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Post by alwayslearning on Oct 12, 2015 19:09:59 GMT -5
UW jumps from #6 to #4 in the coaches poll; and jumps from #14 to #7 in RPI. Call me a worry wart, but I still see question marks. The way they played in Pullman was troubling and could have been a loss. (Granted, WSU may be much improved this year.) Their win over Arizona and Sybeldon's performance was impressive, but they looked awful in the first set (just like they looked bad in set 1 at USC). They absolutely clobbered ASU in set 1 on Friday, but they were on their way to losing set 2 before Gardner was hurt. Without the Gardner injury I'm not sure UW wins that match. If they can play in a more consistent fashion, I'll buy that they're a top 5 team. OSU should be a sweep, but Oregon, despite their record, has some real talent and will be anything but a pushover. Plus the UW match could almost be a break-or-make deal for the Ducks. Here's hoping I'm fretting needlessly. I think it's your job to fret. Don't really disagree with anything you said. If I'm a USC fan, or a Nebraska fan, or [fill in the blank], I've got things that I'm not all that happy about. What makes me happy at this juncture of the season is: - the team's resilience and chemistry - general improvement during the course of the season - the emergence of Schwan and at least some hope she'll be back relatively soon - the emergence of Julye - some nice front row play from DeHoog - the fact that Beals looks darn good now after coming back from a devastating injury - the generally consistent play from our seniors Every team has issues -- look at Penn State. The mantra for the Huskies should just be to get better every practice, every game. If they do, everything else will take care of itself.
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Post by redbeard2008 on Oct 12, 2015 20:13:00 GMT -5
Yeah, can't complain about the play of the seniors - Sybeldon, Wade, Strickland, Beals, Condie, even Magraw.
It is the sophomores who have room, but also potential, to improve - Jones, DeHoog, Tanner, Scambray, Schwan, Finau. One reason DeHoog, a lefty, has emerged on the right is Beals is setting her good hittable balls, in her "wheelhouse". Tanner and Jones, on the other hand, are still trying to find their rhythm. Jones and Scambray just need to stop trying too hard - just stay behind the ball, see the block, and get on top of the ball. Schwan's tips and rolls, while savvy, won't cut it against Stanford - she needs to start firing more cannon balls.
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Post by Mocha on Oct 12, 2015 20:20:17 GMT -5
UW ranked fourth! I'm jumping back on the bandwagon!
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Post by alwayslearning on Oct 24, 2015 13:07:14 GMT -5
Looking forward to next weekend with big matches against USC and UCLA at home. Some thoughts at this juncture of the season:
Reasons to be optimistic
- The Huskies have lost only two matches to excellent opponents on their home courts, fighting close sets to the very end. This team will fight.
- Keegan Cook has had a lot to juggle the last few weeks and, with the exception of UW's meltdown in the fourth set at Maples, the players have responded well to the different rotations.
- Sybeldon is having a first-team AA type season; on a good pass, she is one of the most automatic terminators in the country.
- Schwan's performance against Cal was VERY encouraging; after playing tentatively in all of her previous post-injury matches, we saw a healthy dose of the old Schwan last night: solid net play, including a good number of her patented roll shots, but also a few heaters, and a .417 hitting %. Just as important, Schwan solidified the serve-receive and to my eye, passed better than either Strickland or Scambray. She also dug a number of tough hits and served a couple aces. UW's post-season hopes depend a LOT on a healthy Schwan playing to her potential.
- Scambray has really turned it up a notch in the last four matches, hitting for higher average, and shouldering a lot of responsibility as the Huskies only six-rotation player during this stretch. Like Schwan, the Huskies will only go as far as Scambray can take them.
- Condie has shown she can play excellent defense and serve consistently and strongly during Schwan's absence. If everyone returns to full health, Condie is like having a great insurance policy.
Bumps in the road?
- Strickland's play and health is a concern right now. I continue to suspect that all that tape on Cassie's right leg is masking an injury that is slowing her down, and/or she might be suffering from the flu or something else. In particular, Cassie's reception on serve has been very poor the last two matches (I didn't see a lot of improvement vs. Cal last night). I'm hoping this was just a rough road trip.
