|
|
Post by cardcounter on Jul 30, 2013 18:57:14 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Aug 4, 2013 2:23:03 GMT -5
2014 shaping up well with 6-0 OH Christine Alftin, 6-2 OH Ashten Gooden, and 6-5 MB Laura Leap
|
|
|
|
Post by mikegarrison on Aug 4, 2013 2:29:27 GMT -5
Oh no, four years of "Leap" puns. Just what we needed.
|
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Aug 25, 2013 20:17:23 GMT -5
Missed the first 15-20 minutes or so, but attended the blue-gold scrimmage last night and was pleasantly surprised by a number of players.
Higgins really impressed me. She's back at OPP and is playing with a lot more confidence, taking very aggressive swings. Schonewise's blocking looks improved and continues to really pound the ball. They both had a couple hits that really wowed the audience. Milosalvjevic had some nice blocks but couldn't do much offensively. Didn't get a chance to see Jordan hit many balls, but I suspect that there will be little dropoff with the 4 of them replacing Johnson/Hawari/Brown. It may just require a little of time/experience to acclimated.
Parrott also played at OPP and did a great job, hitting from the front and back row. Tough that she's got to compete with Higgins.
Gehan was up and down, nailed a few and flailed/blocked straight down other times. I think she's being looked upon as the senior leader to play all the way around, hopefully she embraces it well. Gehan also busted out a very decent jump topspin.
Neumayr's noticably slimmer. Her passing and defense are solid, but didn't see too much offensive production from her. I'd like to see her put a bit more heat on her hits. I was a bit more impressed with Cole, the transfer from UC Davis listed as a DS but played at OH yesterday. Cole's only 5-11, but a very well rounded player.
Gombar did not participate in the scrimmage, and just did some serve-receive with one of the coaches at the end.
Vukasovic played at OH and MB. Arm swing still needs to be improved, and not much heat. I see her more as a sub to provide a different look at either position, or a blocking sub for either Neumayr, Cole, or either setter.
Between Jensen and Caloiaro, Caloiaro looked more comfortable/confident, although Jensen was also playing pretty well.
Passing on the whole was much better compared to last year. A couple of shanks here and there, but seemed to be more due to communication problems than technical. Couldn't really tell who was ahead of the others, but remember Kerr had some very nice digs. She really impressed the audience when she picked up one of Schonewise's rockets.
Overall, thought they played pretty well and this season might turn out to be a very pleasant surprise. They could be better than last season, but so is the rest of the Pac.
Likely starters:
Schonewise, Jordan, Gehan, Higgins, Caloiaro (not sure about the rest)
I would like to see a 6-2 considering how well both Opps and Setters played.
Can't wait til the season opener on Fri, GO BEARS!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by gocalbears on Aug 25, 2013 21:22:03 GMT -5
Missed the first 15-20 minutes or so, but attended the blue-gold scrimmage last night and was pleasantly surprised by a number of players. Higgins really impressed me. She's back at OPP and is playing with a lot more confidence, taking very aggressive swings. Schonewise's blocking looks improved and continues to really pound the ball. They both had a couple hits that really wowed the audience. Milosalvjevic had some nice blocks but couldn't do much offensively. Didn't get a chance to see Jordan hit many balls, but I suspect that there will be little dropoff with the 4 of them replacing Johnson/Hawari/Brown. It may just require a little of time/experience to acclimated. Parrott also played at OPP and did a great job, hitting from the front and back row. Tough that she's got to compete with Higgins. Gehan was up and down, nailed a few and flailed/blocked straight down other times. I think she's being looked upon as the senior leader to play all the way around, hopefully she embraces it well. Gehan also busted out a very decent jump topspin. Neumayr's noticably slimmer. Her passing and defense are solid, but didn't see too much offensive production from her. I'd like to see her put a bit more heat on her hits. I was a bit more impressed with Cole, the transfer from UC Davis listed as a DS but played at OH yesterday. Cole's only 5-11, but a very well rounded player. Gombar did not participate in the scrimmage, and just did some serve-receive with one of the coaches at the end. Vukasovic played at OH and MB. Arm swing still needs to be improved, and not much heat. I see her more as a sub to provide a different look at either position, or a blocking sub for either Neumayr, Cole, or either setter. Between Jensen and Caloiaro, Caloiaro looked more comfortable/confident, although Jensen was also playing pretty well. Passing on the whole was much better compared to last year. A couple of shanks here and there, but seemed to be more due to communication problems than technical. Couldn't really tell who was ahead of the others, but remember Kerr had some very nice digs. She really impressed the audience when she picked up one of Schonewise's rockets. Overall, thought they played pretty well and this season might turn out to be a very pleasant surprise. They could be better than last season, but so is the rest of the Pac. Likely starters: Schonewise, Jordan, Gehan, Higgins, Caloiaro (not sure about the rest) I would like to see a 6-2 considering how well both Opps and Setters played. Can't wait til the season opener on Fri, GO BEARS!!! Passing looked much improved! I think Kerr gets the nod as the starting Libero. Maybe not right away but I was impressed with her. I heard Gombar has been injured and was just cleared to participate in practice... so that answers the question as to why she didn't play. Really hoping for Gehan to have a consistent year. If she does that, Schonewise has the all conference year I think she will have, and Higgins has as good of a year at RS as I think she will... Cal might surprise a lot of teams. Lots of If's. |
|
|
|
Post by coldplayer on Aug 26, 2013 1:13:33 GMT -5
I totally agree with the previous 2 posters re the scrimmage.
