Post by badgerbreath on Aug 31, 2014 16:09:47 GMT -5
So...badgers swept two matches this weekend. I only get to see the (rather dicey) BTN feeds remotely from NY so my sense of the games may be different from what being their live would provide. But I thought we should take some stock as there seems there has been talk that UW is due for a step down after last years run. Sort of a regression to the mean argument. I understand the thinking, but I think it's a bit lazy. It rests partly on the assumption that we overperformed at the end of the season, because we have historically not been that good, and that we got an easy draw. Moreover, we have lost our main defensive player and a leader on the court. Motivation may also be a problem after such success. But it can also be easily argued that, given the talent at hand, we have routinely underperformed in recent seasons for whatever reason, and that the period before the NCAAs was actually the anomaly due to injuries and players acclimating to new roles and a new philosophy, and gaining new belief in the system and themselves. What did we learn from these matches, if anything, about what to expect?
The first match was a little dicey with attack performing well, arguably better than last year, but with some sloppy play and decidedly poor block and defense. I was concerned watching that match. It is a first game and you can expect some loose play, but complacency after last year's success is one of the main reasons we could suffer this year. However, after watching Louisville beat Minnesota, maybe we can chalk some of the issues down to UL being better than previously thought and/or also a bit of a mystery to coaches and players facing them for the first time with this personnel. They have a lot of new faces, a great leader in their setter, a good libero and some smart if undersized hitters...basically a team of Demes. We just didn't really seem to be clued in to what they were doing offensively and they didn't get overawed by the tough service game, though it caused them problems. Our concentration slipped a few times as well, allowing them some runs. But we still swept them pretty convincingly.
We were much better against Notre Dame on defense, and save for a few sloppy moments that one might expect for this time of year, the offense was really clicking again. This against a team that (apparently) gave Minnesota fits at the net the previous night. This performance really felt like last year's team, only with a lot more offensive umph, which is a good sign. Sheff appears able to motivate them after a subpar performance. I do worry that Morey can be a little passive defensively -- she is a different player to Hickey who was mobile and just took control of games and the team at times last year. However her positioning is great and man can she dig a ball - she had two or three saves that each reminded me of that amazing up at match point against Texas. Sheffield will have engineer a way to get the same overall level defensive coverage out of this set of players. This match pointed to good things.
We're also not resting on our laurels (as it were). Our service game was if anything tougher than we saw at the end of last year. Carlini, Chapman, Morey, all were really tough, but it seems the whole team is serving dangerously -- with the possible exception of Deme all the starters got aces, and caused the other team to be out of system as often as not. This is important because serving is at the center of our game. Our run last year depended on disrupting the opposition with a tough service game, building on that disruption to frustrate opposition hitters with great overall defense, and confusing opposition defenses with a varied and balanced attack. We don't shock and awe teams, we basically smother them. We pressure them to be good at every aspect of the game from front to back, starting with serve-receive. If they crack, as Milwaukee and UC did, they are doomed. Even if the opposition don't crack, like FSU and Purdue, they ever get comfortable. We won games last year by making other teams look bad, rather than by us looking great. I really felt that at the end of the season, the team finally got that philosophy in their veins, not just in their heads. With stronger serving I think this part of our game will only get stronger this year.
That said, I think the offense looked better than last year and I think evidence is it could improve a lot. Carlini is key to this as she can definitely step things up a notch. Somebody at the NDU game mentioned that Carlini was setting faster to the pins, and Sheff confirmed that this was a major push for this season. Her experience with the national team should come in handy when increasing the speed of the offense. He felt that, despite the success this weekend she could definitely improve on reading the blocking schemes she was facing. I could be wrong, but we also set a more out of the back row in these games than I remember, which is a different look yet again. Bates looks a good option off the bench and the redshirts from last year all got short looks, so it looks much better for depth this year. Sheff can go to the bench if someone is having an off day and get some production, or he can show different looks to blockers. That was just not an option most of last year.
So I'm having a hard time seeing the argument for a downturn here based on what I've seen so far. The defense still looks strong and committed, and the serving that is the heart of our philosophy looks even stronger. The offense will be faster and more varied, and arguably different from last year, with some new potent hitters in reserve and possibly replacing last year's. The attitude, well we'll see. But what I saw against NDU was promising, and Sheff has brought in some good transfers that can take places of the anyone who starts slacking, and that includes Lauren. Those players also really improve practice sessions - which is underrated. Key players are also not struggling with injuries as Carlini and Hickey were during most of last season, apparently. We are a little light at the libero position. If Morey gets hurt, that could be a real problem. Still, while most top teams in the big 10 will be struggling to replicate last years form, we are likely to get better, possibly quite a bit better.
