|
Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 7, 2015 7:36:37 GMT -5
Here's why I think A-Mac comes in for Romo rather than Gillis: Romo's the RS, so all 3 of her back row rotations have LC in the front. Those are the rotations where running the slide is an option. We'll want to maximise our ability to run the slide, so we need our best passing in those rotations.
It was different last year because Court was our second setter and she'd honed her back row attack, so even if she wasn't our strongest passer, there were clear advantages to leaving her in all around. And once they switched Bates to L1, Court had two strong passers in the back with her in most of her back row rotations: Tay plus Bates (1 rotation) or Deme (in 1.5 rotations for Ellen after Ellen's serve - and sometimes KT served for Ellen).
I'm not saying that Romo can't hold her own in the back row. I am saying that if A-Mac is a better passer than Romo, then A-Mac comes in for those rotations, because I think that gives us more offensive options than having Romo as a back row attacker.
I'm not sure which of them serves. We know Romo has a rocket topspin, but A-Mac has a strong floater, and those can be harder to pass, especially if they're well-placed. Depends on who stats better. Also, in my fantasy lineup, it's NBD if Romo serves because we ttrade the extra floor defense that comes from A-Mac for a strong block in that rotation; the front row will be LC, Tionna, and Gillis or Bates. I'm assuming Tionna is the M1 because of her quickness - if she and LC spend the summer working on their connection, that slide could be dynamite very early - and putting Tionna as M1 gives her 2 rotations in the front with LC.
I know that Gillis struggled in the back row last year, but by playing around with whether she's the L1 or L2, we can minimise her passing/receiving exposure if need be. I do sorta wish we had one more DS for cover - I know ShefF's said he intends to train Smith as a DS, but I have a hard time seeing her ready to play this season. Maybe we use Robbins as a serving sub. I dunno.
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on Jun 7, 2015 14:25:45 GMT -5
You're thinking about this is way more sophisticated than mine! Gotta sit down and work it out.
We don't want to lose the options of a backrow attack when LC is up front, so you are suggesting that we split backrow attacking duties between Bates and Gillis. I'm wondering how those three compare in terms of backrow attacking and if there is any tradeoff. I can't remember Pants doing it that much. What about Gillis and Romo? Do we know anything about them as backrow attackers at this level?
Romo, A-Mac...have to get used to these new nicknames.
|
|
|
Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 7, 2015 15:17:05 GMT -5
My point is that even if neither of the OHs develop much of a back row attack this year, IMO, the gains from shoring up our passing in rotations 4-6 outweigh the loss of a back row attack option.
|
|
|
Post by lucky5 on Jun 7, 2015 16:42:37 GMT -5
We don't know much about any front row attacking from Romana! What we saw last year was very limited. She may have played all round in the mighty A-10 but have trouble believing she can play all round in the BIG10. I see her fighting for PT as an opposite. I see Duello and Saunders swinging right side before Romana.....like the kid but just don't see her playing at this level. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong....
|
|
|
Post by chisovnik on Jun 7, 2015 20:53:29 GMT -5
Nwanebu to Texas and Fitz to Stanford. Okay, Sheff. Go get us a 2016 MH/RS. Or a heckuva transfer after the season! You guys are getting greedy..
|
|
|
Post by WahineFan44 on Jun 7, 2015 20:55:01 GMT -5
Or a heckuva transfer after the season! You guys are getting greedy.. Wisconsin is absolutely loaded, and they have the best collegiate player not only in the country, but one of the best ever, and they want more. Give some to the less fortunate lol
|
|
|
Post by chisovnik on Jun 7, 2015 20:58:52 GMT -5
We don't know much about any front row attacking from Romana! What we saw last year was very limited. She may have played all round in the mighty A-10 but have trouble believing she can play all round in the BIG10. I see her fighting for PT as an opposite. I see Duello and Saunders swinging right side before Romana.....like the kid but just don't see her playing at this level. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.... Saunders (and Juley) are going to have a very hard time getting off the bench IMO. I also think you guys are writing off Duello way too early. She has an incredible amount of upside, and if anyone can help her live up to it, it's Sheffield. Gillis is an interesting case. I know she had trouble with the moonball offense, but I was really surprised at how poorly she passed at USC. I honestly don't know what to expect from her this season.
|
|
|
Post by bucky415 on Jun 7, 2015 22:39:18 GMT -5
We don't know much about any front row attacking from Romana! What we saw last year was very limited. She may have played all round in the mighty A-10 but have trouble believing she can play all round in the BIG10. I see her fighting for PT as an opposite. I see Duello and Saunders swinging right side before Romana.....like the kid but just don't see her playing at this level. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.... It is true that Badger fans don't know much about where Kriskova is as a player after she was hurt last season, but I think there are some encouraging signs from reading the tea leaves. First, she was fourth in the nation in kills per set at VCU two years ago, if memory serves, so she was able to score when it was clear the ball was going to her a lot. It wasn't against the competition she would face in the Big Ten, but she also didn't have Carlini setting her either. In terms of a comparison, I would bring up Lauren Wicinski, who did well at Michigan State after transferring from Northern Illinois. Kriskova wasn't in the first three teams of All Americans as Wicinski was, but it does show that the transition is possible. Second, Fricano transferred with the stated reason of wanting more playing time. If Kriskova wasn't showing something, I have to think that Fricano would have seen a chance to beat out her and a couple of incoming freshmen for playing time. I hope that she is 100 percent heading into the fall and will be a good player for the Badgers, but, as you said, it is not like the Badgers lack options on the pins. Even the player we are talking about the least for playing this fall is 6'3" and is said to hit with a lot of power.
