trojansc
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Post by trojansc on Sept 24, 2014 0:51:46 GMT -5
With SC being swept by UCLA at home, USC is looking pretty bad.
This is the first time in about 25 years that USC has lost three straight home matches. The last time that happened was 1990. (Ironically, it also was a 3-0 UCLA sweep that handed USC their 3rd straight home loss) None of USC's current players were even born. As a matter of fact, 1990 is the last time that USC missed the NCAA Tournament with a (12-16) record.
Mick looks desperate out there. What are some viable options? USC needs more support on the outside. I am not confident with Ruddins or Nwanebu on the outside, so who? Nwanebu on the right will get back to form, I am not too concerned but she is not consistent as of now. If Nwanebu does get back to form, maybe a 5-1 with Crone is possible?
I don't really have any answers for the backcourt. I do not think USC will miss the NCAA tournament but this is a low point for the Women of Troy.
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Post by fetchin on Sept 24, 2014 0:55:41 GMT -5
Definitely see them unseeded and sent to play somewhere like BYU or Colorado State in the NCAA first/second rounds.
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Post by baywatcher on Sept 24, 2014 1:07:12 GMT -5
It was a few years ago SC started off with a bad loss to UCLA, then rallied to finish the year strong. I have wondered where their passing will come from and the jury is still out.The Arizonas both feature AA caliber OH that will terminate you if you can't terminate. Sound familiar?
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Post by bigdfromla on Sept 24, 2014 1:25:44 GMT -5
They really, really, really miss Natalie Hagglund. They just won't be as good as a team without her.
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Post by mikegarrison on Sept 24, 2014 1:30:42 GMT -5
They really, really, really miss Natalie Hagglund. They just won't be as good as a team without her. I think they may be missing Shaw just as much.
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Post by ay2013 on Sept 24, 2014 1:34:53 GMT -5
They really, really, really miss Natalie Hagglund. They just won't be as good as a team without her. I think they may be missing Shaw just as much. both
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Post by BeiBei on Sept 24, 2014 1:39:41 GMT -5
It was a few years ago SC started off with a bad loss to UCLA, then rallied to finish the year strong. I have wondered where their passing will come from and the jury is still out.The Arizonas both feature AA caliber OH that will terminate you if you can't terminate. Sound familiar? That USC team struggled early because they are adjusting to the sudden loss of Falyn right before the season started but they are still solid at first contact because of Shaw and Hagglund. This current USC team has many bombers but poor passers
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trojansc
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Post by trojansc on Sept 24, 2014 1:54:00 GMT -5
It was a few years ago SC started off with a bad loss to UCLA, then rallied to finish the year strong. I have wondered where their passing will come from and the jury is still out.The Arizonas both feature AA caliber OH that will terminate you if you can't terminate. Sound familiar? Alex Jupiter rallied to finish that year strong.. Without her they would have been ousted in the Regional Semifinals for 3 out of the last four years to Hawai'i (and it may have been a Sweep!)... SC has not made it to the Final Four since that year. That loss to UCLA was also USC's only home loss that season. The transition of Hagglund-Bateman-Jupiter was just very solid. Jupiter was a pretty solid passer along with Hagglund and Shaw. That squad went 20-2 in the Pac-12 only losing to Stanford & National Champions UCLA.. The problem for 2012 and 2013 was that USC didn't replace Jupiter quick enough while they still had Shaw and Hagglund to win a national championship, but they came pretty close. Fuller and Bricio had enough of an attack to get USC somewhere in 2012 but neither of them were as solid of passers or defenders, and it was a step back from Bateman to Crone. Then the 2013 version of USC was better with the addition of Nwanebu, so with Bricio & Nwanebu attacking with veterans Shaw & Hagglund, USC looked like a top 5 team.. Bricio was still shaky passing and defending, so that was exploitable. She had off games in both years of 2012 and 2013 Regional Finals as USC was eliminated. Now in 2014, USC just looks like a hot mess without the glue of Hagglund&Shaw and the lack of a consistent terminator. They can't even ride Bricio - it loooks like she is uncomfortable hitting sometimes. The sets are not consistent, on the outside or from backrow. And to make things worse Nwanebu is not terminating. So USC doesn't really even have a go-to hitter? Hagglund &Shaw only lost five games at home in her career at USC. (Stanford 2010, UCLA 2011, Oregon 2012, Washington(x2) 2013.. That Stanford 2010 team was loaded with Klineman, Ailes, and Lichtman... The UCLA 11 were Natl champs.. Oregon 2012 were natl runner ups with NPOY Bergsma.. And UW was in the Final Four last year with NPOY Vansant.. So to lose three games at home (in a row!) at USC in one season is a very big deal.
