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Post by tnp101 on Apr 22, 2014 10:07:06 GMT -5
Wow, a lot of CdM alumni landed at Stanford. I think the Stanford coaching staff have done a wonderful job so far.
Now they just need to put all the jigsaws together to win the NCAA championship! Defense would be the key I think. Stanford in the past used to be such a formidable blocking team during Shaw's era. Now so during Dunning's era it seems.
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Post by wonderwarthog79 on Apr 22, 2014 22:00:10 GMT -5
Wow, a lot of CdM alumni landed at Stanford. I think the Stanford coaching staff have done a wonderful job so far. Now they just need to put all the jigsaws together to win the NCAA championship! Defense would be the key I think. Stanford in the past used to be such a formidable blocking team during Shaw's era. Now so during Dunning's era it seems. You are dead right about defense. Their defense was solid most of the year last year, but loses Wopat's block (her defense won't be missed!). I would expect them to be better this season.
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Post by geddyleeridesagain on Apr 23, 2014 0:08:36 GMT -5
Hodson would have to be really, really good to displace Howard at OH and push her to OPP. Hodson is really, really good.
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Post by paloalto on Apr 23, 2014 4:54:30 GMT -5
The Nebraska v. Stanford recruiting is fascinating. I know the great Nebraska support, crowds, facilities and love and enthusiasm for volleyball are a real draw, but Stanford can offer an alternative experience. I always thought Sarah Pavan, who I guess had a real negative trip to Stanford, would have fit in better at Stanford, where volleyball players sort of fit in with the rest of the very large contingent of athletes on campus, and she wouldn't have been the celebrity she seems to have been at Nebraska, which appears to have made her uncomfortable. Just a difference in styles, as I can see the Nebraska experience could be very attractive to a top notch volleyball player. Much bigger crowds and attention than Stanford, or SC, UCLA, etc. (But I would always take and recommend Stanford; great weather, great students, very nice college experience, Bay Area attractions around you; great place to go. Same for Cal, though that campus is more urban) Yeah, Fitzmorris or any other elite volleyball player won't be a celebrity at Stanford. She would be in an environment where the goofy guy living at the end of her dorm hall will be a future founder of the next Google, Yahoo, Hewlett Packard, etc. I don't if that has appeal to her or not. Fitzmorris likely would be a starter for Dunning from day one.
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Post by paloalto on Apr 27, 2014 2:42:31 GMT -5
Someone may have posted this previously and I missed it. Stanford is apparently playing in the AVCA Showcase tournament on August 29/30 at Nebraska. The other two teams tentatively are Iowa State and Florida State. My guess is Stanford will play Nebraska. It would be a good experience for the team to play before a large, hostile crowd. The teams I am aware of on Stanford's pre-conference schedule thus far are Penn State, Illinois, Nebraska, and either Iowa State or FSU.
Random video by Williams on her time at Stanford:
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Post by WahineFan44 on Apr 27, 2014 2:45:52 GMT -5
Someone may have posted this previously and I missed it. Stanford is apparently playing in the AVCA Showcase tournament on August 29/30 at Nebraska. The other two teams tentatively are Iowa State and Florida State. My guess is Stanford will play Nebraska. It would be a good experience for the team to play before a large, hostile crowd. The teams I am aware of on Stanford's pre-conference schedule thus far are Penn State, Illinois, Nebraska, and either Iowa State or FSU. Random video by Williams on her time at Stanford: That's a monster pre season schedule. If they can win all those matches, plus win the pac 12 (which they should), they should have no problem getting the number 1 seed.
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Post by paloalto on Apr 27, 2014 2:54:00 GMT -5
I am an optimistic fan but that is expecting too much. If Stanford can win some of those matches their RPI should be decent going into the conference season. One key factor will be whether or not Howard comes into fall practice in shape with a confident, aggressive hitting mentality.
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Post by bobbk on Apr 28, 2014 10:39:31 GMT -5
While understanding Howard and agressive hitting why did you mention in shape? She sure looks in great shape. Did something happen at the last Sand Game?
