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Post by doubleplay on Dec 18, 2014 11:35:52 GMT -5
Ah but I didn't discount BYU. The previous poster made a statement about Texas having an easy path to the final four and now have to play unraked BYU.....they also made comments about texas losing etc as to why they are overrated. I pointed out that you can't discount who they also beaten said BYU is better than their unranking. To get to the final four you have to beat good teams and sometimes beat good teams playing their best volleyball. I give all credit to BYU for this and trust me I absolutely think BYU is a formable team that Texas might not make it past. my whole point though is that making a six degrees of separation comparison is assinine because at that point, you can come out with pretty much any comparison you want to make. Really most of the difference in the game will come down to the serving and passing, and beyond that, how teams match-up. In terms of match-ups, it will be interesting. Has 1st team AA Eckerman faced a blocking team like BYU, and the 6'7" 1st team AA Hamson? How will 5'8" Amy Neal fair against 2nd team AA Alexa Gray? Note here: not going to discount Amy Neal here either, having watched the Texas/UNC match, she impressed me more than the Rolfson twins, just that facing the 6'3" Gray who can jump out of the gym will be interesting. Add that Eckerman is very used to going over the top and can she do that against BYU's big blockers. Yes, Eckerman and TX faced UNC which is one of the best blocking teams in the nation(look at the stats on NCAA). Texas will roll over BYU tonight as would UNC if they could have won. Penn State is the best team in the final four followed by TX.
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Post by dorothymantooth on Dec 18, 2014 11:35:58 GMT -5
You have done absolutely everything except answer the simple question posed (three times now) You have also posted, UW's losses, Washington's losses, but somehow have left out Texas losses. I will ask for a 4th time, what do you believe Texas record would have been had they played at Washington in week 2, PSU in Austin week 4, and PSU neutral last week? I absolutely see this going nowhere. But let's continue to pretend like we care about what the other person thinks. I posted two days ago "what do you think the over/under is that Southie answers this question" looks like the under was the pick.
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Dec 18, 2014 11:42:35 GMT -5
my whole point though is that making a six degrees of separation comparison is assinine because at that point, you can come out with pretty much any comparison you want to make. Really most of the difference in the game will come down to the serving and passing, and beyond that, how teams match-up. In terms of match-ups, it will be interesting. Has 1st team AA Eckerman faced a blocking team like BYU, and the 6'7" 1st team AA Hamson? How will 5'8" Amy Neal fair against 2nd team AA Alexa Gray? Note here: not going to discount Amy Neal here either, having watched the Texas/UNC match, she impressed me more than the Rolfson twins, just that facing the 6'3" Gray who can jump out of the gym will be interesting. Add that Eckerman is very used to going over the top and can she do that against BYU's big blockers. Yes, Eckerman and TX faced UNC which is one of the best blocking teams in the nation(look at the stats on NCAA). Texas will roll over BYU tonight as would UNC if they could have won. Penn State is the best team in the final four followed by TX. BYU is the best blocking team in the nation. Texas, isn't going to roll over them. In fact, I think BYU will win this match and move on to the finals.
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Post by dorothymantooth on Dec 18, 2014 11:44:11 GMT -5
Yes, Eckerman and TX faced UNC which is one of the best blocking teams in the nation(look at the stats on NCAA). Texas will roll over BYU tonight as would UNC if they could have won. Penn State is the best team in the final four followed by TX. BYU is the best blocking team in the nation. Texas, isn't going to roll over them, in fact I think BYU will win this match and move on to the finals. I'll be interested in how BYU handles the big stage, but I sure see this as a match that is winnable for BYU who is very good.
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Post by Longhorn20 on Dec 18, 2014 11:51:42 GMT -5
This will be a really nice match. These teams are used to straight-up overpowering their opponents at the net, and that's gonna be tough for both. How often Olmstead can get Hamson on Neal in the front row may determine how this goes. I've wondered if Baker will be used as a blocking sub. 6'4" would really help Plus she is not bad at serve-receive, and that would be the rotation to where Brooks is also in the back row
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Post by c4ndlelight on Dec 18, 2014 11:52:39 GMT -5
This will be a really nice match. These teams are used to straight-up overpowering their opponents at the net, and that's gonna be tough for both. How often Olmstead can get Hamson on Neal in the front row may determine how this goes. I've wondered if Baker will be used as a blocking sub. 6'4" would really help Not a ton of blocking subs available in a double sub 6-2 that already uses a DS (and by that I mean none), esp. for a primary passer.
