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Post by ay2013 on Aug 16, 2007 1:05:35 GMT -5
I can't understand why UCLA is ranked above USC and Washington. To me, they are the worst of the big 4 in the Pac-10. Sure they have quality people coming in, but look at who they lost. Their top middle Nana Merriwether, their top outside hitter Kaite Cater, and their top Libero Colby Lynman. So a team loses their key offense and defense yet still remains ahead of the Pac-10 teams who RETAIN most of their weapons? USC lost their star libero but keeps a great setter and top notch outside hitters, and Washington lost their setter but keeps their great libero, all american middle blockers and all american outside hitter.....
This doesn't make any sense to me. Keep in mind that in the tournament that both the UCLA and Washington players played in the game went 5 sets with UCLA winning. The difference being that UCLA had ALL of their players there, and Washington tested out their new setter (first real tournament for her) and played WITHOUT Morrison and Mussie (Their two most experienced hitters)....seems to me that once the setter gets a couple more games under her belt and Morrison and Mussie blast away, that 5 set loss turns into a 3 set victory for the huskies. UCLA IS OVERRATED and I can't wait for their true colors to show during the Pac-10 season
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Post by StanfordFan on Aug 16, 2007 1:10:03 GMT -5
I think a lot of it is taking the end of season poll and tweaking it somewhat. Lots of things should shake out in the first few weeks.
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Post by shai87 on Aug 16, 2007 1:18:13 GMT -5
remember now, the poll right now means nothing. see what happens during the course of the season and see where USC ends up.
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Post by naitsric on Aug 16, 2007 1:24:40 GMT -5
remember now, the poll right now means nothing. see what happens during the course of the season and see where USC ends up. Thats right - the poll means nothing come season time. Let's see where Hawaii ends up - don't count the wahine out.......Haven't we all learned our lesson......
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Post by Ye Olde Dawg on Aug 16, 2007 1:26:39 GMT -5
I wouldn't underestimate UCLA. By all accounts they were playing tremendous team defense at the USA Open -- as they were last season. Their challenge will be to for them to generate enough points without Nana, and that's a huge question mark. Aside from that, look at the ingredients they do have: good ball control, solid blocking (maybe not blocking that scores points directly, but blocking that leads to lots of digs), and a tremendous setter. Maybe they should be ranked lower, but if they were they'd be my pick to do better than expected.
As for the relative positions in the polls, UCLA is just 17 points above USC. With 60 voters, that's a virtual dead heat. Washington is pretty far back by comparison (especially compared to the Pac-10 poll), but that's more of a statement about Washington than about USC/UCLA. Probably because most of the voters figured that Washington was due for a drop and that Thompson had more of an impact on the team's success than Meriwether.
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Post by prosem on Aug 16, 2007 1:26:41 GMT -5
after Stanford.. I think USC, UW and UCLA are a toss up as to how they finally rank up. All the teams have some issues to overcome and how that plays out will be very exciting to watch.. I think I will include Cal in the mix.. Ive always like the teams they turn out... I dont think that the spring season can tell much about how a team will play in the fall.
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Post by ersatzhusker on Aug 16, 2007 1:29:17 GMT -5
Yup, UCLA should be in the 2nd 10 IMO.
After they play NU, they'll probably drop, unless the unthinkable happens and Utah beats them on Aug 24, in which case they'll be lucky to be in the 3rd 10.
In the semis last year against NU, Nana Merriweather (sp?) was the only really dangerous player UCLA had. What a view of her when she was sitting on the bench in the middle of SP's 10 point serving run, shrugging her shoulders in a "what can I do?" Nada Nana is what.
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Post by tsunami on Aug 16, 2007 1:37:23 GMT -5
I think most it is because of Nellie Spicer, she's an incredible setter. She can make any hitter look good. In my opinion...she's the best setter in the country right now. But then anything can happen , the polls will look totally different after the first couple weeks of competition. So it doesn't really mean anything at this point.
