they play in different leagues so it is difficult to understand what the stats mean relative to them playing each other.
Is he not allowed to post stats without noting any asterisks? Stats don't tell the whole story, but it's still fun to compare.
Looking at the stats, the main things I notice are:
1) Washington's Hit %
2) BYU's Blocks/set
3) Gray's Kills/Set
4) A. Rolfzen's Blocks/set
5) Sybeldon's Hit %
6) Nebraska & Washington each having 2 servers in the top 5 in Aces/set
7) Wong-Orantes' Digs/set
All of these will factors will play huge roles in the outcome of these matches.
I agree that (for some of us like myself), it is fun to try and compare the stats. Whether or not they will have any bearing on the outcome of any NCAA D1 Tournament match remains to be seen... ;-)
That being said, for the sake of those who do enjoy looking at stats, here are some more numbers to consider:
Perhaps the most revealing/helpful stats to examine, in attempting to predict the outcome of the Lexington Regional... (oh what fools we mortals be!) ;-) ...would be comparing the head-to-head match ups between common opponents of these PAC-12 vs BIG10 teams...
As has been discussed elsewhere on this forum, (
volleytalk.net/thread/60785/hitting-percentage-differentials?page=4) Sideout % Differential is one of the best indicators of how a team is doing in comparison to its opponents.
For example, Washington’s season average for S/O % Differential vs. Pac-12 Conference opponents was +14.4 (calculated up through their 2nd match up vs. Stanford on Nov. 12...Haven’t crunched the numbers for their final season matches after that match.)
So, for example, in looking at the Sideout % Differential for the common opponent match ups for the Washington Huskies, Michigan State, Nebraska and Oregon:
Compare:
UW vs. Michigan State match, 12-5-15
and:
Nebraska vs. Michigan State, 11-11-15
Washington Huskies vs. Michigan State, Dec. 5, 2015:
UW beat MS 3-1
Sideout %:
UW: 68%
MS: 55%
UW S/O % Differential:
+13%
in the most recent Nebraska vs. Michigan State match on Nov. 11, 2015:
Nebraska beat MS 3-2
Sideout %:
NE: 59%
MS: 53%
S/O % Differential:
6%
So UW had a 7% higher S/O% differential than Nebraska did against a common opponent, Michigan State.
Another common UW & Nebraska opponent this season was Oregon:
Nebraska vs. Oregon, Sept 5, 2015: Nebraska beat Oregon 3-2
Sideout %:
OR: 62%
NE: 63%
NE S/O % Differential: +01%
UW vs Oregon, Oct. 16, 2015: UW swept Oregon 3-0
Sideout %:
UW: 74%
OR: 56%
UW S/O % Differential:
+18%
NE S/O % Differential vs. OR:
+1%
UW had a +17% higher S/O% Differential vs. MS than Nebraska did vs MS.
If you want to compare other stats such as:
Hitting % and Hitting % Differential:
Washington Huskies vs. Michigan State, Dec. 5, 2015:
UW beat MS 3-1
Hitting %:
UW: .330
MS: .205
UW Hitting % Differential vs MS:
+.125%
Nebraska vs. Michigan State, Oct. 7, 2015:
Nebraska beat Michigan State 3-1
Hitting %:
NE: .193
MS: .132
NE Hitting % Differential vs MS: +.061
UW's Hitting Percentage was very consistent in Saturday night’s match vs Michigan State.
Here are their hitting % numbers, by set:
Set 1: .344 (Compare Nebraska’s Set 1 hitting % vs MI: .068)
Set 2: .308 (NE Set 2 hitting % vs MI: .233)
Set 3: .314 (NE Set 3 % vs MI: .200)
Set 4: .364 (NE Set 4 % vs MI: .306)
Nebraska vs. Oregon, Sept 5, 2015: Nebraska beat Oregon 3-2
Hitting %:
Oregon: .294
NE: .352
NE Hitting % Differential vs OR:
+.058
UW vs Oregon, Oct. 16, 2015: 3-0
Hitting %:
Oregon: .167
UW: .337
UW Hitting % Differential vs OR:
+.170
It will be exciting to see if any of these numbers show up with consistency for the remainder of the tournament…because as we know, stats only tell part of the story and the outcome of any match up, on any night, between a new opponent can be completely unpredictable.
I do have one longer-term prediction: This is a new generation Huskies team. The new guard includes a young coach who, building upon the solid foundation of his amazing predecessor Jim MacLaughlin, has brought his own unique, refreshing approach to coaching this team. Add to that a team of highly talented athletes who are not much younger than their coach, who have "bought in" 100% with this new approach. (Beware those fans hoping to rehash very old rivalries during this tournament, as you may be seriously disappointed in the upcoming match ups. These Huskies will not be wasting their energy brooding about or fomenting old rivalries and silly out-dated grudges. That is reserved only for those fans who may still enjoy it.) ;-) It is a ONE-game-at-a-time mentality. A true champion's mindset.
As a Huskies fan, no matter what the outcome of this tournament, it has been a great ride this season and the past four years with our amazing seniors! A rare, exhilarating experience we Huskies fans will not soon forget. Kudos and much respect for the entire Huskies coaching staff, especially Tui (Leslie) for her amazing blocking coaching prowess. Her ability to consistently develop one of the top blocking teams in the nation is a true gift. A true unsung hero. We love what Coach Keegan brings to the team and admire and respect what he's been able to accomplish in such a short time. It will be exciting to see what the future of Washington will bring! (I think I will need to repost these comments on the Future of Washington thread as well for my fellow Huskies fans to read...) :-)
Have fun watching all of these amazing athletes on all of the remaining Sweet 16 teams as they compete, and as always, may the "best" team (at least, on that one magic night) win! :-)