The 2020 Mini-Season SEC Thread
Dec 18, 2019 10:36:46 GMT -5
bigfan, vballfreak808, and 13 more like this
Post by vbshrink on Dec 18, 2019 10:36:46 GMT -5
So, the SEC is out of the tournament, and I don’t want vbprisoner all up in my grill again, so I am putting out the “way too early” thread even way-too-earlier. (Update: He messaged me this morning about this, so … so much for THAT!)
Below are the previews. After providing a little (occasionally tongue-in-cheek) commentary about each team's 2019 season, I have taken a look at a) lost players (whether by graduation, transfer, or not being currently listed on rosters); b) returning players who (in my view) are likely to have an impact; c) incoming recruits (as identified by RK, which I acknowledge is imperfect), and d) my flawed crystal ball look into the future.
Obviously, players will be entering the portal for transfer over the next several months, and I will update the post as information rolls in – feel free to message me if you realize that I have missed something, or just post it in the thread and I’ll modify as needed. And of course, please feel free to tell me why I’m an idiot and CoMpLeTeLy WrOnG about your team.
Alabama: Coach Devine’s first season was pretty close to what was expected – bottom third of the conference, a bit up an down in terms of quality of play, and muddling through without any real terminal players on the pins. There were some injury problems with both Borrowdale and Perinar missing some time (I believe), and the setting situation was also slow to be settled. Fr MB Aaliyah Wells was stellar, however, earning an All-Freshman team spot, and she gives the Tide a thoroughbred to ride going forward. Similarly, once Fr Emily Janek took over the setting duties, she had a pretty solid first season. The season ended with a major swoon, capped off by the ignominy of getting swept at home by a previously winless-in-conference – and even worse, the eternal nemesis – Auburn. That’s gotta sting, but maybe it will light some off-season fire under the team (or at least those players that remain).
Lost Players: MB Hayley McSparin, OH Ginger Perinar, OH Eva Borrowdale, and DS Brooke Kuhlman are out of eligibility. Missing from the Bama 2020 roster (already posted!!) are S Mylana Byrd (reportedly in the portal), MB/RS Erin Curl, DS Layne Stone, DS Karen Crews, DS Hailey Peters, OH Alexa Bertsch, and OH Ashley Homan (who was a RS JR, so may have graduated, but she was not pictured in the Senior Day story on the Bama website). McSparin, Perinar, and Borrowdale (when healthy) were all frequent starters, and Curl started for much of the year. That’s a lot to lose.
Key Returners: Notable veterans for the Tide include OH Doris Carter (Sr), L Kaylee Thomas (Sr), S Emily Janek (Soph), S Meghan Neelon (Sr), and MB Wells (Soph). The setting is solid, and Carter is a serviceable OH (though not really a terminal force), and of course Wells has the potential to be outstanding. I expect that Bama will try to be a presence in the transfer market given the apparent personnel drain.
Incoming: Four freshmen signed with Alabama in November. They include 6’3” MB Chaise Campbell (FL), 6’3” OH Kendyl Reaugh (TX), DS Victoria Schmer (AL), and 6’2” MB Allie Trame (IL). Both Reaugh and Trame are part of the PV “150.”
Crystal Ball: The Tide are either going to hit the transfer market (where they got Borrowdale and Kuhlman last year) hard or recruit some more kids. There seems to be only one returning pin player on the roster (Carter, though I suppose Janek could play RS in a 6-2), to go with one returning MB. I suppose you can chalk this up to a new coach turning over the roster with her own players, but things look a little dicey for 2020 at this point.
Update The first of what is expected to be a decent number of transfers into Tuscaloosa has been announced. RS Kennedy Muckelroy, who played her Fr year at FAU, has been announced as a transfer into the Crimson Tide program. Per the FAU site, Muckelroy played in 15 of the Owls' 2019 matches, hit at a .293 clip (1.62 k/s) and had 8 total blocks (.24 b/s) in 34 total sets. Welcome to the SEC, Kennedy!
Update #2 Former Texas athlete Riley Fisbeck, 6’1” Setter, is the next transfer into the Crimson Tide program. She comes in as a grad transfer. Interesting move - Fisbeck was a highly touted recruit, but she saw very little action in her 3 years in Austin. And S is not a position that would have seemed to be a super high priority in Tuscaloosa. But I guess we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
Update #3 Coach Devine has announced the addition of two additional transfers (the article mentions 3, but one is Fisbeck, already noted above). The other newcomers are DS/L Madelyn St. Germain, the 2019 Sun Belt DPOY from UT-Arlington, and and Abby Marjama, 6'0" OH from UC Irvine. Marjama had 277 K for UCI last year to lead the team, but her percentage was under .100. St. Germain had over 1000 digs in 3 seasons with UTA. So overall, that's two pin hitters, a DS, and a setter. This still leaves them with only one MB with any playing experience on the roster. If they are done on the transfer market, they are going to have to hope that either Campbell or Trame comes in ready to play (it worked last year with Wells, but I don't know if either of the newcomers is as talented as she is).
Arkansas: Not much went right for the Hogs last year. Losing Hailey Dirrigl in the first match of the season meant that Coach Watson’s squad were playing with newcomers at every pin position for the first part of the season (counting a Jr transfer), with two true Fr OH’s. In addition, the highest rated recruit, Nat Perdue, sat out all year due to injury. While Jill Gillen was a revelation at OH and All-Freshman team member, Maggie Cartwright on the other hand had both outstanding moments and freshman-style inconsistent ones. It took fully half the season (it seemed) to settle on JUCO transfer Savannah Downing as the libero, and JR MB Liz Pamphile started the season a bit banged up. She didn’t really seem to hit her stride until November, when the Hogs were playing respectable volleyball (for the most part) and won three out of their last five. One thing I will say about Watson is that his teams always seem to get stronger as the season goes on (unlike, say, Bama or Ole Miss, but I’m getting ahead of myself).
Lost Players: The Hogs only had one senior on the roster, S Rachel Rippee. She had a very nice career in Fayetteville and ended her senior season playing very well. She’ll be missed.
Key Returners: RS Jr OH/OPP Hailey Dirrigl will be back now for a couple more years, and the Hogs hope that she will be able to provide the on-court leadership they were expecting this year. MB Pamphile (Sr), MB/RS Devyn Wheeler (Sr), OH Jill Gillen (Soph), OH/OPP Maggie Cartwright (Soph), MB Ellease Crumpton (Jr),OPP Maylin Garrett (RS So), L Downing (Sr), S Gracie Ryan (Jr), and DS Lauren Evans (Jr) will also be back. Nat Perdue will be a RS Fr, if she is able to get healthy.
Incoming: The Razorbacks signed 5’11” OH Taylor Head (FL), 5’11” S Jordyn Gates (MI), DS/OH Clara Parker (AR), and DS/OH Hailey Schneider (TX). Head was the #85 PV Senior Ace, and Gates was one of the “150.”
Crystal Ball: This could be an important year for Coach Watson. After consecutive seasons with only 5 SEC wins, the Hogs will likely need to do better in 2020. The pieces are there; indeed, there could be some serious competition on the pins if everyone is healthy: Dirrigl, Gillen, Cartwright, Head, Perdue, Garrett, and possibly Wheeler are all talented. The MB position is held down by Pamphile and either Wheeler or Crumpton. Eh … no combo of those is likely to strike fear in SEC opponents, but they could be serviceable, especially if they have enough success on the pins to use Wheeler in the middle. Ryan and Gates will battle it out for setting time and could play a 6-2.
Update Associate Head Coach Megan Wargo-Kearney has accepted a similar position with Luka Slabe at NC State. Will be interesting to see who Jason brings in; I hope it is someone who can goose recruiting in Texas for the Hogs.
Update #2 Arkansas has hired Washburn University Assistant Coach, and former Kansas State Wildcat, Lauren Ramatowski as the new Assistant Coach. Sticking with a defensive coach. Curious about whether she'll take over Recruiting Coordinator duties. She has been on staff at UTRGV (when it was UTPA) and Houston Baptist, so presumably she has some TX connections. - edit: The Arkansas website indicates that Macey will be picking up the Recruiting Coordinator title.
Update #3 RS Soph Maylin Garrett has signed with MTSU and will continue her career there. This unclogs the pins a little bit for the Hogs. Garrett is a really good kid and a phenomenal athlete, but her volleyball skills were not going to keep her ahead of the other, younger pin hitters on the roster. Really wish her well at MTSU!
Auburn: If not much went right for Arkansas, I’m not even sure how to describe Auburn’s season. After a player exodus in the off-season, the Tigers brought in some transfers, but they could not replace the talent that left. There were few bright spots for Auburn. Though the blocking numbers inched up (the only way they could go, really), the other statistics generally did not, and there were line-up questions (Shipes at OPP vs OH, which setter should start, how to incorporate the transfers, etc.). None of it worked well for long, and despite playing with a lot of heart (I have to give this team a lot of credit for going out and competing hard every night – a testament to the kids and the staff, imo), they just could not get anything going.
Lost Players: Srs Shaina White and Enija Bidzane, along with Jrs Morgan Kull and Shea McNamara, were honored on Senior Day. It will be interesting to see whether any other players exit the program, either before or after the new coach is named.
Key Returners: MB Chesney McClellan (Sr), OH Tatum Shipes (Jr), OH Lily Thomason (So), S Marissa Hines (Jr), OH Val Green (Jr), OH/OPP Lauren Dorrell (Sr), and MB Jaeden Brown (Sr) are all due back, as are defensive players Bella Rosenthal (Jr), Molly Pember (So), Payton White (Sr), and Katie Persons (Jr).
Incoming: Auburn signed two players in November, both of whom were listed in PV’s “150:” 6’4” MB Audrey Douglas (FL) and 6’1” S Jackie Barrett (CA).
Crystal Ball: Who is the hire going to be? I doubt McClellan, Hines, or Dorrell will go anywhere, as they have already transferred once. But the other players might have some options if they want a fresh start. And the signees could ask to be released from their NLIs if they don’t feel comfortable with the new hire. It’s hard to look at the potential lineup for next year and see an SEC caliber squad, but I’ve said that about teams before and been wrong. I hope that the Tigers make a quick, impactful hire and get this program turned back in the direction it seemed to be going just 18 short months ago.
