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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Apr 24, 2014 6:31:18 GMT -5
I noticed lately that two players have left the VCU program and transferred to other schools: Romana Kriskova to Wisconsin and Saige Gallop to DePaul. Is there a bigger story here?
Jody Rogers just completed a successful first year coaching VCU after the controversial replacement of former longtime coach James Finley. Coach Finley believed he was replaced by recently hired AD Ed McLaughlin because he was out and gay.
VCU AD McLaughlin said at the time, "Our program needs a different direction and different leadership to attain our goals of achieving at an elite level nationally."
Rogers did her part by finishing her first season 26-8 and reaching the A-10 Championship Match.
As far as I know, the two player defections may have nothing to do with one another or with Coach Rogers' program. Coach Rogers previously had a very successful 16 year stint coaching Div.II University of Indianapolis to prominence in that division. Kriskova may simply want a bigger challenge after finishing AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, All-Region, and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.
Does anyone know if there is any more to this?
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Post by spikerthemovie on Apr 24, 2014 11:03:13 GMT -5
Their roster suggests it may be more than two.
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Post by vballguru1 on Apr 24, 2014 12:05:47 GMT -5
Their roster suggests it may be more than two. Can confirm that 2013 A10 Libero of the year Amanda Love and Rebecca Cazares have both left the program. Nothing has been in the media regarding any circumstances regarding the flight from the program but to lose the A10 Player and Defensive Player of the year to me is an indictment. |
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Post by n00b on Apr 24, 2014 12:12:03 GMT -5
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Post by rainbowbadger on Apr 24, 2014 12:38:02 GMT -5
Kriskova is still on the roster. Is she still playing/training with the Rams through the end of the school year?
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Post by caavb on Apr 24, 2014 13:12:40 GMT -5
I think the players leaving are due to several reasons - some on their own choice and some coach encouraged. With a coaching change comes a different culture, different expectations and some of the girls fit into that and some wanted to pursue something different (only 4 players recruited by Finley are still on the roster). It does look like it will be another season with a small team unless they are bringing in 8+ new players. At the moment I am guessing they only have 7 returning (that is counting 2 that are returning from injuries)...according to twitter they didn't have enough players to compete this spring.
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Post by rainbowbadger on Apr 24, 2014 13:36:07 GMT -5
They're losing Kriskova, but they will be getting freshman setter Indigo Thompson, younger sister of Wisconsin middle Dominique Thompson.
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Post by hittherock on Apr 24, 2014 15:42:12 GMT -5
The players that will not be back next year were not allowed to workout or train with the team
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Post by hittherock on Apr 24, 2014 22:55:24 GMT -5
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Post by vballguru1 on Apr 24, 2014 23:23:12 GMT -5
As a Ram fan that has followed the program since 2005 I believe there is an underlying problem. With the dismissal of Finley the Rams Loss Martina Samadan a 6'5 Middle that finished 4th in the country in Blocks for VCU in 2012 and was AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the year. They were primed to win the A-10 before the coaching change and Samadan departure. Finley was 25-6 in 2012 and the team carried a 3.2 G.P.A. Rogers was brought in to win Championships and take the team to the Next Level per AD. They still didn't win a championship now you lose at least 4 players and none of them Seniors?
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Post by oldman on Apr 25, 2014 8:41:39 GMT -5
As a Ram fan that has followed the program since 2005 I believe there is an underlying problem. With the dismissal of Finley the Rams Loss Martina Samadan a 6'5 Middle that finished 4th in the country in Blocks for VCU in 2012 and was AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the year. They were primed to win the A-10 before the coaching change and Samadan departure. Finley was 25-6 in 2012 and the team carried a 3.2 G.P.A. Rogers was brought in to win Championships and take the team to the Next Level per AD. They still didn't win a championship now you lose at least 4 players and none of them Seniors? Tough crowd, One year and you did not win a championship and its all your fault. I think at least a second year is in order before anyone should be declaring that Coach Rodgers is a failure. But that is just my opinion. |
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Post by Phaedrus on Apr 25, 2014 9:02:08 GMT -5
As a Ram fan that has followed the program since 2005 I believe there is an underlying problem. With the dismissal of Finley the Rams Loss Martina Samadan a 6'5 Middle that finished 4th in the country in Blocks for VCU in 2012 and was AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the year. They were primed to win the A-10 before the coaching change and Samadan departure. Finley was 25-6 in 2012 and the team carried a 3.2 G.P.A. Rogers was brought in to win Championships and take the team to the Next Level per AD. They still didn't win a championship now you lose at least 4 players and none of them Seniors? Tough crowd, One year and you did not win a championship and its all your fault. I think at least a second year is in order before anyone should be declaring that Coach Rodgers is a failure. But that is just my opinion. People, and I include myself in the category, are still pissed about how they treated James so the inevitable fall out lands on the new coach. This is what we are seeing. |
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Post by spikerthemovie on Apr 25, 2014 11:52:00 GMT -5
Tough crowd, One year and you did not win a championship and its all your fault. I think at least a second year is in order before anyone should be declaring that Coach Rodgers is a failure. But that is just my opinion. People, and I include myself in the category, are still pissed about how they treated James so the inevitable fall out lands on the new coach. This is what we are seeing. Seems like this year's departures could well be continued fall-out from the Finley dismissal and not have much to do with Rodgers: players who committed to Finley but decided to give the new coach a year and then decided it wasn't a good fit. |
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Post by hittherock on Apr 25, 2014 12:25:02 GMT -5
I agree with parts of all 3 posts..vballguru1, phaedrus and spikerthemovie, but I believe (my opinion, which doesn't carry much weight)...:)there are other issues going on as well due to the coach, you lose the A10 player of the year, libero of the year, you go 26-8 and lose in the championship match, kids on the dean's list and all you probably have to due is adjust and add a couple things and your in, kriskova probably saw other players leaving or let go from a team that had been doing well except for a couple missteps and decided they would not be contenders the next couple of years, you look on the vcu volleyball website and she was on (guessing on the percentage) 95 % of the after match website posts and talked about in most of the articles (you couldnt tell if anyone else was on the team), she was the, as someone put it "rockstar" and was featured in everything....
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Post by d3coach on Apr 25, 2014 12:49:48 GMT -5
I don't know the individuals, but everyone has a personality. Not every coach's personality is a great fit for a student-athlete. It doesn't have to be one was right, the other wrong, sometimes it's just not the right fit. Would it stink if your "rock star" felt that way, sure, but in the end the coach has proven to build teams that respond well to her, and aside from the kick back associated with the administration's decision to make a change to begin with, one year doesn't tell you anything. Almost any new coach will lose players, sometimes the best players, within a year after a coaching change.
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