US National Japan Team Roster, Olympic Team?

[CaliforniaVBfan]

USA Volleyball published the roster for the travel team to Japan. How does this relate to the potential Olympic team?

I am glad to see Curt Toppel back on the court. I guess he must have recovered from his frightening ankle injury. He has been such an awesome player and great Olympic hopeful.

But where is Brook Billings? Isn't he playing in Japan and why is he not on the roster? Is he joining the team in Japan?

And where are Adam Naeve, Jim Polster, Mac Wilson? They were supposedly in Colorado Springs, not on international duty. I guess the other Olympic hopefuls are still playing on foreign professional teams.

Any opinions on what the Olympic team will eventually look like?

Japan Roster:

Kevin Barnett
Scott Bunker
Gabe Gardner
Tom Hoff
Dave McKienzie
Vernon Podlewski
Reid Priddy
Chris Seiffert
Clay Stanley
Erik Sullivan
Donald Suxho
Curt Toppel

[BarcelonaBob]

I think alot of those guys are just going on the trip to gain international experience. Alot of the vets are either still playing pro ball in Europe, or just taking time off to rest.

I would think the Olympic roster will look something like this:

Setter - Ball, Suxho

MB - Millar, Hoff, Naeve

OH - Priddy, Salmon, Gardner, Polster

Opp - Stanley, Billings

Lib - Sullivan

Only spots in question would be at OH. McKienzie may be ahead of Gardner or Polster. I think Salmon solidified his standing by his performances at NORCECA, but then again, someone may have passed him by during the current training block since NORCECA. Alot of what happens at OH will depend on what Beal wants. I personally feel Priddy is the most dynamic and the best all-around out of all the OH's. I think Salmon brings alot of offense, but may not be as strong defensively or passing. Polster does everything well except bring offense on the left - his armswing has always been kinda funky. I know the coaches like Gardner's size and offense - but he's the least experienced out of the bunch. McKienzie can definetely bring heat - but as a converted Opp his passing/defense may not be as strong as some of the others.

The only other possible spot in question could be at Opp, with Barnett returning. He may be more experienced than Billings, but I think Billings is better suited at what the coaching staff wants at the Opp position - take alot of swings, and block alot of balls in the RF. Barnett may be the Olympic vet, but I think Billings should be the choice. Stanley is a must-take - he's the best high-ball hitter the USA has had in a long time, and by far the best jumpserver on the team. When he gets it going, it's scary how good his serve is.

As for the rest, no one this side of a 25-year old Kiraly/Timmons/Dvorak/Buck is gonna unseat guys like Ball, Millar, Hoff, or Sullivan. And I think Naeve has always been the #3 MB in the pecking order over Wilson and Bunker, except while he was out injured.

[cbrown1709]

I know that all 3 OPP's are strong, why don't they take one of them and train them on the OH to help that position?

[BarcelonaBob]

cbrown1709 said:

I know that all 3 OPP's are strong, why don't they take one of them and train them on the OH to help that position?

Well, actually, Big Barnett (that's what I call him to distinguish him from his brother Keith, whom I refer to as Baby Barnett) was a leftside OH in his 4-year career at Pepp. He was also a backup OH in Sydney 2000, and used primarily as a serving specialist. But I don't think his passing is up-to-snuff for the international game. Plus, I think both Stanley and Billings were injured at times during the past year, so Barnett moved over to the right. With the emergence of guys like Priddy, Salmon, Gardner, Polster on the left - Barnett is kinda the odd-man-out.

I think Billings on the left is money in the bank. If Team USA could alter their system to get Stanley AND Billings on the court at the same time, that would be a lethal combination. I don't think Billings wants to convert to OH in the current system. You can ask him, he posts here sometimes.

[BarcelonaBob]

Plus, having a Opp combo like Stanley/Billings has given opponents fits in alot of the recent big tournaments the USA has played in. Both are equally lethal, but completely different. Just when the opposing block thinks it has one of them figured out, the other one comes in and completely alters the rhythm of Team USA's offense.

They give the USA alot of flexibility, and both have had nights where they have put up huge point-scoring numbers. I think the Opp position is strong, setting is good, MB's ok, and question mark at OH.

[doctordubya]

BarcelonaBob said:

I think Billings on the left is money in the bank. If Team USA could alter their system to get Stanley AND Billings on the court at the same time, that would be a lethal combination. I don't think Billings wants to convert to OH in the current system. You can ask him, he posts here sometimes.

I would have thought this would be possible given their current system, if they are setting up 4 guys to pass spin serves (which I believe is the case).

Designate one of your OHs as the passer (Priddy, I guess), he and the libero pass all float serves. When a spin server comes along, the other OH (Billings) and the Opp step up. There's only one rotation (setter in 6) where you can't have the Opp pass.

[doctordubya]

BarcelonaBob said:

I think the Opp position is strong, setting is good, MB's ok, and question mark at OH.

You like Ball now?

The question mark at OH is the key problem for the USA as this is the defining position in world volleyball. A big killer at the Opp is now almost a prerequisite - all the top teams have one.

The absolute best teams in the world, who at the moment are Brazil and Serbia, have OHs who have great ball control, but can also put the ball away reasonably consistently even if the team is out of system.

I would put France and Italy a level slightly below this - their OHs have great ball control, but if you do get them out of system they can be blocked out of the game.

Russia, as always, take a different approach - their OHs do not have the ball control of the above teams, but they are so huge that they can still be a menace when out of system. I don't think this is enough to beat Brazil and Serbia consistently, though.

The problem for the USA over the past few years has been that their OHs don't have great ball control (it's good, but just falters against the very best servers) and haven't been great out of system hitters either.

I think the World Cup illustrated this point well. USA were comfortably ahead of most of the field, but were a step below Italy, Serbia and Brazil. Not a huge step, though - if Beal is as good a coach as they say then hopefully he has been able to make up the difference.