Update Considerable rumor-age indicating that USC (no, not that one; the one out west) coach Brent Crouch has resigned in order to accept the AU job. This is a very interesting development -- and one that is likely to make fans of both schools extremely happy. More as it develops. Update on the Update It’s official:Crouch to Auburn. Welcome to the SEC! I am sure you will find the Plains to be really similar to LA!! ;-)
Update #2 Another incoming AU recruit is noted in PV's recruiting class rankings: Lily Sumner, 6' MB/RS (IN).
Florida: The Gators suffered a close, heartbreaker of a loss to Final Four-bound Minnesota in the Sweet 16, an exit that they probably hoped would come a match or two later. But overall, the Gators had a good season about on par with what most prognosticators thought they would achieve: SEC Co-Champs, some solid wins over good teams, some head-scratcher matches, but generally a very high quality season, as is expected every year. The line-up was fairly stable most of the season, though Racheal Kramer did miss some matches.
Lost Players: Florida recognized MB Kramer, OH Greer, L Gregory, and DS Hargreaves on Senior Day. Speculation abounds as to whether there will be any transfers out of the program, however.
Key Returners: See the previous sentence. However, the roster includes a huge number of blue-chip returners. On the outside, Thayer Hall (Jr), Paige Hammons (Sr), Mia Sokolowski (RS Sr), Holly Carlton (RS Sr), and Haley Warner (Jr) all have more eligibility, and UGA transfer T’ara Ceasar (RS Jr) becomes eligible. Darrielle King (RS Sr) and Lauren Dooley (Jr) return in the middle, and Marlie Monserez (Jr) returns at setter (as does little used reserve Anaya Martin). In the back row, Paula Cerame and Riley Fischer (both Jrs) are due back.
Incoming: The Gators have signed an impressive class of four: 6’2” S Birdie Hendrickson (MO), 5’7” L Elli McKissock (FL), 6’4” MB Nnedi Okammor (TX), and 6’1” OH Sophia Victoria (PR), Pilar’s younger sister. Hendrickson is the #12 PV Senior Ace, McKissock #40, and Okammor #31. Victoria, from Puerto Rico, is considered an “international” recruit and not included in the PV Senior Ace rankings. She would probably be in there somewhere, if she were.
Crystal Ball: If everyone is back, the Gators are poised to have another run at the SEC title. King looks (finally) to get her shot to play full time, though depth could be an issue at MB. Okammor is a phenomenal athlete, but as someone who started playing later, she may need some time to develop into an elite, UF-level MB. As with last year, one issue will be what to do with all the talent on the pins. Hall and Hammons are proven quantities, and Ceasar had 1.5 productive years for the Dawgs. Soko has had her moments, as well. Add Victoria to that mix now. Something has to give. On the RS, Carlton seems to have the inside track, with Warner (incredibly, imo) getting fewer sets of action last season than anyone but Greer and Martin. Like others, I am genuinely curious about what happens on the Gator roster. Another issue is whether Hendrickson can come in and push Monserez for setting time.
UGA: The Dawgs were a very pleasant surprise this year. Last year, after Ceasar transferred to Gainesville, the question was whether UGA would take a step back, or whether the loss would lead to “addition by subtraction.” It seems very clear that it was much more the latter than the former. The emergence of Kacie Evans and her SEC FoY performance, Kianna Young’s improvement, and solid setting from Donovan clearly more than made up for whatever productivity was lost when Ceasar got out of Dodge. Between Evans, Ritchie, Rivera, and Hernandez, UGA always seemed to be able to put three pin hitters out there who were on their game to some degree, and both Evans and Ritchie averaged over 3 k/s. Smilin’ Tom Black and his chewing gum put together a very solid season in Athens.
Lost Players: Barring a transfer or some other odd situation, UGA is only losing All-SEC setter Meghan Donovan, who was a four-year starter. It’s always hard to know who is on scholarship and who isn’t, but as noted below, with four new signees and just one departure, it seems like UGA might have a numbers problem. But as they say, “the numbers always work themselves out.”
Key Returners: Evans (So), Ritchie (Sr), Hernandez (Jr), Rivera (Jr), and Kayla House (Sr) return on the pins, and Young (RS Sr), Naves (Jr), and Meghan Froemming (So) return in the middle, as does (apparent RS Fr) Londyn Gray. Dalaney Hans (RS Jr) and Alexa Fortin (RS Fr) are returning setters, and Brynn Chandler (Sr), Claire Rothenberger (RS Jr) and Kendall Glover (Sr) return on defense.
Incoming: UGA signed four incoming freshmen: 6’2” MB Phoebe Awoleye (the #47 Senior Ace) (GA), 6’1” OH/RS Regan Tinkle (IN), 6’2” MB Mackenzie Norris (GA), and DS Mallory Downing (FL). Both Tinkle and Norris are “150” members.
Crystal Ball: Who takes over the setting duties from Donovan? Hans has been in the program the longest and is the most familiar with Black’s system. Fortin, who apparently RS’ed this year, is also a potential option. Neither is as intimidating presence on the block as Donovan was, however. Speaking of blocking, the Dawgs’s blocking numbers this year were pretty bad, which is surprising because they have decent height across the front line. Kianna Young’s offense improved significantly from previous years; perhaps her blocking will follow suit this year? How will the arrival of huge-jumping Awoleye affect the line-up? Do Young and Naves have to start looking over their shoulders? Will Evans keep up her productivity or have a sophomore slump? Things are generally looking good in Stegeman Coliseum.
Update #1 Am hearing a rumor that one of the more experienced defensive players for the Bulldogs has graduated and won't be playing her senior season, preferring to be out west nearer home. That thins the ranks on defense a bit for the Dawgs, if true.
Update #2 UGA has announced the incoming transfer of ACC All-Freshman OH Amber Stivrins from Louisville. Maybe a bit of a surprise considering that scholarship numbers appeared to be tight on the UGA roster, but as I have said, and will say again and again, the numbers always work themselves out. Nice pick up for the Dawgs!
Kentucky: Another Sweet 16 run for the Wildcats, but this one marks the end of the Edmond Era in Lexington. I’m sure the UK faithful were hoping for a regional final, at least, but they ran into a very solid UW team who could, at least often enough, handle the heat from Edmond and Stumler. So how does UK look after the all time kill leader in program history and two-time SEC POY moves on? There are still plenty of impressive pieces on the Wildcat roster, and Coach Skinner seems to be reloading with this year’s crop of recruits.
Lost Players: Did I mention that Edmond is graduating? In addition, OH Caitlyn Cooper and DS Kylie Schmaltz are out of eligibility, and grad transfer MB Leah Meyer will be moving on. Oh, and Leah Edmond, too.
Key Returners: The big returning names are S Madison Lilley (Sr), OH Alli Stumler (Jr), and L Gabby Curry (Sr). Starting MB Kendyl Paris (Sr) also returns, as do sometime starters OH Avery Skinner (Sr) and OPP Azhani Tealer (So). Other returners include backup setter Cameron Scheitzach (Jr), DS Lauren Tharp (Jr), and MB Gabby Goddard (Jr).
Incoming: Kentucky signed what must be the best class in the SEC, including the #2, 10, and 27 Senior Aces. They include 6’4” MB Elise Goetzinger (WI, #27), 6’ S/OPP Reagan Rutherford (TX, #10), 6’2” OH Madisen Skinner (TX, #2, sister of Avery), and L/DS Mariah Walker (FL, who is “only” one of the PV “150”).
Crystal Ball: Replacing Edmond is practically impossible, but getting Madi Skinner and company in the program is certainly a big step in that direction. I am actually wondering more about who replaces Meyer in the middle. Goddard will be a Jr, and Isabella Bell will be a RS Fr. Between those two and Goetzinger, a starter will have to emerge. Stummler continues to impress with her all-around game, and she, Curry, and Lilley will provide a strong core of leadership for the young talent. If the freshmen live up to their billing, Kentucky will be just fine and certainly knocking on the door of another SEC title.
Update It has been announced that #15 Senior Ace Sophie Fischer, 6’5” OH/MB has committed to Kentucky. This is obviously a talented pick up for the Cats, though it’s not clear at first blush where she’ll fit in, unless it’s at the MB position. Coach Skinner certainly has no shortage of talent on the pins.
LSU: I might be alone on this one, but I expected more from LSU this year (if that comment sounds familiar, I said it last year, too). The past few years they have really recruited well, but it hasn’t all seemed to come together yet. Coach Flory decided to keep Bannister at OPP this year (as any reasonable observer could tell you was the right move), and Fr Rose took the setter spot right out from under Sr Zweibel, and the Tigers never looked back. OH Samarrah Hill (and Rose) made SEC All-Freshman, but despite having some blue chip talent, LSU didn’t seem to get much productivity out of the middle. Some of that is youth, but that’s an area that is too loaded on this team to settle for hitting percentages in the .250 range. With a player like Bannister, not making the NCAAT for three years is a surprise. EDIT: It's such a surprise that it is, in fact, wrong! LSU made the tourney Bannister's Fr year. Thanks dman for the correction. Let me rephrase: With a player like Bannister, making the NCAAT only once in four years would be a surprise (and a disappointment).
Lost Players: The Bayou Bengals say goodbye to S Anna Zweibel and OHs Sydney Mukes and Milan Stokes.
Key Returners: OPP Taylor Bannister (Sr), L Raigen Cianciulli (Sr), S Karli Rose (So), MB Whitney Forman (Jr), OH Samarrah Hill (So), MB Allee Morris (So), and MB Anita Anwusi (So) will form the nucleus of next year’s squad.
Incoming: LSU’s signing class includes one of the more intriguing newcomers in the conference, 5’8” OH Paige Flickinger (TX, PV Senior Ace #66). I have never seen her play apart from highlight clips, but write-ups make her sound very Member-Meneh-ish, but maybe not with as big of an arm? The class also includes 6’1” OH Dylan Maberry (TX, #61), so between Maberry and Flickinger, LSU hopes to find a complement to Hill on the OH. The class also includes 6’3” MB Maddie Telford (GA) and 6’1” MB Alia Williams (TX). I confess I’m a bit confused about why a team that boasts Foreman, Anwusi, and Morris needed to sign two more MB’s, but maybe there’s a plan to put one or more of them at OPP when Bannister graduates.
