Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 10:11:46 GMT -5
Feb 20, 2019 12:11:02 GMT -5 @brandonl10 said:
Looked at the film from this year some and then some of the new recruits. With less than 2 weeks UNTIL SPRING, these are a few things I would watch for this spring...1. Who assumes the role in the middle?
North Carolina has traditionally been known as a middle dominant team. Last year, Carolina had one middle who could block but not produce offensively (Esterly), and another middle who could provide offense but could not block (Bell). Those are some big issues with balance. Many times last year, the defense was left out to dry and could not dig anything because the blocking scheme was so off balance or there was a lack of terminating because most teams knew when Esterly was in front, the ball was going to a pin. Enter stage....Skyy Howard. Howard is a total package. She is long, athletic, and moves very well. Howard may be that player to return to Carolina tradition who can terminate and also put up a wall at the net. Ranked the #31 recruit in the country, she has the accolades to get fans excited. Esterly is a solid blocker, but Raleigh Clark deserves the time. Clark has international experience in the USA HP Pipeline and is a great asset. Last year in the matches she was given chance, she hit at a high percentage, could run the slide effectively, and blocked very well. I want to see a duo of Clark and Howard get some playing time this spring. Tontai is also a good offensive player, and could see more time if she improves in her blocking.
2. How will the pin situation be split/decided?
North Carolina will be loaded on the pins come the fall, but until then there are still several different combinations the coaching staff can test. Skylar Wine came on strong in some games, but was streaky in others. She eventually transitioned to a 6 rotation player and did okay. While at Pacific, she played some on the RS and with a vacancy there, she may be needed. However, her defense was better than Cox.....enter Cox. Cox was stellar in big games. But she struggled immensely most of the season. If there was hope for UNC fans, it was her switch flipping in the Duke game. She went off the last two sets then torched FSU at home in the last game of the year hitting almost .400 with double digit kills. Unbeknownst to fans, was that Cox had some health issues that limited her, but those began clearing up towards the end of the season. If Cox wants a 6 rotation job, she is going to need to work on her back row game. What makes her a tantalizing possibility on the RS is her ability to leap from the back row and hit pipe sets and "D" sets. That is valuable when you run a 5-1. The third major prospect is Lauren Harrison. She brings the ability to terminate, which we did not have last year. Harrison is in a similar boat as Cox....her defense needs work, but what can still get her on the left side is her OOS game. She is a go to OOS player and her approach is very strong on the left side. I think we may see her get reps on both pins, but because of her offensive prowess, I expect to see her get a lot of time on the left. LaGarde is a player that did not get a lot of attention coming in to Carolina and was injured through last year. The appearances she made were decent. If LaGarde wants to grow in her game this spring, she really needs to focus on refining her approach and shot selection. She could be a decent OPP given her physicality.
3. How does the defense improve?
There are two schemes to defense; the blocking and the floor defense behind the block. One of the most notable issues was that there seemed to be a lack of blocking technique and scheme. There was times that the blocks never formed or had huge seams and the floor defense could not pick up attacks that went through essentially having no block. Even getting touches would have helped but those were also very slim. One thing Carolina has taught successfully is blocking and that was erratic last year. Even Atherton was a better blocker than the MBs! If North Carolina is going to get their MO back and make noise, they have to have sounder defense. I expect to see Esterly working to get back to her top blocking form and seeing Howard adjusting to the speed of the college game. For Clark, it is not about getting to the spot, but about pressing her hands over. These were minor adjustments to be made. In the back row, Jacobs was very streaky as a passer and on serve receive, but her leadership was strong. I expect to see Fradenburg continue growing and see Moseman ease into Jacob’s role. However, if Joe gets his 2 left sides to be 6 rotation that may limit the role of the DS players including Hough. The biggest thing is improving communication between the blockers and defenders and players working in a system to understand where they need to be on defense. Team chemistry is a must this off season.
4. Can the setting become more consistent with Atherton?
There was a lot of hype with Atherton coming in from championship team Nebraska. She was a top high school setting recruit and has even trained under past Olympian trainers. Atherton did a lot of things well in her first season at UNC; she was a very good blocker, she defended very well, and she mixed tempos for her hitters to best suit them and keep defenses off balance. Oh, yeah, and her knuckleball of a float serve was very effective in giving North Carolina some of their only big runs. However, the biggest issue was lack of vocal leadership. Part of that could be coming into a new program and not wanting to rub people the wrong way. However, to be the offensive quarterback of the team, you have to demand from your players and make sure the game plan is well executed. I think Atherton has the technical skills, but I hope to see the leadership and communication improve. She could not be fully utilized this year due to the lapses on defense. Behind Atherton, are Archer and Boone, then Cheney in the fall. In regards to the spring, Archer was a good serving specialist, but is undersized in a 5-1. I can see her earning more play time by continuing to perfect her sets to the middle which I thought were good last year when she had a shot. I also think if Boone wants a role on the team, it may be working on her offense as a left handed player on the RS. Otherwise, Atherton is the cornerstone of the offense for the next two years.
5. Who will provide vocal leadership?
As already stated, lack of a leader really hurt communication and team chemistry. Atherton was very stoic but never really voiced her concerns on the court. Mia played very good defense, but did not seem to get hyped up too much or share with the front row players. I do not think anyone really stood out for rallying the team. Someone should get excited for the big plays, someone should be able to regroup the team during a skid, and someone has to motivate a team to close sets. On the offensive end, I see Atherton needing to step up and on the defense, your libero has to assume leadership, whether it is vocal or just demonstrative. Fradenburg and Atherton really need to seize the reigns over the spring. It is also important that your 6 rotation players also be able to lead since they remain on the court. Ultimately, I see Austin assuming this role in the fall, but until then I can see Cox emerging as this player in the spring. Otherwise, there must be an emphasis on leadership in order to develop team chemistry and develop the intangibles that set teams apart.
All in all, this spring could be, and needs to be a game changer for this program and group.
Well all of it actually.