- DeHoog was playing her best volleyball before injuring her ankle. With Jones making some strides in the last four games, the Huskies need Carly to shore up the right side and make good blocking teams pay for concentrating on stopping Sybeldon. It would be great to have a healthy DeHoog and Schwan back next weekend.
Key to the rest of the season
The Huskies offense is potent and a good pass on serve ensures a very high sideout percentage. It's almost automatic with Sybeldon. But the key is serve-receive. I feel much better with Schwan receiving serve. The key may be Strickland. After the Stanford match, teams will be targeting her unless and until she can show that she can pass at a consistently high level.
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Post by redbeard2008 on Oct 24, 2015 13:20:33 GMT -5
Without Schwan, UW went to a two-person serve-receive when Condie was not in the backrow, which likely hurt us against Stanford. With Schwan back, we'll need a three-person serve-receive against USC-Bricio.
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 2, 2015 12:40:15 GMT -5
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Post by Huskyfan on Nov 2, 2015 13:52:26 GMT -5
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Post by ay2013 on Nov 2, 2015 14:06:26 GMT -5
Sybeldon and Strickland, who should each earn consideration as First Team All-Americans, I love Cassie, but this is a non starter.
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 2, 2015 15:35:13 GMT -5
Cook's intermission comments must have had a salutary effect as the Huskies jumped way out in front of the Bruins at the beginning of set 3.
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 2, 2015 15:42:55 GMT -5
Sybeldon and Strickland, who should each earn consideration as First Team All-Americans, I love Cassie, but this is a non starter. She'd have to make the All-Region Team first, to qualify for any AA awards, which she didn't last season, despite being named P12 LOY.
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Post by ay2013 on Nov 2, 2015 16:52:18 GMT -5
Sybeldon and Strickland, who should each earn consideration as First Team All-Americans, I love Cassie, but this is a non starter. She'd have to make the All-Region Team first, to qualify for any AA awards, which she didn't last season, despite being named P12 LOY. that's because there is 1 libero spot on the regional teams, and the regional committee felt that awards a player who played for the team that actually won the conference, had a higher AVCA ranking, and a player who was at the top of the most hard statistic that's comparable for liberi (digs) over a player who was near the bottom of the conference in that same statistic. Go figure I will say that she probably WILL be on the all regional team this year, but she surely won't be a 1st team AA.
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Post by mikegarrison on Nov 2, 2015 17:06:32 GMT -5
Cook's intermission comments must have had a salutary effect as the Huskies jumped way out in front of the Bruins at the beginning of set 3. Yeah, Dad and I both looked at each other early in Set 3 and said that whatever kind of team meeting they had during the break really worked well.
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 2, 2015 17:26:23 GMT -5
She'd have to make the All-Region Team first, to qualify for any AA awards, which she didn't last season, despite being named P12 LOY. that's because there is 1 libero spot on the regional teams, and the regional committee felt that awards a player who played for the team that actually won the conference, had a higher AVCA ranking, and a player who was at the top of the most hard statistic that's comparable for liberi (digs) over a player who was near the bottom of the conference in that same statistic. Go figure I will say that she probably WILL be on the all regional team this year, but she surely won't be a 1st team AA. That would make her at least HM All-American. She'd still have to beat out Benson and Sommer. No Gilbert to worry about at Stanford.
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Post by isaacspaceman on Nov 2, 2015 20:12:54 GMT -5
Sybeldon and Strickland, who should each earn consideration as First Team All-Americans, I love Cassie, but this is a non starter. Yet by considering the question (and answering no), you have just made the statement technically true. Consider her considered. And politely declined.
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Post by tomclen on Nov 4, 2015 9:27:15 GMT -5
Since her injury, DeHoog still hasn't played. Not only that, but she's not even warming up and it seems like she may not be practicing.
The only comment I've read from the coaching staff was a suggestion over a week ago that they expected her back in the lineup shortly.
Given the amount of time she has missed (and how well the team is doing) is she going to be able to get back up to speed and be a factor down the stretch?
Anyone with any inside info?
(IMO, a 100% DeHoog could be the difference for UW between getting to a regional and winning a regional.)
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