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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:14:25 GMT -5
Hagglund is a joy to watch, she picks up everything that comes near her and passes well. She'll definitely be a candidate for the Olympic team down the road (or maybe sooner than we think...) Hagglund is a stud, looking forward to seeing her the next two seasons at USC. 2 more years of a great player plus Olgard, Shaw and players waiting their turn to play. USC will be a really good club again next year.
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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:15:18 GMT -5
Illinois had two great outsides and USC had one, that's the difference. FF may have made a difference.
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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:16:45 GMT -5
A few random thoughts of mine (I watched only 1/2 of 3rd, 4th and 5th sets): a) A. Jupiter - what a player. I'm not able to recall other NCAA players in the last decade that could take single handedly over a decisive game besides D Hooker and S Gordon. My, she was so-o-o close to take over this one .... Sarah Pavan could do this also.
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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:22:27 GMT -5
Special thanks to Hagglund and Beltran for putting on a showcase of how that position can be played and how important it is! Hagglund is starting to make forget about Nicole Davis.
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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:24:27 GMT -5
If USC was beat down it was for one reason only: Haley's insistence on running his offenses through a single hitter. No other hitters stepped it up.
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Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2011 12:26:44 GMT -5
Let's face it, a few different breaks on just a couple key plays here or there and Hawaii, Pepperdine, or USC would be playing UCLA Saturday. I don't think anyone could call those losses clear-cut, no-doubt-which-team-is-better matches. I agree. Pepperdine or Hawai`i with a couple of key plays should have been in the FF.
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Post by karellen on Dec 16, 2011 12:30:46 GMT -5
I thought outside hitters for both teams did a good job. Illini kid is a monster.
Difference I noticed on TV (did it look the same to anyone else or in person) - Illinois seemed to track down more balls that went off the court after initial contact. Seemed to chase more and keep more in play. USC also did a very good job defensively, but they seemed less able to do this.
I have no hard evidence or stats to back this up, just a gut reaction while watching the match.
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Post by smiley on Dec 16, 2011 12:34:37 GMT -5
All season one of IL's highest priorities is to keep rallies going. It's defense first.
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Post by memorybankrupt on Dec 16, 2011 12:43:31 GMT -5
Congrats to Illinois. They were the better team - at least the more complete team. I'm proud of the way Jupiter was able to fight back again. These last three teams have really focused all their attention on her to try to stop her. Unfortunately, the rest of the other pin hitters and Olgard didn't step up offensively. USC sorta lives and dies by Jupiter (and Fuller). If they don't step up, the Trojans can't get enough offensive production to win. I'm glad Williams had a nice showing in her final collegiate match.
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Post by vbkid111 on Dec 16, 2011 12:57:45 GMT -5
A few random thoughts of mine (I watched only 1/2 of 3rd, 4th and 5th sets): a) A. Jupiter - what a player. I'm not able to recall other NCAA players in the last decade that could take single handedly over a decisive game besides D Hooker and S Gordon. My, she was so-o-o close to take over this one .... Sarah Pavan could do this also. On the above thought,... 1. Had not Hagglund almost "single-handedly" willed her team to take the last few points in game one, Illinois might have had a 3-game sweep on their hands. Those digs she made in the closing points of game 1 (when Jupiter couldn't find the floor) to help close it out were almost unreal. Beltran not far behind. Neither got the credit they deserved from the announcers. 2. You almost knew Jupiter was going to heat up eventually, but near the end of game 4, it looked as though her counterpart, Ward, was finally going to tire: she finished that sets with some easily dug swings and at least two consecutive errors. But no...she came back strong as ever in the 5th. 3. Jupiter as potential POY brings up some thoughts. Yes, she can take over a match (as many big hitters have before her) and much of her play is straight-up jaw-dropping, but geez... Her defense is, well, pedestrian, her serve receive got her team in trouble again (as Haley had to pull her once and hide her more than a few times), and her lack of an adequate block was the ultimate finisher for USC in the 5th as IL repeatedly hammered away at her on the right-side, often looking like they were ripping against no block. This time Hagglund couldn't come up with the digs to save them like she did in game 1. Ahh...I'm just being picky. She is an amazing attacker. Incredible motor.