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Post by Longhorn20 on Dec 18, 2014 11:53:48 GMT -5
I've wondered if Baker will be used as a blocking sub. 6'4" would really help Not a ton of blocking subs available in a double sub 6-2 that already uses a DS (and by that I mean none), esp. for a primary passer. Good point. Yikes, that is a scary potential match up for Texas fans
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Dec 18, 2014 12:13:15 GMT -5
BYU is the best blocking team in the nation. Texas, isn't going to roll over them, in fact I think BYU will win this match and move on to the finals. I'll be interested in how BYU handles the big stage, but I sure see this as a match that is winnable for BYU who is very good. well, I guess BYU now has 3 top 25 wins!!!! seems there was an awful lot of discussion as to that being the reason they didn't deserve a seed. apparently having 8 top 50 matches in the WCC prepared them well enough !
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Post by mikegarrison on Dec 18, 2014 12:24:08 GMT -5
Just to clarify since many seem to be confused: All student-athletes who were chosen to the AVCA's All-Region teams and were not selected to one of the AVCA's three All-America teams are automatically Honorable Mention All-Americans. Yes. Plus, if the school of an All-Region Honorable Mention player submits video to the committee, they can also be added to the AA Honorable Mention list, as long as the committee unanimously agrees.
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Post by southie on Dec 18, 2014 12:31:18 GMT -5
And, when Washington was at full strength, they couldn't win at Utah or Colorado. Look, you chose to call Texas a fraud and derail this entire thread (which is about the All-Americans). You can make excuses until you are blue in the face, but Wisconsin didn't beat anyone who made the Elite 8 outside of Nebraska, and you just stated that Nebraska's win against Washington wasn't all that since Udub wasn't at full strength, so that just further weakens Wisconsin's home win against Nebraska. The Badgers may have the B1G trophy, but that's because they feasted on Rutgers and Maryland, and only played Nebraska and PSU once -- both at home. Anyone who believes Wisconsin was the best team in the B1G this season is delusional. You have done absolutely everything except answer the simple question posed (three times now) You have also posted, UW's losses, Washington's losses, but somehow have left out Texas losses. I will ask for a 4th time, what do you believe Texas record would have been had they played at Washington in week 2, PSU in Austin week 4, and PSU neutral last week? What does it matter? Why limit ourselves to those specific weeks during the season, just because Wisconsin lost those specific nights? The best comparison is Texas @ Nebraska, and PSU @ Nebraska. The results speak for themselves. And, you have done everything but admit that Wisconsin is B1G champion on paper only, and had only one win over an elite 8 team.
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Post by southie on Dec 18, 2014 12:32:19 GMT -5
I absolutely see this going nowhere. But let's continue to pretend like we care about what the other person thinks. I posted two days ago "what do you think the over/under is that Southie answers this question" looks like the under was the pick. Two days ago? Pretty sure it was less than 18 hours ago.
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Post by trampas on Dec 18, 2014 12:43:06 GMT -5
Of course there will be quibbles here and there, but one of the more head-scratching selections I thought was Dagostino as an all-american. As I watched Florida play in the tournament I noticed that on a lot of sets to Alhassan in the middle she ends power tipping/pushing the ball to the center of the court resulting in a fairly easy dig. I'm not sure if that's more due to her not knowing how to take a good approach, or the setter not getting her the ball in the right spot. I suspect the latter, but someone also mentioned that Alhassan has been playing vb for only four years so that could be it too. Nevertheless I think it's a fairly safe bet that Alhassan will move up to a first team selection at least once if not more times by the time her career at Florida is finished.
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Post by volleyfan24 on Dec 18, 2014 13:45:55 GMT -5
Geez some of you Penn State fans are a sensitive bunch. Maybe you feel that your team catches a lot of heat but not many saw Nia getting first team and me as other posters have stated you can make a case for others do I think she was an All American absolutely her numbers state so but I don't think that is looking at the whole picture. I will point to Megan Haggerty as the perfect example of a good middle getting All American honors because they had a fantastic setter who hers was Lauren Cook. I think Nia is in the same boat she isn't even the best middle on her own team. Since Washington wasn't eligible maybe they awarded Nia out of default. I think Nia simply lacks the ability many other 1st Team AA have and it is the ability to take over a match as a hitter. Now someone asked who are better middles if I was just picking throughout the country to put it into perspective I would pick three middles who weren't even named to a single AA team as better than Grant. Sandbothe, Cole and Schonewise. If any of these hitters had Hancock I think they would be locks for first team. The middles I have mentioned are more athletic and simply better than Nia. Not to mention middles who had better overall stats and seasons in Alhassan and Lutz. This is not to take anything away from Grant she is the only hitter in the PSU line up who has been steady as she goes and a rock of consistency for her team. She also is the only hitting player in the line-up who played the same position all season. With all that said the fact that she is on any team at all after not being an All American before is really something special. This is absurd. There should be zero comparisons between Grant and Haggerty. A player being named first team AA because another player on her team wasn't eligible??? What ability does Grant lack that the others have? How would you explain her numbers if there is something lacking? You are actually saying that the one attacker on what may be the best team in the country who has been a rock of consistency, and has put up incredible numbers ISNT worthy of 1st team AA? When was the last time a top 5 teams most consistently effective attacker didnt make the first team? I spoke to a few members on the AA committee who said Grant was a no brainer on first team. The comparison was more between Cook and Hancock and their ability as setters to make their middles look good. I agree Nia is much better than Haggerty I was just saying that I don't think Nia makes first team or maybe any team without Hancock. Now you are a coach would Nia be one of your first picks if you were getting to choose any middle in the country to play for you. I think there are other middles who are a lot better and would be my pick before her. I have listed those girls and no one has called me crazy cause I think people agree or maybe I am making the wrong assumption. In any case Nia got the award and was good enough.
