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BYU 2019
Apr 10, 2019 16:59:57 GMT -5
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Post by ay2013 on Apr 10, 2019 16:59:57 GMT -5
She’s a setter, right? Probably has a good shot to play right away. Interesting someone can decide spring of their Junior year they can skip their senior year! She had to have this in the back of her mind, right? I mean wouldn’t she have had to go to summer school a couple of summers? LDS kids usually also attend a religious class during school hours for which they receive no credit, so that makes it even harder. So BYU is getting both of the Bower sisters this fall. The setter and the Libero. They are both very good.
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BYU 2019
Apr 12, 2019 9:00:53 GMT -5
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Post by mintonetteman on Apr 12, 2019 9:00:53 GMT -5
Anyone going? I hear Weber State is looking good this spring. I have not watched them, but friends said they looked good and their younger athletes are getting better.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2019 9:48:32 GMT -5
I'm planning to go as of right now. Hopefully nothing interferes.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2019 10:18:03 GMT -5
Did any one catch Mckenna Miller in practice for one of BYU's promo videos? Has a knee brace on but jump serving, recovery is looking to go smoothly.
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Post by mintonetteman on Apr 13, 2019 19:13:14 GMT -5
Just got back from Utah. Lots of volleyball this weekend for sure!!! I really enjoyed getting to Provo and watching the BYU/Weber St. scrimmage (most of it).
Here is my thoughts from the scrimmage with Weber St.
The played 4 sets. BYU won all four. The second was the closest.
S - Moea'i OH - Robinson OH/DS - Lyman/Bower RS/DS - Ballard/Whitney MB - Gneiting MB - Eschenberg L - Lake
Highlight--Watching Mckenna Miller serve! She served for the DS players (and then the DS would finish the play) and appeared to be super happy about it. So great to see her able to do that. She looks good and seems to be on track in terms of a full recovery. Because of my own past, I am kind of partial to kids that have to overcome injury. I am really pulling for her.
Question Marks-- Since the end of the RJP era, my big question heading into this coming year has to do with who will emerge as the 6 rotation pin for BYU next year. Someone has to play back row and I saw it as a battle between Lyman and Robinson. Just don't see Ballard or Miller in that position. In my opinion, it seems like Robinson is separating herself a bit. I think it will be an absolute battle for the pin hitter positions this year. I was sitting next to someone that had watched Erin Anderson at the BYU camp last summer who thinks she more versatile version of Mckenna Miller, but doesn't play back row. I still think a lot of our success next year will depend on the OH that has to do it all.
Setting. This was my other question mark this weekend. Just curious to see would replace Haddock-Eppich. The scrimmage lasted 4 sets. Moea'i played in the first three and Tausinga played the fourth. Moea'i looked solid good location for the most part and I liked how she seemed determined to get the ball to the middles. Sure seems like Moea'i has the edge here as she played 3 of the 4 sets. Always hard to come in and set just one set, but I thought Tausinga did fine under the circumstance.
Overall, I am really optimistic going into next year. Obviously big shoes to fill with RJP and LHP gone--but I love how BYU seems to develop new kids every year. We still have the infectious and high energy Mary Lake anchoring the back court and two of the best middles in the country. Plus, lot's of buzz on the incoming freshman. I left the scrimmage surprising excited for the fall.
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Post by ilikecorn on Apr 14, 2019 8:14:33 GMT -5
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Post by azvb on Apr 14, 2019 13:59:17 GMT -5
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BYU 2019
Apr 15, 2019 13:28:23 GMT -5
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Post by atticus on Apr 15, 2019 13:28:23 GMT -5
Overall, I am really optimistic going into next year. Obviously big shoes to fill with RJP and LHP gone--but I love how BYU seems to develop new kids every year. We still have the infectious and high energy Mary Lake anchoring the back court and two of the best middles in the country. Plus, lot's of buzz on the incoming freshman. I left the scrimmage surprising excited for the fall.[/quote]
Thanks for posting this recap. Nice to hear Miller is on track in her recovery. Where do you think some of the incoming freshmen might have a chance to play? Am curious if Whitney Bower graduating HS a year early may be because they expect to use her right away or if they need her to get a solid year of practice in before she’s needed to be the go-to setter in 2020. Also wondering if Grimes might compete with Ballard for the RS spot this fall. Have seen her in club play and she’s impressive. Would be good to build up some depth at RS. Seems the 2019 class is OH-heavy. Will be interesting to see who stands out from the field. The only problem with having a player as good as RJPis having to replace her!
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BYU 2019
Apr 15, 2019 13:29:38 GMT -5
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Post by atticus on Apr 15, 2019 13:29:38 GMT -5
Oops, sorry, new here and messed up quoting your thread mintonetteman
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BYU 2019
Apr 15, 2019 15:40:25 GMT -5
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Post by azvb on Apr 15, 2019 15:40:25 GMT -5
My thoughts, not worth much, but:
I’m wondering if they might play a 6-2. They should have 2 competent opposites, unlike last year. Neither of their setters can block like LHE (don’t know this for sure). The Bower girl can redshirt or come in if the 6-2 isn’t working. I hear she is a LHE type player. Not talk, but very athletic.
Passing concerns me.
