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Post by gibbyb1 on Apr 14, 2024 9:59:59 GMT -5
Minnesota to Washington mainly built I’ll take them all if you feel like it 💀 The middle is definitely a mess but here’s my thought process: 1. Wisconsin - there is some bias based on Wisconsin being my fav team, but I do think they have a good chance of taking the title back. They return the NPOY along with three other All-Americans. While they are losing both setters/captains, Fuerbringer is a big upgrade, and having an extra week of pre-season training will help build the connections with the Badger giantesses. Not much depth at OH, but we won a natty and three conference titles with Loberg so it’s realistic. 2. Nebraska - bring back nearly all of their starters and bring in some great transfers, but I have concerns with 1) ego and 2) Cook getting in his own way. Nebraska looked rough during the second half of Big 10 play this year, and a lot of teams are making upgrades this year. 3. Penn State - massive upgrade at setter and raided the Nebraska bench. 4. Purdue - one of the best OH duos and a great blocking team, but concerns at opposite and who can fill Schermerhorn’s jersey. 5. Minnesota - their roster’s thin in a lot of places (middle & L/DS), but based on their spring play so far and K Cook’s familiarity with the PAC 12 teams, I think they’ll be in good shape (especially if they run Swenson at setter). 6. USC - I don’t know as much about their roster, but I think they’ll perform the best of the PAC 12 schools. If they are bringing in Kahahawai as rumor has it, they could be a top 5 threat. 7. Oregon - great team last year, but pretty much all their starters save Colyer graduated. They’re supposed to have good talent on the bench and I’ll trust that, but I don’t see them being as much of a powerhouse as last year. 8. Indiana - they’ve been on an upward trajectory the last few years, and I think they’re going to work as hard as they can to get Haworth to an NCAA tournament in her final year. I think they’ll win the matches they should, but I don’t see them causing too many upsets. 9. Ohio State - last year’s roster was very young and went through some major growing pains, but a year of experience plus having Londot and Rader back will be a boon to their chances. And hopefully JFO schedules a smarter pre-conference. 10. Illinois - Terry’s gonna carry, but I don’t see them doing better than middle of the pack if they don’t figure out their passing woes. 11. Michigan State - I liked last year’s team and think Leah Johnson had them on the right track, but I don’t know if they’ll have the talent to break out of the middle. 12. UCLA - I don’t follow them as closely, but only being in their second year under a new coach, I think it’ll take a bit of time to climb up the ranks. 13. Washington - see UCLA, but I put UCLA above Washington based on their head-to-head from last year. 14. Maryland - Glad that Csire and Dowler are returning cuz otherwise they’d be closer to Iowa. 15. Michigan - they’ll have their coach there for all their matches and Jacobs will be back for her final year. They’ll certainly be better than last year at least. 16. Rutgers - I don’t think Rutgers will ever fully climb out of the basement, but Schweihofer has moved them up from the bottom of the Big 10 barrel. 17. Iowa - would be last but Northwestern’s off-season has been tragic. 18. Northwestern - bless this mess. Did you say “some bias” ?? Nearly everything you mentioned about Nebraska was negative. The returners for Wisconsin were all-Americans, the returners for Nebraska are returners. Wisconsin returns the POY and that’s a huge positive, Nebraska returns the COY and that’s a potential negative.
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Post by jwvolley on Apr 14, 2024 10:13:03 GMT -5
I don't know why Wisconsin over Nebraska is so crazy when they're like 11-1 against Nebraska recently. I think it could go either way. Crazy isn't the word, for sure. But perhaps a more substantive reasoning beyond "hmm ego and i don't like john cook" could help the argument.