Crystal Ball: Next year is Bannister’s last chance to make the NCAAT (as an upperclassman), and most of the pieces seem to be there for this team, if Hill can continue to improve and one of the Fr OH’s can be ready for prime time. There is plenty of talent and athleticism in the MB and OPP positions, if everyone stays healthy. Rose proved herself to be more than ready as a true freshman, and Cianciulli has one more year to display her whiz-bang defensive skills. LSU always seems to be on the brink of breaking through, but lately they just keep getting tripped up. I would love to see Bannister get (anot)her shot at the tournament in her last year.
Mississippi State: You can hear the chants out of Starkville: “We’re #1(2)! We’re #1(2)!” The Bulldogs inched out of the cellar this season with a pair of wins over woeful Auburn, and they had some more competitive conference losses this year, as well (including 2-3 defeats to Ole Miss, LSU, and Arkansas). There was a lot of positive talk in the 2019 thread about how much better MSU was, but to be honest, I just didn’t see that much evidence of it. Deja Robinson and Gabby Waden were solid, for sure, but there was almost no production from the OH position, and first contact was suspect. But man, I did admire the fight in the team. They never let go of the rope during the season and continued to show tenacity, even when the wins just wouldn’t come. If they could increase the overall talent level on the roster and keep that mentality, the opportunity to move up the SEC ranks is there.
Lost Players: The Bulldogs lose undersized, jumping jack MB Amarrah Cooks and Alleah Stamatis, the only real setter on the roster, to graduation, and rumors abound (and I believe they are true - EDIT they are true; Shaw is transferring to Kansas, per her twitter) that starting OH Paige Shaw is in the transfer portal, with 2 or 3 other players as well. Shaw’s productivity took a steep sophomore slump, and the other players in the portal are reportedly not regular contributors, but I don’t know who they might be. In addition, Kanani Price and Gabby Zgunda are hanging up their volleyball shoes and won’t be back.
Key Returners: This list starts with MB Deja Robinson (Jr), who is head and shoulders above the rest of her teammates in terms of talent, imo. She is quick, has a live arm, and plays smart, and I think most teams in the conference would love to have someone like her on their roster. I am not sure if that is true of anyone else on the Bulldog roster, however, with the possible exception of Gabby Waden (Jr), who also showed well consistently. OH Callie Minshew (So) returns, and I know the Bulldogs will be happy when L Kendall Murr (RS …Jr?) is healthy enough to play again. They missed her last season.
Incoming: The Bulldogs signed five newcomers, and they will also be debuting two transfers. OH Logan Brown (RS Jr, from Arkansas) will get to suit up for the Bulldogs. She had flashes of very good play for the Hogs, and I suspect her SEC experience will be a contribution. Recently announced is a transfer from NC State, MB Jessica Kemp. I would pencil her in opposite Robinson in the middle. While she’s nowhere near as quick or agile as Cooks, she’s a pretty big athlete and will give the Bulldogs some more size and physicality. The freshman signees include some intriguing prospects, including former Florida commit 6’3” OPP Francesca McBride (MI), 6’2” OH Akacia Brown (IA), L Lilly Gunter (FL), 5’8” S Skylar Buckley (NC), and my personal favorite, 5’9” but-high-flying dynamo Shania Cromartie (FL). All of the signees were members of PV’s “150” except Gunter, who was designated among those having “just missed” being included. Edit: jrobinson1906 informs me that DS Alden Willis from ECU has also transferred into the MS State program this year. Thanks for the scoop!
Crystal Ball: My main two questions about this squad are a) who the heck is going to step in and set next year, and b) how much productivity are they going to get from the OH spot? Setter was not a question mark last year, as Stamatis was generally quite capable. She’s gone, and that means the Bulldogs are going to have to rely on either a 5’5” soph (Culumovic) and/or a 5’8” Fr (Buckley), or go out on the transfer market. The addition of (Logan) Brown at OH should be an upgrade over Shaw’s productivity last year, though I think she’s a comparative liability on the block. The Bulldogs have to hope that either (Akacia) Brown or Cromartie can push Minshew for the other OH position. MB looks set with the addition of Kemp (though I worry about depth), and Murr’s return would stabilize the libero spot. There’s a lot of youth and some question marks here, but if everything works out, it’s not unreasonable to think that Bulldogs could double (or better, depending on the schedule) their conference win total from this year. I hope they will try to schedule a decent OOC slate this year, too, and at least mix in some top 100 teams among the weak sisters.
Update MSU signs Stephen F Austin transfer setter, 5'8" Margaret Dean. At SFA, Dean was one of 2 setters in a 6-2 lineup and averaged 4.9 aps for a dominant Southland Conference squad that lost in the first round of the NCCAT. Seems like a solid pickup for the Bulldogs, and to add further support to the theory that the Fighting Dartys will roll out a 6-2 this season.
Missouri: A second round exit at the hands of national 5 seed was perhaps a bit of a harsh draw for a Mizzou team that showed pretty consistent quality last season. Some inconsistency in first contact and a generally weak defense (the Tigers finished dead last in the conference in digs and 11th in blocking, topping only Auburn and UGA) were the cracks in the foundation of a team that has some elite offensive weapons. Deberg would have been a strong POY candidate if it weren’t for Edmond, imo, and Fuentes had plenty of other reliable options to go to. The new “interim” coaching staff did well with a team that was very familiar with them and earned the permanent positions partway through the season.
Lost Players: The only seniors on the team were little used OH Sun Wenting and L Riley Sents. However, MB Kayla Caffey was “suspended” near the end of the season, and she is no longer listed on the team’s roster, so it seems that her playing days in CoMo are over.
Key Returners: Five of seven starters are slated to return, including S Andrea Fuentes (RS Jr), OH Kylie Deberg (Sr), MB Tyanna Omazic (Sr), OPP Dariana Hollingsworth (Sr), and OH Leketor Member-Meneh (Sr). OH/DS Leandra Mangual-Duran (So) got some playing time on defense mostly, and MB Claudia Dillon (So) replaced Caffey at the end of the year.
Incoming: Rich Kern lists only one signee for the Tigers, DS Emily Brown (IN), a member of PV’s “150.” Look for the Tigers to – stop me if you’ve heard this before – use the transfer market to add some depth in the off-season, particularly at the MB position. There might also be a need for more defense.
Crystal Ball: The best blocker on a poor blocking team was dismissed from the squad, and the libero from the worst defensive team in the conference graduated. Those are some not insignificant concerns for the Tigers, who need to improve their defense and ball control to be competitive with the upper echelon of the conference. The offensive firepower will not be lacking, however. Looking beyond 2020, though, there isn’t a lot of depth on the squad. After next year, the Tigers will be without Deberg, Omazic, Hollingsworth, and Member-Meneh. The Tigers do have three 2021s committed, but that’s a lot of firepower to lose. The Kreklows always found a way to reload. Will the Taylors?
Update The transfer train has made its first stop in CoMo, with the Tigers picking up Soph OH Anna Dixon from Kansas State. Dixon is talented and should help in the future, although OH is not a position of immediate need for Mizzou. It is also mentioned in the tranfer thread that MB Brynn Paumen is looking to transfer out of the program, which -- if true EDIT it is true, Paumen has been announced as a Santa Clara transfer -- will make the depth issue even more grave at MB for the new (sort of) coaching staff.
Update #2 Also transferring into the Mizzou program is RS Soph Erin Williamson, DS/L from Arizona. She sat her first year in Tucson, and last year saw action in just 14 matches (the Mizzou bio says she "battled illness" last year).
Update #3 Anna D'Cruz, MB from UAB, will be transferring into the Mizzou program. A 6'3" RSJr-to-be, D'Cruz saw action in 27 matches (with 24 starts) for the Dragons in 2019, hitting for a .248 clip and averaging .9 blocks/set. This addition adds some much needed depth in the middle to the Tiger roster.
Update #4 Sophomore DS Katie Turner has been announced as a transfer to the University of Delaware, thinning the ranks of defensive players on the Tiger roster just a bit further.
Ole Miss: Pardon the cliché, but if you look up “roller coaster season” in the dictionary … well, it won’t be there, because that’s a phrase, not a word. But if it were in the dictionary, it could easily be accompanied by a picture of the 2019 Rebels. What else would you call a season that included a 3 match losing streak followed by a 14 match win streak followed by a 12 match losing streak?! The sputtering end to the season cost Coach McRoberts his job, and probably robbed Emily Stroup of any chance at (deserved, imo) post-season recognition. Sad way for a nice guy like Coach McRoberts to go out (he was one of three coaching changes the new Ole Miss AD made in the space of 3 weeks after being hired, along with football and softball … but I digress).
Lost Players: Ole Miss’s new coach will inherit a roster that is minus Stroup, the conference dig leader in L Purcell, the player with the 3rd highest hitting % and the 7th best blocker in Nayo Warnell, and a starting pin hitter in Leah Mulkey. Welcome to Oxford!
Key Returners: The cupboards are not entirely bare, however. S Lauren Bars returns for her senior season, and starting MB Aubrey Sultemeier (Jr) will look to improve on her 5th place position in blocks/set. OH Anna Bair (So) had some very good moments as a freshman, but she’ll have to diversify her offense to continue to progress, as most teams figured out how to defend her effectively as the season went on. Reserves MB Bayleigh Scott (Sr) and OH/DS Lauren Thompson (Jr) saw plenty of action and will get their shot, and the funny-colored jersey looks to pass to Avery Bugg (Jr).
Incoming: Ironically, Coach McRoberts signed a very solid recruiting class before he was shown the door. Signees include two top 100 Senior Aces, #76 6’4” OH GG Carvacho (TN), and #96 6’1” OPP Samantha Schnitta (KS). Also inking with Oxford were 6’3” MB Payton Brgoch (CO) and DSs Amber Bischel (WI) and Emily Hawes (TX). Brgoch was listed among PV’s “150.”
Crystal Ball: First and foremost, who is going to be the Head Rebel? And will she or he be able to keep the recruiting class together? There is no heir apparent to replace Stroup’s productivity; will either of the Fr pins be able to come in and contribute right away? Does Scott step in for Warnell, or does RS Fr Ava Wampler assert herself? It’s hard to say what will happen with no coach in place, but the new coach will likely have his/her hands full in the first year.
Uptdate #1 Ole Miss is first out of the gate (between OM and Auburn) with the hiring of Nebraska Assistant and former Olympian Kayla Banwarth. This is certainly an attention-grabbing hire for the Rebels! She was Recruiting Coordinator for the Huskers the past couple years, but I’m not sure if she has any connections to the SEC footprint? Good luck, Coach Banwarth! And good luck to the Rebs with their new leader!
