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Post by mnsports255 on Aug 13, 2014 1:01:40 GMT -5
Hey Gopher fans, New poster here! Please be gentle. Haha. I am still completely vexed as to how the season could possibly play out for the Gophers this year. My optimism always runs high for this team, but there are still some question marks. Does anyone think we will have any players with 400+ kills over the length of the season? Right now, I am thinking we might not. Just a gut feeling. I honestly see Santana, Wilhite, Goehner, and possibly Nora and H.Tapp clumped together very closely over much of the season with regards to attacks. I'm thinking we'll have a lot of the players in the 300~ kill range or so. How it will ultimately play out is anyone's guess. I am extremely excited to find out. Also, Alyssa Goehner is just not 5'11". Sorry. 5'10" or 9" is more like it, realistically. Regardless, I am sure she will come out swinging and ready to play. Libero: Hmmm. Very excited to see what Rosado can do as a freshman. I kind of have a hunch that Bohl will be our starting libero, at least early in the season, possibly with Rosado as a DS. Not saying that Bohl is necessarily better, but more experienced with the BIG10 and the Gophers as a whole. Plus, she's a captain, so there might be some leverage there. She carried us through the spring season at the libero position, after all. If what has been said of Rosado turns out to true, I could easily see her taking over the libero spot later (or even early?) in the season. Hoping to see Brittany Jack get some DS action this year as well. Setter: Oh man. Two excellent (honestly excellent!) setters. Not sure what's going to happen here. I love Handley's height and the fact that she is a leftie. Plus, she has a ton of experience from last season with Syracuse, not to mention playing in years past with several of the current Gophers on various squads. Schau is just so good. I swear she is taller than 5'8" - she sure plays that way. She is awfully athletic as well and might be even more technically proficient than Handley. We'll see. This is all stuff that people have mentioned here before, I know, but just stuff that has been kind of simmering on my mind over the past few weeks as I wait for the season to begin. Hopefully this will get this particular board going again. I really see a lot of talent on this team. Losing our seniors from last year is obviously leaving big shoes to fill, but hopefully the team (particularly Goehner, Wilhite, and the Tapps) can rise to the challenge. Welcome to VT! I've been a member for 3 years now (since I was 14), and this is thee site to talk volleyball, so you've come to the right place! ----------------------------------------- -I think everyone who knows Goehner well understands she's about 5'10. Height isn't on her side, but she's extremely athletic, has a heavy arm, and is a huge asset on the court because of her passing/defense. Does it mean she becomes the 2nd LS behind Daly? We'll see. I hope so though! -Regarding the Libero spot: I could end up being wrong, but I think Rosado does what she does here in the preseason practices, wows Hugh, and takes the Libero job right off the bat. I'd be surprised if it were Bohl come the Notre Dame match on the 29th. -I also really like Handley, and whoever wins the setter battle will have the hitters in good hands this season. It should be a very interesting year, and I'm super excited (with expectations slightly tempered of course).
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 13, 2014 7:06:27 GMT -5
i got to see lindsey lawmaster play at los alamitos, but see she is no longer on the roster. was she not good enough at the university level ? I believe she transferred back to Long Beach State. Not sure of the reasoning, but guessing she wanted to be closer to home. I think Lindsey did a pretty nice job for Minnesota last year. She definitely made tangible improvements over her freshman year with her platform and reading. Not to mention, she brought a ton of energy and positivity to the court for us.