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Apr 14, 2024 10:23:05 GMT -5
The middle is definitely a mess but here’s my thought process: 1. Wisconsin - there is some bias based on Wisconsin being my fav team, but I do think they have a good chance of taking the title back. They return the NPOY along with three other All-Americans. While they are losing both setters/captains, Fuerbringer is a big upgrade, and having an extra week of pre-season training will help build the connections with the Badger giantesses. Not much depth at OH, but we won a natty and three conference titles with Loberg so it’s realistic. 2. Nebraska - bring back nearly all of their starters and bring in some great transfers, but I have concerns with 1) ego and 2) Cook getting in his own way. Nebraska looked rough during the second half of Big 10 play this year, and a lot of teams are making upgrades this year. 3. Penn State - massive upgrade at setter and raided the Nebraska bench. 4. Purdue - one of the best OH duos and a great blocking team, but concerns at opposite and who can fill Schermerhorn’s jersey. 5. Minnesota - their roster’s thin in a lot of places (middle & L/DS), but based on their spring play so far and K Cook’s familiarity with the PAC 12 teams, I think they’ll be in good shape (especially if they run Swenson at setter). 6. USC - I don’t know as much about their roster, but I think they’ll perform the best of the PAC 12 schools. If they are bringing in Kahahawai as rumor has it, they could be a top 5 threat. 7. Oregon - great team last year, but pretty much all their starters save Colyer graduated. They’re supposed to have good talent on the bench and I’ll trust that, but I don’t see them being as much of a powerhouse as last year. 8. Indiana - they’ve been on an upward trajectory the last few years, and I think they’re going to work as hard as they can to get Haworth to an NCAA tournament in her final year. I think they’ll win the matches they should, but I don’t see them causing too many upsets. 9. Ohio State - last year’s roster was very young and went through some major growing pains, but a year of experience plus having Londot and Rader back will be a boon to their chances. And hopefully JFO schedules a smarter pre-conference. 10. Illinois - Terry’s gonna carry, but I don’t see them doing better than middle of the pack if they don’t figure out their passing woes. 11. Michigan State - I liked last year’s team and think Leah Johnson had them on the right track, but I don’t know if they’ll have the talent to break out of the middle. 12. UCLA - I don’t follow them as closely, but only being in their second year under a new coach, I think it’ll take a bit of time to climb up the ranks. 13. Washington - see UCLA, but I put UCLA above Washington based on their head-to-head from last year. 14. Maryland - Glad that Csire and Dowler are returning cuz otherwise they’d be closer to Iowa. 15. Michigan - they’ll have their coach there for all their matches and Jacobs will be back for her final year. They’ll certainly be better than last year at least. 16. Rutgers - I don’t think Rutgers will ever fully climb out of the basement, but Schweihofer has moved them up from the bottom of the Big 10 barrel. 17. Iowa - would be last but Northwestern’s off-season has been tragic. 18. Northwestern - bless this mess. Did you say “some bias” ?? Nearly everything you mentioned about Nebraska was negative. The returners for Wisconsin were all-Americans, the returners for Nebraska are returners. Wisconsin returns the POY and that’s a huge positive, Nebraska returns the COY and that’s a potential negative. The reason I didn’t extrapolate further on Nebraska’s positives is because I’m justifying why they’re not my number 1. Excellent roster? Yes. Reigning conference champs? Yes. They’ll definitely be competitive but I have my reservations. Nebraska looked great to start the season last year (key examples being the Stanford and Kentucky matches), but as the season progressed, Cook interfered more with the offense and insisted that Reilly “needed to follow the game plan” rather than follow her own instincts as a setter. She’s been a setter for the senior national team and has the experience to know which hitters she should trust in which moments (see the 5th set against Wisconsin). Add into that that their roster is stacked at the middle and pins, and there are going to be very good players who are benched. We’ve seen how these kind of chemistry battles impact teams’ performances before (see the Gabriel-SKT stare downs at Texas in 2021). Nebraska’s going to be a great team, that goes without saying. But I have reservations regarding their roster management, its impact on player mentality/ego, and Cook’s ability to put his trust in his players.
