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Post by chancelucky on Aug 22, 2015 21:25:24 GMT -5
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Post by setterdump on Aug 22, 2015 22:04:19 GMT -5
I had a chance to watch the Duke scrimmage on Saturday. From what I saw, I expect Duke to be ranked in the usual 20-30 range this season, with the potential to be better than last year’s team. Here is my breakdown by position:
OH- Sklar was consistently dominant as expected and will be the OH1. After Sklar, Bates was definitely the next best left side hitter. Her attacking has improved significantly from last year as she was hitting with confidence and power; I predict this could be a break-out season for her. Her passing still needs work, but I expect Bates will be the OH2. Freshman Bartholomew wasn’t flashy, but has a solid all-around game- I can see her as an OH sub if Bates’s passing doesn’t hold up. Atkinson was about the same as last year. It’s unfortunate that her career has been plagued by injury- I see her fulfilling the role of a veteran sub on the OH or RS.
S- Deichmeister is back and was solid overall, she delivered more consistent sets than Paradiso. I expect Deichmeister will set a 5-1 this year.
MB/RS- I expect Duke will run a “3 middle offense” this year, similar to what they ran a few years ago with Amanda Robertson (a converted MB) at RS. The only true RS on the team (Vucich) still isn’t a terminal attacker. All the middles (Meyer, Tucker, Whitaker, and Kropf) were pretty solid. I expected freshman Meyer to be given a chance on the RS but Nagel had her planted at MB the whole scrimmage. Meyer brings size and physicality in the middle that Duke hasn’t had since maybe Christiana Gray. She looks like she could be a dominant blocker, and given that blocking has been one of Duke’s major weaknesses in my opinion, I can understand Nagel’s decision to keep her at MB. Her timing on offense was a little off, but I suspect that will improve quickly. Whitaker and Kropf got the most reps on the right side. Kropf was the biggest surprise to me- she looked much more comfortable and confident than last year and her slide attack was fast and terminal. She and Bates were definitely the most improved players on the team. I don’t know who Nagel will ultimately decide to play on the RS, but for now I would probably guess Meyer & Tucker at MB with Whitaker at RS, although I could also see Kropf finding playing time somewhere too.
L/DS- Karelov was rock solid as expected and will be the starting libero. All the other DS’s (Kalinoski, Elattrache, DiPasquale, Williams) were good- I expect to see them used frequently as backrow subs for the OH2 and RS position.
Predicted starting lineup for next weekend: OH1: Sklar OH2: Bates (sub for DS in backrow) MB1: Meyer MB2: Tucker RS: Whitaker (sub for DS in backrow) S: Deichmeister L: Karelov
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Post by chatchu-off moksri on Aug 25, 2015 1:02:13 GMT -5
Did anyone happen to see the Florida State scrimmage?
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Post by chatchu-off moksri on Oct 13, 2015 13:37:58 GMT -5
Got a couple questions about the ACC:
Is Louisville as good as their record indicates? They are 6-0 currently and tied for 1st place in the ACC with FSU.
What happened to Duke? They are 2-4 in conference with wins over Wake Forest and NC State (in 5 sets). Is Sklar just not 100% yet?
Do Pitt, Virginia, and Miami have a chance of making the tournament this year?
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Post by aardvark on Oct 13, 2015 16:07:55 GMT -5
Got a couple questions about the ACC: Is Louisville as good as their record indicates? They are 6-0 currently and tied for 1st place in the ACC with FSU. What happened to Duke? They are 2-4 in conference with wins over Wake Forest and NC State (in 5 sets). Is Sklar just not 100% yet? Do Pitt, Virginia, and Miami have a chance of making the tournament this year? Pablo gives Louisville a #26 ranking. Pitt, UVa, and Miami are all in the mid-40's. Sklar is playing, but is not putting up the numbers she had before the injury. The team seems to be trending better, but they have such a big hole to dig out of that they are effectively done for the year, from an NCAA tourney perspective.
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ACC 2015
Oct 13, 2015 21:48:44 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by kingvball on Oct 13, 2015 21:48:44 GMT -5
Got a couple questions about the ACC: Is Louisville as good as their record indicates? They are 6-0 currently and tied for 1st place in the ACC with FSU. What happened to Duke? They are 2-4 in conference with wins over Wake Forest and NC State (in 5 sets). Is Sklar just not 100% yet? Do Pitt, Virginia, and Miami have a chance of making the tournament this year? Pablo gives Louisville a #26 ranking. Pitt, UVa, and Miami are all in the mid-40's. Sklar is playing, but is not putting up the numbers she had before the injury. The team seems to be trending better, but they have such a big hole to dig out of that they are effectively done for the year, from an NCAA tourney perspective. Louisvilles best win in the ACC is Miami (which is a good one). However, they haven't played the best teams yet. FSU and UNC are the favorites to win the conference. Pitt, Miami, and Louisville all have a good chance to make the tournament this year. I don't think Virginia will have a shot unless they beat FSU or UNC. My predicted order of finish: 1. FSU 2. UNC 3. Louisville 4. Pittsburgh 5. Miami 6. Virginia 7. Duke 7. Virginia Tech 8. Syracuse 9. Georgia Texh 10. NC State 11. Wake Forest 12. Boston College 13. Clemson 14. Notre Dame
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