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Post by offonvictory on Dec 14, 2015 10:35:00 GMT -5
Graduating: Whitney, Courtney, K. Pierce, Caraway
Returning (with playing time this season): Frantti, Washington, Weiskircher, Lee, Thalen, Holcomb, Rivera, L. Pierce, Reed, Krause, Muller
Incoming: Kendall White (L), several DSs, and Emily Demure (RS, OH, S)
Some big questions for next season for PSU.
Will the team find a strong 6-rotation player to replace Courtney, who RR often said (predominantly earlier in the season) was the team's top all-around player)? Will pin hitting become a relative weakness for the team? How much growth can the 2014 freshmen see in the offseason? Is this season more like 2011 (also a loss in the regional semis before 3 final fours & 2 national titles) or 2000 (the first of 7 consecutive years without a final four appearance)?
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Post by canda on Dec 14, 2015 11:01:06 GMT -5
I expect better back court defense, particularly with some of the incoming class. That hurt us greatly this year. Hopefully, Bryanna will be much better, too. This may come from better defense behind her.
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Post by BuckysHeat on Dec 14, 2015 11:31:11 GMT -5
PSU will have 8 hitters including their incoming freshman Demure
Simone Lee, Nia Reed, Ali Frantti as outsides
Haleigh Washington, Thelen and Gorrell as middles
Washington, Lee and Frannti have all seen significant playing time, Thelen was worked in here and there, Reed has not seen any real time, Gorrell and Novakovic did not play, Demure is not listed on any list of ranked preps. PSU will still have Weiskircher and Rivera as their setters.
Frantti struggled throughout the year, PSU fans (on VT at least) were unhappy with Lee mostly. I do not see PSU finishing in the top 5 in the Big Ten next year given the returning strength of other teams in the Big Ten and the returnees PSU has.
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Post by vballfreak808 on Dec 14, 2015 12:11:11 GMT -5
Is it possible that the starting line-up next season will all be members from the 2014 recruiting class with the exception of libero?
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Post by HappyVolley on Dec 14, 2015 12:30:31 GMT -5
Penn State is done. Ain't no Fawcetts, Hodges, Harmottos or Glasses in the pipeline.
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Post by whowasthat on Dec 14, 2015 12:33:33 GMT -5
Is it possible that the starting line-up next season will all be members from the 2014 recruiting class with the exception of libero? I hope not. They may prove me wrong, but they've not proven this year to be the elite players that the prepvolleyball ranking that were assigned to them. Again, hope I am wrong. |
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Post by HappyVolley on Dec 14, 2015 12:48:51 GMT -5
Is it possible that the starting line-up next season will all be members from the 2014 recruiting class with the exception of libero? I hope not. They may prove me wrong, but they've not proven this year to be the elite players that the prepvolleyball ranking that were assigned to them. Again, hope I am wrong. If it isn't them, we will be relying heavily on Demure, White, Novakovic and Gorrell. That doesn't give me warm and fuzzies. |
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Post by akbar on Dec 14, 2015 13:37:44 GMT -5
I would bet that some very good players around the country who are seeking a higher level of playing and more exposure are making phone calls and emails to probe transfer possibilities to school like PSU, who clearly has needs and scholarships to offer. In addition to this thought and Russ having a contract extention, I wouldn't think that PSU will be as far down as some of you seem to think......for long.  |
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Post by Disc808 on Dec 14, 2015 13:58:39 GMT -5
Next year there will be a couple of scary teams in the BIG 10 not named Penn state
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Post by southie on Dec 14, 2015 14:07:13 GMT -5
Penn State definitely needs someone like Courtney in the future; don't think they will have that for 2016.
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Post by huskerjen on Dec 14, 2015 14:19:08 GMT -5
PSU will be back eventually but next year may be tough again. It was only a matter of time that they hit some duds (relatively speaking) in recruiting. For a long time everyone they brought in was as advertised, that couldn't last forever. They'll still recruit top talent and Rose is a stud. As soon as they pull a couple more beasts they'll be back in the mix.
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Post by Phillytom on Dec 14, 2015 14:29:39 GMT -5
Penn State is done. Ain't no Fawcetts, Hodges, Harmottos or Glasses in the pipeline. That's a little hyperbolic. That said, I don't remember a PSU team with so little firepower at OH. Even assuming Frantti and Lee improve, they don't have anyone who is really dominant and they don't have any OH depth. Crazy as it sounds, it is very possible to picture PSU as a middle of the pack B1G team next year. Other than Washington, I don't know where they're going to go next year when they have to have a kill. |
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Post by dorothymantooth on Dec 14, 2015 14:36:58 GMT -5
PSU will be back eventually but next year may be tough again. It was only a matter of time that they hit some duds (relatively speaking) in recruiting. For a long time everyone they brought in was as advertised, that couldn't last forever. They'll still recruit top talent and Rose is a stud. As soon as they pull a couple more beasts they'll be back in the mix. Was this year tough? How many of the 300 plus teams in the land would have loved to have had their "tough" year. They are competing against an impossible standard. |
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Post by huskerjen on Dec 14, 2015 14:42:57 GMT -5
PSU will be back eventually but next year may be tough again. It was only a matter of time that they hit some duds (relatively speaking) in recruiting. For a long time everyone they brought in was as advertised, that couldn't last forever. They'll still recruit top talent and Rose is a stud. As soon as they pull a couple more beasts they'll be back in the mix. Was this year tough? How many of the 300 plus teams in the land would have loved to have had their "tough" year. They are competing against an impossible standard. Everyone is judged against their own standard. PSU should think this year was extremely disappointing. Yes, they've set the highest bar imagineable, but that's better than being a team who's just happy to make the tourney. It's all relative. It's like USC. Based off last year, should they be happy to just make the elite eight? I don't think so, their bar was reset based on the regular season and they should be very disappointed right now. |
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Post by MTC on Dec 14, 2015 14:48:03 GMT -5
PSU will be back eventually but next year may be tough again. It was only a matter of time that they hit some duds (relatively speaking) in recruiting. For a long time everyone they brought in was as advertised, that couldn't last forever. They'll still recruit top talent and Rose is a stud. As soon as they pull a couple more beasts they'll be back in the mix. Fortunately for other teams PSU did not bring in any beasts in 2015. Expectations are low for 2016 and 2017 and therefore 2018 will be the crucial period. Rose has done such a good job of training assts, who now are head coaches in his primary recruiting areas, that it may prove to be his roadblock to future championships. |
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