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Post by thebeach1 on Jan 2, 2016 21:09:21 GMT -5
With the 2015 season behind us, its time to look to the upcoming 2016 women's volleyball season-- the Big West Conference in particular. The prohibitive favorite to defend its title, as well as challenge for a national title, will be Hawaii. After the Wahine, its anyone's guess. Here is my guess on how the conference race will sort out in the fall:
1) Hawaii
2) Long Beach St.
3) Cal Poly
4) UC Davis
5) UC Irvine
6) CSUN
7) UC Santa Barbara
8) UC Riverside
9) Cal State Fullerton
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Post by chatchu-off moksri on Jan 2, 2016 23:44:50 GMT -5
I hope UCSB can pick it up. They have some good players and also have another good player coming in (Megan Rice) so I would like to see them put it together. With a good setter UCSB could be really good.
For LBSU, I am hoping that the players can be healthy next season and no one has to redshirt and have a surgery. I am glad to have Brinke back because I feel like she will help take a load off of Barber next season. Middles will probably be Grahovac and Murray. Competition at the libero position will be good with Mykah Wilson and Hailey Harward who has been a part of the junior national team. The pins will probably consist of Barber, Brinke, and Kruidhof/Beddingfield unless a transfer happens. Obviously the setter position is a big question mark for LBSU since Hudson is now gone. I am curious to see if the incoming freshman will take that spot or if Missy Owens will take the spot.
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Post by beachgrad on Jan 2, 2016 23:44:59 GMT -5
Hawaii as the conference favorite is a no brainer and it will be LBSU and Cal Poly fighting for second. The conference should be better from top to bottom... okay, let's leave Fullerton and Riverside out of that assessment. The conference needs UCSB, UCD, and UCI to improve significantly.
As a LBSU fan, I believe that the team will be improved next season but the big questions is how fast. The preseason is so important and having a new setter is not always the best formula for early season success. However, one of the team's biggest weaknesses last season was on defense and the program is bringing in one of the best liberos in the country. If she can clean up the passing, and the freshman up front (soon to be sophomores) can improve their block, the team can challenge Hawaii. IMO, the way LS Megan Kruidhof played at the end of the season the team should be improved on the left.
1. Hawaii 2. LBSU 3. Cal Poly 4. UCSB 5. CSUN 6. UCD 7. UCI
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Post by beachgrad on Jan 2, 2016 23:52:49 GMT -5
As for LBSU's starters next season, my guess would be LS Barber and Kruidhof, mb Murray and Xue, rs Grahovac, libero Harward, defensive sub Wilson, serving sub Zoi, and setter Dewyer. Grahovac was too good on the right to now move to the middle and Owens is just not dynamic enough to be a starter; even though she may start the first couple of matches. Brinke was serviceable on the left last season but she does not terminate the ball as well as Kruidhof.
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Post by thebeach1 on Jan 3, 2016 1:24:17 GMT -5
As for LBSU's starters next season, my guess would be LS Barber and Kruidhof, mb Murray and Xue, rs Grahovac, libero Harward, defensive sub Wilson, serving sub Zoi, and setter Dewyer. Grahovac was too good on the right to now move to the middle and Owens is just not dynamic enough to be a starter; even though she may start the first couple of matches. Brinke was serviceable on the left last season but she does not terminate the ball as well as Kruidhof. I agree with your projected starting line up for the Beach next season. However, although Brinke may not be as good of a terminator as Kruidhoff, she is a much better blocker and back row player than Megan and that may give her the edge to start. If Xue isn't ready to start at MB2, I can see Grahovac being moved from RS to middle and Brinke starting on the RS with Kruidhoff starting on the left with Barber. BG will also have options with Beddingfield on the left, as she started a good number of matches last season but seemed to falter near the end. Does anyone know about the skill level of 6'2 MB Doris Bogoje, and could she contribute next season?
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Post by WahineFan44 on Jan 3, 2016 1:27:02 GMT -5
Hawaii's only question is the OH1. Granato, castillo or sable will start, my money on granato. Iosia SHOULD start, but higgins won't be taken out for her
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Post by volleyl0ver on Jan 3, 2016 1:50:33 GMT -5
Ruddins and Rice would be a killer OH combo for ucsb
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Post by beachgrad on Jan 3, 2016 1:58:01 GMT -5
Doris Bogoje improved a lot during the season but she still does not have the athletic ability or skill level that BG requires. I would not be surprised if she does not come back next season.
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Post by thebeach1 on Jan 3, 2016 2:07:16 GMT -5
Doris Bogoje improved a lot during the season but she still does not have the athletic ability or skill level that BG requires. I would not be surprised if she does not come back next season. Thanks for the info on Bogoje!