One can tell the team worked hard in the off season on their fitness and conditioning. The passing and defense was solid with the OHs and the many liberos/DSes, which led to many long rallies. There is depth in every position this season and it appears that anyone can contribute anytime on court.
I really like Christina on the right with her natural armswing; she can put some serious pace on the ball. Lara also looks more comfortable in the middle with her approach & armswing. I feel like she can utilize her height even more; if she pushes herself to jump, she can definitely put up a huge wall.
For the return players, I am most impressed with Lindsey Parrott; she is playing with more confidence and agressiveness than I have seen. She is attacking consistently in the front & back row & playing good defense. I feel like she can be even more of a terminator if she continues to believe & channel that competitive fire within! I definitely like to see her as a hitter.
I am also very pleased/impressed with the freshman class; they are aggressive and ready to play & contribute right away. Jensen definitely has good hands and a smooth release. She just needs more reps with her hitters to get the connection down. Kerr reads the court well & makes good defensive plays.
I am excited for this year's squad; they look like they are ready to work hard and push each other to improve. I think we have a lot of options for starters. I hope everyone stays healthy and puts the team first day in and day out. Go Bears!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by BearClause on Aug 26, 2013 15:12:42 GMT -5
I was checking out the Cal VB Twitter feed and noticed that the Cal VB team got a private tour of the Oakland Zoo. From the photos, it appears that the tour was led by the zoo's director, Dr. Joel Parrott.
|
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Aug 31, 2013 2:13:54 GMT -5
Back from the Cal vs Nevada match. Things are looking up for Cal. 1st set had Caloiaro at S, Gehan and Neumayr at OH, Schonewise and Vukasovic at MB, Higgins at Opp, and Kerr at L. Jordan replaced Vukasovic in the 2nd set, and Parrott replaced Higgins are 1 trip across 1 front row. Vukasovic returned for Jordan in set 3, but Parrott remained. Jensen came in at the end of the set for Caloiaro. McKennon and Davis both played as DSes. Passing was superb, and defense was very good behind the block. Was especially impressed with Kerr and Neumayr. volleytalk.net/thread/50266/heir-natalie-hagglund-throneGehan and Schonewise were hitting with confidence. Parrott had some nice swings, as did Vukasovic. Given her height and poor armswing, MB might actually be a better position for Vukasovic to play. Neumayr didn't really get much heat on the ball, but she played smart and placed them well. Jordan and Higgins didn't get many opportunities to attack, as each really only played 1 set, but I remember Jordan with a nice block solo. Caloiaro looked good. She had some very nice heads-up plays when both teams were scrambling. Didn't notice it until someone mentioned it here, but Jensen sets a very fast ball. Had a couple of sets that her hitters couldn't get to until they adjusted after a couple of rallies. She can be a star, but just needs the opportunity and experience. I am excited. Go Bears!!! |
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Oct 12, 2013 17:55:24 GMT -5
Attended the Stanford, AZ matches and caught the UCLA, USC, Colorado matches online. Continue to be pleasantly surprised by this year's team. Match against Stanford could have gone either way, and they played USC really well. I'm still not crazy about Vukasovic's play, think she's not making the most of her height and athleticism, but her numbers are solid. Higgins continues to improve and has really stepped up. Caloiaro is a gamer. I've been tough on Gehan but she has really embraced the leadership role well, both in terms of her level of play, and the emotional aspect of leading the team. Passing is definitely a step up from last year, anchored by Neumayr and Kerr, just wished that Neumayr could provide a bit more offense, and Kerr was a bit more active playing defense. Of course, the block is very porous, which makes it tough. Hoping that Schonewise and Vukasovic can pick up their footspeed and close the block better. Schonewise can really pound the ball, but needs to learn how to better avoid the block. Usually either a dent in the floor for a point, or blocked straight down. Hope they continue to improve and challenge for a top finish in the conference. Up against Utah tmw at 7pm PST. Livestats: www.calbears.