Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2004 15:27:38 GMT -5
Believe Griffin played ahead of Simpson at SPRI and set their #1 team for the one year that Simpson was at this club. If Griffin was better in club she has a good chance to be better at the next level. Griffin won her second National Title and MVP award under Butler while Simpson played spring ball at Wisc. Regardless, I think it will be OH as frosh of the year. But they aren't on the same team now, so it really doesn't matter. If Wisconsin does better than MSU--likely--it'll be hard for Griffin to win the award. I disagree about the OH, too--unless she puts up some great #s (unlikely for a freshman). It's real hard not to notice a freshman setter on a good team... |
|
|
|
Post by st15 on Aug 9, 2004 16:22:44 GMT -5
What exactly is the Big 10 waiting for before they put out their preseason poll??
I am not going to answer the questions because I'm greatly biased.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2004 14:08:11 GMT -5
What exactly is the Big 10 waiting for before they put out their preseason poll?? I am not going to answer the questions because I'm greatly biased. Best I can come up with (from AVCA). Soon? Big Ten (http://www.bigten.org) - tentative release date Aug. 9 That link is outdated, too. Should be: bigten.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/big10-w-volley-body.html |
|
|
|
Post by vballmaniac40 on Aug 14, 2004 17:17:46 GMT -5
1.) Minnesota-Martin, Gentil, and Nelson will be great. Setting and defense are superb. Surprise player: K. Bowman
2.) Penn St.-Tortorello is awesome and Walters does very well but MB's will disappoint. Surprise player: Nadeau
3.) Wisconsin-Odenthal could be one of the top players in the conference and outsides will be tough. Defense is a little shaky. Surprise player: Simpson
4.) Purdue-Scrappy, scrappy, scrappy. Ukovich will be a big contributer to success. Surprise player: Ukovich
5.) Illinois-Setting and outsides are good, middles will do fine, but they need a better libero. Surprise player: Turner
5.) Michigan-Freshman weren't as helpful as thought to be but good chemistry keeps them in the middle. Gamalski is underrated. Surprise player: Pflum
5.) Ohio St.-Gordon pulls team along AGAIN as the middles are too little to finish top three. Freshman do play well, though. Surprise player: Miller
8.) Northwestern-Some what of a surprise but good setting and defense wins games. Surprise player: Paulus
9.) Indiana-Archibald isn't quite as good as cracked up to be. This team just can't pull off a win against a decent opponent. Surprise player: Pollom
10.) Michigan St.-A disappointment. They get unlucky and their middles just don't produce. Griffin sets sweet balls but no one can put them away. Schram is so-so. Surprise player: Griffin
11.) Iowa-Win a few and start to play volleyball for a change. Simpson gets all the balls and racks up quite a few kills. Surprise player: Simpson
|
|
|
|
Post by rayb_14 on Aug 14, 2004 17:21:08 GMT -5
are Iceman and that outside, Sanders? maybe, still around for PSU? i know Smith graduated, right?
|
|
|
|
Post by vballmaniac40 on Aug 14, 2004 17:25:57 GMT -5
Iceman graduated and I'm not sure who Sanders is.
|
|
|
|
Post by rayb_14 on Aug 14, 2004 17:54:28 GMT -5
are Iceman and that outside, Sanders? maybe, still around for PSU? i know Smith graduated, right? the outside i was thinking of is Pederson, she's a Sr. this season. |
|
|
|
Post by wiscvball on Aug 14, 2004 18:11:44 GMT -5
1.) Minnesota-Martin, Gentil, and Nelson will be great. Setting and defense are superb. Surprise player: K. Bowman 2.) Penn St.-Tortorello is awesome and Walters does very well but MB's will disappoint. Surprise player: Nadeau 3.) Wisconsin-Odenthal could be one of the top players in the conference and outsides will be tough. Defense is a little shaky. Surprise player: Simpson 4.) Purdue-Scrappy, scrappy, scrappy. Ukovich will be a big contributer to success. Surprise player: Ukovich 5.) Illinois-Setting and outsides are good, middles will do fine, but they need a better libero. Surprise player: Turner 5.) Michigan-Freshman weren't as helpful as thought to be but good chemistry keeps them in the middle. Gamalski is underrated. Surprise player: Pflum 5.) Ohio St.-Gordon pulls team along AGAIN as the middles are too little to finish top three. Freshman do play well, though. Surprise player: Miller 8.) Northwestern-Some what of a surprise but good setting and defense wins games. Surprise player: Paulus 9.) Indiana-Archibald isn't quite as good as cracked up to be. This team just can't pull off a win against a decent opponent. Surprise player: Pollom 10.) Michigan St.