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Post by pavsec5row10 on Dec 13, 2016 10:43:12 GMT -5
Video featuring what Hugh said to the girls in the locker room after the UCLA match and then the girls celebrating/congratulating each other: I don't know how anyone can see this video and not like this team... it's awesome to see their hard work and dedication pay off, I'm so happy for them. Also, Hugh was so right about Dalianliz, awesome to have her playing at such a high level. I could watch that video all day (again).
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Post by Draco_MN on Dec 13, 2016 11:43:44 GMT -5
Video featuring what Hugh said to the girls in the locker room after the UCLA match and then the girls celebrating/congratulating each other: I don't know how anyone can see this video and not like this team... it's awesome to see their hard work and dedication pay off, I'm so happy for them. Also, Hugh was so right about Dalianliz, awesome to have her playing at such a high level. I could watch that video all day (again). Same, I've rewatched it so many times! I love Sarah to Dalianliz: "You can, you can and you will!"
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Post by craftylefty on Dec 14, 2016 20:22:45 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 20:31:05 GMT -5
I heard something about Maturi being honored on KFAN, so I'd bet not.
Joel was at both matches this past weekend, btw. Probably been to most of them.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 20:32:17 GMT -5
The Mat-Pav.
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Post by ugopher on Dec 14, 2016 22:23:32 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 22:26:51 GMT -5
The only thing missing in there is Adam coaching in 1995, during the interim between Schleuder and Hebert, as an assistant to Pam Miller (Dombeck).
Lots of good MN VB history covered.
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Post by gogophers on Dec 14, 2016 23:26:44 GMT -5
Has there ever been a successful div I program with 6 players who played together on the same HS club team? Or 5? or 4?
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Post by mcmike on Dec 16, 2016 3:49:26 GMT -5
This was a great year for Mn VB. They played at such a consistently high level throughout the conference season through the Regional finals. I'll not soon forget witnessing all the great team effort and cohesion. I remember how much fun it was to watch Katie Harms transition become a terminator in her senior year. What Sarah did this year was even more impressive. NPOY? Everyone's game this year seemed a notch above a year ago. Dare I hope that Molly will make a jump? Inky garnered a hitting % over .400 and ~2.8kps this year. Maybe Molly can split the difference from her 1.8kps.
Thursday night reminded me of the MSU loss. A group of tall trees on the other side exploiting our serve reception pressured by aggressive serves. At 6-9 in the third set a chart of first setter touches was shown. Teams that force their opponents OOS, even if they have a handful or more of service errors, negate the advantage of having the first touches of a point. It wasn't long after that graphic was shown that MN started serving deeper/tougher? Yes, we made a couple of service errors, but we knocked their hitting efficiency below .100 in the third set (not that our serving was 100% of the reduction). I am a broken record on this.. I don't think 'clean' is enough when you get deep into the tournament.
I'll make a poker analogy. You can play tight early in a tournament. You don't want to knock yourself out early by taking unnecessary chances. But when there's just a few left at the table you have to play more aggressively or you'll get taken advantage of. I play a lot of higher level duplicate bridge (I watch poker...i don't play). If you don't give your opponents tough decisions, and they are good opponents, you won't force them into mistakes.
SSS had a tough night (Grade B- instead of routine A?). I did not notice that our passing was that poor, but when our hitting efficiency is half of our season average then a closer analysis is warranted. If you cannot run your offense in system then the opposing block gets to camp on the left side. Neither of the Tapps seemed able to adjust to hitting line off the slide and their angle shots were consistently dug or blocked. Maybe the sets could have been wider? Our right side connections were spotty (and that's being generous). If you give SSS 5 kills, as her counterpart had, sprinkled in the first and fourth sets....
We got beat by a team that served tougher, dug better, and passed more efficiently and blocked better. We might have won, would have won, had we been at the top of our game... but we weren't. The match thread had comments about 'not showing up'... that's a crock of _____. Stanford was able to thwart our game. Kudos to them for their energy and effort. They did not leave us much room for mistakes.
I heard a lot of comments during the TX/NEB match about %in system. NEB was in system a lot, and still got throttled. I would like to know what those stats were in our match.
I'll look forward to watching the match again. Maybe I'll see things differently. This was pretty much first impression stuff. Only one squad gets to win the last match of the year....such a cliche
I wish everyone involved the the program the very best and GREAT GOOD FORTUNE moving forward wherever they go.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 12:25:22 GMT -5
Hard to win when Wilhite is really the only person who showed up. I'll give SSS a pass, because no one else was (ha, ha), but it was not a good match for everyone else. And it's a shame, because like last year that match was there to be won.
I DO give credit to the Stanford block and Hentz, but they were giving the Gophs so many points and still the Gophs could never really start clicking.
HOWEVER, I love this team and the players. I am proud of what they accomplished and how they played the 4 weekends leading up to this match. Heck, it may have just been an off match. I think that's what happened to Nebraska.
Nobody has started a 2017 thread?