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Post by badgerbreath on Dec 18, 2014 13:48:06 GMT -5
Um, Washington was without one of its two starting setters. FL was not the team WA was with a complete team. FYI, that setter was lost the last game of their regular season. Before you argue someone else should have stepped up, not much time to work the freshman setter in. And, when Washington was at full strength, they couldn't win at Utah or Colorado. Look, you chose to call Texas a fraud and derail this entire thread (which is about the All-Americans). You can make excuses until you are blue in the face, but Wisconsin didn't beat anyone who made the Elite 8 outside of Nebraska, and you just stated that Nebraska's win against Washington wasn't all that since Udub wasn't at full strength, so that just further weakens Wisconsin's home win against Nebraska. The Badgers may have the B1G trophy, but that's because they feasted on Rutgers and Maryland, and only played Nebraska and PSU once -- both at home. Anyone who believes Wisconsin was the best team in the B1G this season is delusional. I realize that you are just spouting off to someone you think is a "Texas hater," but a lot of the points you make are neither here nor there, or misinformed and come off as needlessly disrespectful. First, UW did not feast on Rutgers or Maryland anymore than any of the other top 4 in the B1G -- all those teams each played them 3 times in total. UW didn't play Neb at home, but the badgers last year played Neb tougher in Lincoln than in Madison, and in fact played away better than at home for most of the year. Moreover, the badgers had to play IL twice, who were better week in and week out than were Nebraska this year and who beat Neb twice, while PSU only played IL once, at home, and lost. The fact is that PSU lost more matches than UW, so the badgers won the B1G. To call anyone "delusional" who thinks they deserved it sounds like crazy talk. There are plenty of people who think they deserved it - and not just badger fans. To suggest that missteps early in the season against very good teams, and a loss in the elite eight against PSU with a hampered setter nullify an entire season of consistently very good play is, I think, delusional on your part.
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Post by southie on Dec 18, 2014 13:57:06 GMT -5
And, when Washington was at full strength, they couldn't win at Utah or Colorado. Look, you chose to call Texas a fraud and derail this entire thread (which is about the All-Americans). You can make excuses until you are blue in the face, but Wisconsin didn't beat anyone who made the Elite 8 outside of Nebraska, and you just stated that Nebraska's win against Washington wasn't all that since Udub wasn't at full strength, so that just further weakens Wisconsin's home win against Nebraska. The Badgers may have the B1G trophy, but that's because they feasted on Rutgers and Maryland, and only played Nebraska and PSU once -- both at home. Anyone who believes Wisconsin was the best team in the B1G this season is delusional. I realize that you are just spouting off to someone you think is a "Texas hater," but a lot of the points you make are neither here nor there, or misinformed and come off as needlessly disrespectful. First, UW did not feast on Rutgers or Maryland anymore than any of the other top 4 in the B1G -- all those teams each played them 3 times in total. UW didn't play Neb at home, but the badgers last year played Neb tougher in Lincoln than in Madison, and in fact played away better than at home for most of the year. Moreover, the badgers had to play IL twice, who were better week in and week out than were Nebraska this year and who beat Neb twice, while PSU only played IL once, at home, and lost. The fact is that PSU lost more matches than UW, so the badgers won the B1G. It's hard to To call anyone "delusional" who thinks they deserved it sounds like crazy talk. There are plenty of people who think they deserved it - and not just badger fans. To suggest that missteps early in the season against very good teams, and a loss in the elite eight against PSU with a hampered setter nullify an entire season of consistently very good play is, I think, delusional on your part. I understand your points, and I realize that Wisconsin had to play the conference schedule they were assigned. How they only got PSU and Nebraska only once, and both at home, I'll never know. That lies with the B1G scheduling group. But, for SportyBucky, who wants to insist that Texas is a "fraud", I thought I'd offer my rebuttal. It's not a matter of Wisconsin "not deserving" the conference title, but as we sit here now, I can confidently say that Wisconsin was not the best team in the conference if they couldn't beat PSU once at home or on a neutral court. They may have been more "consistent" during conference play, but in the biggest matches, they didn't produce on the court.
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