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 13, 2014 7:30:54 GMT -5
Hey Gopher fans, New poster here! Please be gentle. Haha. I am still completely vexed as to how the season could possibly play out for the Gophers this year. My optimism always runs high for this team, but there are still some question marks. Does anyone think we will have any players with 400+ kills over the length of the season? Right now, I am thinking we might not. Just a gut feeling. I honestly see Santana, Wilhite, Goehner, and possibly Nora and H.Tapp clumped together very closely over much of the season with regards to attacks. I'm thinking we'll have a lot of the players in the 300~ kill range or so. How it will ultimately play out is anyone's guess. I am extremely excited to find out. Also, Alyssa Goehner is just not 5'11". Sorry. 5'10" or 9" is more like it, realistically. Regardless, I am sure she will come out swinging and ready to play. Libero: Hmmm. Very excited to see what Rosado can do as a freshman. I kind of have a hunch that Bohl will be our starting libero, at least early in the season, possibly with Rosado as a DS. Not saying that Bohl is necessarily better, but more experienced with the BIG10 and the Gophers as a whole. Plus, she's a captain, so there might be some leverage there. She carried us through the spring season at the libero position, after all. If what has been said of Rosado turns out to true, I could easily see her taking over the libero spot later (or even early?) in the season. Hoping to see Brittany Jack get some DS action this year as well. Setter: Oh man. Two excellent (honestly excellent!) setters. Not sure what's going to happen here. I love Handley's height and the fact that she is a leftie. Plus, she has a ton of experience from last season with Syracuse, not to mention playing in years past with several of the current Gophers on various squads. Schau is just so good. I swear she is taller than 5'8" - she sure plays that way. She is awfully athletic as well and might be even more technically proficient than Handley. We'll see. This is all stuff that people have mentioned here before, I know, but just stuff that has been kind of simmering on my mind over the past few weeks as I wait for the season to begin. Hopefully this will get this particular board going again. I really see a lot of talent on this team. Losing our seniors from last year is obviously leaving big shoes to fill, but hopefully the team (particularly Goehner, Wilhite, and the Tapps) can rise to the challenge. Welcome to VT! I've been a member for 3 years now (since I was 14), and this is thee site to talk volleyball, so you've come to the right place! ----------------------------------------- -I think everyone who knows Goehner well understands she's about 5'10. Height isn't on her side, but she's extremely athletic, has a heavy arm, and is a huge asset on the court because of her passing/defense. Does it mean she becomes the 2nd LS behind Daly? We'll see. I hope so though! -Regarding the Libero spot: I could end up being wrong, but I think Rosado does what she does here in the preseason practices, wows Hugh, and takes the Libero job right off the bat. I'd be surprised if it were Bohl come the Notre Dame match on the 29th. -I also really like Handley, and whoever wins the setter battle will have the hitters in good hands this season. It should be a very interesting year, and I'm super excited (with expectations slightly tempered of course). I agree with you on Goehner. There is almost no doubt in my mind that she will be on of our top attackers/all-around players. She'll be okay even with her height - whatever it is. She is extremely athletic and a great jumper who should be a good six-rotation player for us in no time. I am still excited to see who will grab the libero spot. As of now I still know very little about Rosado, other than what I can read on the roster bio. I gather that she is extremely athletic and competitive, however -- I am thinking like a Jessica Granquist-type. It will be interesting to see how often we bring in a defensive specialist this season. I am wondering if the Tapps and Nora will play through the back row. Time will tell (again). Like you, I am trying to keep my expectations realistic - we are a very young team with a few question marks at different positions - but hopefully everyone can find their "places" quickly. Good to hear from you!
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Post by sulo on Aug 13, 2014 8:34:22 GMT -5
I am sorry to see Lawmaster leave. I thought the expectations for her were unrealistically high and that she played ok her freshman year. I thought she improved(as I had expected) and stepped up nicely last year to play well.
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 13, 2014 8:58:37 GMT -5
I am sorry to see Lawmaster leave. I thought the expectations for her were unrealistically high and that she played ok her freshman year. I thought she improved(as I had expected) and stepped up nicely last year to play well. Completely agree.
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Post by mnsports255 on Aug 13, 2014 13:26:03 GMT -5
"I agree with you on Goehner. There is almost no doubt in my mind that she will be on of our top attackers/all-around players. She'll be okay even with her height - whatever it is. She is extremely athletic and a great jumper who should be a good six-rotation player for us in no time.
I am still excited to see who will grab the libero spot. As of now I still know very little about Rosado, other than what I can read on the roster bio. I gather that she is extremely athletic and competitive, however -- I am thinking like a Jessica Granquist-type. It will be interesting to see how often we bring in a defensive specialist this season. I am wondering if the Tapps and Nora will play through the back row. Time will tell (again).
Like you, I am trying to keep my expectations realistic - we are a very young team with a few question marks at different positions - but hopefully everyone can find their "places" quickly. Good to hear from you!"-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I strongly believe Goehner can and will be a solid 6-rotation outside for us this season. But Wilhite has experience and size, and is also a strong passer and server which throws a twist in things. Both will find ways to get on the court regardless, so I'm not too worried. Dalianliz has extensive experience in international play, so she's coming in more prepared than the average freshman. She's ready to make an impact. I'm also wondering about the DS situation. How often will we use it? Nora definitely won't play the back row, and Hannah probably won't besides the on her service turn (she will definitely serve). *sorry, the quote button didn't work for some reason, so I had to use italics
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 13, 2014 13:47:28 GMT -5
"I agree with you on Goehner. There is almost no doubt in my mind that she will be on of our top attackers/all-around players. She'll be okay even with her height - whatever it is. She is extremely athletic and a great jumper who should be a good six-rotation player for us in no time.
