texas comes to play, battle and thinks they can win and gives Nebraska the war they need. I also think Penn State will have the same problem, the slight difference being PSU is slightlly less experienced than the Huskers which may hurt them later. Yes Nebraska has freshman playing but I hardly count Holloway a freshman given her vast international experience.
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Post by Tex_VB_Fan on Oct 15, 2006 11:41:13 GMT -5
I fear for the Huskers. I think that Nebraska has a very good team, but I do not believe that they will be battle tested come tournament time. It has become obvious as this season has progressed that the Big 12 is not a very tough conference. Aside from Nebraska, and perhaps Texas, when they get things going, every other team is mediocre at best. Many teams are improved and they are very competitive amongst each other, but these are not teams that can compete with the top teams in the country. Yesterdays match against Colorado was awful. The Huskers basically sleep walked through the match. And they did so because they can. But this is the case against most teams in the conference. Missouri was supposed to be a test, but that match ended up being a joke. Hopefully, for the sake of the Huskers, Texas will come out with their "A" game and push Nebraska to the limit. Even if they lose, this is something that Nebraska needs badly. Don't get me wrong, I really believe that the Huskers are one of the top teams in the country, but this conference is doing them no favors when it comes to playing the likes of Washington, Stanford, UCLA, Penn State, etc. As the PAC 10 beat up on each other making each other better, the good teams in the other conferences are basically walking through their conferences. Because of this the PAC 10 have a decided advantage over every one else. Speaking of Penn State. The Big 10 is better, but not by that much. Like the Big 12, they may be very competitive amongst each other, but realistically they are very similar to the Big 12 (Minnesota is probably legitimate, but the jury is still out). You have to wonder if Penn State will be ready for the big boys from the PAC 10 when the tournament rolls around. For the record, I am not a fan of the PAC 10. Far from it. Just a personal observation on what I have seen during the first half of the season. Nebraska can also blame themselves for scheduling. Just about every if not all of their preseason games the last two seasons have been at home. Last year the AVCA brought them good teams, plus Penn State a second time. Minnesota comes to mind as their only away match preseason in 05 but that was not much of a test. Nebraska needs to hit the road and schedule some better teams away out of conference. Should be an interesting match this Wednesday at Texas. This will be Nebraska's first real test of the season. I'm picking Texas in 4. I would not worry about Penn State. They are the most physical team in the country. They are loaded and have some quality wins on the road; Texas and LSU. I expect them as the #1 seed overall and in the Final 4 without question.
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Post by highflyer on Oct 15, 2006 13:41:37 GMT -5
My midseason evaluation is as follows;
The top five teams in the country right now are (in no particular order):
Penn State Nebraska Washington UCLA Stanford
If the committee seeds the tournament properly, 4 of these five should make up the FF
Three of the following teams should make up the remainder of the Elite Eight
Texas Minnesota Florida USC
Everyone else is a pretender.
I have had the opportunity to see each of these teams play at least twice and quite frankly, these teams are the class of the field.
Those with an outside shot include:
Tennessee California Wisconsin
Don't concern yourself with this team beat that team (such as Kentucky over Tennessee). When it is all over with, this is what it will come to.
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Post by highflyer on Oct 15, 2006 14:02:58 GMT -5
Every team in the nation has holes.
The top 5 are all very similar in talent.
All have great setters: Spicer, Thompson, Kehoe, Holloway and Glass. Glass is probably the weakest of the bunch.
Outside hitters :
Stanford: Barboza and Richard Nebraska: Pavan and Larson Washington: Morrison and Mussie UCLA: Carter and Dailey Penn State: Fawcett and Hodge Tough to say who has the weakest pair.
Each has one very good middle:
Stanford: Folouke Nebraska: Stalls UCLA: Merriweather Washington: Deesing Penn State: Harmotto Deesing is probably the weakest one of this bunch.
Each has an outside hitter that is questionable and the other middle for each of these teams ranks far below the top middle.
Liberos are all comparable having strengths and weaknesses, but by and large, not a lot to choose from.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the PAC 10 teams have a decided edge in mental toughness. They are forced to be tough because it seems that every weekend is the start of a new war for these teams.
The toughest team that Nebraska has played this year is Minnesota so far. They play Texas this Wednesday, which is something that they sorely need. The Huskers need Texas to play well.
Penn State may not see a tough match until the second weekend of the tournament. By that time the Texas and LSU match will be all but forgotten.
Penn State and Nebraska are both great teams, but easy conference games could become their undoing.
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Post by StanfordFan on Oct 15, 2006 14:16:13 GMT -5
I would say that Stanford's second middle Girard is more than holding her own this season. You don't hear much about her because past seasons, she's been much less of a presence, but I've been very impressed with what I've seen so far this year. I think she's a genuine offensive threat that she never was before. If anything, Stanford's weakness is right side, and possibly libero, though Fischburn seems to have picked up her game. Every team in the nation has holes. The top 5 are all very similar in talent. All have great setters: Spicer, Thompson, Kehoe, Holloway and Glass. Glass is probably the weakest of the bunch. Outside hitters : Stanford: Barboza and Richard Nebraska: Pavan and Larson Washington: Morrison and Mussie UCLA: Carter and Dailey Penn State: Fawcett and Hodge Tough to say who has the weakest pair. Each has one very good middle: Stanford: Folouke Nebraska: Stalls UCLA: Merriweather Washington: Deesing Penn State: Harmotto Deesing is probably the weakest one of this bunch. Each has an outside hitter that is questionable and the other middle for each of these teams ranks far below the top middle. Liberos are all comparable having strengths and weaknesses, but by and large, not a lot to choose from. As I mentioned in a previous post, the PAC 10 teams have a decided edge in mental toughness. They are forced to be tough because it seems that every weekend is the start of a new war for these teams. The toughest team that Nebraska has played this year is Minnesota so far. They play Texas this Wednesday, which is something that they sorely need. The Huskers need Texas to play well. Penn State may not see a tough match until the second weekend of the tournament. By that time the Texas and LSU match will be all but forgotten. Penn State and Nebraska are both great teams, but easy conference games could become their undoing.
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Post by hwy101 on Oct 15, 2006 14:18:49 GMT -5
Every team in the nation has holes. Each has one very good middle: Stanford: Folouke Nebraska: Stalls UCLA: Merriweather Washington: Deesing Penn State: Harmotto Deesing is probably the weakest one of this bunch. Each has an outside hitter that is questionable and the other middle for each of these teams ranks far below the top middle. Franci Girard, Stanford's other midlle blocker has picked up her game the past 2 or 3 weeks and has been steady in the offense hitting for a very high percentage. In the matches against the LA schools she was at her best hitting and blocking. She is my pick for Pac-10 player of the week,
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