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Post by NebraskaVBfan93 on Dec 16, 2011 13:14:44 GMT -5
The Nebraska announcer did a great job at pronouncing names and just doing the announcing at the game tonight, even if he didn't get to say "Mancuuusoooo"! What's up with that? Didn't he do the FF last year too? Don't get me wrong, I think Steve is great at what he does, but are there not any local announcers equipped to do the job?
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Post by beachman on Dec 16, 2011 13:17:40 GMT -5
Jupiter's play was poor on the serve receive and the passing, and her serving was suspect and her hitting sporadic....all in all she had a sub par performance tonight....it will be ironic if she gets POY! She could have taken charge of this match and she didn't! UMM, Alex Jupiter is the reason why there was a set 5. Of USC's last 10 points in the 4th set, Alex had 8 kills. She finished with 32 kills. Sure, she didn't post 20+ digs like she did last weekend, but she was the only one who stepped it up as a go to player late. Come on. Fuller could have taken charge but she didn't either. Williams wasn't clutch late. Give me a break. USC didn't play good as a team but Jupiter had a good performance. 32 kills! Jupiter is a GREAT PLAYER but unfortunately for U$C she started late in this match and had she played the first 2 games like she played the last three this match would have been over in 3 not 5. That was my only point. She looked nervous, or tired, or distracted, or something but she was not playing up to her ability during the first two games, and I am talking more about her play other than hitting. That is all.....every coach in America would love to have a Jupiter in their line-up
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Dec 16, 2011 13:32:37 GMT -5
I think it's interesting that USC actually has more kills, a better hitting percentage, a stronger middle attack, and the same number of digs in this match than they did @ Hawaii, yet some on here are saying that USC didnt bring their A game in this match, whereas the Hawaii match was their best effort... ummmm ok Frankly, the USC that showed up to the post season just wasn't the same team that plowed through the Pac-12. In too much of their past few matches they shown big bouts of inconsistency, and that just didn't happen for much of the conference season. The blocking will disappear, the passing goes south, nobody but jupiter scores....these just weren't things that were happening a couple weeks ago when USC took it to UCLA, @ UCLA. Just shut up and eat crow, doof!
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Post by smiley on Dec 16, 2011 13:34:53 GMT -5
UMM, Alex Jupiter is the reason why there was a set 5. Of USC's last 10 points in the 4th set, Alex had 8 kills. She finished with 32 kills. Sure, she didn't post 20+ digs like she did last weekend, but she was the only one who stepped it up as a go to player late. Come on. Fuller could have taken charge but she didn't either. Williams wasn't clutch late. Give me a break. USC didn't play good as a team but Jupiter had a good performance. 32 kills! Jupiter is a GREAT PLAYER but unfortunately for U$C she started late in this match and had she played the first 2 games like she played the last three this match would have been over in 3 not 5. That was my only point. She looked nervous, or tired, or distracted, or something but she was not playing up to her ability during the first two games, and I am talking more about her play other than hitting. That is all.....every coach in America would love to have a Jupiter in their line-up Excuse me, I hate to interrupt with some facts but USC LOST 2 of the 3 sets when Jupiter WAS hot and won one where she wasn't. Jupiter may end up as POY and I won't argue that but one person doesn't win or lose a match. Your argument is lacking in facts.
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Post by cyclonesbigfan on Dec 16, 2011 13:37:55 GMT -5
Let's face it, a few different breaks on just a couple key plays here or there and Hawaii, Pepperdine, or USC would be playing UCLA Saturday. I don't think anyone could call those losses clear-cut, no-doubt-which-team-is-better matches. I agree. Pepperdine or Hawai`i with a couple of key plays should have been in the FF. You have to add ISU to that list. Many have observed that we didn't play as well against FSU as we did against Minnesota.
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