-A disappointment. They get unlucky and their middles just don't produce. Griffin sets sweet balls but no one can put them away. Schram is so-so. Surprise player: Griffin 11.) Iowa-Win a few and start to play volleyball for a change. Simpson gets all the balls and racks up quite a few kills. Surprise player: Simpson Interesting take... I'm also waiting on the pre-season polls and pre-season all conference teams to come out - should be here by now. Here's my take on the top 5 teams: 1. PSU - Losing Iceman and Smith is rough, but Salyer should step up even more from last year. Tortorello will be sweet and steady, they have the second best Libero in the conference, and Pederson will become a go-to player this year. Surprice Player: Price (OH) 2 (tie) Minnesota - Martin will be solid on the outside, but I don't think she'll be better than last year with more teams keying their blocks on her. Bratford is always a bit inconsistent. That said, Nelson should improve, and this is the best defensive and passing team in the conference (hands down), so they will win plenty of matches riding that. However, they won't overpower many teams.. especially with a 6-2 if they leave their setters in the front row like in Spring. Surprise player: Nelson 2 (tie) Wisconsin - Offensively, this should be the best team in the big ten. They have some of the top players at each of the three positions in the front row.. all with 1-3 years of starting experience (meierotto at OH, shaw at MB, and odenthal at OPP). I'm pretty confident that Simpson will be able to dish the rock effectively enough to spread the offense around, which is what this team will need. The blocking should improve with added height to the front row, replacing shorter people from last year (6-1 Jackie Simpson setting, 6-2 Marian Weidner at OH, 6-4 Taylor Reinke at MB - if she starts). Passing will be a question mark, but I think Weidner and Wack should be able to pass the court most of the time, with Odenthal stepping in when they want three across. Surprise player: Weidner 4. Michigan - Gamalski is very underrated, and they have a solid group of returnees. They sometimes get into trouble passing, and sometimes Gamalski is a little too offensive of a setter, but things should settle down, and I think this team will finish in the top 4 in the Big Ten. Surprise player: Bowman 5. OSU - Gordon should wrap up her second Big Ten POY honor and be a 1st team AA. The freshman look talented, but I don't think they turn it on until midway through the season. This is a team that could go 4-6 in the first ten matches, and then 8-2 in their last ten. If only Gordon had one more year, they could really put something together. Surprise player: Meyer From here on, I'll just list the teams with no comments.. 6. Illinois 7. MSU 8. Northwestern 9. Purdue 10. Iowa 11. Indiana List of players who "could/should" be all big ten this year: Tortorello, PSU Sayler, PSU Pederson, PSU Martin, Minn Taatjes, Minn Nelson, Minn Gentil, Minn, Odenthal, UW Shaw, UW Meierotto, UW Gamalski, UM Bowman, UM Gordon, OSU Virtue, Ill Belter, Ill Schram, MSU Robertson, NU Dargan, PU Ukovich, PU Sorry Indiana and Iowa, I just don't see it... |
|
|
|
Post by vballmaniac40 on Aug 14, 2004 20:31:16 GMT -5
I agree with many of your predictions. I do have one question though. Was Bladow that upsetting to fans last season? The reason I ask is because everyone seems to believe that Reineke will start over her (Shaw will obviously not be riding the pine.) I thought Bladow showed signs of being a dominant middle last season. Not that Reineke isn't a good player but coaches aren't always eager to start freshman.
|
|
|
|
Post by wiscvball on Aug 14, 2004 21:28:13 GMT -5
I don't think that Bladow was upsetting... the problem is that the badgers had 2 middles and neither averaged over 1.0 block per game. Most teams have at least one, some have two that do so. Bladow wasn't that offensive of a threat (2.2 kpg/.228% - something like that).. so if reinke comes in and can block over 1.0 a game (which i think she can) and should be able to match bladow offensively, then i think she'll start. Bladow is really really gifted athletically, and probably has a ton of potential, so i'd like to see her do well, but I think this team needs a big blocker in the middle more than anything. Kind of like a Meredith Nelson on Minnesota. Didn't do a ton of things offensively, but was a terror on the block.
Pete is pretty anti starting freshman, but Wack will for sure at libero, Simpson (kind of a freshman with more experience) will set, so maybe this is the year he goes young and calls it a rebuilding year and throws three on the court. I think Weidner, Shaw, Meierotto, and Odenthal are veteran enough to be able to keep the show on track for the most part. I'm really excited for the big ten season to start, I think its wide open with 4 or 5 teams having a chance to win it.
|
|