Update #2 Setter Lauren DeLo announced on social media that she is transferring to Rutgers. There is only one setter on the current OM roster (rising senior Bars), so it might make sense for Coach Banwarth to try to land a transfer, or possiblY an unsigned HS recruit, as a backup.
Update #3 To counteract the loss of DeLo, perhaps, Ole Miss has announced the signing of Fr S Calloway Cason out of the A5 club in Atlanta. Cason is 5'9" and provides some insurance in case returning starter Lauren Bars has to miss any time. She becomes the sixth newcomer joining the Rebels/Black Bears/Landsharks this season.
Update #4 Not content with signing a freshman setter to back up Bars, Ole Miss has also brought in 5’9” Clemson transfer Gabby Easton. Seems like a good pick up, though I’m a little puzzled about Easton coming in behind a Sr starter. Welcome to the SEC, Gabby!
South Carolina: 2019 was a very nice year for the Fighting Mendozas, an NCAA second round appearance that included a surprise first round win over a well-regarded Colorado State team before a fairly predictable thrashing by a very, very good UW team. The last year of “the Mikaylas” was a good one, but it will be very interesting to see what a “one Mikayla” SC team looks like in 2020.
Lost Players: I think that the Gamecocks are losing more production than anyone else in the conference. They will be without OPP Mikayla Shields, S Courtney Koehler, OHs Brittany McLean and Alicia Starr (the first OH off the bench), L Addie Bryant, and starting MB Claire Edwards. That’s 5 of the starting 7, and a very frequently used OH sub.
Key Returners: The “other” Mikayla (MB Robinson) comes back for her senior season, as does starting OH Jess Vastine. Amari (thank you, sclawman) Wilson (OPP) has been waiting for two years behind Shields, so it will be interesting to see if she can seize that starting position. OH McKenzie Moorman saw some action and even received a FotW honor mid-season, but by the end of the season she was mostly back on the bench behind Vastine, McLean, and Starr. She’ll get a look next year. RS Fr S Courtney Webber saw some action this year when the Gamecocks experimented (briefly) with a 6-2 lineup, and she looks to step into the starting spot next year. OPP Holly Eastridge (not Wilson) got most of the other OPP reps during the experimental 6-2 phase. Other than that, there just aren’t a lot of known quantities on the SC bench.
Incoming: Rich Kern only lists two 2020 commits for the Gamecocks, and I cannot find a press release about the signing class yet on the website. I would think with a senior class that large, Mendoza would need to bring in more than 2 folks. The first signee is 6’2” OH Kiune Fletcher from Trinidad & Tobago, and the second is 6’3” MB Ellie Ruprich (MI), who is listed in PV’s “150.”
Crystal Ball: There’s an awful lot of talent leaving Columbia, and 2020 sure shapes up to be a rebuilding year for the Gamecocks. Mendoza has done very well with mostly players that he inherited, but 2020 will be more of a test of what a team of mostly Mendoza recruits will look like. It’s hard to see the Gamecocks making their third tourney appearance in a row with what the roster currently looks like.
Update The coaching change at NC State has led 5’11” OH Riley Whitesides from Greenville, SC, to switch from being a member of the Wolfpack to being a Gamecock.
Update #2 Wisconsin setter Mallory Dixon has announced her grad transfer to South Carolina. Nice get for the Gamecocks, as they had only one setter (RS Soph Courtney Weber) on the roster.
Update #3 Coastal Carolina OH Kyla Manning will be grad transferring to Columbia. This seems like a nice pick-up, as well. Good numbers for the Chanticleers and a good all-around game. Welcome to the SEC, Kyla!
Update #4 PV has begun posting its recruiting class rankings, and they have more information than I had about SC's incoming class. In addition to Ruprich (and Whitesides, in the first update), PV lists the following US-based incoming freshmen for the Gamecocks: Caitlin Crawford, 5'4" DS/L (WI); Maddie Swentor, 5'5" DS/L (OH); and Janna Schlageter, 6'1" OH (GA). PV doesn't mention Fletcher, but they generally don't include non-US recruits. This helps flesh out the Gamecock roster, for sure.
Tennessee: One of the bigger surprises in the conference this year was the backsliding of the Volunteer team, who seemed primed to have a big year based on last year’s results and the returning and incoming talent. Factor in one of the easiest (edit: Ok, I'll say it: THE EASIEST) conference schedules in the entire SEC (they played each of the bottom five teams in conference twice), and it sure looked the Vols were going to cruise to successive tourney appearances. The team seemed battle-ready on the first weekend, losing a pair of nail-biters to highly regarded Illinois, but it never really came together after that. There just wasn’t enough help for Grubbs, and the team missed Treiber and perhaps transfer Callie Williams’s setting. There was some 6-2 experimentation, but most of the time the Vols went 5-1 with an undersized Hansen playing front row. They just couldn’t win enough games against the top teams in the league, and Rackham no longer looks like the genius she did last year, imo (not really knocking her – just saying she came back to earth a bit this season).
Lost Players: OH Tessa Grubbs, S Sedona Hansen, MB Alyssa Andreno, and DS/L Asha Phillips are all out of eligibility.
Key Returners: Coming back for the Vols are OH Lily Felts (Jr), MB Addisyn Rowe (Sr), RS Morgan Finghall (So), OH/OPP Danielle Mahaffey (Jr), MB/OH Ava Bell (Jr), DS/L Madison Coulter (Sr), and S Kailey Keeble (So).
Incoming: Tennessee signed three players this fall including 6’1” OH Jasmine Brooks (AL), a 10’8”-touching high flier who they hope can step in for Tessa Grubbs. Brooks was the #43 PV Senior Ace. In addition, 6’3” MB Allie Holland (OH) was a member of the “150.” Rounding out the class is 5’9” RS/S JaKya Moore (NC).
Crystal Ball: Losing Grubbs and Hansen, both 4-year starters, will be big for the Vols. If Brooks lives up to her billing, it will ease the sting of losing Grubbs, but Keeble and the incoming Moore are the only setters on the team, and both will be relatively inexperienced next season. Rowe will be a factor in the MB spot, and it will likely fall to Bell to step up and take the MB spot vacated by Andreno (unless Holland comes in ready to go). There are good arms on the pins, but how to put the whole thing together and have good first contact will pose a challenge to Coach Rackham and her staff. With the pieces it looks like they’re working with, finishing above the middle of the pack will be a good result.
Update #1: Tennessee will be attempting to increase its setter depth with incoming transfer Natalie Hayward, 5’11”, from DePaul. She averaged just under 6 ast/set playing mostly in a 6-2 for the Blue Demons.
Update #2: Two new additions to announce at Rocky Top, as the Lady Vols welcome 6'2 Soph OH Carissa Bradford, a Pacific transfer, and 6'3" Soph MB Nicoletta Capizzi, a Eastern Washington Univ transfer to the squad (no link on this, just posted on Rich Kern). With these additions, the Lady Vols roster for 2020 looks to be 18 deep (Capizzi was not yet added at the time I posted this).
Texas A&M: Another relatively big surprise, imo, was the excellent season that TAMU put together. What a great run for the Aggies – such a cool way for a terrific player like Hans to go out. Coach Kuhn did a really good job this season setting up the team to feed off of her senior OH, but also getting some good support from Patterson, Davis, and Rush, and the run to the Sweet Sixteen was very impressive. Choosing her as CoY was a great pick, imo.
Lost Players: Srs Hollan Hans, L Camila Gomez, and DS/S Haley Slocum are all out of eligibility, and MB Makenna Patterson (who led the SEC in blocks this season) has decided to end her career with one year of eligibility remaining. Hans, Gomez, and Patterson will all leave big voids on the court.
Key Returners: S Camille Conner comes off an All-SEC season into her senior year. OPP Treyaunna Rush and OH Lauren Davis hope to parlay All-Freshman accolades into strong sophomore seasons. MB Mallory Talbert (Jr) looks to have one MB position locked down, and perhaps little-used London Austin-Roark (Jr), Morgan Davis (Sr or RS Jr?), or RS Fr Madison Bowser will be ready.
Incoming: The Aggies announced a four person signing class in November that includes two blue-chip middle blockers, a DS, and a setter. Claire Jeter (TX), a 6’3” MB, was the #92 PV Senior Ace, and 6’2” Hanna Larson (TX) came in at #60. Perhaps one of them will step in for the departed Patterson. The DS is Erica Lowery (TX), and the setter is 6’ Melissa Walden (IL). Both Lowery and Walden are included in the “150.”
Crystal Ball: Losing a stud OH who was a POY candidate and a ferocious server, a tenacious libero, and the SEC block leader will present some stiff challenges if the Aggies hope to repeat their 2019 success. Rush and Davis have considerable potential, but there are not clear “heir-apparent” replacements for Hans or Patterson. The Aggies did not sign any OHs in this recruiting class, and that position seems a bit thin on the roster. Not sure what the scholarship situation is, but might they look for a transfer? I think a Kuhn-coached team will find a way to be very competitive, but I am expecting the Aggies to sink back toward the middle of the pack a bit next season.
Update A transfer comes, a transfer goes. S/RS Cam Ennis from Kansas follows Coach Bird to TAMU. Very versatile player. However, OH Samantha Sanders has departed College Station for Lubbock to join the Texas Tech program. Update #2: 6’1” OH Morgan Christon, also formerly of Kansas, has announced on her instagram (as has TAV) that, like Ennis, she is transferring to College Station to play for Coach Bird’s Aggies. Announcement here. This certainly will help TAMU in a position of need following Hans’s graduation and Sanders’s departure. Any other former Bird/Jayhawk recruits coming along?
Overall look at the conference: Barring significant shifts in rosters, which are still possible, it looks to me like Florida returns the most firepower, followed by a younger but potentially scary good Kentucky squad. Mizzou’s and Georgia’s situations look the most stable after that, and LSU could also move up into the upper echelon (though I have said that the past two years and been proved wrong each time). After that, the picture is pretty muddled, as TAMU, SC, and TN look to be rebuilding, and Arkansas will hope that having a healthier roster gives them the consistency, leadership, and firepower they lacked this year. Mississippi State might be taking steps forward, but they have big questions at setter and on the OH, and Bama, Ole Miss, and Auburn look to have the most questions. I’m not going to predict the standings just yet, but as has been popular, I’ll project some tiers (again, presuming rosters stay stable):
Party A-listers: UF, UK
Best shot at crashing the party: UGA, MIZZOU
Cursing at their GPS trying to get to the party: LSU, TAMU, ARK, TN, SC
Trying to convince the cool kids to tell them where the party is: MS State, OM
What’s a party?: Bama, Auburn
Below are the previews. After providing a little (occasionally tongue-in-cheek) commentary about each team's 2019 season, I have taken a look at a) lost players (whether by graduation, transfer, or not being currently listed on rosters); b) returning players who (in my view) are likely to have an impact; c) incoming recruits (as identified by RK, which I acknowledge is imperfect), and d) my flawed crystal ball look into the future.
