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Post by Gilmoy on Jun 10, 2018 21:07:24 GMT -5
21-18 Andreu js pass way left, Karlous pokes straight up -- Cuba block net?? 21-19 Knight js offspeed, Gutierrez left cross bounce 22-19 Ibar jf, Godbold right line shanked right (Smith back-1 froze Allen) 22-20 Smith jf, Ramirez D line squeeze down 23-20 Thondike js offspeed, Karlous jump 1h backset Godbold right push line blocked softly, no cover 24-20 Tu2
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Post by Gilmoy on Jun 10, 2018 21:11:54 GMT -5
24-20 Thondike js hard, Godbold right cross blocked across (Gutierrez, then Allen), cover shanked wide left 25-20 = 3-0. Cuba +17+17+20 USA. They celebrate like they have nothing else to look forward to. I don't think we've even been together long enough (two weeks?) to feel that level of anything. So ... this is what the Cavs feel like when Durant just shoots over them, two years in a row Mismatch by program design. We don't train our elite kids this monomaniacally.
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Post by Gilmoy on Jun 10, 2018 21:49:48 GMT -5
All-Tournament Team (one crystal plaque per award): Best Setter: (CUB) Christian Thondike Best Libero: (CUB) Ricardo Gomez Best Server? (CUB) Christian Thondike Best Hitter: (CUB) José Gutierrez Next Hitter: (CUB) Victor Andreu Best Middle: (CUB) Luis Allen Next Middle? (CRC) Yeyco Jimenez Best Opposi: (CUB) Alexei Ramirez Best Passer? (NCA) Jordan Carcache Best Digger? (GUA) David Ismalej Most ValueP: (CUB) Christian Thondike (see what I did there)
Medalists (one medal per player and staff, 1 trophy per team): Third Place: Puerto Rico Second Place: Estados Unidos First Place: Cuba
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Post by backinthesaddle on Jun 10, 2018 22:52:15 GMT -5
The All Tournament Team selections are all based on total statistics so the actual “best” player in any given category may not be reflected and they really don’t mean anything other than perhaps ego.
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Post by socal3 on Jun 11, 2018 9:46:02 GMT -5
Congratulations to USA for qualifying and congratulations to the athletes who earned all tournament team selection. It is a big deal and does have meaning to these athletes.
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Post by future on Jun 11, 2018 9:58:17 GMT -5
All-Tournament Team (one crystal plaque per award): Best Setter: (CUB) Christian ThondikeBest Libero: (CUB) Ricardo GomezBest Server? (CUB) Christian ThondikeBest Hitter: (CUB) José GutierrezNext Hitter: (CUB) Victor AndreuBest Middle: (CUB) Luis AllenNext Middle? (CRC) Yeyco JimenezBest Opposi: (CUB) Alexei RamirezBest Passer? (NCA) Jordan CarcacheBest Digger? (GUA) David IsmalejMost ValueP: (CUB) Christian Thondike (see what I did there)Medalists (one medal per player and staff, 1 trophy per team): Third Place: Puerto RicoSecond Place: Estados UnidosFirst Place: Cuba Any Cubans looking to defect? Never forget the 3 who defected from the Gold Medal winning Baseball team at the WUG in Buffalo 1993. Oropesa began the most recent series of defections Saturday, jumping a fence at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls before Cuba's game with Taiwan. articles.latimes.com/1993-07-14/sports/sp-12938_1_cuban-baseballwww.nytimes.com/1993/07/11/sports/world-university-games-cuban-player-takes-intentional-walk.html
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Post by socal3 on Jun 11, 2018 11:55:41 GMT -5
There wasn’t a team in the tournament that came close to matching the Cuban team’s physicality. That being said, USA could’ve possibly given Cuba tougher matches had their serve receive been better.
I would’ve kept Sebastian Rodriguez on the team. He is the strongest serve receive and defender among the original TT group. IMO Akhil worked into the starting group because of his solid passing.
The setters spent most of their time running down average to poor passes and we were out of system too often to be effective.
Not sure if any combination of the best US players available in the group could’ve beat that Cuba team, but I was a little disappointed how unprepared and out of sorts we looked especially in the first match. It felt like we were trained to win up to a certain level, but once we hit that level Brad and crew didn’t make adjustments necessary to win at the next level.
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Post by CoastalVB on Jun 11, 2018 20:09:23 GMT -5
There wasn’t a team in the tournament that came close to matching the Cuban team’s physicality. That being said, USA could’ve possibly given Cuba tougher matches had their serve receive been better. I would’ve kept Sebastian Rodriguez on the team. He is the strongest serve receive and defender among the original TT group. IMO Akhil worked into the starting group because of his solid passing. The setters spent most of their time running down average to poor passes and we were out of system too often to be effective. Not sure if any combination of the best US players available in the group could’ve beat that Cuba team, but I was a little disappointed how unprepared and out of sorts we looked especially in the first match. It felt like we were trained to win up to a certain level, but once we hit that level Brad and crew didn’t make adjustments necessary to win at the next level. Not perfect serve receive. However, the NORECA stats had the USA as the top team in serve reception for the tournament.
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Post by backinthesaddle on Jun 11, 2018 21:34:03 GMT -5
If you look at the stats, they reveal a much higher success percentage in pass/dig and SR vs the “weaker” teams, including Puerto Rico. While the USA Team had a slightly lower passing success rate vs CUBA in both of those matches played, keep in mind that the velocity and accuracy of that extremely physical team was more akin to a collegiate level team. I’ll bet the USA coaching staff feels that a dig or SR pass kept in play against the Cuban serve was success. If there is a tech geek out there that can track serve speed from the video, my guess is that CUBA consistently served in the 65-68 MPH range. There is nobody at the high school/club level that can even comprehend what that serve looks like and then throw in a hard tail or diving top spin and forget about it. Our YNT passed great IMO.
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