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Apr 14, 2024 10:23:20 GMT -5
I don't know why Wisconsin over Nebraska is so crazy when they're like 11-1 against Nebraska recently. I think it could go either way. Crazy isn't the word, for sure. But perhaps a more substantive reasoning beyond "hmm ego and i don't like john cook" could help the argument. I said what I said.
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Post by jwvolley on Apr 14, 2024 10:42:17 GMT -5
Wisconsin has a decision it's facing in terms of the offense it will run.
A. Switch to 5-1 with Charlie B. Stick with 6-2 and utilize Charlie + their transfer setter
Both of these have pros and cons.
For Choice A, the obvious potential pro is giving the keys to the new highly talented setter with the expectation that having one person delivering the ball with improved accuracy will put their hitters in better positions for swinging and connecting. It also allows for more flexibility with defensive specialists. Wisconsin would be making a big shift from the system that has been successful for them the past two years. It takes away the additional physicality of having a second opposite at the net blocking for 3 rotations. It takes away the offense of that second opposite as well and while Charlie would certainly be able to draw some attention as any setter would (and I do think she would be somewhat aggressive) it isn't the same as having a legitimate 3 attacker front row at all times. Moving to a 5-1 would also mean benching either Robinson or Crawford (I'm assuming Smrek and Booth are locks). It also likely would require more slide play from the M1 if they want to spread the block which would be another change. And freshman setters always have highs and lows across the season, Bergen certainly did.
For Choice B, sticking with a 6-2 would be staying true to what's made this particular group so hard to contend with over the past two seasons as an insanely physical front row. It wouldn't require benching any of the Robinson-Smrek-Booth-Crawford crew either. However, it takes time for teams to learn to connect with a two setter system and this could be where losing both graduated setters matters a bit more because the players would have to get used to balls from two new people as opposed to one. A 6-2 also limits their ability to improve their backrow play since it will be more difficult to get specialists time as a result of the substitutions.
In both of these instances, the apparent L2 for Wisconsin will be Orzol. Yes, Wisconsin has won a national championship with Orzol on the outside before but the team was obviously very different. She is not exactly an offensive powerhouse, though she would bring good ball control to the position. She is not as physical as Temi and in the matches she played OH in 2023 it appeared to be a weakness for the lineup.
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Post by hornshouse23 on Apr 14, 2024 10:42:54 GMT -5
The conference winner will start with a P. I’ve seen it in the flames. You’ve heard it here first.
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Post by jwvolley on Apr 14, 2024 11:12:41 GMT -5
Meanwhile Nebraska returns its starting lineup (minus Batenhorst, but Krause would've been the starter if not for the injury) and makes the following changes:
Batenhorst -> Landfair
2.23 kps .194 AB 2023 conference 2.33 kps .190 AB 2022 conference
3.51 kps .268 TL 2023 conference 4.46 kps .269 TL 2022 conference
Maggie Mendelson -> Leyla Blackwell
Blackwell will challenge to start as one of the best blockers in the entire country with loads of experience as a 5th year and a former Final 4 participant in her own right. At a minimum will push Bekka Allick and Andi Jackson much more than Maggie did.
Olivia Mauch will compete with Laney and will give Nebraska an extra passing option if we struggle at any point with ball control.