Obviously, players will be entering the portal for transfer over the next several months, and I will update the post as information rolls in – feel free to message me if you realize that I have missed something, or just post it in the thread and I’ll modify as needed. And of course, please feel free to tell me why I’m an idiot and CoMpLeTeLy WrOnG about your team.
Alabama: Coach Devine’s first season was pretty close to what was expected – bottom third of the conference, a bit up an down in terms of quality of play, and muddling through without any real terminal players on the pins. There were some injury problems with both Borrowdale and Perinar missing some time (I believe), and the setting situation was also slow to be settled. Fr MB Aaliyah Wells was stellar, however, earning an All-Freshman team spot, and she gives the Tide a thoroughbred to ride going forward. Similarly, once Fr Emily Janek took over the setting duties, she had a pretty solid first season. The season ended with a major swoon, capped off by the ignominy of getting swept at home by a previously winless-in-conference – and even worse, the eternal nemesis – Auburn. That’s gotta sting, but maybe it will light some off-season fire under the team (or at least those players that remain).
Lost Players: MB Hayley McSparin, OH Ginger Perinar, OH Eva Borrowdale, and DS Brooke Kuhlman are out of eligibility. Missing from the Bama 2020 roster (already posted!!) are S Mylana Byrd (reportedly in the portal), MB/RS Erin Curl, DS Layne Stone, DS Karen Crews, DS Hailey Peters, OH Alexa Bertsch, and OH Ashley Homan (who was a RS JR, so may have graduated, but she was not pictured in the Senior Day story on the Bama website). McSparin, Perinar, and Borrowdale (when healthy) were all frequent starters, and Curl started for much of the year. That’s a lot to lose.
Key Returners: Notable veterans for the Tide include OH Doris Carter (Sr), L Kaylee Thomas (Sr), S Emily Janek (Soph), S Meghan Neelon (Sr), and MB Wells (Soph). The setting is solid, and Carter is a serviceable OH (though not really a terminal force), and of course Wells has the potential to be outstanding. I expect that Bama will try to be a presence in the transfer market given the apparent personnel drain.
Incoming: Four freshmen signed with Alabama in November. They include 6’3” MB Chaise Campbell (FL), 6’3” OH Kendyl Reaugh (TX), DS Victoria Schmer (AL), and 6’2” MB Allie Trame (IL). Both Reaugh and Trame are part of the PV “150.”
Crystal Ball: The Tide are either going to hit the transfer market (where they got Borrowdale and Kuhlman last year) hard or recruit some more kids. There seems to be only one returning pin player on the roster (Carter, though I suppose Janek could play RS in a 6-2), to go with one returning MB. I suppose you can chalk this up to a new coach turning over the roster with her own players, but things look a little dicey for 2020 at this point.
Update The first of what is expected to be a decent number of transfers into Tuscaloosa has been announced. RS Kennedy Muckelroy, who played her Fr year at FAU, has been announced as a transfer into the Crimson Tide program. Per the FAU site, Muckelroy played in 15 of the Owls' 2019 matches, hit at a .293 clip (1.62 k/s) and had 8 total blocks (.24 b/s) in 34 total sets. Welcome to the SEC, Kennedy!
Update #2 Former Texas athlete Riley Fisbeck, 6’1” Setter, is the next transfer into the Crimson Tide program. She comes in as a grad transfer. Interesting move - Fisbeck was a highly touted recruit, but she saw very little action in her 3 years in Austin. And S is not a position that would have seemed to be a super high priority in Tuscaloosa. But I guess we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
Update #3 Coach Devine has announced the addition of two additional transfers (the article mentions 3, but one is Fisbeck, already noted above). The other newcomers are DS/L Madelyn St. Germain, the 2019 Sun Belt DPOY from UT-Arlington, and and Abby Marjama, 6'0" OH from UC Irvine. Marjama had 277 K for UCI last year to lead the team, but her percentage was under .100. St. Germain had over 1000 digs in 3 seasons with UTA. So overall, that's two pin hitters, a DS, and a setter. This still leaves them with only one MB with any playing experience on the roster. If they are done on the transfer market, they are going to have to hope that either Campbell or Trame comes in ready to play (it worked last year with Wells, but I don't know if either of the newcomers is as talented as she is).
Arkansas: Not much went right for the Hogs last year. Losing Hailey Dirrigl in the first match of the season meant that Coach Watson’s squad were playing with newcomers at every pin position for the first part of the season (counting a Jr transfer), with two true Fr OH’s. In addition, the highest rated recruit, Nat Perdue, sat out all year due to injury. While Jill Gillen was a revelation at OH and All-Freshman team member, Maggie Cartwright on the other hand had both outstanding moments and freshman-style inconsistent ones. It took fully half the season (it seemed) to settle on JUCO transfer Savannah Downing as the libero, and JR MB Liz Pamphile started the season a bit banged up. She didn’t really seem to hit her stride until November, when the Hogs were playing respectable volleyball (for the most part) and won three out of their last five. One thing I will say about Watson is that his teams always seem to get stronger as the season goes on (unlike, say, Bama or Ole Miss, but I’m getting ahead of myself).
Lost Players: The Hogs only had one senior on the roster, S Rachel Rippee. She had a very nice career in Fayetteville and ended her senior season playing very well. She’ll be missed.
Key Returners: RS Jr OH/OPP Hailey Dirrigl will be back now for a couple more years, and the Hogs hope that she will be able to provide the on-court leadership they were expecting this year. MB Pamphile (Sr), MB/RS Devyn Wheeler (Sr), OH Jill Gillen (Soph), OH/OPP Maggie Cartwright (Soph), MB Ellease Crumpton (Jr),
Incoming: The Razorbacks signed 5’11” OH Taylor Head (FL), 5’11” S Jordyn Gates (MI), DS/OH Clara Parker (AR), and DS/OH Hailey Schneider (TX). Head was the #85 PV Senior Ace, and Gates was one of the “150.”
Crystal Ball: This could be an important year for Coach Watson. After consecutive seasons with only 5 SEC wins, the Hogs will likely need to do better in 2020. The pieces are there; indeed, there could be some serious competition on the pins if everyone is healthy: Dirrigl, Gillen, Cartwright, Head, Perdue, Garrett, and possibly Wheeler are all talented. The MB position is held down by Pamphile and either Wheeler or Crumpton. Eh … no combo of those is likely to strike fear in SEC opponents, but they could be serviceable, especially if they have enough success on the pins to use Wheeler in the middle. Ryan and Gates will battle it out for setting time and could play a 6-2.
Update Associate Head Coach Megan Wargo-Kearney has accepted a similar position with Luka Slabe at NC State. Will be interesting to see who Jason brings in; I hope it is someone who can goose recruiting in Texas for the Hogs.
Update #2 Arkansas has hired Washburn University Assistant Coach, and former Kansas State Wildcat, Lauren Ramatowski as the new Assistant Coach. Sticking with a defensive coach. Curious about whether she'll take over Recruiting Coordinator duties. She has been on staff at UTRGV (when it was UTPA) and Houston Baptist, so presumably she has some TX connections. - edit: The Arkansas website indicates that Macey will be picking up the Recruiting Coordinator title.
Update #3 RS Soph Maylin Garrett has signed with MTSU and will continue her career there. This unclogs the pins a little bit for the Hogs. Garrett is a really good kid and a phenomenal athlete, but her volleyball skills were not going to keep her ahead of the other, younger pin hitters on the roster. Really wish her well at MTSU!
Auburn: If not much went right for Arkansas, I’m not even sure how to describe Auburn’s season. After a player exodus in the off-season, the Tigers brought in some transfers, but they could not replace the talent that left. There were few bright spots for Auburn. Though the blocking numbers inched up (the only way they could go, really), the other statistics generally did not, and there were line-up questions (Shipes at OPP vs OH, which setter should start, how to incorporate the transfers, etc.). None of it worked well for long, and despite playing with a lot of heart (I have to give this team a lot of credit for going out and competing hard every night – a testament to the kids and the staff, imo), they just could not get anything going.
Lost Players: Srs Shaina White and Enija Bidzane, along with Jrs Morgan Kull and Shea McNamara, were honored on Senior Day. It will be interesting to see whether any other players exit the program, either before or after the new coach is named.
Key Returners: MB Chesney McClellan (Sr), OH Tatum Shipes (Jr), OH Lily Thomason (So), S Marissa Hines (Jr), OH Val Green (Jr), OH/OPP Lauren Dorrell (Sr), and MB Jaeden Brown (Sr) are all due back, as are defensive players Bella Rosenthal (Jr), Molly Pember (So), Payton White (Sr), and Katie Persons (Jr).
Incoming: Auburn signed two players in November, both of whom were listed in PV’s “150:” 6’4” MB Audrey Douglas (FL) and 6’1” S Jackie Barrett (CA).
Crystal Ball: Who is the hire going to be? I doubt McClellan, Hines, or Dorrell will go anywhere, as they have already transferred once. But the other players might have some options if they want a fresh start. And the signees could ask to be released from their NLIs if they don’t feel comfortable with the new hire. It’s hard to look at the potential lineup for next year and see an SEC caliber squad, but I’ve said that about teams before and been wrong. I hope that the Tigers make a quick, impactful hire and get this program turned back in the direction it seemed to be going just 18 short months ago.
Update Considerable rumor-age indicating that USC (no, not that one; the one out west) coach Brent Crouch has resigned in order to accept the AU job. This is a very interesting development -- and one that is likely to make fans of both schools extremely happy. More as it develops. Update on the Update It’s official:Crouch to Auburn. Welcome to the SEC! I am sure you will find the Plains to be really similar to LA!! ;-)
Update #2 Another incoming AU recruit is noted in PV's recruiting class rankings: Lily Sumner, 6' MB/RS (IN).
