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Post by mcmike on Dec 25, 2019 11:57:15 GMT -5
A quick thought about MN. I wonder about the NC viability of a team that runs a “USA fast” system. It seems to me that there is so much pressure on these teams to pass perfect (not unlike the USWNT) that when the pressure is truly on (e.g. the Olympics or Final Four) these teams breakdown. MN 2018 was favored with a SSS who could better a so-so pass to get back into system MN 2019 was not as 'fast'. Gap sets to our middles were few and far between. Quicks certainly charge up the fans and are seen as awesome displays of power and competence. BIQs and Pipes were rare for the Gophers as well this year... nonexistent really during the weeks running a 6-2. We had no Pressley who is blessed with the ability to attack from ANYWHERE. Stanford was blessed with KP who could take so-so sets that were significantly off the net and wrist away with pace that MN could not handle MN does not frequently attack on OOS sets. Hart was the most adept but not super terminal. Rollins almost never attacked from off the net. I believe that the barrier MN must overcome to win a NC is adhering to a belief that a good block and floor defense warrant a 'low-error' approach. the Gopher MBs forte was not their lateral quickness to close blocks. Pittman improved. Morgan...what can you say? The best teams will take a free ball or non-terminal attack to mount their own attack that will be hard to defend. I'm not sure that a MN team passing dimes but playing a low error style can win a NC. With a tall setter and more frequent blocking walls I hope to be proved wrong.
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Post by dunninla3 on Dec 25, 2019 12:31:41 GMT -5
Wisconsin needs to finally land an elite caliber pin hitter. They've had numerous seasons since Carlini's days to present where the addition of a top tier outside could have very well gotten them a title. true. Between Carlini and Hilley, you would THINK a top pin hitter would want to take advantage of those sets. I mean look at the difference between Poulter+Quade, and whoever it was this year and Quade. Setter, to me, I know others disagree, is the single most important recruiting priority.
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Post by dunninla3 on Dec 25, 2019 12:37:01 GMT -5
This is a legit question -- why do people think the top pin hitters in the country have chosen other schools and not Penn St.? Is it just the ebb and flow of recruiting, or is there something else? For example, I wasn't on the Board 3-4 years ago, but why did Penn St. lose Thayer Hall to Florida after her interest shown also to Penn St.? What would Penn St. have done this year with a healthy Hall?
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Post by zero-rotation outside hitter on Dec 25, 2019 12:43:32 GMT -5
If you're interested, I'll let you do the searching. After you do go through every presser, go through every presser for the coach from the opposing team and dissect the differences in word choice, posture, and time spent discussing the other team's performance. Let's chat then. It's not as arrogant as I found Terry Pettit, but it's a style, and I don't like it. Is there a better antonym for "gracious?" You are the one making the claim, so you are the one that should prove your claim, otherwise your claim is just a bunch of BS. If it’s as obvious as you make it seem, it should be easy for you to prove Prove my opinion? That's not a thing. And it's not in any explicit comment he regularly makes. It's in his style and small things he's says or doesn't say that create an overall impression. He's smug. If you disagree, be content with it. You aren't going to change my opinion.
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Post by dokterrudi on Dec 25, 2019 13:11:22 GMT -5
There isn't much stretching on this. All thee teams are in the Elite 8. The relative newbies are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Baylor. Both Wisconsin and Minnesota have been at the final four with the present coach. They are both enticingly close to breaking through, that last little bit is incredibly difficult. I can't predict what either Minnesota and Wisconsin can make that quantum leap. I hope they can, I like the teams and the coaches. Baylor is a really interesting case. They can be a flash in the pan or they can be a real disrupter. I was really intrigued by the idea of Baylor this year because that would have been a fantastic Cinderella story, but for whatever reason, they didn't make the improbable breakthrough, falling two matches short. Their position now is different, they will have targets on their backs all the time now. Mentally, winning when you are not supposed to versus winning when you are supposed to. The mentality is different, the efforts are different, and the performance curve is different. When you are the alpha, the performance curve gets exponentially more difficult. I will be very interested in seeing whether and how Baylor can sustain their performance this year. You know the Big XII teams are going to treat them differently. Texas is going to be preparing for them, as will Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. They may do nothing, or they may put a big dent on them. The more important thing is how will Baylor respond to this challenge, and no amount of Pollyanna thoughts and prayers from VT will help them. For some reason when I look at Baylor I'm reminded of Tarkanians UNLV. Weird I know. Polling has the country at 30% non-christian and rising rapidly. Schools like ND and Baylor are going to find it more and more difficult. Although San Diego is a "Catholic" school it is nothing like Baylor and I could see them rising up to be a constant S16 school.
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Post by HappyVolley on Dec 25, 2019 14:15:15 GMT -5
I can't explain the miracle of Penn State volleyball. Hodge, Harmotto, Fawcett, Glass, Hancock, Wilson, Brown, D'Errico, Gonzalez, Scott, Grant, Whitney, Slay ........