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Apr 14, 2024 11:23:00 GMT -5
The conference winner will start with a P. I’ve seen it in the flames. You’ve heard it here first. Purdue’s first conference title in 40 years? I wouldn’t be mad tbh 😂
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Post by uofaGRAD on Apr 14, 2024 11:34:14 GMT -5
anything other than a 5-1 for Wisconsin seems stupid idk. they’ve come up short with this 6-2 both years even with all the talent. they don’t set Crawford anyways so is it that big of a deal if she’s benched? she had more nets than kills in the tournament last season lol
Franklin/Orzol Devyn/Booth Charlie/Smrek (DS) GG is an elite lineup. Devyn can hit right side like tealer. Orzol won’t need to be a big part of the offense. Smrek and Devyn can hit OOS balls
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Apr 14, 2024 11:39:04 GMT -5
Wisconsin has a decision it's facing in terms of the offense it will run. A. Switch to 5-1 with Charlie B. Stick with 6-2 and utilize Charlie + their transfer setter Both of these have pros and cons. For Choice A, the obvious potential pro is giving the keys to the new highly talented setter with the expectation that having one person delivering the ball with improved accuracy will put their hitters in better positions for swinging and connecting. It also allows for more flexibility with defensive specialists. Wisconsin would be making a big shift from the system that has been successful for them the past two years. It takes away the additional physicality of having a second opposite at the net blocking for 3 rotations. It takes away the offense of that second opposite as well and while Charlie would certainly be able to draw some attention as any setter would (and I do think she would be somewhat aggressive) it isn't the same as having a legitimate 3 attacker front row at all times. Moving to a 5-1 would also mean benching either Robinson or Crawford (I'm assuming Smrek and Booth are locks). It also likely would require more slide play from the M1 if they want to spread the block which would be another change. And freshman setters always have highs and lows across the season, Bergen certainly did. For Choice B, sticking with a 6-2 would be staying true to what's made this particular group so hard to contend with over the past two seasons as an insanely physical front row. It wouldn't require benching any of the Robinson-Smrek-Booth-Crawford crew either. However, it takes time for teams to learn to connect with a two setter system and this could be where losing both graduated setters matters a bit more because the players would have to get used to balls from two new people as opposed to one. A 6-2 also limits their ability to improve their backrow play since it will be more difficult to get specialists time as a result of the substitutions. In both of these instances, the apparent L2 for Wisconsin will be Orzol. Yes, Wisconsin has won a national championship with Orzol on the outside before but the team was obviously very different. She is not exactly an offensive powerhouse, though she would bring good ball control to the position. She is not as physical as Temi and in the matches she played OH in 2023 it appeared to be a weakness for the lineup. Im not a coach, just a fan with hopes and opinions, but the best thing for Wisconsin’s present and future would be to convert back to a 5-1 with Fuerbringer at setter. The 6-2’s made the badgers an offensive and blocking machine, but a stable backcourt is needed to win a title. Were I to make the lineup, I’d do the following: Setter: Fuerbringer OH1: Shadd-Ceres (DS: GG) MB2: Booth (SS: Crawford) OPP: Smrek (DS: Schumacher/Damrow) OH2: Franklin MB1: Robinson Libero: Orzol While Wisconsin won a natty with Orzol, she is a stabilizing force in the back row and is our most reputable passer. Unless there’s an injury to an OH, she’s the bro. Wisconsin is losing a LOT next year and to help with the growing pains, Shadd-Ceres needs to see the court. Having GG as her DS at OH1 gives GG 3 rotations where she can bump-set Franklin and two where she can bump-set Smrek. Her bump-sets are elite and will be needed when Fuerbringer takes the first ball. Booth at M2 gives two rotations of the Booth/Smrek wall, and Crawford as her serving sub gives Wisconsin an out in “low on subs” sets. Instead of risking a DS come in and end up front court, we have yet another middle. Robinson at M1 can be run like Dixon was at Florida last year. A middle who can attack as an opposite. Ultimately, the 5-1 allows for more DSes and would give our youngsters more experience on the court, which they’ll need if they want to maintain success in 2025. Hopefully the badgers can grab a late-portal entry at OH in May for a backup if needed, but this is how I would roll.