Florida: The Gators suffered a close, heartbreaker of a loss to Final Four-bound Minnesota in the Sweet 16, an exit that they probably hoped would come a match or two later. But overall, the Gators had a good season about on par with what most prognosticators thought they would achieve: SEC Co-Champs, some solid wins over good teams, some head-scratcher matches, but generally a very high quality season, as is expected every year. The line-up was fairly stable most of the season, though Racheal Kramer did miss some matches.
Lost Players: Florida recognized MB Kramer, OH Greer, L Gregory, and DS Hargreaves on Senior Day. Speculation abounds as to whether there will be any transfers out of the program, however.
Key Returners: See the previous sentence. However, the roster includes a huge number of blue-chip returners. On the outside, Thayer Hall (Jr), Paige Hammons (Sr), Mia Sokolowski (RS Sr), Holly Carlton (RS Sr), and Haley Warner (Jr) all have more eligibility, and UGA transfer T’ara Ceasar (RS Jr) becomes eligible. Darrielle King (RS Sr) and Lauren Dooley (Jr) return in the middle, and Marlie Monserez (Jr) returns at setter (as does little used reserve Anaya Martin). In the back row, Paula Cerame and Riley Fischer (both Jrs) are due back.
Incoming: The Gators have signed an impressive class of four: 6’2” S Birdie Hendrickson (MO), 5’7” L Elli McKissock (FL), 6’4” MB Nnedi Okammor (TX), and 6’1” OH Sophia Victoria (PR), Pilar’s younger sister. Hendrickson is the #12 PV Senior Ace, McKissock #40, and Okammor #31. Victoria, from Puerto Rico, is considered an “international” recruit and not included in the PV Senior Ace rankings. She would probably be in there somewhere, if she were.
Crystal Ball: If everyone is back, the Gators are poised to have another run at the SEC title. King looks (finally) to get her shot to play full time, though depth could be an issue at MB. Okammor is a phenomenal athlete, but as someone who started playing later, she may need some time to develop into an elite, UF-level MB. As with last year, one issue will be what to do with all the talent on the pins. Hall and Hammons are proven quantities, and Ceasar had 1.5 productive years for the Dawgs. Soko has had her moments, as well. Add Victoria to that mix now. Something has to give. On the RS, Carlton seems to have the inside track, with Warner (incredibly, imo) getting fewer sets of action last season than anyone but Greer and Martin. Like others, I am genuinely curious about what happens on the Gator roster. Another issue is whether Hendrickson can come in and push Monserez for setting time.
UGA: The Dawgs were a very pleasant surprise this year. Last year, after Ceasar transferred to Gainesville, the question was whether UGA would take a step back, or whether the loss would lead to “addition by subtraction.” It seems very clear that it was much more the latter than the former. The emergence of Kacie Evans and her SEC FoY performance, Kianna Young’s improvement, and solid setting from Donovan clearly more than made up for whatever productivity was lost when Ceasar got out of Dodge. Between Evans, Ritchie, Rivera, and Hernandez, UGA always seemed to be able to put three pin hitters out there who were on their game to some degree, and both Evans and Ritchie averaged over 3 k/s. Smilin’ Tom Black and his chewing gum put together a very solid season in Athens.
Lost Players: Barring a transfer or some other odd situation, UGA is only losing All-SEC setter Meghan Donovan, who was a four-year starter. It’s always hard to know who is on scholarship and who isn’t, but as noted below, with four new signees and just one departure, it seems like UGA might have a numbers problem. But as they say, “the numbers always work themselves out.”
Key Returners: Evans (So), Ritchie (Sr), Hernandez (Jr), Rivera (Jr), and Kayla House (Sr) return on the pins, and Young (RS Sr), Naves (Jr), and Meghan Froemming (So) return in the middle, as does (apparent RS Fr) Londyn Gray. Dalaney Hans (RS Jr) and Alexa Fortin (RS Fr) are returning setters, and Brynn Chandler (Sr), Claire Rothenberger (RS Jr) and Kendall Glover (Sr) return on defense.
Incoming: UGA signed four incoming freshmen: 6’2” MB Phoebe Awoleye (the #47 Senior Ace) (GA), 6’1” OH/RS Regan Tinkle (IN), 6’2” MB Mackenzie Norris (GA), and DS Mallory Downing (FL). Both Tinkle and Norris are “150” members.
Crystal Ball: Who takes over the setting duties from Donovan? Hans has been in the program the longest and is the most familiar with Black’s system. Fortin, who apparently RS’ed this year, is also a potential option. Neither is as intimidating presence on the block as Donovan was, however. Speaking of blocking, the Dawgs’s blocking numbers this year were pretty bad, which is surprising because they have decent height across the front line. Kianna Young’s offense improved significantly from previous years; perhaps her blocking will follow suit this year? How will the arrival of huge-jumping Awoleye affect the line-up? Do Young and Naves have to start looking over their shoulders? Will Evans keep up her productivity or have a sophomore slump? Things are generally looking good in Stegeman Coliseum.
Update #1 Am hearing a rumor that one of the more experienced defensive players for the Bulldogs has graduated and won't be playing her senior season, preferring to be out west nearer home. That thins the ranks on defense a bit for the Dawgs, if true.
Update #2 UGA has announced the incoming transfer of ACC All-Freshman OH Amber Stivrins from Louisville. Maybe a bit of a surprise considering that scholarship numbers appeared to be tight on the UGA roster, but as I have said, and will say again and again, the numbers always work themselves out. Nice pick up for the Dawgs!
Kentucky: Another Sweet 16 run for the Wildcats, but this one marks the end of the Edmond Era in Lexington. I’m sure the UK faithful were hoping for a regional final, at least, but they ran into a very solid UW team who could, at least often enough, handle the heat from Edmond and Stumler. So how does UK look after the all time kill leader in program history and two-time SEC POY moves on? There are still plenty of impressive pieces on the Wildcat roster, and Coach Skinner seems to be reloading with this year’s crop of recruits.
Lost Players: Did I mention that Edmond is graduating? In addition, OH Caitlyn Cooper and DS Kylie Schmaltz are out of eligibility, and grad transfer MB Leah Meyer will be moving on. Oh, and Leah Edmond, too.
Key Returners: The big returning names are S Madison Lilley (Sr), OH Alli Stumler (Jr), and L Gabby Curry (Sr). Starting MB Kendyl Paris (Sr) also returns, as do sometime starters OH Avery Skinner (Sr) and OPP Azhani Tealer (So). Other returners include backup setter Cameron Scheitzach (Jr), DS Lauren Tharp (Jr), and MB Gabby Goddard (Jr).
Incoming: Kentucky signed what must be the best class in the SEC, including the #2, 10, and 27 Senior Aces. They include 6’4” MB Elise Goetzinger (WI, #27), 6’ S/OPP Reagan Rutherford (TX, #10), 6’2” OH Madisen Skinner (TX, #2, sister of Avery), and L/DS Mariah Walker (FL, who is “only” one of the PV “150”).
Crystal Ball: Replacing Edmond is practically impossible, but getting Madi Skinner and company in the program is certainly a big step in that direction. I am actually wondering more about who replaces Meyer in the middle. Goddard will be a Jr, and Isabella Bell will be a RS Fr. Between those two and Goetzinger, a starter will have to emerge. Stummler continues to impress with her all-around game, and she, Curry, and Lilley will provide a strong core of leadership for the young talent. If the freshmen live up to their billing, Kentucky will be just fine and certainly knocking on the door of another SEC title.
Update It has been announced that #15 Senior Ace Sophie Fischer, 6’5” OH/MB has committed to Kentucky. This is obviously a talented pick up for the Cats, though it’s not clear at first blush where she’ll fit in, unless it’s at the MB position. Coach Skinner certainly has no shortage of talent on the pins.
LSU: I might be alone on this one, but I expected more from LSU this year (if that comment sounds familiar, I said it last year, too). The past few years they have really recruited well, but it hasn’t all seemed to come together yet. Coach Flory decided to keep Bannister at OPP this year (as any reasonable observer could tell you was the right move), and Fr Rose took the setter spot right out from under Sr Zweibel, and the Tigers never looked back. OH Samarrah Hill (and Rose) made SEC All-Freshman, but despite having some blue chip talent, LSU didn’t seem to get much productivity out of the middle. Some of that is youth, but that’s an area that is too loaded on this team to settle for hitting percentages in the .250 range. With a player like Bannister, not making the NCAAT for three years is a surprise. EDIT: It's such a surprise that it is, in fact, wrong! LSU made the tourney Bannister's Fr year. Thanks dman for the correction. Let me rephrase: With a player like Bannister, making the NCAAT only once in four years would be a surprise (and a disappointment).
Lost Players: The Bayou Bengals say goodbye to S Anna Zweibel and OHs Sydney Mukes and Milan Stokes.
Key Returners: OPP Taylor Bannister (Sr), L Raigen Cianciulli (Sr), S Karli Rose (So), MB Whitney Forman (Jr), OH Samarrah Hill (So), MB Allee Morris (So), and MB Anita Anwusi (So) will form the nucleus of next year’s squad.
Incoming: LSU’s signing class includes one of the more intriguing newcomers in the conference, 5’8” OH Paige Flickinger (TX, PV Senior Ace #66). I have never seen her play apart from highlight clips, but write-ups make her sound very Member-Meneh-ish, but maybe not with as big of an arm? The class also includes 6’1” OH Dylan Maberry (TX, #61), so between Maberry and Flickinger, LSU hopes to find a complement to Hill on the OH. The class also includes 6’3” MB Maddie Telford (GA) and 6’1” MB Alia Williams (TX). I confess I’m a bit confused about why a team that boasts Foreman, Anwusi, and Morris needed to sign two more MB’s, but maybe there’s a plan to put one or more of them at OPP when Bannister graduates.
Crystal Ball: Next year is Bannister’s last chance to make the NCAAT (as an upperclassman), and most of the pieces seem to be there for this team, if Hill can continue to improve and one of the Fr OH’s can be ready for prime time. There is plenty of talent and athleticism in the MB and OPP positions, if everyone stays healthy. Rose proved herself to be more than ready as a true freshman, and Cianciulli has one more year to display her whiz-bang defensive skills. LSU always seems to be on the brink of breaking through, but lately they just keep getting tripped up. I would love to see Bannister get (anot)her shot at the tournament in her last year.
