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Post by Razorback on Aug 10, 2004 1:11:37 GMT -5
And there were two matches the team should have won and didn't. Against Arkansas they had it and lost it. Not quite sure about this one. AR was leading 2-0 (30-27 and 30-16). Barely missed the 3rd (28-30). So it could have been AR 3-0 easily. |
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Post by cougarize on Aug 10, 2004 3:14:53 GMT -5
Not quite sure about this one. AR was leading 2-0 (30-27 and 30-16). Barely missed the 3rd (28-30). So it could have been AR 3-0 easily. Thanks for the comment Razorback. It's fortunate, though, that I don't make too many unsubstantiated claims in this forum. If I can't back it up I'll say so. If I can, again I'll say so. In this case I can. BYU is a team that has gotten the tag for notoriously starting slow and then gearing it up when they really have to. It's happened five times in the last two years (coming back to win after being 0-2 down) and it happened three times last year. By all accounts it should've happened four times. Sure Arkansas was up 2-0, but BYU grew steadily better as the match wore on. In the fifth game Arkansas was up 8-5, but BYU put on a 5-1 run to take its first lead in the deciding game. From what I've witnessed, especially over the last year, when BYU is in that position late in the fifth game it is theirs. Not counting the 0-2 matches, Penn State comes to mind. BYU was nip and tuck with PSU near the end, but gutted it out for the win. In five-game matches BYU was 4-1 last year and 7-2 in 2002 (the two years of Karen Lamb's tenure). BYU is a strong team in five-game matches and should've won, which is obviously highly debatable and subjective, but its based on my biased, but educated opinion. |
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Post by GatorVball on Aug 10, 2004 20:02:20 GMT -5
Mary comments on the poll
Mary Wise knew it was coming. After last year's national runner-up finish, Florida's volleyball coach expected some preseason praise.
And Wise and the Gators got it Monday when the first USA Today/CSTV coaches' poll was released.
The Gators were ranked fourth in the preseason poll, which will add a little excitement to the team's first practice of the season today.
The Gators seemed to pull a fairly high ranking after losing four talented seniors, including the school's all-time blocks leader, Benavia Jenkins, and all-time kills leader, Aury Cruz.
"It wasn't a surprise knowing the history of the coaches' voting," said Wise, whose last eight teams have received a preseason top-10 ranking. "They tend to put a lot of emphasis on the previous year's results."
Wise, who votes in the coaches' poll, said she did not put the Gators among the top four and believes her team begins the season as a second or third tier team.
"I think that there are about five or six teams behind USC (No. 1-ranked Southern Cal), that on any given night, can compete with anybody," Wise said. "I think we're behind that group."
Only three regular starters from last year's 36-2 team return — senior setter Lauren Moscovic, senior middle blocker Sherri Williams and junior outside hitter Jane Collymore. Florida still has plenty of athleticism and talent, but much of it is young and unproven.
"With the big freshman class and the loss of starters, there's a lot of unknowns in this group," Wise said. "We're a talented team that come December, will be pretty good. But we may take some lumps before then."
The Gators must find a middle blocker to help Williams at the net as well as an outside hitter to complement Collymore. But there are plenty of practices before the team's Sept. 1 opener against South Florida in the O'Connell Center to find some answers.
"Every August is an exciting time," Wise said. "This year, even more so because of all the question marks. We've got a talented group that would like to show that even though we graduated some talented people, what we have here is pretty good."
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Post by roofed! on Aug 10, 2004 21:59:18 GMT -5
Very nice perspective from Mary Wise. IB could certainly learn from her ;D
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Post by IdahoBoy on Aug 10, 2004 22:19:31 GMT -5
Very nice perspective from Mary Wise. IB could certainly learn from her ;D What perspective? Yeah, we are doing good? I understand that one. |
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Post by 808 on Aug 10, 2004 23:09:28 GMT -5
"Every August is an exciting time," Wise said. "This year, even more so because of all the question marks. We've got a talented group that would like to show that even though we graduated some talented people, what we have here is pretty good."
This could very well be something Shoji could say, too.
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