|
Post by guest2 on Aug 31, 2014 11:47:54 GMT -5
Its the fifth AVP event and Fendi/Sweat have only lost to Kerri/April. Its depressing what that says about the state of the American women
|
|
|
Post by bigloca on Aug 31, 2014 11:50:20 GMT -5
Lauren and Brooke onto the finals too.
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Aug 31, 2014 12:58:40 GMT -5
guest2: How different is it from the Misty/Kerri era when they won regularly against EY/Nicole yet those years "might" be considered the AVP "hey-day" . . .?
|
|
|
Post by kro2488 on Aug 31, 2014 13:19:10 GMT -5
Sweat and Fenderick are right there they just can't seem to go on a run of points, scoring in transition against this team. Wouldn't mind seeing them win a few titles, I really like Sweat's backcourt defense just not everything else perhaps.
|
|
|
Post by tree on Aug 31, 2014 14:21:29 GMT -5
I wish some of the NVL women teams would play in the AVP too. Pri Lima and her partner Karolina Sowala are pretty darn good.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2014 16:47:54 GMT -5
That women's final was a snoozer! Wonder if Kerri & April ever get tired up not having any compitition on the AVP....they have plenty of it on the FIVB....The US women are not set up too well for Rio in 2016...Some major changes are going to have to take place in order for a good showing in 2016...I couldn't even begin to guess who the #2 team will be.
|
|
|
Post by klazk on Aug 31, 2014 19:40:31 GMT -5
I'm amazed the women's final was as close as it was. Sweat couldn't move at all. Her back was giving her problems. Fendrick was taking 3/4 if the court on serve receive at the end.
Fendrick played really well. If Sweat can get healthy and play D like the beginning of the year, the finals would at least be competitive.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2014 19:51:47 GMT -5
I think the only way for Brooke to get better is the season to end so that she has time to heal. Did she have back issues the whole tourney?
|
|
|
Post by tree on Aug 31, 2014 19:56:24 GMT -5
Fendi has played outstanding this year. Feel bad for her that Brooke has back issues as of late. The final was like Fendi practically taking on WalRoss by herself at some points. I think Fendi and Brooke should skip Atlantic City so Brooke can heal up. The Fibv match in Brazil is much more important.
|
|
|
Post by klazk on Aug 31, 2014 20:41:56 GMT -5
I think the only way for Brooke to get better is the season to end so that she has time to heal. Did she have back issues the whole tourney? You could tell she wasn't 100% on Saturday but she could still move and change direction. In the final she could not take more than two or three quick steps and no way was she making a change in direction. You could also tell in serve receive during the final. Her passing was much much worse than it usually is. Obviously I wasn't in the box and don't know for sure but by body language I thought Fendrick was trying to get her to forfeit early in the 2nd when they called a timeout and again during the technical timeout.
|
|
|
Post by klazk on Aug 31, 2014 20:45:10 GMT -5
I think Fendi and Brooke should skip Atlantic City so Brooke can heal up. But we don't know what's wrong or that 2 weeks would heal it. If playing isn't going to make it worse and they can get 2nds even with a banged up Sweat, hard to pass up that $10,000 pay day. All conjecture at this point. Bottom line is I'm sure we all hope she gets healthy as quickly as possible.
|
|
|
Post by geddyleeridesagain on Aug 31, 2014 21:55:09 GMT -5
guest2: How different is it from the Misty/Kerri era when they won regularly against EY/Nicole yet those years "might" be considered the AVP "hey-day" . . .? It says more about the ridiculously high level of play from May/Walsh more than anything else. Look at 2007 - The AVP had multiple past/future Olympians and players/teams who were easily capable of FIVB podium finishes - May/Walsh, Branagh/EY, JJJ/Annette Davis, Kessy/Ross, Turner/Wacholder...not to mention another group of players who were really stinking good - DeNicochea, Niles, Akers, Minello, Lima, McPeak, Dodd, Roca, the Lindquists, Fendrick, Straton, Fontana, Leibl, Amaral and so on. There were main draw teams at Cincy this weekend that I believe would have struggled to qualify for a 2007 32 team main draw. As for the U.S. #2 team, I think Fendrick and Sweat have answered that question for the time being. But is that good enough for the U.S. to even qualify for two teams at Rio? I think it's a legitimate concern that as of right now, USA is a lock for one spot at the Olympics, but a second U.S. team qualifying in the top 16 looks shaky.
|
|
|
Post by tree on Aug 31, 2014 22:19:34 GMT -5
@geddy I agree with you totally.Sad part is I think as a player Fendi is capable of reaching the Olympics. Not sure if Sweat is physically going to be strong enough.Not a slam on Brooke I think she has plenty of talent just do not know if her body can hold up.