Mississippi State: You can hear the chants out of Starkville: “We’re #1(2)! We’re #1(2)!” The Bulldogs inched out of the cellar this season with a pair of wins over woeful Auburn, and they had some more competitive conference losses this year, as well (including 2-3 defeats to Ole Miss, LSU, and Arkansas). There was a lot of positive talk in the 2019 thread about how much better MSU was, but to be honest, I just didn’t see that much evidence of it. Deja Robinson and Gabby Waden were solid, for sure, but there was almost no production from the OH position, and first contact was suspect. But man, I did admire the fight in the team. They never let go of the rope during the season and continued to show tenacity, even when the wins just wouldn’t come. If they could increase the overall talent level on the roster and keep that mentality, the opportunity to move up the SEC ranks is there.
Lost Players: The Bulldogs lose undersized, jumping jack MB Amarrah Cooks and Alleah Stamatis, the only real setter on the roster, to graduation, and rumors abound (and I believe they are true - EDIT they are true; Shaw is transferring to Kansas, per her twitter) that starting OH Paige Shaw is in the transfer portal, with 2 or 3 other players as well. Shaw’s productivity took a steep sophomore slump, and the other players in the portal are reportedly not regular contributors, but I don’t know who they might be. In addition, Kanani Price and Gabby Zgunda are hanging up their volleyball shoes and won’t be back.
Key Returners: This list starts with MB Deja Robinson (Jr), who is head and shoulders above the rest of her teammates in terms of talent, imo. She is quick, has a live arm, and plays smart, and I think most teams in the conference would love to have someone like her on their roster. I am not sure if that is true of anyone else on the Bulldog roster, however, with the possible exception of Gabby Waden (Jr), who also showed well consistently. OH Callie Minshew (So) returns, and I know the Bulldogs will be happy when L Kendall Murr (RS …Jr?) is healthy enough to play again. They missed her last season.
Incoming: The Bulldogs signed five newcomers, and they will also be debuting two transfers. OH Logan Brown (RS Jr, from Arkansas) will get to suit up for the Bulldogs. She had flashes of very good play for the Hogs, and I suspect her SEC experience will be a contribution. Recently announced is a transfer from NC State, MB Jessica Kemp. I would pencil her in opposite Robinson in the middle. While she’s nowhere near as quick or agile as Cooks, she’s a pretty big athlete and will give the Bulldogs some more size and physicality. The freshman signees include some intriguing prospects, including former Florida commit 6’3” OPP Francesca McBride (MI), 6’2” OH Akacia Brown (IA), L Lilly Gunter (FL), 5’8” S Skylar Buckley (NC), and my personal favorite, 5’9” but-high-flying dynamo Shania Cromartie (FL). All of the signees were members of PV’s “150” except Gunter, who was designated among those having “just missed” being included. Edit: jrobinson1906 informs me that DS Alden Willis from ECU has also transferred into the MS State program this year. Thanks for the scoop!
Crystal Ball: My main two questions about this squad are a) who the heck is going to step in and set next year, and b) how much productivity are they going to get from the OH spot? Setter was not a question mark last year, as Stamatis was generally quite capable. She’s gone, and that means the Bulldogs are going to have to rely on either a 5’5” soph (Culumovic) and/or a 5’8” Fr (Buckley), or go out on the transfer market. The addition of (Logan) Brown at OH should be an upgrade over Shaw’s productivity last year, though I think she’s a comparative liability on the block. The Bulldogs have to hope that either (Akacia) Brown or Cromartie can push Minshew for the other OH position. MB looks set with the addition of Kemp (though I worry about depth), and Murr’s return would stabilize the libero spot. There’s a lot of youth and some question marks here, but if everything works out, it’s not unreasonable to think that Bulldogs could double (or better, depending on the schedule) their conference win total from this year. I hope they will try to schedule a decent OOC slate this year, too, and at least mix in some top 100 teams among the weak sisters.
Update MSU signs Stephen F Austin transfer setter, 5'8" Margaret Dean. At SFA, Dean was one of 2 setters in a 6-2 lineup and averaged 4.9 aps for a dominant Southland Conference squad that lost in the first round of the NCCAT. Seems like a solid pickup for the Bulldogs, and to add further support to the theory that the Fighting Dartys will roll out a 6-2 this season.
Missouri: A second round exit at the hands of national 5 seed was perhaps a bit of a harsh draw for a Mizzou team that showed pretty consistent quality last season. Some inconsistency in first contact and a generally weak defense (the Tigers finished dead last in the conference in digs and 11th in blocking, topping only Auburn and UGA) were the cracks in the foundation of a team that has some elite offensive weapons. Deberg would have been a strong POY candidate if it weren’t for Edmond, imo, and Fuentes had plenty of other reliable options to go to. The new “interim” coaching staff did well with a team that was very familiar with them and earned the permanent positions partway through the season.
Lost Players: The only seniors on the team were little used OH Sun Wenting and L Riley Sents. However, MB Kayla Caffey was “suspended” near the end of the season, and she is no longer listed on the team’s roster, so it seems that her playing days in CoMo are over.
Key Returners: Five of seven starters are slated to return, including S Andrea Fuentes (RS Jr), OH Kylie Deberg (Sr), MB Tyanna Omazic (Sr), OPP Dariana Hollingsworth (Sr), and OH Leketor Member-Meneh (Sr). OH/DS Leandra Mangual-Duran (So) got some playing time on defense mostly, and MB Claudia Dillon (So) replaced Caffey at the end of the year.
Incoming: Rich Kern lists only one signee for the Tigers, DS Emily Brown (IN), a member of PV’s “150.” Look for the Tigers to – stop me if you’ve heard this before – use the transfer market to add some depth in the off-season, particularly at the MB position. There might also be a need for more defense.
Crystal Ball: The best blocker on a poor blocking team was dismissed from the squad, and the libero from the worst defensive team in the conference graduated. Those are some not insignificant concerns for the Tigers, who need to improve their defense and ball control to be competitive with the upper echelon of the conference. The offensive firepower will not be lacking, however. Looking beyond 2020, though, there isn’t a lot of depth on the squad. After next year, the Tigers will be without Deberg, Omazic, Hollingsworth, and Member-Meneh. The Tigers do have three 2021s committed, but that’s a lot of firepower to lose. The Kreklows always found a way to reload. Will the Taylors?
Update The transfer train has made its first stop in CoMo, with the Tigers picking up Soph OH Anna Dixon from Kansas State. Dixon is talented and should help in the future, although OH is not a position of immediate need for Mizzou. It is also mentioned in the tranfer thread that MB Brynn Paumen is looking to transfer out of the program, which -- if true EDIT it is true, Paumen has been announced as a Santa Clara transfer -- will make the depth issue even more grave at MB for the new (sort of) coaching staff.
Update #2 Also transferring into the Mizzou program is RS Soph Erin Williamson, DS/L from Arizona. She sat her first year in Tucson, and last year saw action in just 14 matches (the Mizzou bio says she "battled illness" last year).
Update #3 Anna D'Cruz, MB from UAB, will be transferring into the Mizzou program. A 6'3" RSJr-to-be, D'Cruz saw action in 27 matches (with 24 starts) for the Dragons in 2019, hitting for a .248 clip and averaging .9 blocks/set. This addition adds some much needed depth in the middle to the Tiger roster.
Update #4 Sophomore DS Katie Turner has been announced as a transfer to the University of Delaware, thinning the ranks of defensive players on the Tiger roster just a bit further.
Ole Miss: Pardon the cliché, but if you look up “roller coaster season” in the dictionary … well, it won’t be there, because that’s a phrase, not a word. But if it were in the dictionary, it could easily be accompanied by a picture of the 2019 Rebels. What else would you call a season that included a 3 match losing streak followed by a 14 match win streak followed by a 12 match losing streak?! The sputtering end to the season cost Coach McRoberts his job, and probably robbed Emily Stroup of any chance at (deserved, imo) post-season recognition. Sad way for a nice guy like Coach McRoberts to go out (he was one of three coaching changes the new Ole Miss AD made in the space of 3 weeks after being hired, along with football and softball … but I digress).
Lost Players: Ole Miss’s new coach will inherit a roster that is minus Stroup, the conference dig leader in L Purcell, the player with the 3rd highest hitting % and the 7th best blocker in Nayo Warnell, and a starting pin hitter in Leah Mulkey. Welcome to Oxford!
Key Returners: The cupboards are not entirely bare, however. S Lauren Bars returns for her senior season, and starting MB Aubrey Sultemeier (Jr) will look to improve on her 5th place position in blocks/set. OH Anna Bair (So) had some very good moments as a freshman, but she’ll have to diversify her offense to continue to progress, as most teams figured out how to defend her effectively as the season went on. Reserves MB Bayleigh Scott (Sr) and OH/DS Lauren Thompson (Jr) saw plenty of action and will get their shot, and the funny-colored jersey looks to pass to Avery Bugg (Jr).
Incoming: Ironically, Coach McRoberts signed a very solid recruiting class before he was shown the door. Signees include two top 100 Senior Aces, #76 6’4” OH GG Carvacho (TN), and #96 6’1” OPP Samantha Schnitta (KS). Also inking with Oxford were 6’3” MB Payton Brgoch (CO) and DSs Amber Bischel (WI) and Emily Hawes (TX). Brgoch was listed among PV’s “150.”
Crystal Ball: First and foremost, who is going to be the Head Rebel? And will she or he be able to keep the recruiting class together? There is no heir apparent to replace Stroup’s productivity; will either of the Fr pins be able to come in and contribute right away? Does Scott step in for Warnell, or does RS Fr Ava Wampler assert herself? It’s hard to say what will happen with no coach in place, but the new coach will likely have his/her hands full in the first year.
Uptdate #1 Ole Miss is first out of the gate (between OM and Auburn) with the hiring of Nebraska Assistant and former Olympian Kayla Banwarth. This is certainly an attention-grabbing hire for the Rebels! She was Recruiting Coordinator for the Huskers the past couple years, but I’m not sure if she has any connections to the SEC footprint? Good luck, Coach Banwarth! And good luck to the Rebs with their new leader!
Update #2 Setter Lauren DeLo announced on social media that she is transferring to Rutgers. There is only one setter on the current OM roster (rising senior Bars), so it might make sense for Coach Banwarth to try to land a transfer, or possiblY an unsigned HS recruit, as a backup.
