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Post by jaypak on Aug 25, 2016 23:21:47 GMT -5
Opening Day = Wonderful to create one of these tournament charts again! | Date | Time (CDT) | Matchup/Result | Audio | Video | | Fri Aug 26 | 6:30 | Iowa St def Wichita St, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 | Goshockers.com | $ | | Sat Aug 27 | 4:00 | Wichita St def Creighton, 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-7 | KZOT Omaha, Goshockers.com | none | | Sun Aug 28 | 2:00 | Creighton def Iowa St, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 | none | $ |
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Post by durtpile on Aug 26, 2016 15:31:16 GMT -5
These are fun match-ups of relative equals.
Ia State & Wichita both received votes - they are no slouches. Creighton should win both matches, but it won't be a cakewalk.
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Post by durtpile on Aug 26, 2016 22:01:32 GMT -5
Iowa State sweeps, 3-0.
Not close, either. 25-16, 25-21,25-20
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Post by cyclonepower on Aug 26, 2016 23:20:35 GMT -5
Good start to the year for Iowa State. The first set was outstanding, next two the block was not quite there for ISU, but the offense helped carry the Cyclones.
Wichita State's serving was terrible. No aces, 12 errors and really only their libero even sort of challenged ISU's passing, which was plenty vulnerable with a new libero (Berta, who was amazing), Schaben going to 6-rotations and a freshman DS in Hali Hillegas. Their offense was good the final two sets, but they gave away way too many free points.
It will be interesting to see how things go tomorrow in WSU-Creighton. if you are in Central Iowa, admission is free! You will get your money's worth!
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Post by cyclonepower on Aug 27, 2016 19:40:47 GMT -5
Wichita State in five! 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-7! The Jays got to 23 first in the third & fourth set, but could not close it out.
Wichita went with a 6-2 during the first two sets and then mixed it up during the next two before going 5-1 for the fifth set. Credit to both coaches and players for taking all that in stride and producing the result. Wichita was able to get their middles involved, which was something they struggled with against ISU. Then they were gritty. Jody Larson was amazing with 19 kills and 18 digs.
Creighton was alright, and I thought Dimke did a good job running the show at setter. Passing was very poor, WSU got eight aces (after zero against ISU) and Bird was targeted time and time again. Winters was amazing the first two sets, did very little in three and four. Wilkinson had her moments, but too far and few in between and then as mentioned earlier, Bird was an asset on offense, but a liability in the back row.
It will be an interesting match tomorrow between Creighton and Iowa State. ISU's middles could really take advantage of the Jays, but Winters will be a new test for that young back row.
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Post by jaypak on Aug 28, 2016 9:09:34 GMT -5
Credit Wichita for hanging in and seizing momentum at the end, winning the big points when Creighton had chances to close it out and hitting aces at opportune times. The biggest difference late was that Wichita tracked Creighton's hitters better and got touches on almost everything, whereas early they didn't have a block until the end of the first set. Wichita also dug much better in the latter half.
Creighton started slow in 4 of the 5 sets, which Coach Booth suggested was due to a lack of focus. Bird has been inconsistent throughout her career. She struggles with float/knuckleball/hybrid serves and we might see more DS substitutions when she is in back against certain servers. Part of the problem was communication with the new libero.
Wichita and Missouri St. look like the class of the Valley. Creighton will have work to do to get by Marquette and Xavier in the Big East.
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Post by jaypak on Aug 28, 2016 16:47:02 GMT -5
Creighton gets back on track with a good road win over Iowa St, -19,+22,+21,+22. Not having access to the match, I'd appreciate Cyclonepower or anyone who saw it to comment. According to live stats, Ballenger came in early for Kloth at opposite and played the rest of the match. Creighton's native Iowegians (Jaali Winters, Megan Ballenger, Samantha Bohnet, Mac Conlon) had to appreciate gaining the victory in their home state. Conlon saw her first action as a Bluejay.
All three teams finish the triangular at 1-1. Going by sets, Creighton finished 5-4, Iowa St 4-3, and Wichita 3-5. Each team gained a quality win and a defeat to expose weaknesses and motivate harder work going forward. Creighton has to lament being 2 points away in 2 different sets from an undefeated tournament and not being able to close out, but credit Wichita for that.
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Post by cyclonepower on Aug 28, 2016 18:47:55 GMT -5
We are Iowans, not Iowegians!  Yes, bringing in Ballenger changed the match defensively. She was a really strong block that Iowa State struggled to get around, along with Lauren Smith. That, and bringing in Foje and Bohnet for Bird in the back-row. The Cyclone servers all went after Bird for the first 1.5 sets, and were getting easy points. As for Iowa State, CJL made the decision at 18-12 ISU in set two to bring in Phillips for Schaben in back, just to rest Jess. It was not the singular reason ISU lost the set, but the Cyclones' intensity level went down, and they struggled to recover it. Iowa State's serving was terrible, which was unfortunate after seeing how well ISU served on Friday, and how well Wichita served at Creighton on Saturday. The Cyclone middles were all poor, too. West was not really there today, Conaway got benched for Lazard, but Grace's impact was average at best. As jaypak mentioned, all three teams got something good and some things to work on out of the weekend. All three teams have intriguing matches next weekend with WSU hosting Marquette, Creighton going to USC to take on SC, Kentucky and UNI and Iowa State heading to Lincoln for the Huskers on Friday. |
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Post by durtpile on Aug 28, 2016 19:03:49 GMT -5
I didn't think the Iowegians would get by Creighton, nor did I think the Blue Jays would lose like that to WS.
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Post by jaypak on Aug 28, 2016 21:00:19 GMT -5
We are Iowans, not Iowegians! Yes, bringing in Ballenger changed the match defensively. She was a really strong block that Iowa State struggled to get around, along with Lauren Smith. That, and bringing in Foje and Bohnet for Bird in the back-row. The Cyclone servers all went after Bird for the first 1.5 sets, and were getting easy points. As for Iowa State, CJL made the decision at 18-12 ISU in set two to bring in Phillips for Schaben in back, just to rest Jess. It was not the singular reason ISU lost the set, but the Cyclones' intensity level went down, and they struggled to recover it. Iowa State's serving was terrible, which was unfortunate after seeing how well ISU served on Friday, and how well Wichita served at Creighton on Saturday. The Cyclone middles were all poor, too. West was not really there today, Conaway got benched for Lazard, but Grace's impact was average at best. As jaypak mentioned, all three teams got something good and some things to work on out of the weekend. All three teams have intriguing matches next weekend with WSU hosting Marquette, Creighton going to USC to take on SC, Kentucky and UNI and Iowa State heading to Lincoln for the Huskers on Friday. Sorry. I apologize to all Iowans for the misnomer. Thanks, Cyclonepower, for the great firsthand observations all weekend. Best of luck to the Cyclones and Shockers for a great season so everyone's win can be a "good win" and loss can be a "good loss". |
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Post by durtpile on Aug 29, 2016 6:59:55 GMT -5
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Post by wishinwestcoastvb on Aug 29, 2016 7:23:30 GMT -5
Brenan Berta, the libero for ISU, had a stellar stat line this weekend. ISU will continue to be libero university it looks like. Anyone know what sets their developments at libero apart from other schools?
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isu40
Sophomore
Posts: 151
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Post by isu40 on Aug 29, 2016 17:02:15 GMT -5
Brenan Berta, the libero for ISU, had a stellar stat line this weekend. ISU will continue to be libero university it looks like. Anyone know what sets their developments at libero apart from other schools? Two words: Joe Lynch. He is in charge of the liberos and I feel like he is the difference maker. |
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