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Post by newbeach on Jan 4, 2020 23:26:18 GMT -5
Thoughts and predictions for the upcoming UH beach season: 1. What is your dream lineup for the UH 2020 season with the addition of possible indoor players? 2. What, if any, lineups from the Fall will stick? 3. Which lineups from the Fall will change? 4. Will Ozee go back to being a full-time defender? 5. Will a UH player win Freshman of the Year for the 5th straight year in the Big West (Maglio, Martin, Monkhouse, Napolean)? If so, who will it be Hellvig, Huddleston, Maidment, Hanneman? 6. Will one of the incoming freshman redshirt? If yes, who? 7. Who will be at the #1 flight? 8. Who will win the Big West Conference title? 9. What returning players from last season will most likely be left out of the 2020 lineup? 10. Where will UH finish in the National Tournament (assuming they make it)? Bumping these questions. Adding another question: 11. What is one pairing that could surprise? Two that I have thought about is Iosia and Napolean, and BVS and Scoles.
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Post by newbeach on Jan 4, 2020 23:55:10 GMT -5
In the depth chart, I put Martin, Scoles, Ozee, Napolean, Huddleston, at the top. I see them at the top flights based on experience, seniority, coaching preferences, etc. Throw in Hellvig and BVS depending on how they look when they come out.
I think Martin and Scoles are the "least" versatile in some respects, because they need a certain level of player to play with them at the higher flights.
I think Martin is going #1 no matter what this season, so you have to pair her first.
1. Martin could play with Scoles, or Napolean (I can't really see anyone else with her except maybe Ozee again, and possibly Huddleston). 2. Scoles could play with Huddleston, Napolean, maybe BVS, or Ozee. Can't see anyone else. Scoles typically isn't a defender (and you really wouldn't want her to be). You need a good defender with her, and preferably a good side-out player to be successful at the #2 flight. 3. Ozee is more versatile as a defender or blocker. I still like the idea with her and Hellvig. Or, Hanneman, Napolean, or BVS. Ozee and Hanneman, challenged Martin and Napolean, Scoles and Huddleston. Hellvig and Ozee, could potentially push to Flight #1 or #2! 4. Loker is a solid #4 flight. I have trouble moving her up based on the talent in the top flights. Maybe could challenge for #3, but I can't see who she would knock out to move up. She has been paired with Napolean before. 5. Maidment is a versatile player who can defend, block, split block. But, I think this year she is flight #4 or #5. I think with the seniors graduating, you want to get her more experience this year. I don't see her playing below flight #5.
Where does Iosia fit in. She could challenge at #4 or #5. She isn't really a defender, and so typically needs to be paired with a defender. I like her with a freshman to steady out the lower flights. Hanneman, Maidment, could work, or even BVS, or Napolean. Not sure that Napolean will play down at that level though.
Can Russo or Hurkett get into the lineup? What about Kekauoha or Hardisty? I see Hardisty red-shirting.
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Post by Wolfgang on Jan 5, 2020 2:07:16 GMT -5
The UH website doesn’t even have the full schedule for the 2020 season, only the fall 2019 exhibition vs. USC. I suppose they’re still working things out with various teams as the season doesn’t even start until mid- to late-February.
ALso, the roster list still doesn’t list any indoor players.
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Post by newbeach on Jan 5, 2020 17:27:07 GMT -5
The UH website doesn’t even have the full schedule for the 2020 season, only the fall 2019 exhibition vs. USC. I suppose they’re still working things out with various teams as the season doesn’t even start until mid- to late-February. ALso, the roster list still doesn’t list any indoor players. They did the same thing last year. They took forever to update the site and get photos up. Was Maglio the only one that joined in January last year? They started Jan. 15th (with the addition of Mags), and had a photo session that same day. I think they didn't update the roster with photos on the UH site until right before their season opener last year.
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Post by 808 on Jan 7, 2020 20:58:07 GMT -5
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Post by staticb on Jan 7, 2020 23:58:38 GMT -5
What was the gossip on the reason why we don’t play Pepperdine again?
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Post by Wolfgang on Jan 8, 2020 13:32:50 GMT -5
Is it just me or does this schedule look better than anything they've ever had in the entire history of the program? Packed with competition plus top teams, both home and away.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 8, 2020 21:33:09 GMT -5
SandBows open season with defending champion
By Cindy Luis 1/8/2020 Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The adage of playing the best in order to be the best starts with the opening serve this season when the Hawaii beach volleyball team opens the year with two-time defending NCAA champion UCLA.
The Rainbow Wahine host the Bruins as part of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic on Feb. 22-23 at Queen’s Beach. Also in the field are Stanford and LSU.