Update #3 To counteract the loss of DeLo, perhaps, Ole Miss has announced the signing of Fr S Calloway Cason out of the A5 club in Atlanta. Cason is 5'9" and provides some insurance in case returning starter Lauren Bars has to miss any time. She becomes the sixth newcomer joining the Rebels/Black Bears/Landsharks this season.
Update #4 Not content with signing a freshman setter to back up Bars, Ole Miss has also brought in 5’9” Clemson transfer Gabby Easton. Seems like a good pick up, though I’m a little puzzled about Easton coming in behind a Sr starter. Welcome to the SEC, Gabby!
South Carolina: 2019 was a very nice year for the Fighting Mendozas, an NCAA second round appearance that included a surprise first round win over a well-regarded Colorado State team before a fairly predictable thrashing by a very, very good UW team. The last year of “the Mikaylas” was a good one, but it will be very interesting to see what a “one Mikayla” SC team looks like in 2020.
Lost Players: I think that the Gamecocks are losing more production than anyone else in the conference. They will be without OPP Mikayla Shields, S Courtney Koehler, OHs Brittany McLean and Alicia Starr (the first OH off the bench), L Addie Bryant, and starting MB Claire Edwards. That’s 5 of the starting 7, and a very frequently used OH sub.
Key Returners: The “other” Mikayla (MB Robinson) comes back for her senior season, as does starting OH Jess Vastine. Amari (thank you, sclawman) Wilson (OPP) has been waiting for two years behind Shields, so it will be interesting to see if she can seize that starting position. OH McKenzie Moorman saw some action and even received a FotW honor mid-season, but by the end of the season she was mostly back on the bench behind Vastine, McLean, and Starr. She’ll get a look next year. RS Fr S Courtney Webber saw some action this year when the Gamecocks experimented (briefly) with a 6-2 lineup, and she looks to step into the starting spot next year. OPP Holly Eastridge (not Wilson) got most of the other OPP reps during the experimental 6-2 phase. Other than that, there just aren’t a lot of known quantities on the SC bench.
Incoming: Rich Kern only lists two 2020 commits for the Gamecocks, and I cannot find a press release about the signing class yet on the website. I would think with a senior class that large, Mendoza would need to bring in more than 2 folks. The first signee is 6’2” OH Kiune Fletcher from Trinidad & Tobago, and the second is 6’3” MB Ellie Ruprich (MI), who is listed in PV’s “150.”
Crystal Ball: There’s an awful lot of talent leaving Columbia, and 2020 sure shapes up to be a rebuilding year for the Gamecocks. Mendoza has done very well with mostly players that he inherited, but 2020 will be more of a test of what a team of mostly Mendoza recruits will look like. It’s hard to see the Gamecocks making their third tourney appearance in a row with what the roster currently looks like.
Update The coaching change at NC State has led 5’11” OH Riley Whitesides from Greenville, SC, to switch from being a member of the Wolfpack to being a Gamecock.
Update #2 Wisconsin setter Mallory Dixon has announced her grad transfer to South Carolina. Nice get for the Gamecocks, as they had only one setter (RS Soph Courtney Weber) on the roster.
Update #3 Coastal Carolina OH Kyla Manning will be grad transferring to Columbia. This seems like a nice pick-up, as well. Good numbers for the Chanticleers and a good all-around game. Welcome to the SEC, Kyla!
Update #4 PV has begun posting its recruiting class rankings, and they have more information than I had about SC's incoming class. In addition to Ruprich (and Whitesides, in the first update), PV lists the following US-based incoming freshmen for the Gamecocks: Caitlin Crawford, 5'4" DS/L (WI); Maddie Swentor, 5'5" DS/L (OH); and Janna Schlageter, 6'1" OH (GA). PV doesn't mention Fletcher, but they generally don't include non-US recruits. This helps flesh out the Gamecock roster, for sure.
Tennessee: One of the bigger surprises in the conference this year was the backsliding of the Volunteer team, who seemed primed to have a big year based on last year’s results and the returning and incoming talent. Factor in one of the easiest (edit: Ok, I'll say it: THE EASIEST) conference schedules in the entire SEC (they played each of the bottom five teams in conference twice), and it sure looked the Vols were going to cruise to successive tourney appearances. The team seemed battle-ready on the first weekend, losing a pair of nail-biters to highly regarded Illinois, but it never really came together after that. There just wasn’t enough help for Grubbs, and the team missed Treiber and perhaps transfer Callie Williams’s setting. There was some 6-2 experimentation, but most of the time the Vols went 5-1 with an undersized Hansen playing front row. They just couldn’t win enough games against the top teams in the league, and Rackham no longer looks like the genius she did last year, imo (not really knocking her – just saying she came back to earth a bit this season).
Lost Players: OH Tessa Grubbs, S Sedona Hansen, MB Alyssa Andreno, and DS/L Asha Phillips are all out of eligibility.
Key Returners: Coming back for the Vols are OH Lily Felts (Jr), MB Addisyn Rowe (Sr), RS Morgan Finghall (So), OH/OPP Danielle Mahaffey (Jr), MB/OH Ava Bell (Jr), DS/L Madison Coulter (Sr), and S Kailey Keeble (So).
Incoming: Tennessee signed three players this fall including 6’1” OH Jasmine Brooks (AL), a 10’8”-touching high flier who they hope can step in for Tessa Grubbs. Brooks was the #43 PV Senior Ace. In addition, 6’3” MB Allie Holland (OH) was a member of the “150.” Rounding out the class is 5’9” RS/S JaKya Moore (NC).
Crystal Ball: Losing Grubbs and Hansen, both 4-year starters, will be big for the Vols. If Brooks lives up to her billing, it will ease the sting of losing Grubbs, but Keeble and the incoming Moore are the only setters on the team, and both will be relatively inexperienced next season. Rowe will be a factor in the MB spot, and it will likely fall to Bell to step up and take the MB spot vacated by Andreno (unless Holland comes in ready to go). There are good arms on the pins, but how to put the whole thing together and have good first contact will pose a challenge to Coach Rackham and her staff. With the pieces it looks like they’re working with, finishing above the middle of the pack will be a good result.
Update #1: Tennessee will be attempting to increase its setter depth with incoming transfer Natalie Hayward, 5’11”, from DePaul. She averaged just under 6 ast/set playing mostly in a 6-2 for the Blue Demons.
Update #2: Two new additions to announce at Rocky Top, as the Lady Vols welcome 6'2 Soph OH Carissa Bradford, a Pacific transfer, and 6'3" Soph MB Nicoletta Capizzi, a Eastern Washington Univ transfer to the squad (no link on this, just posted on Rich Kern). With these additions, the Lady Vols roster for 2020 looks to be 18 deep (Capizzi was not yet added at the time I posted this).
Texas A&M: Another relatively big surprise, imo, was the excellent season that TAMU put together. What a great run for the Aggies – such a cool way for a terrific player like Hans to go out. Coach Kuhn did a really good job this season setting up the team to feed off of her senior OH, but also getting some good support from Patterson, Davis, and Rush, and the run to the Sweet Sixteen was very impressive. Choosing her as CoY was a great pick, imo.
Lost Players: Srs Hollan Hans, L Camila Gomez, and DS/S Haley Slocum are all out of eligibility, and MB Makenna Patterson (who led the SEC in blocks this season) has decided to end her career with one year of eligibility remaining. Hans, Gomez, and Patterson will all leave big voids on the court.
Key Returners: S Camille Conner comes off an All-SEC season into her senior year. OPP Treyaunna Rush and OH Lauren Davis hope to parlay All-Freshman accolades into strong sophomore seasons. MB Mallory Talbert (Jr) looks to have one MB position locked down, and perhaps little-used London Austin-Roark (Jr), Morgan Davis (Sr or RS Jr?), or RS Fr Madison Bowser will be ready.
Incoming: The Aggies announced a four person signing class in November that includes two blue-chip middle blockers, a DS, and a setter. Claire Jeter (TX), a 6’3” MB, was the #92 PV Senior Ace, and 6’2” Hanna Larson (TX) came in at #60. Perhaps one of them will step in for the departed Patterson. The DS is Erica Lowery (TX), and the setter is 6’ Melissa Walden (IL). Both Lowery and Walden are included in the “150.”
Crystal Ball: Losing a stud OH who was a POY candidate and a ferocious server, a tenacious libero, and the SEC block leader will present some stiff challenges if the Aggies hope to repeat their 2019 success. Rush and Davis have considerable potential, but there are not clear “heir-apparent” replacements for Hans or Patterson. The Aggies did not sign any OHs in this recruiting class, and that position seems a bit thin on the roster. Not sure what the scholarship situation is, but might they look for a transfer? I think a Kuhn-coached team will find a way to be very competitive, but I am expecting the Aggies to sink back toward the middle of the pack a bit next season.
Update A transfer comes, a transfer goes. S/RS Cam Ennis from Kansas follows Coach Bird to TAMU. Very versatile player. However, OH Samantha Sanders has departed College Station for Lubbock to join the Texas Tech program. Update #2: 6’1” OH Morgan Christon, also formerly of Kansas, has announced on her instagram (as has TAV) that, like Ennis, she is transferring to College Station to play for Coach Bird’s Aggies. Announcement here. This certainly will help TAMU in a position of need following Hans’s graduation and Sanders’s departure. Any other former Bird/Jayhawk recruits coming along?
Overall look at the conference: Barring significant shifts in rosters, which are still possible, it looks to me like Florida returns the most firepower, followed by a younger but potentially scary good Kentucky squad. Mizzou’s and Georgia’s situations look the most stable after that, and LSU could also move up into the upper echelon (though I have said that the past two years and been proved wrong each time). After that, the picture is pretty muddled, as TAMU, SC, and TN look to be rebuilding, and Arkansas will hope that having a healthier roster gives them the consistency, leadership, and firepower they lacked this year. Mississippi State might be taking steps forward, but they have big questions at setter and on the OH, and Bama, Ole Miss, and Auburn look to have the most questions. I’m not going to predict the standings just yet, but as has been popular, I’ll project some tiers (again, presuming rosters stay stable):
Party A-listers: UF, UK
Best shot at crashing the party: UGA, MIZZOU
Cursing at their GPS trying to get to the party: LSU, TAMU, ARK, TN, SC
Trying to convince the cool kids to tell them where the party is: MS State, OM
What’s a party?: Bama, Auburn