Wonder if Miller will redshirt?
My heart literally hurts knowing I won’t see RJP and LHE play again. Really going to miss the 2018 Cougars.
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Post by mintonetteman on Apr 15, 2019 15:45:39 GMT -5
I wish I was better on the incoming freshman. My wife just had a baby so I am coaching a younger club team that isn't going to national qualifiers. Maybe azvb has watched Grimmes? The mom I talked to at the scrimmage said she thought Anderson and Grimmer were both legit at camps last summer. Maybe someone else has put club ball eyes on them this year. Sounds like the other frosh are also good--they all come from excellent club programs, Johnson-Forza (Mckenna Miller's old club), Dayton A4/T-Street (former BYU connections with Troy Tanner and Joaquin Acosta) and Wee (Ku'ikahi club team and Iolani HS).
Whitney Bower played at Skyview H.S. in Boise (west Idaho). I live in east Idaho. She played for Idaho Crush, but I have not watched her in club. Watched her when she was young as a freshman and sophomore. My recollection was very athletic, heavy lefty arm, and they had her swing a lot on the right side. She ran a 6-2. I remember her lefty top spin because it had a wicked side curve--reminded me of Micah Hancock who at the time was playing for Penn State. I watched her beat an Idaho Falls H.S. team that had won state the year before with two senior D1 players that I know very well. Maddy Reeb, setter now at Portland State, and Maya Taylor, OH at St. Louis. I thought Idaho Falls would win easy and it was the exact opposite. Skyview won pretty easy. Went back the next year to the state tourney just to watch Skyview and there was no competition. I think by then both the Bower girls had committed to BYU and I was a little more invested. Unfortunately, there was no real competition and I left early to watch other more competitive games. I did watch the other BYU commit, Makala Tolman, another lefty, RS. I thought she was really good too. So that was cool.
I don't know. Maybe a 6-2 in BYU's future--with all the RS talent coming in.
Nice thing is that with what BYU has and how players have developed, I don't think they need to rush in any of the freshman. Good place to be if you are a BYU fan.
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Post by atticus on Apr 15, 2019 16:57:58 GMT -5
I wish I was better on the incoming freshman. My wife just had a baby so I am coaching a younger club team that isn't going to national qualifiers. Maybe azvb has watched Grimmes? The mom I talked to at the scrimmage said she thought Anderson and Grimmer were both legit at camps last summer. Maybe someone else has put club ball eyes on them this year. Sounds like the other frosh are also good--they all come from excellent club programs, Johnson-Forza (Mckenna Miller's old club), Dayton A4/T-Street (former BYU connections with Troy Tanner and Joaquin Acosta) and Wee (Ku'ikahi club team and Iolani HS). Whitney Bower played at Skyview H.S. in Boise (west Idaho). I live in east Idaho. She played for Idaho Crush, but I have not watched her in club. Watched her when she was young as a freshman and sophomore. My recollection was very athletic, heavy lefty arm, and they had her swing a lot on the right side. She ran a 6-2. I remember her lefty top spin because it had a wicked side curve--reminded me of Micah Hancock who at the time was playing for Penn State. I watched her beat an Idaho Falls H.S. team that had won state the year before with two senior D1 players that I know very well. Maddy Reeb, setter now at Portland State, and Maya Taylor, OH at St. Louis. I thought Idaho Falls would win easy and it was the exact opposite. Skyview won pretty easy. Went back the next year to the state tourney just to watch Skyview and there was no competition. I think by then both the Bower girls had committed to BYU and I was a little more invested. Unfortunately, there was no real competition and I left early to watch other more competitive games. I did watch the other BYU commit, Makala Tolman, another lefty, RS. I thought she was really good too. So that was cool. I don't know. Maybe a 6-2 in BYU's future--with all the RS talent coming in. Nice thing is that with what BYU has and how players have developed, I don't think they need to rush in any of the freshman. Good place to be if you are a BYU fan. Thanks for sharing your insights. I have seen Bower with Idaho Crush this year. She is very athletic and physically strong and has a deadly dump. As has been mentioned, she doesn’t have the height so blocking at an elite level could be challenging. Enter the 6-2, perhaps, although a 6-2 seems to often present more challenges than it solves. Tolman has size and such a high point of attack that she finds the floor a lot. She plays back row in club (Bower runs a 5-1) and while she hits well from there, it seems her passing was somewhat of a liability and I don’t she’d be ready to pass in college, nor would she likely need to. I heard that after a bit of a down year in 2018 post knee surgery, Ballard is looking improved this Spring. That will help. Nice to have the middles situation so solid! BYU is on a run with outstanding middles in recent years.
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Post by mintonetteman on Apr 15, 2019 17:27:40 GMT -5
Good info. Yes, I remember the same thing. Tolman had a very high point of contact, she is really really long. Sounds like BYU gets back to back years with lefty RSs that are pretty legit--and different. I like that...a lot.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2019 17:53:03 GMT -5
Did we forget about Hamson? She's a huge block and if she's anything like her sister, lethal...
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Post by newfoundballer15 on Apr 15, 2019 18:00:55 GMT -5
Did we forget about Hamson? She's a huge block and if she's anything like her sister, lethal... Didn't she decide to focus on basketball only?
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