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Post by bbg95 on Apr 14, 2024 11:50:08 GMT -5
Wisconsin has a decision it's facing in terms of the offense it will run. A. Switch to 5-1 with Charlie B. Stick with 6-2 and utilize Charlie + their transfer setter Both of these have pros and cons. For Choice A, the obvious potential pro is giving the keys to the new highly talented setter with the expectation that having one person delivering the ball with improved accuracy will put their hitters in better positions for swinging and connecting. It also allows for more flexibility with defensive specialists. Wisconsin would be making a big shift from the system that has been successful for them the past two years. It takes away the additional physicality of having a second opposite at the net blocking for 3 rotations. It takes away the offense of that second opposite as well and while Charlie would certainly be able to draw some attention as any setter would (and I do think she would be somewhat aggressive) it isn't the same as having a legitimate 3 attacker front row at all times. Moving to a 5-1 would also mean benching either Robinson or Crawford (I'm assuming Smrek and Booth are locks). It also likely would require more slide play from the M1 if they want to spread the block which would be another change. And freshman setters always have highs and lows across the season, Bergen certainly did. For Choice B, sticking with a 6-2 would be staying true to what's made this particular group so hard to contend with over the past two seasons as an insanely physical front row. It wouldn't require benching any of the Robinson-Smrek-Booth-Crawford crew either. However, it takes time for teams to learn to connect with a two setter system and this could be where losing both graduated setters matters a bit more because the players would have to get used to balls from two new people as opposed to one. A 6-2 also limits their ability to improve their backrow play since it will be more difficult to get specialists time as a result of the substitutions. In both of these instances, the apparent L2 for Wisconsin will be Orzol. Yes, Wisconsin has won a national championship with Orzol on the outside before but the team was obviously very different. She is not exactly an offensive powerhouse, though she would bring good ball control to the position. She is not as physical as Temi and in the matches she played OH in 2023 it appeared to be a weakness for the lineup. Im not a coach, just a fan with hopes and opinions, but the best thing for Wisconsin’s present and future would be to convert back to a 5-1 with Fuerbringer at setter. The 6-2’s made the badgers an offensive and blocking machine, but a stable backcourt is needed to win a title. I don't think it's impossible to win a title with a 6-2. If Texas loses to Tennessee, like they nearly did, I think Wisconsin wins the title. That being said, I think running a 5-1 is better than running a 6-2 in most circumstances, as long as you have a good enough setter.
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Apr 14, 2024 12:02:39 GMT -5
Im not a coach, just a fan with hopes and opinions, but the best thing for Wisconsin’s present and future would be to convert back to a 5-1 with Fuerbringer at setter. The 6-2’s made the badgers an offensive and blocking machine, but a stable backcourt is needed to win a title. I don't think it's impossible to win a title with a 6-2. If Texas loses to Tennessee, like they nearly did, I think Wisconsin wins the title. That being said, I think running a 5-1 is better than running a 6-2 in most circumstances, as long as you have a good enough setter. I don’t think it’s impossible either, but also hasn’t been accomplished in over 20 years. Pitt and Wisconsin these last few years have shown that it can be super effective and get you far, but just not far enough. Wisconsin could have won the title had Tennessee knocked out Texas (as I had on my bracket 😩), but we’ll never know just because it didn’t happen. I just hope Tennessee gets vengeance on Texas in SEC play this year.
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Post by bbg95 on Apr 14, 2024 12:05:46 GMT -5
I don't think it's impossible to win a title with a 6-2. If Texas loses to Tennessee, like they nearly did, I think Wisconsin wins the title. That being said, I think running a 5-1 is better than running a 6-2 in most circumstances, as long as you have a good enough setter. I don’t think it’s impossible either, but also hasn’t been accomplished in over 20 years. Pitt and Wisconsin these last few years have shown that it can be super effective and get you far, but just not far enough. Wisconsin could have won the title had Tennessee knocked out Texas (as I had on my bracket 😩), but we’ll never know just because it didn’t happen. I just hope Tennessee gets vengeance on Texas in SEC play this year. Sure, no disagreements. I definitely think it's harder with a 6-2.
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Post by ay2013 on Apr 14, 2024 13:10:09 GMT -5
Don’t we already have a big 10 thread for next year
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Post by hornshouse23 on Apr 14, 2024 13:10:50 GMT -5
I just assumed Orzol would stay at libero and Wisconsin would find another solution at outside.
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