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Post by WSUsuperfan on Apr 28, 2004 0:27:38 GMT -5
Ugh... I feel sick. From a reliable source tonight I heard that setter Brenn Larson is asking to be released from WSU to return closer to home. Larson was a team captain as a sophomore last year and would have been captain again next fall. You thought losing Kristen Carlson was bad? This would be worse. I don't know what's going on, but it sounds like a lot of players are unhappy with Cindy Fredrick. Rumors are flying around that she may be on her way out as well. I'm torn up. Cindy has always been very kind to me but I know she's demanding of her players to the point where it has driven some away. I hope I still get to work at the camps this summer.  I need a hug. |
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Post by USAFAN on Apr 28, 2004 0:29:28 GMT -5
Wow, that would be a huge loss for WSU, as Larson was the backbone of their team. She is a very good setter and it will be interesting to see where she transfers to because she could contend at any program in the nation.
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Post by Pac10Fn on Apr 28, 2004 1:34:23 GMT -5
Cindy isn't that hard on her players at all. What she does is lay down a set of rules and she's absolutely unbending in her expectations that the rules are followed. Some kids who have been babied and gotten what they want all there lives can have a problem with that...it's too bad for those kids too...because Cindy would do anything for her players...some of those kids are just too spoiled to realize it.
If Brenn is leaving I bet it has something to do with the new setter coming in next season. Brenn has never had to compete for her spot...she's a pretty good setter but I can tell you that she was never popular with her teammates and didn't pan out as the leader the coaching staff was hoping she'd be.
The Cougs will be back...they're only feeling the pain of a couple of bad recruiting years. Farokh is still one of the best at finding and training overlooked talent in the country...now if they could just get some chemistry, they will be good pretty soon.
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Post by INcrediBall on Apr 28, 2004 9:11:11 GMT -5
If she is leaving I don't think it's because of the new setter coming in next year. I watched the WSU recruit play a few times this year and she's not yet ready for the PAC10. In fact, a red-shirt season is what I had predicted for the recruit. If this rumor is true that may change.
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Post by buster on Apr 28, 2004 9:32:23 GMT -5
I appreciate the earlier comments about Cindy above--and agree, and highly agree with Faroukh comments as well--but its not like this is the first complete slash and burn the program has experienced. It has been what, 4-5 scholarship players in the last 2 years(ending up at UH, SDSU, Pepperdine and tba for Larson) up there?
She had the same thing happen about 5 years ago--lost 4 of 5 in a single recruiting class (ending up at UCSB, SDSU, Missouri, UNLV). Its great to have high standards, but you gotta recruit to those standards. So these kids were not angels, but don't you have to see that in the recruiting process? Maybe they are relying too much on Faroukh's coaching ability and Cindy's thought she can mold theses young ladies?
If Cindy were a Men's Basketball coach at the same level she would have been under far more scutiny for all these player defections. Imagine if VB had MBB's 5/8 rule (which is about to be axed)?
Fool me once, shame on me, fool me 10 times....?
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Post by Pac10Fn on Apr 28, 2004 14:50:56 GMT -5
WSU is a very difficult place to recruit players to. It's in Pullman, WA for crying out loud!!
In the days before early committments, coaches went on home visits, and players came out on official visits, then a decision was made by both coach and player. Those days are long gone and it's really affected the recruiting at WSU.
I'm convinced that the trend towards early committments has hurt WSU's recruiting and is also reflected in the rash of transfers that are happening in a lot of programs, not just in the Palouse.
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Post by Mumsie on Apr 28, 2004 15:06:27 GMT -5
WSU is a very difficult place to recruit players to. It's in Pullman, WA for crying out loud!! You keep saying that, like Pullman is a hellhole, and it's really starting to get on my nerves! I don't know where you live, but not everyone wants to go to school in a big city! In fact, there are many kids looking for a small college town. Pullman is just that, but is also located 8 miles from another small college town (Moscow, Idaho). Two mid size colleges very close together. That's lots of students! There are many outdoor things to do in that side of the country as well! Not to mention that Washington State is a very good university as far as academics. There are a lot of outstanding volleyball players in the Northwest, Canada, West Coast, who would love to play for a PAC 10 school. If they're from California, they get to travel down south so their parents can see them play. Flying to Pullman is not that hard. It's a quick trip to Spokane, and you have to drive some, but big deal. There are many students who are very very happy going to Washington State AND University of Idaho. So, quit knocking it. You'll scare the good recruits away! Heck, Lincoln, Nebraska can get them! What makes Lincon, Nebraska so much better than Pullman, Washington? |
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Post by packitwithpurple on Apr 28, 2004 16:20:43 GMT -5
Heck, Lincoln, Nebraska can get them! What makes Lincon, Nebraska so much better than Pullman, Washington? That's a great question -- I have always wondered that myself!! Why would anyone WANT to go to Lincoln when they can come to the "little Apple" -- or to Pullman for the matter?! Must have something to do with the "if you build it, they will come" syndrome -- wondering what in the world they could POSSIBLY have built in Lincoln that would be worth coming to -- let the fun begin! ;D  |
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Post by SaltNPepper on Apr 28, 2004 16:25:36 GMT -5
That's a great question -- I have always wondered that myself!! Why would anyone WANT to go to Lincoln when they can come to the "little Apple" -- or to Pullman for the matter?! Must have something to do with the "if you build it, they will come" syndrome -- wondering what in the world they could POSSIBLY have built in Lincoln that would be worth coming to -- let the fun begin! ;D It's the cool summers and warm winters. |
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Post by Mumsie on Apr 28, 2004 16:55:24 GMT -5
I'm certainly not saying anything bad about Lincoln, Nebraska.