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Sept 1, 2014 1:27:12 GMT -5
GLRA: I think we're taking a "snapshot" of the current AVP and "playing" it over the next 2 years. Are Summer/Day as BAD as all say? Hey, Summer is 21 and in 2 years, will be a formidable player to address. Retro, Tyra/Wacholder? I'm wondering why they weren't pulling on every hit of Wacholder, but have been told "that wouldn't work"...still not convinced. Then to JJJ/Davis, always close, but something was missing...Kessy/Ross, pretty early on for those 2, but they were finishing VERY similar to Fendy/Brooke sans the back problems in the "May/Walsh-day"...Brooke Niles...sorry; Lindquist sisters (no blocking!), not a viable AVP nor FIVB threat......anyway, from my "armchair", I'm not so sure GLRA's list of '07 is that compelling, but WOULD like to hear some other views (NOT that GLRA is not the holy grail of VT)...What about Gysin (only know of the Santa Cruz history of the family), but what is SHE doing in 5th place seeded 11th! Day/Engle finishing as they were seeded? How long will that continue and how good are they!? Can't Pavlik hold her own with the "'07 bunch"? Oh, well, Monday will be here soon....
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Sept 1, 2014 10:12:02 GMT -5
guest2: How different is it from the Misty/Kerri era when they won regularly against EY/Nicole yet those years "might" be considered the AVP "hey-day" . . .? Lauren Fendrick is the third best player on the AVP right now. I dont think there is a credible argument otherwise. I have become a big fan this year, but lets remember that Lauren is a 32 year old with zero career wins. Also dont take the rest of this as knocking Fendi, its just a comparison I took 2007 to answer your question, because I think GLM used it. Also because a lot of the better players had started to fall off, so its a fair comparison (Holly and JJJ for example) To start with Kerri/Misty were a much better team than Kerri/April are right now. Kerri is still the best player in the world, but she's 36 now. In those days Kerri could pick up any of about 7-10 AVP players and go win on the FIVB. Misty was also better then than April is now, I dont think by much, but she was better. And that team had been playing together for years. So to start with the dominant team was much better. In 2007, the following players were active and close to their primes EY (Hall of Famer, 50 or so wins) Annett Davis (Only loyalty to JJJ kept her from winning 2-3 times as many tournaments as she did) Nicole Branagh (19 legitimate wins) All three were much better than Lauren. So much better I dont think there is even an argument to be had so I wont waste time on it. So right away, 2007 looks much stronger. In 2007 Kessey/Ross, while not yet at their peaks as a power domestically or internationally, won an FIVB (I think the World Championships) out of the qualifier and finished second in one. Thats a much better season than Fendi/Sweat this year who have a best of 5th. In fact, Lauren has never finished higher than 4th on the FIVB. So you have to say those girls were also probably better than Fendi is right now. Then add in: JJJ (14 career wins, including 2 FIVBs) Rachel Scott (I don't think Rachel was that good but 8 career wins to none says she was at least Lauren's equal) That means if you were to take out Kerri and April (because they were elite at both times) that the combined top 8 looks something like this: 1. 2007 - EY (thats right I said it, suck on that Misty May) 2. 2007 - Misty 3. 2007 - Annette (could be slightly lower based on the point at her career she was at) 4. 2007 -Branagh 5. 2007 - Jen Kessey 6. 2007 - JJJ 7. 2007 - Rachel Scott 8. 2014 - Fendi Now you could argue JJJ because she and Annett were on the downslope by then, but I left out Tyra Turner, for whom there is a good argument based on superior FIVB finishes. This year reminds me a lot of the last couple WPVA years where it was Kirby/Masakayan against Fontana/Kotas-Forsythe every week, with similarly predictable results.
|
|