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Post by StanfordFan on Aug 16, 2007 2:28:58 GMT -5
I suspect their good ball control will suffer though with graduation of Colby Lyman. I wouldn't underestimate UCLA. By all accounts they were playing tremendous team defense at the USA Open -- as they were last season. Their challenge will be to for them to generate enough points without Nana, and that's a huge question mark. Aside from that, look at the ingredients they do have: good ball control, solid blocking (maybe not blocking that scores points directly, but blocking that leads to lots of digs), and a tremendous setter. Maybe they should be ranked lower, but if they were they'd be my pick to do better than expected. As for the relative positions in the polls, UCLA is just 17 points above USC. With 60 voters, that's a virtual dead heat. Washington is pretty far back by comparison (especially compared to the Pac-10 poll), but that's more of a statement about Washington than about USC/UCLA. Probably because most of the voters figured that Washington was due for a drop and that Thompson had more of an impact on the team's success than Meriwether.
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Post by Ye Olde Dawg on Aug 16, 2007 3:43:28 GMT -5
I suspect their good ball control will suffer though with graduation of Colby Lyman. You may be right. I don't see Jordan Smith on the roster either. Still, the reports from USA Open were that they were getting everything up. We'll just have to see what happens when they start getting tested.
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Post by kalena12 on Aug 16, 2007 4:53:12 GMT -5
i think usc shouldve been ranked higher than ucla in the preseason poll. and i also think the trojans will end up higher than ucla. i predict one of these two teams sneaks into the final four with an elite eight win over texas or penn state. i think washington may be more affected by graduation than ucla, even though on paper it doesnt look that way.
pac 10 = stanford, usc, ucla, washington
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Post by mervynpumpkinhead on Aug 16, 2007 10:34:54 GMT -5
I suspect their good ball control will suffer though with graduation of Colby Lyman. I wouldn't underestimate UCLA. By all accounts they were playing tremendous team defense at the USA Open -- as they were last season. Their challenge will be to for them to generate enough points without Nana, and that's a huge question mark. Aside from that, look at the ingredients they do have: good ball control, solid blocking (maybe not blocking that scores points directly, but blocking that leads to lots of digs), and a tremendous setter. Maybe they should be ranked lower, but if they were they'd be my pick to do better than expected. As for the relative positions in the polls, UCLA is just 17 points above USC. With 60 voters, that's a virtual dead heat. Washington is pretty far back by comparison (especially compared to the Pac-10 poll), but that's more of a statement about Washington than about USC/UCLA. Probably because most of the voters figured that Washington was due for a drop and that Thompson had more of an impact on the team's success than Meriwether. Ball control may be an issue, but there are others ready to step in. The biggest problem is losing Nana. No one coming in can replace that offense.
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Post by SakiBomb25 on Aug 16, 2007 10:43:24 GMT -5
Don't forget, UCLA gets Laura Holloway, who I think is an upgrade from Colby Lyman who had suffered through a host of injuries throughout her career. They have solid passing, three solid outside hitters, and the best setter in the country in Spicer, who will spread the offense around and make everyone look like a superstar. That is why I think they are the second best team in the Pac-10. Taylor Carico has a lot more weapons at USC, but hasn't shown yet to play at the level of Spicer and Jenna Haglund is in the same boat as Carico at Washington. Granted, I don't expect UCLA to sweep USC and Washington, but I think Spicer is the x-factor when all is said in done. I don't think people took into account Spicer's role in Meriwether's success last year. I thought Meriwether should have been Player of the Year last year due to her phenomenal statistics and role on the team - but Spicer had a lot to due with that. There were many instances where Spicer set the middle on a bad pass that a majority of the setters would never dream of doing. As a result, Meriwether got more swings and more kills.
UCLA is not overrated and will be one of the top teams to challenge for a Final Four berth.
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Post by Keystonekid on Aug 16, 2007 11:44:11 GMT -5
To me it isn't so much that they are overrated, its more of a case of the fact that when we think of a team being ranked #5 we think of them being directly in the hunt for a title. They aren't. I think the issue is the divide between top 3 maybe 4 and the pack.
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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Aug 16, 2007 11:58:38 GMT -5
What team currently ranked below UCLA is more "in the hunt for the title" than they are?
Someone has to be ranked 5th. Even if it is Nebraska and a bunch of 8th grade teams, someone will have to be 5th, regardless of whether they have any chance for the title.
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