I am still excited to see who will grab the libero spot. As of now I still know very little about Rosado, other than what I can read on the roster bio. I gather that she is extremely athletic and competitive, however -- I am thinking like a Jessica Granquist-type. It will be interesting to see how often we bring in a defensive specialist this season. I am wondering if the Tapps and Nora will play through the back row. Time will tell (again).
Like you, I am trying to keep my expectations realistic - we are a very young team with a few question marks at different positions - but hopefully everyone can find their "places" quickly. Good to hear from you!"-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I strongly believe Goehner can and will be a solid 6-rotation outside for us this season. But Wilhite has experience and size, and is also a strong passer and server which throws a twist in things. Both will find ways to get on the court regardless, so I'm not too worried. Dalianliz has extensive experience in international play, so she's coming in more prepared than the average freshman. She's ready to make an impact. I'm also wondering about the DS situation. How often will we use it? Nora definitely won't play the back row, and Hannah probably won't besides the on her service turn (she will definitely serve). *sorry, the quote button didn't work for some reason, so I had to use italics I agree with you on Wilhite. She seems to fall into the shadows sometimes behind the likes of Wittman, Santana, and now Goehner, but I firmly believe (as you do) that she will be a regular and reliable presence on the court. She seems like the type of player that a coach can just put on the court and not worry about. I really think right-side was not a great fit for her last year, so it will be nice to see her playing outside again now that RS is covered.
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 13, 2014 13:50:57 GMT -5
Also, I am really looking forward to the upcoming scrimmage for the Gophers as well. It will be great to get a glimpse as to how things might unfold and how all of the new players actually play together. You can bet that I will be posting a report on here when the time comes!
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 14, 2014 21:25:25 GMT -5
Nora and H.Tapp named preseason All BIG10! Hannah is going to have a breakthrough of a year. Seems like a good leader already at her young age, also.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 11:34:59 GMT -5
Nora and H.Tapp named preseason All BIG10! Hannah is going to have a breakthrough of a year. Seems like a good leader already at her young age, also. Where is the preseason Big10 list?
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Post by alpacaone on Aug 15, 2014 11:43:03 GMT -5
Nora and H.Tapp named preseason All BIG10! Hannah is going to have a breakthrough of a year. Seems like a good leader already at her young age, also. Where is the preseason Big10 list? About five threads down on the women's main page. Not too surprising Santana was left off it. She will have to play her way on it If they hope to finish higher than that.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 11:59:40 GMT -5
She's more valuable than Tapp or Nora, however, as good as those two may be. Polls like this consistently overlook all-around players.
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Post by alpacaone on Aug 15, 2014 12:05:04 GMT -5
She's more valuable than Tapp or Nora, however, as good as those two may be. Polls like this consistently overlook all-around players. True, I feel she has a better All B1G potential than Nora. However, Daly hit about .165 during Conference last year, which I'm certain wasn't overlooked.
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Post by craftylefty on Aug 15, 2014 12:55:38 GMT -5
She's more valuable than Tapp or Nora, however, as good as those two may be. Polls like this consistently overlook all-around players. True, I feel she has a better All B1G potential than Nora. However, Daly hit about .165 during Conference last year, which I'm certain wasn't overlooked. Right. Daly's issue has been consistency. I will admit that more often than not, she was MN's go-to hitter for precarious out-of-system situations, which may explain part of her low hitting percentage. There were other times, though, particularly early last season when she just didn't make the best hitting choices. My biggest beef with her was her serving in tight situations, particularly for game point. For the love of God, don't take a chance with launching a rocket to the moon - dial it back a bit and play it safe. Hopefully she has a more mild serve somewhere in her arsenal. Anyway, there is little question that Daly will again be a go-to hitter for us this year. Hopefully passing can be cleaned up this year which will actually allow some decent sets to her. Likewise, hopefully her on-the-spot decision making can improve as well. I really like her as a player and am so glad to have her in Minnesota. Maybe she will end up as a Big10 selection if things keep moving in the right direction...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 13:19:46 GMT -5
For the love of God, don't take a chance with launching a rocket to the moon - dial it back a bit and play it safe. Hopefully she has a more mild serve somewhere in her arsenal. She has a more mild serve when she doesn't jump; however, it would have been a coaching decision to continue having her jump serve on set/match points. The fact that she didn't change her serving style for those points isn't something to be frustrated with her about. The coaches felt that they had a better chance of scoring with that serve than if they had her send over an easy serve that would surely result in a kill for the opponent. (Also, there's always the chance that her more mild serve would still go in the net or out of bounds, which would make that change even more pointless.)
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