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?SPSID=781213&SPID=126524&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30100&LIST_SPORT_KEY=W_VOLLEYBALLAlso on the Pac-12 network. Go Bears! |
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Oct 16, 2013 0:40:04 GMT -5
From the Cal vs Utah thread That 2015 year is shaping up to be a good one. Schonewise, Vukasovic, and Neumayr will be Seniors. Kerr and Jordan would be Juniors, as would Gombar if she takes a medical redshirt this year. Jensen would have had a year of experience running the offense and Gooden will also have a year of Pac12 under her belt. Schonewise Vukasovic Neumayr Gombar Kerr McKennon Jordan Jensen Gooden Rennie Solid 10 pieces for Rich and co. to build a potentially good year with. I like the athleticism, and there should be enough passing for Jensen to work with. Don't forget Laura Leap-MB and Christine Alftin-OH (2014), and Sarah Shafiq-MB (2015) |
|
|
|
Post by gocalbears on Oct 16, 2013 1:14:56 GMT -5
Rich is recruiting some tall middle blockers! Leap listed at 6'5 and Shafiq 6'6
|
|
|
|
Post by Stanlifornia on Oct 16, 2013 12:07:44 GMT -5
Oski, how do Leap, Alftin, and Shafiq figure into the line-up you think?
Can Leap and Shafiq supplant Vukasovic/ Schonewise/ Jordan in the starting 6? The Middle position is pretty deep for Cal, I just wish they could land another banger like Gooden so Neumayr's heat (or lack thereof) won't be too big of an issue like it has been this year in some rotations.
I know this season is far from over, but it's fun once girls start committing to do a little rosterbation.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuzu1227 on Oct 16, 2013 12:17:37 GMT -5
Gooden and Higgins will be a great in the pins for Cal, butthey need Neumayr for her passing. If the middles keep improving, this CALl team will be top 25 next year
|
|
|
|
Post by oskibear on Oct 16, 2013 17:05:07 GMT -5
Available players for 2014/2015, if no year listed, then available both years
Jensen (S)
Parrott (S/Opp) - 2014
Higgins (Opp) - 2014
Vukasovic (MB/Opp)
Schonewise (MB)
Jordan (MB)
Leap (MB)
Milosavljevic (MB)
Shafiq (MB) - 2015
Neumayr (OH)
Alftin (OH)
Gombar (OH)
Gooden (OH)
Rennie (OH) - 2015
Kerr (L/DS)
McKennon (L/DS)
Curci (L/DS)
Cole (L/DS)
Davis (L/DS)
Just a fan opinion, but I don't think Leap or Shafiq will start over Schonewise, Vukasovic, and Jordan.
Wasn't too impressed with the videos of Leap and Shafiq that I found on youtube. Didn't seem very athletic, more long and lanky, hopefully, that's just because videos tend to make things look less dynamic, and they could surprise like Vukasovic has. Alftin seems like a heads-up type of player and pretty dynamic defensively, although a bit undersized. Don't know if she passes better than Neumayr, but I would guess she's somewhere between Neurmayr and Gombar at this point.
I've yet to see the hype behind Gooden and Rennie, but seems like they are expected to start. I'm hoping they'll both develop into 6 rotation OHs.
As for this year, I understand Neumayr's role is mainly passing and defense, and any offense seems like a bonus. I'm thinking that just as she has worked so hard to get in shape the past year, she will work just as hard to put more heat behind her hits as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by gocalbears on Oct 16, 2013 17:25:48 GMT -5
Shafiq is farely new to the sport but she has great foot speed and you can't teach 6'6. With another 2 years I think she will be very good coming into Cal.
I know it's just HS but Gooden putting up some insane stats for Los Osos.
Alftin's arm might fall up by the time the season is over... just had a match with 87 swings for Woodside
|
|