And P.S. - I would MUCH RATHER go to Washington State than USC, and I didn't grow up anywhere near either place! Go figure.
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Post by packitwithpurple on Apr 28, 2004 17:06:00 GMT -5
I'm certainly not saying anything bad about Lincoln, Nebraska. And P.S. - I would MUCH RATHER go to Washington State than USC, and I didn't grow up anywhere near either place! Go figure. Considering the neighborhood that USC is located in, I would rather have my daughter go ANY place in the Pac-10 but USC -- has nothing to do with academics, cost or sports performance. Part of it has to do with traffic density and air quality also.  |
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Post by WSUsuperfan on Apr 28, 2004 18:03:49 GMT -5
Okay, I'm over the initial shock. I hope Brenn's departure is good for her and good for the Cougs as well. On to other topics... I don't think Pac10Fn was knocking Pullman when he said it was a difficult place to recruit to. The fact of the matter is that the Moscow/Pullman metropolis  is surrounded by miles of rolling hills and wheat. This can be a huge shock for any student coming in from a non-rural setting. When confronted with the size of the cities the immediate reaction is that "there is nothing to do in Pullman," which is completely untrue. Personally I have adored my time here and agree with the posters that I would much rather be at WSU than in a USC-type mega-urban campus. However, at a campus such as USC, you have far more points of interest in and around the area which translates into more potential "selling points" when recruiting students to the campus. The gist: WSU coaches may have to find more creative ways to entice players than your UCLA or Stanford. |
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Post by Mumsie on Apr 28, 2004 18:56:30 GMT -5
I don't think Pac10Fn was knocking Pullman when he said it was a difficult place to recruit to. The fact of the matter is that the Moscow/Pullman metropolis is surrounded by miles of rolling hills and wheat. This can be a huge shock for any student coming in from a non-rural setting. When confronted with the size of the cities the immediate reaction is that "there is nothing to do in Pullman," which is completely untrue. Personally I have adored my time here and agree with the posters that I would much rather be at WSU than in a USC-type mega-urban campus. However, at a campus such as USC, you have far more points of interest in and around the area which translates into more potential "selling points" when recruiting students to the campus. The gist: WSU coaches may have to find more creative ways to entice players than your UCLA or Stanford. "Points of interest" may be true. But, seriously, someone needs to tell these girls that between school and volleyball, they won't have TIME to SEE any "points of interest"! What do you think the first thing the girls do when they have some downtime while traveling to tournaments/away games? They go SHOPPING! There's never any TIME to do it during a regular week! ;D |
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Post by brybry on Apr 28, 2004 19:05:40 GMT -5
Considering the neighborhood that USC is located in, I would rather have my daughter go ANY place in the Pac-10 but USC -- has nothing to do with academics, cost or sports performance. Part of it has to do with traffic density and air quality also. Well, to each his/her own. I love being in LA and would hate being confined to somewhere like like Pullman, or Lincoln or the "little apple". I'd be bored out of my mind. |
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Post by roofed! on Apr 28, 2004 19:54:11 GMT -5
"Points of interest" may be true. But, seriously, someone needs to tell these girls that between school and volleyball, they won't have TIME to SEE any "points of interest"! What do you think the first thing the girls do when they have some downtime while traveling to tournaments/away games? They go SHOPPING! There's never any TIME to do it during a regular week! ;D And of course, LA has some of the best shopping areas -- Beverly Hills for designer stuffs, or Melrose area for the funky and vintage stuffs, and giant malls (and factory outlets) within easy driving distance. Of course it helps that LA has many cool clubs that the girls can party with their friends during the downtime. |
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I need a hug.
is surrounded by miles of rolling hills and wheat. This can be a huge shock for any student coming in from a non-rural setting. When confronted with the size of the cities the immediate reaction is that "there is nothing to do in Pullman," which is completely untrue.