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Post by ay2013 on Aug 30, 2019 14:21:17 GMT -5
Freshman setter Whitney Bower gets the start for BYU... Connection with the middles not quite there yet. Boise State leads 8-7. Now 8-8. Bower is such a stud.
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Post by bayarea on Aug 30, 2019 14:33:08 GMT -5
That was a good first match for a very new looking BYU squad. They had a chance to get Bower some seasoning, and her setting improved throughout the match. They seem to be setting the outsides about 6-8 feet off the net by design.
Middle connections definitely improved. Nice to see Taylen Ballard finally healthy enough to pound some balls. McKenna Miller looks healthy also.
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 14:54:18 GMT -5
Yeah, you got to be happy with this outcome. First, match and BYU has already figured out the setter position and OPP. both Grimmer and Bower are very talented so there is lots of upside there.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2019 15:14:47 GMT -5
I really love those back sets from Bower. She was a little shaky at first, but settled down nicely. Kate Grimmer started out playing the way she finished at last week's scrimmage. That was what I'd expected to see from her. It's fun to have a lefty swinging on the left side at times as well. Bower's serve is quite flat and must have a wicked slice on it. Boise St. is a solid team with good defense. Lots of rallies with great plays from both squads.
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 16:10:49 GMT -5
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 16:14:25 GMT -5
Quick post match interview with Miller:
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 16:15:50 GMT -5
Bower serving:
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 16:23:04 GMT -5
Another Grimmer kill:
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Post by raian13 on Aug 30, 2019 16:26:23 GMT -5
What does the future look like for this young squad?
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Post by bbg95 on Aug 30, 2019 19:03:57 GMT -5
Some notes I took while watching the match and after looking at the box score:
Mary Lake was her typical excellent self with 12 digs, some spectacular, and rock solid play.
Miller looked very good with 12 kills and a .321 hitting percentage as BYU’s top offensive weapon. She had quite a few kills on the right side, as well as the left side. She’s obviously not quite as good as RJP was last year, but hardly anyone is.
Eschenberg was one of the real standouts of this match, as she had 7 kills and 4 blocks while hitting .357. She had a couple kills on the slide, which I don’t remember her doing that much last year. She was also a strong presence on the interior both offensively and defensively.
Ballard-Nixon got a lot of chances with 22 swings. She had six kills and hit .182. Not bad, and I’m glad to see her feeling more comfortable after her injury, but I’d hope the hitting percentage will improve. I was a little surprised that she got so much playing time instead of Robinson.
Gneiting had a surprisingly off match with one kill on 11 swings and two errors for a -.091 hitting percentage. Last year, she was money in the bank on the interior and the slide. I expect her to be excellent again this season, this match aside.
Lyman and Robinson had pretty limited opportunities. The former had one kill and two errors on five swings, while the latter didn’t take any swings in the match. Robinson did have four digs, and a couple of them were pretty nice.
Dayton looked pretty solid defensively, as she had nine digs in two sets.
Grimmer looked very promising with six kills on 10 swings and just one error for a .500 hitting percentage. She also had five blocks. After last year’s opposite hitter by committee approach, it’s nice to seemingly have a solid full-time option at the position.
Last but not least is Bower, who was a revelation. She’s obviously not quite what LHE was last season, but she’s only 17. I need to go back and look at her setting a bit more closely to have a more informed opinion, but it seemed very solid when I watched the match the first time. She also seems to be the best server on the team already with five aces, just one error and a bunch of other tough serves. Having a weapon like that at the serving line is a real asset. She also had five digs, one block and one kill on a beautifully-placed dump. She has a bright future.
The team hit .192, which is definitely on the low side compared to last year’s team that led the country in hitting, though I expect them to average a much higher hitting percentage over the course of the season. They held Boise State to .099, as both the block and the floor defense was really good. Overall, a very nice start to the season. I look forward to seeing how they play against UVU tonight and especially against Marquette tomorrow night.
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 19:14:06 GMT -5
BYU centric highlights from the match:
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Post by pelagius on Aug 30, 2019 19:19:43 GMT -5
Ballard-Nixon got a lot of chances with 22 swings. She had six kills and hit .182. Not bad, and I’m glad to see her feeling more comfortable after her injury, but I’d hope the hitting percentage will improve. I was a little surprised that she got so much playing time instead of Robinson. Agreed, Ballard-Nixon looking a lot more comfortable and swinging much better. BYU does need her to improve her efficiency some. I actually liked her angles and shot selection towards the end. She was hitting with depth, but just missed some. If she can clean that up some, then I think she will be effective.
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