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Post by WahineFan44 on Apr 28, 2014 15:21:58 GMT -5
I am an optimistic fan but that is expecting too much. If Stanford can win some of those matches their RPI should be decent going into the conference season. One key factor will be whether or not Howard comes into fall practice in shape with a confident, aggressive hitting mentality. Honestly, Howard is not that bad. I think people say she needs to improve, because relative to her team, she looks like the "weakest" (and i put weakest in quotation marks because shes far from weak overall" howard had 304 kills, averaging 2.74 hitting .246. Those arent horrible numbers in the pac 12 and she actually hit a higher percentage than williams. She also edged out williams in blocking. Howard has things to improve on, but she definitely is a good player, and IMO gets too much heat. Shes an amazing player, but is just overshadowed at times by her AMAZING teammates
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Post by chisovnik on Apr 28, 2014 15:42:54 GMT -5
I am an optimistic fan but that is expecting too much. If Stanford can win some of those matches their RPI should be decent going into the conference season. One key factor will be whether or not Howard comes into fall practice in shape with a confident, aggressive hitting mentality. Honestly, Howard is not that bad. I think people say she needs to improve, because relative to her team, she looks like the "weakest" (and i put weakest in quotation marks because shes far from weak overall" howard had 304 kills, averaging 2.74 hitting .246. Those arent horrible numbers in the pac 12 and she actually hit a higher percentage than williams. She also edged out williams in blocking. Howard has things to improve on, but she definitely is a good player, and IMO gets too much heat. Shes an amazing player, but is just overshadowed at times by her AMAZING teammates I don't recall Howard every getting any "heat" from people on this board before the PSU match. If anything, she has gotten nothing but praise since her time at Stanford, especially for her backcourt skills.
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Post by WahineFan44 on Apr 28, 2014 16:01:30 GMT -5
Honestly, Howard is not that bad. I think people say she needs to improve, because relative to her team, she looks like the "weakest" (and i put weakest in quotation marks because shes far from weak overall" howard had 304 kills, averaging 2.74 hitting .246. Those arent horrible numbers in the pac 12 and she actually hit a higher percentage than williams. She also edged out williams in blocking. Howard has things to improve on, but she definitely is a good player, and IMO gets too much heat. Shes an amazing player, but is just overshadowed at times by her AMAZING teammates I don't recall Howard every getting any "heat" from people on this board before the PSU match. If anything, she has gotten nothing but praise since her time at Stanford, especially for her backcourt skills. Maybe heat was too harsh of a word. But people have commented that howard was the weak link last season, that she needs to improve for stanford to be successful etc. Overall, I just think shes just looked down at more because she surrounded by such a great team.
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Post by volleylearner on Apr 28, 2014 17:36:14 GMT -5
howard had 304 kills, averaging 2.74 hitting .246. Those arent horrible numbers in the pac 12 and she actually hit a higher percentage than williams. I don't want to pick sides here or criticize either player, but you should look at the numbers more carefully. In conference (numbers from pac-12.com), Howard hit .218 while Williams hit .254. Because Williams was more error-prone, the difference in kill/attack ratio is even larger: Howard's K/TA in-conference was .312, Williams .377.
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Post by WahineFan44 on Apr 28, 2014 17:54:11 GMT -5
howard had 304 kills, averaging 2.74 hitting .246. Those arent horrible numbers in the pac 12 and she actually hit a higher percentage than williams. I don't want to pick sides here or criticize either player, but you should look at the numbers more carefully. In conference (numbers from pac-12.com), Howard hit .218 while Williams hit .254. Because Williams was more error-prone, the difference in kill/attack ratio is even larger: Howard's K/TA in-conference was .312, Williams .377. True, but that's where Howard is better IMO. Williams coverts more on her kills, but Howard is less error prone. Plus Howard has spectacular back court play. Now, I won't say Howard or Williams were better. Both are very good players, but I just think Howard used to catch more criticism
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Post by volleylearner on Apr 28, 2014 19:49:30 GMT -5
True, but that's where Howard is better IMO. Williams coverts more on her kills, but Howard is less error prone. Plus Howard has spectacular back court play. Now, I won't say Howard or Williams were better. Both are very good players, but I just think Howard used to catch more criticism I don't think Howard's play in the back row is particularly relevant to the concerns people have had about her development as an OH. She has been competent as a passer and a pleasant surprise as a digger. My impression is that the concern has been about Howard's ability to terminate effectively, especially out-of-system, and in long rallies. Making fewer errors is always better at the same kill/attack ratio, but sometimes a player can become tentative when overly risk-averse. I think fans would like to see a significant increase in Howard's kill/attack ratio next year, and I don't think we would mind seeing a small increase in errors as part of that.
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Post by hammer on Apr 28, 2014 20:49:49 GMT -5
IMO, Howard needs two things to become a very good (dare I say elite) attacker. 1. Roughly a 5mph average increase in spike velocity when hitting seam or cross court. 2. An against the flow deep left corner shot like Klineman used so successfully her senior year. The deep corner shot doesn't need to be hit with much velocity -- it just needs good placement.
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