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Post by hochee on Dec 25, 2019 14:27:14 GMT -5
I can't explain the miracle of Penn State volleyball. Hodge, Harmotto, Fawcett, Glass, Hancock, Wilson, Brown, D'Errico, Gonzalez, Scott, Grant, Whitney, Slay ........ Yup, takes a special effort to attract that gang of greats to Happy Valley.
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Post by Socleanclean on Dec 25, 2019 14:34:35 GMT -5
Hodge, Harmotto, Fawcett, Glass, Hancock, Wilson, Brown, D'Errico, Gonzalez, Scott, Grant, Whitney, Slay ........ Yup, takes a special effort to attract that gang of greats to Happy Valley. The loss of Salima can’t be discounted. Not having her on the recruiting trail is a major loss. No one on staff can replicate how good she was recruiting.
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Post by vbkahuna on Dec 25, 2019 19:46:56 GMT -5
Actually I disagree with the entire premise of this thread, i.e., who will be the next "non-big-4" school to "dominate" women's D1 volleyball? And by dominate, I take that to mean multiple National Championships in a 4-6 year span.
In my view, the correct answer is "nobody, and even the current big-4 will be struggling to consistently make the Final Fours by the end of the 2020s". Reason: parity is here, and it's not going away. Yes, the big-4 will continue to be excellent, but several new programs (such as the ones mentioned, and some not mentioned) will also be threats in any given year.
The example of men's D1 basketball (no more UCLA decade of dominance, or Duke or North Carolina multi-multi NCs) is relevant. It's coming to women's D1 volleyball too.
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Post by hochee on Dec 25, 2019 19:56:15 GMT -5
Actually I disagree with the entire premise of this thread, i.e., who will be the next "non-big-4" school to "dominate" women's D1 volleyball? And by dominate, I take that to mean multiple National Championships in a 4-6 year span. In my view, the correct answer is "nobody, and even the current big-4 will be struggling to consistently make the Final Fours by the end of the 2020s". Reason: parity is here, and it's not going away. Yes, the big-4 will continue to be excellent, but several new programs (such as the ones mentioned, and some not mentioned) will also be threats in any given year. The example of men's D1 basketball (no more UCLA decade of dominance, or Duke or North Carolina multi-multi NCs) is relevant. It's coming to women's D1 volleyball too. Let's hope so and it would be great in lots of ways if the SEC and/or ACC can rise and shine.
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Post by NFRvb on Dec 25, 2019 20:06:49 GMT -5
Wisconsin needs to finally land an elite caliber pin hitter. They've had numerous seasons since Carlini's days to present where the addition of a top tier outside could have very well gotten them a title. Haggerty is a top tier pin imo
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Post by vbcoltrane on Dec 25, 2019 21:24:47 GMT -5
Actually I disagree with the entire premise of this thread, i.e., who will be the next "non-big-4" school to "dominate" women's D1 volleyball? And by dominate, I take that to mean multiple National Championships in a 4-6 year span. In my view, the correct answer is "nobody, and even the current big-4 will be struggling to consistently make the Final Fours by the end of the 2020s". Reason: parity is here, and it's not going away. Yes, the big-4 will continue to be excellent, but several new programs (such as the ones mentioned, and some not mentioned) will also be threats in any given year. The example of men's D1 basketball (no more UCLA decade of dominance, or Duke or North Carolina multi-multi NCs) is relevant. It's coming to women's D1 volleyball too. Not sure. General parity has been here for a while - but championship parity still seems a bit off in the distance.
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Post by letsbeclear on Dec 25, 2019 23:46:49 GMT -5
While each coach has pluses and minuses, is it possible that McCutcheon's contacts -- in particular, his international contacts -- might give him a recruiting advantage for players looking to continue playing well beyond their college years? Or do other coaches have equivalent ties and respect internationally?
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Post by NebraskaVBfan93 on Dec 26, 2019 0:14:51 GMT -5
Ha I like how you use quotes for "put down" when that was never a term used by anyone. "Not gracious enough" is different. And I'm glad if he's improving in recent years...only took til his 60s. I'm sure you can find instances where he compliments other teams or players. It doesn't prove the other end of his commentary doesn't exist. It's not as black and white as you'd apparently like it to be. Show some nuance. Could you provide an example of where he wasn't gracious? He has many pressers online and even more quotes available. I am not going to go hunting for a sample of comments that he’s made, but there have been multiple times where Coach Cook, while maybe not outwardly disrespectful, could definitely have been much more gracious when talking about another program or team. Keep in mind, I’m a big fan of his. I will also add this, this is something that has improved over the years.
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Post by SakiBomb25 on Dec 26, 2019 1:58:39 GMT -5
I think Stanford, Nebraska, and Texas are always going to be good. I think Penn State is phasing out tho. They just don’t have the players they used to have, specifically on the pins. Minnesota or maybe Wisconsin definitely look like they are next in line to take on the role of the perennial power house. Stanford, Nebraska and Texas will not always be good. It really depends on whether the administration continues to support the sport and if the right coaches get in place. Need I remind people of the Jim Moore era at Texas? As for Penn State... they are one outside hitter away from contending. The middles are fantastic and Parker does great things on the right side.
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