Hard Hitters?

[BearClause]

baywatcher said:

Hana Cutera at Cal hits very hard; I never saw any of the older ladies talked about. At the Cal scrimmage this fall Hana took turns treating the new frosh DS's like bowling pins; welcome to D1 ball. I would agree about the block; I think hitters have to think and plan against more teams now with talent more abundant and spread out in the taller ladies.

Sometimes she does seem to just "grip it and rip it". Often it's really hard for blockers/diggers to control, but at other times it's just blocked back harder than she hit it. She's showing a wider repotoire, which should help her keep blockers and defenders honest. Honestly - I think Angie Pressey hits the ball almost as hard, but you're paying more attention to her leaping that her extremely good form.

Last year Hana hit one out of bounds at Pacific in game 2 (down a game and trailing badly in G2). While it resulted in a Pacific point, the whole building just stood in awe of how hard that was hit. It sounded like a gunshot. She was struggling mightily, but that the team rallied after that hit.

www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=21407

It was perhaps the play of the game, and it didn't even score a point.

For that matter, it wasn't even in-bounds.

When freshman outside hitter Hana Cutura unleashed the fury on a Pacific volley late in Game 2 of the Cal volleyball team's 3-2 win, the ball missed the mark and landed out. Normally, such a heavy hit missing its target is a letdown-a momentum killer. Not this time.

"It was such an incredible hit," junior Angie Pressey said. "I screamed. I didn't even care the ball was out, no one really cared that the ball was out-it was just so incredible. We took the momentum from that and carried it into that third game."

[LanaiBoy]

Hey, don't forget Heather Bown, who was the hardest hitting middle in Hawaii's history.

[pineapple]

yes, she was. She is playing for the national team. that's how good she is.

I list only short ones because VB coach who started this thread talked about how hard they hit.

[bunnywailer]

lanaiboy said:

Hey, don't forget Heather Bown, who was the hardest hitting middle in Hawaii's history.

Nope. Kee Williams hit the ball harder than Bown.

Paola Paz-Soldan from Fresno State, early 90's, hit a big 'ole cement ball.

[Pipe Attack]

Paola Paz-Soldan (sp) actually played for San Jose State. Don't ask me how I remember (as she played when i was in intermediate school). But Kee Williams hit harder than she did. Whoa, but that year, the Big West had some bombers ... including Nichelle Burton for Long Beach.

But I remember, the 94 match between Long Beach and Hawaii, Kee hit this ball so hard down the line, it actually curved when they showed it on replay. And it was amazing, being that Kee was only 5'10"!!

[kolohekeiki]

Actually Paola Paz-Soldan started her career at Fresno State then transfered to San Jose State.

Kee Williams was no doubt the hardest hitter for the Wahine, but at times was a bit inconsistent where Shoji had to yank her from the line-up.

Another hitter that hit with authority that I liked for the Wahine was Kenyatta Lovelace. She was only 5-8, but she was able to sky and put balls down.

[pineapple]

bunnywailer said:

lanaiboy said:

Hey, don't forget Heather Bown, who was the hardest hitting middle in Hawaii's history.

Nope. Kee Williams hit the ball harder than Bown.

Paola Paz-Soldan from Fresno State, early 90's, hit a big 'ole cement ball.

Hey, 28 skynrd, Lanaiboy said hardest hitting Middle. Kee played OH.

[pineapple]

kolohekeiki said:

Actually Paola Paz-Soldan started her career at Fresno State then transfered to San Jose State.

Kee Williams was no doubt the hardest hitter for the Wahine, but at times was a bit inconsistent where Shoji had to yank her from the line-up.

Another hitter that hit with authority that I liked for the Wahine was Kenyatta Lovelace. She was only 5-8, but she was able to sky and put balls down.

Yes, she was good. Kanani Herring is an inch taller. Next year she'll be like her.

[kolohekeiki]

pineapple said:

bunnywailer said:

Nope. Kee Williams hit the ball harder than Bown.

Paola Paz-Soldan from Fresno State, early 90's, hit a big 'ole cement ball.

Hey, 28 skynrd, Lanaiboy said hardest hitting Middle. Kee played OH.

Kee Williams played middle the first two years of her career and then I believe she was moved to the outside her junior and senior year...I might be wrong but I know she was a middle blocker her first two years.

[pineapple]

ok, she was.

[pineapple]

SHe would have been AA but she was hurt her senior year, I believe.

[kolohekeiki]

she definitely deserved all-American honors, but she was hampered with injuries the last half of her career...I believe she had shin problems and shoulder problems.

I still remember that match against Stanford in 1991 when she put down 31 kills I believe...it wasn't all power either, there were lots of finesse shots and smart hits...but Stanford couldn't solve her at all.

[VBCOACH]

brybry said:

duh2 said:

The difference between then and now is the block...I am sure that these girls hit the shizzle out of tachikara (or whatever ball they used then) but they certainly didn't have the 6 foot 2 plus block in their face like today's game. If you are smaller and can bang that's awesome but when you have a 6-foot triple block in your face the ball's going come back pretty quick. Today's game is played higher above the net. The little firey ones like Pressey are fun to watch though:)

Another one to add Demetria Sance of Texas? She could bang.

Well, if the blockers are taller doesn't that mean the hitters are also taller? I would think that would be a wash. I wonder if the difference might be early instruction of technique. A lot of the US players have really crappy arm swing technique compared to their international counter parts.

I think you might have it. This makes sense.

P. S. to duh2: There is no block during warm-ups.

[bunnywailer]

Ok, so for the record, the current score in this thread regarding UH Wahine volleyball and Big West trivia is:

Me 2

The rest of the UH Wahine fans 0

Come on, you guys are getting shown up by a dorkwad like me who isn't even a core UH Wahine fan.

;D

[BOTE]

The problem is that VBCOACH was watching a Northwestern/Michigan State match where neither team has a qualified banger. I tend to agree with the theory that todays players are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, thus the block is bigger, defense is faster and so on. perhaps what was considered to be a wealth of power hitters 15 years ago would not be more than average today. The game has changed.