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on Jun 7, 2015 23:31:30 GMT -5
We don't know much about any front row attacking from Romana! What we saw last year was very limited. She may have played all round in the mighty A-10 but have trouble believing she can play all round in the BIG10. I see her fighting for PT as an opposite. I see Duello and Saunders swinging right side before Romana.....like the kid but just don't see her playing at this level. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.... I also think you guys are writing off Duello way too early. She has an incredible amount of upside, and if anyone can help her live up to it, it's Sheffield. I don't think we are writing off Duello at all. It's certainly possible that she starts - in which case I definitely think A-Mac subs for her in the back row. But the thinking is that she is a freshman and may have to go through a period of adjustment that may keep her out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. Despite having a small class of upper classmen, it looks like we have most key position covered by players with experience. That's a real relief to me, and it means the frosh aren't under quite so much pressure to deliver immediately.
|
|
|
Post by SportyBucky on Jun 8, 2015 9:06:04 GMT -5
We don't know much about any front row attacking from Romana! What we saw last year was very limited. She may have played all round in the mighty A-10 but have trouble believing she can play all round in the BIG10. I see her fighting for PT as an opposite. I see Duello and Saunders swinging right side before Romana.....like the kid but just don't see her playing at this level. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.... It is true that Badger fans don't know much about where Kriskova is as a player after she was hurt last season, but I think there are some encouraging signs from reading the tea leaves. First, she was fourth in the nation in kills per set at VCU two years ago, if memory serves, so she was able to score when it was clear the ball was going to her a lot. It wasn't against the competition she would face in the Big Ten, but she also didn't have Carlini setting her either. In terms of a comparison, I would bring up Lauren Wicinski, who did well at Michigan State after transferring from Northern Illinois. Kriskova wasn't in the first three teams of All Americans as Wicinski was, but it does show that the transition is possible. Second, Fricano transferred with the stated reason of wanting more playing time. If Kriskova wasn't showing something, I have to think that Fricano would have seen a chance to beat out her and a couple of incoming freshmen for playing time. I hope that she is 100 percent heading into the fall and will be a good player for the Badgers, but, as you said, it is not like the Badgers lack options on the pins. Even the player we are talking about the least for playing this fall is 6'3" and is said to hit with a lot of power. Given she was honorable mention AA, I think she might be okay. Issue in the big is she may not be as mobile as is required of a six position RS. Guess we'll see in a few weeks, give or take.
|
|
|
Post by rainbowbadger on Jun 8, 2015 9:33:14 GMT -5
I'm not writing off Duello. I'm just hesitant to depend on freshmen for production. I'd like to be able to ease them in the way we did with Bates.
There's also the consideration of passing. We have a lack of DS options this year. A-Mac is probably ready to play B1G back row, but I doubt Smith is. I'm not sure what Sheff is envisioning for Robbins, but if it's like Juley, she's going to see limited playing time as a serving sub and that's about it. Anyway, Duello's a good hitter, but she'll need a DS. We don't have a ton of those. So if she hits well enough to earn a starting OH position but it turns out that Kriskova needs a DS in order to make the most effective use of the slide option in the rotations where the setter's in front, then what? Does Bates play back row for Duello and A-Mac for Kriskova? What kind of change in production and blocking does that give us with Gillis & Duello in front v. Bates and Gillis? Does the increased output from better passing offset Bates' production? Etc.
Putting lineups together is about tradeoffs and what combination of players works best. I am assuming we will see lots of variation in the beginning part of the season. I am just grateful we get two home preconference tournaments this year, and that both of the away tournaments are within driving distance.
Also, I wouldn't say that Wisconsin is loaded compared to other top B1G programs. Illinois and Nebraska both return lots of strong players.
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on Jun 8, 2015 10:49:17 GMT -5
Some posters have suggested in the last few months that Bates ultimately will be DS, but I don't see it. She is a great passer, but we need to have at least one hitter who can play dependably all around. Duello and Gillis, and to some extent Kriskova, have question marks in that respect. Even without that consideration I think it will be hard to dislodge her. She got progressively better all last year in attack, to the point where as a frosh she took over the Illinois match at a critical juncture. And she is electric in her dynamism, which really gets the fans and her teammates going. If anyone beats her out for OH, they will have to really perform very well indeed.
|
|
|
Post by lucky5 on Jun 8, 2015 11:00:58 GMT -5
Totally agree Badgerbreath. Wisconsin can not afford to have Kelly play anything but OH. She proved herself invaluable as an L-1 as the season progressed and was a major passer in the back row. Don't see it happening. Yep, she's electric alright. Wisconsin fans love that kid......
|
|
|
Post by SportyBucky on Jun 8, 2015 11:57:31 GMT -5
Totally agree Badgerbreath. Wisconsin can not afford to have Kelly play anything but OH. She proved herself invaluable as an L-1 as the season progressed and was a major passer in the back row. Don't see it happening. Yep, she's electric alright. Wisconsin fans love that kid...... Although many said the same about Deme. Hate to say it, but if a freshman and Gillis are better, Bates is DS. Hard to say what's going to happen right now without having seen the freshman.
|
|
|
Post by chatchu-off moksri on Jun 8, 2015 12:42:27 GMT -5
Bates will get the start, but the spot is her to lose. If Duello is better in the front row then Bates would likely DS for her. However, I have to give the edge to Bates given her enormous growth throughout the season and her experience in the Big Ten already.
|
|