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Post by ay2013 on Sept 24, 2014 2:07:19 GMT -5
It was a few years ago SC started off with a bad loss to UCLA, then rallied to finish the year strong. I have wondered where their passing will come from and the jury is still out.The Arizonas both feature AA caliber OH that will terminate you if you can't terminate. Sound familiar? That USC team struggled early because they are adjusting to the sudden loss of Falyn right before the season started but they are still solid at first contact because of Shaw and Hagglund. This current USC team has many bombers but poor passers I don't the the Falyn loss was "all that sudden", my guess is that the team knew.....I also don't think that USC "struggled", necessarily, early on. They had a surprise loss to UCF that year, but those things happen, occasionally, doesn't mean the team is bad. and yes they also lost to UCLA in the Pac-12 opener, but, honestly, rivalry matches are always weird, and UCLA was playing with Van Orden, Gera, Love, Kidder, Reeves... I mean that WAS the team that won the NC that year, it's not like UCLA was a bad team. USC beat Minnesota in the preseason, took PSU to 5 @ PSU. 2012 USC was a lot more composed and well rounded than THIS USC team. Not a really fair comparison.
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trojansc
Legend
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Post by trojansc on Sept 24, 2014 2:14:08 GMT -5
Definitely see them unseeded and sent to play somewhere like BYU or Colorado State in the NCAA first/second rounds. If Loyola Marymount keeps winning - the Lions may be a seeded team and SC will be sent there...
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Post by BeiBei on Sept 24, 2014 2:28:49 GMT -5
USC will have their hands full with ASU this friday.
With their current form, will not be surprised with a fourth straight home loss
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Post by psumaui on Sept 24, 2014 3:25:06 GMT -5
With SC being swept by UCLA at home, USC is looking pretty bad. This is the first time in about 25 years that USC has lost three straight home matches. The last time that happened was 1990. (Ironically, it also was a 3-0 UCLA sweep that handed USC their 3rd straight home loss) None of USC's current players were even born. As a matter of fact, 1990 is the last time that USC missed the NCAA Tournament with a (12-16) record. Mick looks desperate out there. What are some viable options? USC needs more support on the outside. I am not confident with Ruddins or Nwanebu on the outside, so who? Nwanebu on the right will get back to form, I am not too concerned but she is not consistent as of now. If Nwanebu does get back to form, maybe a 5-1 with Crone is possible? I don't really have any answers for the backcourt. I do not think USC will miss the NCAA tournament but this is a low point for the Women of Troy. Arizona State is no push-over either so they need to fix things pretty quick.
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Post by vbman100 on Sept 24, 2014 7:12:53 GMT -5
They really, really, really miss Natalie Hagglund. They just won't be as good as a team without her. I think they may be missing Shaw just as much. I miss Alexis Olgard. That's more of a personal thing than as a player or anything...
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Post by GoUCLA on Sept 24, 2014 7:40:04 GMT -5
It was a few years ago SC started off with a bad loss to UCLA, then rallied to finish the year strong. I have wondered where their passing will come from and the jury is still out.The Arizonas both feature AA caliber OH that will terminate you if you can't terminate. Sound familiar? Alex Jupiter rallied to finish that year strong.. Without her they would have been ousted in the Regional Semifinals for 3 out of the last four years to Hawai'i (and it may have been a Sweep!)... SC has not made it to the Final Four since that year. That loss to UCLA was also USC's only home loss that season. The transition of Hagglund-Bateman-Jupiter was just very solid. Jupiter was a pretty solid passer along with Hagglund and Shaw. That squad went 20-2 in the Pac-12 only losing to Stanford & National Champions UCLA.. The problem for 2012 and 2013 was that USC didn't replace Jupiter quick enough while they still had Shaw and Hagglund to win a national championship, but they came pretty close. Fuller and Bricio had enough of an attack to get USC somewhere in 2012 but neither of them were as solid of passers or defenders, and it was a step back from Bateman to Crone. Then the 2013 version of USC was better with the addition of Nwanebu, so with Bricio & Nwanebu attacking with veterans Shaw & Hagglund, USC looked like a top 5 team.. Bricio was still shaky passing and defending, so that was exploitable. She had off games in both years of 2012 and 2013 Regional Finals as USC was eliminated. Now in 2014, USC just looks like a hot mess without the glue of Hagglund&Shaw and the lack of a consistent terminator. They can't even ride Bricio - it loooks like she is uncomfortable hitting sometimes. The sets are not consistent, on the outside or from backrow. And to make things worse Nwanebu is not terminating. So USC doesn't really even have a go-to hitter? Hagglund &Shaw only lost five games at home in her career at USC. (Stanford 2010, UCLA 2011, Oregon 2012, Washington(x2) 2013.. That Stanford 2010 team was loaded with Klineman, Ailes, and Lichtman... The UCLA 11 were Natl champs.. Oregon 2012 were natl runner ups with NPOY Bergsma.. And UW was in the Final Four last year with NPOY Vansant.. So to lose three games at home (in a row!) at USC in one season is a very big deal. What I got from that is that beating USC on their home court is a good indicator for how a Pac-12 team will do in the tournament.
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Post by Mocha on Sept 24, 2014 7:43:13 GMT -5
The wheels are falling off.
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