Hawaii has 15 home matches and, for the first time since 2014, all will be played at Queen’s Beach. The SandBows also will host the Heineken Invitational on March 21-22 with Grand Canyon, Nebraska and Washington; and the First Foundation Cup April 4-5 with UC Davis, Loyola Marymount and Portland.
Hawaii is on the road for the Bay Area Classic on Feb. 29-March 1 at Stanford; the Stetson Beach Blast on March 14-15 in Deland, Fla.; the Big West Challenge on March 28-29 at Huntington Beach, Calif.; and the East Meets West Invitational on April 11-12 at Manhattan Beach, Calif. The Big West tournament is April 17-19 at Davis, Calif., and the NCAA championship again is at Gulf Shores, Ala., on May 1-3.
Last season, the SandBows finished 28-11 with their fourth consecutive top-four NCAA finish. The schedule includes six of the seven teams that joined Hawaii at the NCAA tournament and 12 that were ranked in the final Top 20 poll.
Hawaii returns seven players, including all-conference selections Amy Ozee, Julia Scoles, Morgan Martin and Pani Napoleon, the latter who was the Big West Freshman of the Year. Among the five newcomers are freshman Ilihia Huddleston, younger sister of former SandBow Hi‘ilawe, and freshman Maia Hannemann, daughter of former Warriors setter Albert.
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Post by newbeach on Jan 9, 2020 15:46:24 GMT -5
Is it just me or does this schedule look better than anything they've ever had in the entire history of the program? Packed with competition plus top teams, both home and away. I don't know about the best schedule ever, but it's decent. Last year they didn't get a trip out east like they have in previous years due to budget (same for 2017). It was a good thing they were invited to the East vs West tournament (which they have been at the last 2 years). It's nice to see the 2020 team get an early season East tournament, plus the East vs West tournament (which they did in 2016). This schedule has a good mix of good, and mid-level teams (and maybe too many lower-tier teams again). Their schedule will help with win-loss record, and getting into tournament if they play well against the East teams. In 2016, in regular season, they played USC 5x, UCLA 2x, Pepperdine 1x, LBSU 4x, Cal Poly, FAU, FIU, FSU, LMU, Stetson, Tulane, TCU, GCU, Arizona (who was ranked high at the time), Arizona State (and then Boise, Nebraska, etc.), but they had two pairs tournaments with UCLA, and USC (+ others) as competition. They had a really good mix of top-tier east and west teams.
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Post by raian13 on Jan 9, 2020 16:30:01 GMT -5
Why do they keep on scheduling Nebraska? Do they even get a good thing out of it?
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Post by Wolfgang on Jan 9, 2020 17:16:07 GMT -5
As much grief that the coaching staff gets for scheduling Nebraska, the only home matches Spectrum (or OC) has aired in the past were those against USC, UCLA, and Nebraska, I believe.
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Post by brooselee on Jan 9, 2020 17:17:05 GMT -5
Why do they keep on scheduling Nebraska? Do they even get a good thing out of it? I honestly don't know. I recall hearing Jeff Hall say that he would not schedule teams like Nebraska in the future because they are not really a true beach team. They are a bunch of indoor players using beach to cross train and those kind of squad really doesn't help UH in any way. My guess is that Hall had a change of heart and couldn't find anyone else to come so they brought in Nebraska to fill the tournament hole.
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Post by raian13 on Jan 9, 2020 19:27:01 GMT -5
Why do they keep on scheduling Nebraska? Do they even get a good thing out of it? I honestly don't know. I recall hearing Jeff Hall say that he would not schedule teams like Nebraska in the future because they are not really a true beach team. They are a bunch of indoor players using beach to cross train and those kind of squad really doesn't help UH in any way. My guess is that Hall had a change of heart and couldn't find anyone else to come so they brought in Nebraska to fill the tournament hole. Unless Hall is giving RAM a favor by bringing these athletes in so she can scout them.
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Post by Wolfgang on Jan 9, 2020 19:31:07 GMT -5
Why no home matches on campus at the Ching complex? Why only Queens Beach?
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Post by newbeach on Jan 9, 2020 20:03:55 GMT -5
Why no home matches on campus at the Ching complex? Why only Queens Beach? Mainly to prepare the team for the Gulf Shores where it is a real beach, with deep sand. The Ching sand is much more compact than at Queen's, and the game is very different (movement, blocking, etc.). The team has felt that they have not been as prepared as they would like when they competed on the beaches. They were at a disadvantage even playing at UCLA because the sand is so much deeper there. Jeff Hall mentioned this last year as well, but they do play those few matches (Nebraska, Boise State etc.) at the Ching. I think this was mainly for OC to broadcast. I suspect they will do this again this year.
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