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Post by gogophers on Dec 16, 2016 12:53:42 GMT -5
The #1 ranking in the AVCA poll, the #2 seeding, the blossoming of Sarah, SSS getting Big10 Setter of the Year, the unbelievable last 2 weekends of the regular season, avenging the second time around the earlier, few defeats (except, alas, for yesterday), Paige's career night against Wisconsin, the sweep at the Elite Eight, the sold out crowds, another perfect season record at the Pav, the bench exalting in the success of the starters, far more great plays than I can ever hope to remember . . . I don't care what anyone says: It was a wonderful season. It didn't end on a high note, true; but there was all that sweet music before that.
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Post by spikerthemovie on Dec 18, 2016 1:16:31 GMT -5
Wilhite the only non-final player on the all-tourney team. Also, Anjanaku (MOP), Plummer, Hentz, Gray, White, Nwanebu
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Post by mnsports255 on Dec 18, 2016 1:47:57 GMT -5
Never got to say it, but much thanks to 4 seniors: specifically Wilhite, Tapps, and Schau for coming in here for 4 years, battling adversity, growing into their roles, and changing this program from a team who in recent years before them was consistently bowing out in regionals to a top 5 national power who was expected to make final fours and compete for national championships. That precedent that they set is here to stay and recruits have taken notice. The face of the program has improved so much because of them, and Minnesota Volleyball wouldn't be what it is today without them taking charge. Here's my thoughts on each of them...
Katie Schau: Came in as a freshman setter, provided quite the upgrade over Palmer taking over midseason, and helping this team to a Sweet 16 birth. SSS comes in after Schau had been a two year starter and boots her from the postion. She easily could've transferred at this point, but she was the consummate teammate and put the team first, transitioning into a new role as DS which she excelled at for two years, becoming a key piece on multiple final four teams. Schau was a great student in the classroom, a hard worker, and represented Gopher Volleyball extremely well.
Hannah Tapp: Came in right off the bat as a fearless, physical player who didn't let the stage get too big for her at any point in her career. She soaked in as much as she could from Dixon as a freshman and took off from there. After having a down year her sophomore year and balancing an adjustment to the RS, Hannah excelled her junior year becoming an extremely important complimentary attacking piece to Daly Santana in giving Minnesota a more balanced attack. She leaves with 1st team AA and 2nd team AA honors and brought so much encouragement and so many smiles on the court that I'll never forget. I'm really going to miss having a set of twins, as that probably won't happen again for a long time!
Sarah Wilhite: Wow... most incredible development that I've seen from a collegiate player. She came in a highly rated recruit (#14) and her first ever college match was excellent against Louisville, as she logged double digit kills and looked to be the next star of Gopher VB. Boy was I wrong!...orrrr was I??? She got moved to strictly a back row role the later half of her freshman year after struggling in the froncourt, and her sophomore year was no bounce back season. In fact, it may have been the lowest moment in her career. She was still timid, had no urgency, no level of aggressiveness, and frankly was scared to step out and play in matches. No NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years. Her junior season started off hampered by injury, but towards the end of the season she caught stride. Something got into her, and change was visible in her on court attitude and the way she attacked the ball. Although she faltered in the final four against texas, she had nearly a flawless postseason up to that point. She was asked to become the leader of the team going into her senior year, and boy was she that and then some. Hugging younger players in post-point celebrations, becoming a huge vocal leader, and accepting the role as the undisputed go-to player for a top 3 team in the country. And she kept it up for a full season, not stopping for a rest until the final point of her final match Thursday night in Columbus. She leaves an unconquerable legacy at Minnesota as the first ever National Player of the Year, and is the face of Gopher Vball. She's what the game of VB is all about and should be seen as a role model to all.
Paige Tapp: Many questioned if she had what it took to contribute to a top level team nevertheless even compete against B1G competition. Boy did she prove that all wrong. Didn't play much at all her freshman season, watching from the bench while her twin sis Hannah had a significant role, waiting for her time to shine. She took her sophomore year by storm, becoming one of the few bright spots in a nightmare of a season, showcasing her athleticism and blocking in route to becoming a 3rd team All-American in her first full season playing college volleyball. She followed that up with more of the same junior year, being a key blocker and timely attacker on a team that had made the greatest single season turnaround in gopher history. Another 3rd team AA award. Then her senior year, she flipped the switch in the later half of the season balancing multiple positional responsibilities and became a key leader for the team. Her performance in the Wisconsin match is one I won't ever forget (as was Wilhite's), and she capped it off with winning the Lowe's Senior Class Award with her combo of performance, academics, and service. It should not be overlooked how much of a beast Paige was in the classroom, finishing with a 3.85 GPA I believe. What a well rounded kid. I'm going to miss them all!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 11:20:30 GMT -5
Wilhite the only non-final player on the all-tourney team. Also, Anjanaku (MOP), Plummer, Hentz, Gray, White, Nwanebu For my money, Hentz was the MVP. Stanford doesn't win without someone playing defense behind that block. When that someone is playing EXCELLENT defense? They win it all.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2016 11:23:07 GMT -5
I think the Gophers should be voted #2 in the final poll. I doubt it will happen, but I think they had the 2nd best tournament run in 2016.
I'll also add it doesn't matter in the least, other than as one more acknowledgment of the fine season they had.
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