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Post by Garand on Jan 3, 2016 2:45:35 GMT -5
With the 2015 season behind us, its time to look to the upcoming 2016 women's volleyball season-- the Big West Conference in particular. The prohibitive favorite to defend its title, as well as challenge for a national title, will be Hawaii. After the Wahine, its anyone's guess. Here is my guess on how the conference race will sort out in the fall: 1) Hawaii 2) Long Beach St. 3) Cal Poly 4) UC Davis 5) UC Irvine 6) CSUN 7) UC Santa Barbara 8) UC Riverside 9) Cal State Fullerton I agree with this except for the 2 and 3 spots: I think losing Hudson and starting a freshman setter in her place will be a problem for Long Beach. I like Cal Poly second and Long Beach third. Everything else makes sense.
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Post by jr67 on Jan 3, 2016 4:43:40 GMT -5
I agree with Garand as far as the conference ranking.
What interest me more is what the Big West out-of-conference schedule and results will be. I think as a whole the conference will definitely be stronger than last year.
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Post by aaronic on Jan 3, 2016 9:30:10 GMT -5
The conference is sure to be overall better than this past year, BUT the real question should be how many teams look to be potential NCAA Tourney teams. That's what concerns me the most, as a conference would like to see the Big West as represented or if not more than other rival mid major conferences such as WCC and MWC to start.
UCSB has been kind of a disappointment since their 2013 season. LBSU, UCI, Cal Poly and maybe even UCD can make some noise. Maybe even CSUN.
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Post by beachgrad on Jan 3, 2016 10:57:26 GMT -5
As far as tournament teams goes it all depends on how the conference does overall and not drag the top teams down during conference play. With that said, the best the BW can do next season would be three, Hawaii, LBSU and Cal Poly, and that would be a long shot considering this year's conference strength and the basis the rpi has. The conference needs to have at least half the conference in the top 100 and that would be two other conference teams will need to really pick it up. I have a hunch that either UCSB or CSUN will be the surprise team next season and push for a top 3 conference ranking.
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Jan 3, 2016 22:52:28 GMT -5
As for LBSU's starters next season, my guess would be LS Barber and Kruidhof, mb Murray and Xue, rs Grahovac, libero Harward, defensive sub Wilson, serving sub Zoi, and setter Dewyer. Grahovac was too good on the right to now move to the middle and Owens is just not dynamic enough to be a starter; even though she may start the first couple of matches. Brinke was serviceable on the left last season but she does not terminate the ball as well as Kruidhof. I agree with your projected starting line up for the Beach next season. However, although Brinke may not be as good of a terminator as Kruidhoff, she is a much better blocker and back row player than Megan and that may give her the edge to start. If Xue isn't ready to start at MB2, I can see Grahovac being moved from RS to middle and Brinke starting on the RS with Kruidhoff starting on the left with Barber. BG will also have options with Beddingfield on the left, as she started a good number of matches last season but seemed to falter near the end. Does anyone know about the skill level of 6'2 MB Doris Bogoje, and could she contribute next season? I don't understand the sentiment Kruidhof being better than Brinke, Brinke came on strong the last half of 2014, had better stats than Kruidhof - Kruidhof did have a couple nice matches towards the end against less than top flight competition. Plus Brinke showed how good an all-around beach player she was. I think other than Barber, Murray, Grahovac, & Willson (DS or Libero) - nothing is close to certain on starters. Zoi had a nice serve, that is when she could get it in. I am glad Owens at least got some playing time in, and showed she could at least have an effective serve. But it all comes down to setting, and regardles of the frosh, it's till a huge jump to D1. Because of that, I'd have Poly #2 because they return everyone (except their libero), and they return the best setter in the conference. And depends on who they get for libero & they need a blocker up front. If I know LB had a good D1 setter for next year, I'd dream they could challenge Hawaii, but Hawaii is frankly loaded, although they will miss Magill who was a dynamic
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Post by beachgrad on Jan 4, 2016 0:08:11 GMT -5
Comparing Brinke and Kruidhof, Brinke was the better blocker and better back row player but the team needs more offense from that position. Brinke is not a terminator as she tips and pushes the ball around plus has had a major shoulder injury. Kruidhof did not have as much playing time as Brinke and showed that she is the better attacker. She is also a pretty good defender for an outside freshman. If Kruidhof can improve her block she will in IMO win the starting job. However, I know the head coach really likes Brinke so it maybe her job to lose.
Concerning the freshman setter, I watched her play a few times at a camp and she shows a lot of leadership and court awareness but I agree that the program will be asking a lot from her to start the season. Hopefully she comes in and learns the complicated system quickly and builds a good tempo with her teammates.
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