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Post by mydearwatson on Dec 1, 2006 21:44:32 GMT -5
Well, it is official. The University of Wisconsin played as a TEAM, played well and won the first round. I am so proud, being an alum and all.
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Post by rudepa on Dec 1, 2006 22:00:47 GMT -5
Well, it is official. The University of Wisconsin played as a TEAM, played well and won the first round. I am so proud, being an alum and all. I don't think Simpson played that poorly... she ended with a double double, had 17 assists per game, and the team hit .325% She didn't get much help with all of the shanked passes and poor free ball plays, but when she had something to work with she made it happen. Megan Mills didn't have a great match... she shanked many passes, and in the first game Waite subbed Dolgner out for her and I have no idea why. Dolgner was hitting really well from the backrow, but Carlini saw many more sets back there than Brittney. In games two and three Waite left Dolgner in the back and she played well... several key digs, few bad passes, and a nice backrow attack option.
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Post by bucky415 on Dec 2, 2006 0:51:45 GMT -5
It was a really inconsistent performance from the Badgers tonight. They made a lot of good plays and several season highlight reel type plays but then would turn around and look bad for a while. I thought the back row play left something to be desired for Wisconsin. The passing was inconsistent, although it was very good in the extra points in the first game, fortunately. They also didn't have very good ball control. Part of that might have been due to the block, which didn't get as many touches as usual. Reineke was frustrated at times but then started to take over late in the third game, putting down several kills and dominating the net on the block. Again, like a lot of other things for the Badgers, the blocking was all or nothing a lot of the time tonight.
Notre Dame deserves credit for pushing the Badgers tonight. They were better than I thought they would be tonight. They served tough, made some nice digs (especially Herndon), and did a pretty good job of attacking the seams in the Badger defense. I think the 6-2 worked pretty well for them, as they were able to run the right side quite a bit and keep the Badgers off balance. The Irish also didn't make all that many mistakes for a team that is so young, although some breakdowns did hurt them late in the second game. Their passing was pretty clutch late in the first game. I thought Stasiuk was pretty good for Notre Dame tonight; she isn't the biggest player, but she finds ways to score if there are any weaknesses in the defense and serves tough.
I hope that the NCAA puts these teams in different brackets next year, assuming both make the tournament, because three years in a row is enough.
The biggest difference between the two teams tonight was in their size and power at the net. I know that Notre Dame's freshmen are highly regarded, and they did do some nice things tonight, but the Irish aren't that big as a group, so they will need to be on their game to get back to where they want to be in the future. The loss of Herndon will hurt them, as she was impressive in the two matches I saw them play this season. If you aren't the biggest team, ball control is crucial. Notre Dame was able to hang in the match tonight when they were in system, doing a good job of hitting around the Badger defense. The problem for them was that Wisconsin was hitting over them when they managed to get in system. Dolgner was basically unstoppable when she was one on one, and she even did well when the poor Badger ball control forced them into the all Dolgner, all the time offense in the second game (that isn't a good sign for Wisconsin, even though she has carried them to victory at times). Jeffers also had some sick kills in the match, getting really hot at the end of game three. Basically, when she got a good set, she was hitting over people. Simpson made some really nice sets and two great plays in hitter coverage, but she also had quite a few off sets, which led to the majority of the Badger hitting errors. Notre Dame really wasn't able to stop the Badgers often when they were in system and connecting well.
It wasn't the prettiest of efforts tonight for the Badgers, but they advanced, which is what matters. There was a good crowd on hand even with the snow that fell earier in the day (I am glad we missed out on the blizzard that hit much of the midwest). I hope the Badgers can be more consistent tomorrow night. It would be great if Bladow and Carlini would have big nights in their last home match; both struggled at times tonight. I think the Badgers match up pretty well with the Cyclones, but they don't want to be forced into going left side all night. ISU's block is pretty solid, although I think the Badgers will have an advantage at the net because they are bigger and jump higher. They will need to find an answer for Iowa State's middles, who clearly have the capability to score on Wisconsin. I think the Badgers will elevate their game and win tomorrow night. I just hope there isn't too much tension for the home crowd. Tonight's match was a bit dicey at times.
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