And I really don't buy the argument that people will prepare for us this year more than last. I'm sure they prepared last year...it's the big ten and everyone has to win as many games as possible. PSU knew our tendencies better than anybody in the finals, but still struggled to beat us in four. Frankly, it's hard to prepare for a team with our philosophy and diverse attack. What do you say differently now that you said then? Pass even better? Hit over Morales even more frequently (if she is even in the front line this year)? Don't get so frustrated?
The first match was a little dicey with attack performing well, arguably better than last year, but with some sloppy play and decidedly poor block and defense. I was concerned watching that match. It is a first game and you can expect some loose play, but complacency after last year's success is one of the main reasons we could suffer this year. However, after watching Louisville beat Minnesota, maybe we can chalk some of the issues down to UL being better than previously thought and/or also a bit of a mystery to coaches and players facing them for the first time with this personnel. They have a lot of new faces, a great leader in their setter, a good libero and some smart if undersized hitters...basically a team of Demes. We just didn't really seem to be clued in to what they were doing offensively and they didn't get overawed by the tough service game, though it caused them problems. Our concentration slipped a few times as well, allowing them some runs. But we still swept them pretty convincingly.
We were much better against Notre Dame on defense, and save for a few sloppy moments that one might expect for this time of year, the offense was really clicking again. This against a team that (apparently) gave Minnesota fits at the net the previous night. This performance really felt like last year's team, only with a lot more offensive umph, which is a good sign. Sheff appears able to motivate them after a subpar performance. I do worry that Morey can be a little passive defensively -- she is a different player to Hickey who was mobile and just took control of games and the team at times last year. However her positioning is great and man can she dig a ball - she had two or three saves that each reminded me of that amazing up at match point against Texas. Sheffield will have engineer a way to get the same overall level defensive coverage out of this set of players. This match pointed to good things.
We're also not resting on our laurels (as it were). Our service game was if anything tougher than we saw at the end of last year. Carlini, Chapman, Morey, all were really tough, but it seems the whole team is serving dangerously -- with the possible exception of Deme all the starters got aces, and caused the other team to be out of system as often as not. This is important because serving is at the center of our game. Our run last year depended on disrupting the opposition with a tough service game, building on that disruption to frustrate opposition hitters with great overall defense, and confusing opposition defenses with a varied and balanced attack. We don't shock and awe teams, we basically smother them. We pressure them to be good at every aspect of the game from front to back, starting with serve-receive. If they crack, as Milwaukee and UC did, they are doomed. Even if the opposition don't crack, like FSU and Purdue, they ever get comfortable. We won games last year by making other teams look bad, rather than by us looking great. I really felt that at the end of the season, the team finally got that philosophy in their veins, not just in their heads. With stronger serving I think this part of our game will only get stronger this year.
That said, I think the offense looked better than last year and I think evidence is it could improve a lot. Carlini is key to this as she can definitely step things up a notch. Somebody at the NDU game mentioned that Carlini was setting faster to the pins, and Sheff confirmed that this was a major push for this season. Her experience with the national team should come in handy when increasing the speed of the offense. He felt that, despite the success this weekend she could definitely improve on reading the blocking schemes she was facing. I could be wrong, but we also set a more out of the back row in these games than I remember, which is a different look yet again. Bates looks a good option off the bench and the redshirts from last year all got short looks, so it looks much better for depth this year. Sheff can go to the bench if someone is having an off day and get some production, or he can show different looks to blockers. That was just not an option most of last year.
So I'm having a hard time seeing the argument for a downturn here based on what I've seen so far. The defense still looks strong and committed, and the serving that is the heart of our philosophy looks even stronger. The offense will be faster and more varied, and arguably different from last year, with some new potent hitters in reserve and possibly replacing last year's. The attitude, well we'll see. But what I saw against NDU was promising, and Sheff has brought in some good transfers that can take places of the anyone who starts slacking, and that includes Lauren. Those players also really improve practice sessions - which is underrated. Key players are also not struggling with injuries as Carlini and Hickey were during most of last season, apparently. We are a little light at the libero position. If Morey gets hurt, that could be a real problem. Still, while most top teams in the big 10 will be struggling to replicate last years form, we are likely to get better, possibly quite a bit better.
And I really don't buy the argument that people will prepare for us this year more than last. I'm sure they prepared last year...it's the big ten and everyone has to win as many games as possible. PSU knew our tendencies better than anybody in the finals, but still struggled to beat us in four. Frankly, it's hard to prepare for a team with our philosophy and diverse attack. What do you say differently now that you said then? Pass even better? Hit over Morales even more frequently (if she is even in the front line this year)? Don't get so frustrated?