USA vs Russia - tv show time

[Nutter]

kashi said:

If we really do end up not getting out of pool, I just feel so bad for all the girls who have sacrificed so much training for the last 2-4 years for this one two-week tournament. There is so much emphasis on the Olympics in th US and so little coverage of any other international tournaments that it can be devastating to the athletes to have the experience fail to meet even the most basic of expectations. I know some of the 96 Olympians were scarred by their Olympic experience. Rather than it being a defining moment that made all of their hard work worth it, it was something that made them want to turn away from the sport and move on with their lives.

It is just so sad when you do sacrifice so much to hope that you peak at the right time for these 2 weeks every 4 years that is the Olympic games and come up short.

It's not just here, but for the most part, all sporting events where the Olympics seem the highlight of their training.

Was just watching the news earlier today and that same sentiment was what a couple of athletes that have had disappointing games say.

Some move on, and some don't. I'm hoping for the best possible result on Sunday under these circumstances so have my toes and fingers crossed. Ouch!

[USAFAN]

Nutter said:

Can't say I know exactly what went on, but weren't they ask to report to CS and they blew off the invitation? Don't you think the "ego" deal goes both ways? Not just for Toshi but for Porter and Willoughby as well?

Sure these two women are proven studs, but do they want to work within the system? It sure doesn't seem that way to me.

Well in the case of Kim Willoughby, she stated that she is taking a break because she has serious shin splints, so I don't think it was so much of a blow off. And in the case of Kristee Porter and Cheryl Weaver they left, but I think the manner in which people state that they blowed off the national team seems a bit exaggerated. While I understand that Toshi doesn't need to be begging players to come back, I think that he definitely should have gave them another chance. Now that we are here at the Olympics, it seems as if Bachman isn't as solid as a substitute as we anticipated, and with Keba and Logan struggling, they really don't have another complete outside hitter. Everyone has been really high on Toshi Yoshida, and while he has definitely led the team to success, if they don't make it out of pool play, you are definitely going to have to ask some questions. Was he in fact too strict? Did he give a chance to the younger players to prove themself? Or was he biased in leaving the "veterans" in even when they aren't winning? The USA hasn't played extremely horrible, as they have lost both times in 5th games, but they are not coming through in the clutch. Right now the USA doesn't have that fire, and if that means taking a player like Willoughby or Porter who have a "ego", then thats maybe thats what it takes.

[Deleted]

I don't blame Toshi for Cheryl, Kim or Kristee. If they want to play for the National team then they need to get their butts to Colorado Springs. And if they don't, they would be NO help. You have to be dedicated.

I also think Toshi is no idiot. He knows more about VB than all of us combined. I'd just like to know why the middles are not being set and Nancy is not playing--left or opposite.

I see Beach VB is leading off the 1135pm show. Cripes.

[Nutter]

(R)uffda! said:

I see Beach VB is leading off the 1135pm show. Cripes.

I'm hearing Marlowe right now. It's 12:35 here.

This is just sooooo wrong!

Hey, maybe NBC can sell tapes or DVDs of the matches they butchered for telecast? What do you think? Those b*st*rds!!

[maka_ala]

drama drama drama may well be the problem. this type of performance by the women's usavb really proves that this is not an individual sport
it's a team sport.
it's takes a team to achive the highest price in vb. they have no anchor. everyplayer for themselves. i know each of those girls and think the world of them. toshi has done a great job coaching and training but once they're on that court it's up to the players to pull their heads out of their okoles and play like it was their last game mentally, physically and spiritually.
heck everything is a learning experience. who knows they might just make a come back.

[GatorVball]

Yeah, apparently the Brazil-Greece beach match deserves to air in full, over the US women's match. Well, at least they've aired all the US beach matches, on the men's and women's side. McPeak/Youngs are on at 11am tomorrow EDT, May/Walsh get a nice primetime slot, again. The US men will get a nice afternoon slot on NBC, I'm sure they will show more than 10 minutes of their match with Australia.

[USAFAN]

I agree that you need to be dedicated, but being dedicated doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be there the moment that Toshi wants you there. For example, Ogonna Nnamani made the team. And while she is certainly deserving, she has only joined the team so recently. Now lets say that Cheryl Weaver, Kristee Porter, and Kim Willoughby weren't ready to drop everything that they had and report directly to the National Team at the time that Toshi wanted, I don't think that they should have necessarily been eliminated from the selection process. Danielle Scott, Keba Phipps, and some of the other "veterans" have had more time off and we all know that Keba turned down numerous invitations to rejoin the team, and they certainly accepted her at her disposal. I think what bothers me the most, is that people are quick to say that a lot of these athletes are unproven against international competition. But as we are seeing in this Olympics, you don't need 200 international caps to be successful. Ogonna Nnamani is one of the top attackers on the USA team and she hasn't played with the National Team before this year. The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC defeated the number one team in the world, with "unproven" athletes. The fact of the matter is that besides Tara Cross Battle, no one has proven themselves at the Olympic scene, because no one has a medal. While the US certainly has talent, they are on the verge of being ousted, and its just dissapointing that perhaps the best that USA has to show in terms of athletes and play isn't being represented.

[roofed!]

I think they should take a second (and third) look at the selection process. Currently, it seems like certain players are guaranteed spots on the team, like Logan, Keba, Danielle, Heather, Robyn and Stacy. Even Tara is given a spot for honor, loyalty and past service. With early talks that Toshi may take 3 opposites (Tayyiba, Nancy and Sarah), the only spots seemingly open were 2nd setter and 3rd MB. So, that is quite uninspiring to hear if you are an Olympian wannabe and have not been a "veteran" yet, and that you are encouraged to turn up at OTC to fight for 4th or 5th string positions.

I think they should make it clear that all positions are opened for competition, and that veterans would not be accorded front-line access passes for those spots. That might have encouraged Kim W. and others to turn up with the knowledge that they have equal shots at making the team, and not just to be competing for the 4th and 5th spots on the depth chart, and not just providing hitting practices for the 1st team. Who knows what might happen? Then team training would be more competitive with every players pushing each other to become even better.

[roofed!]

On a related note, the poor performance thus far from men and women vball teams means that it is now more difficult to get USOC to open the wallet for the USAVB. USOC is taking a more discriminating approach to disbursing funds -- show them the good results, they will pour the $$.

So I guess for all those who have been complaining of poor services out of USAVB, you have to be put up with it for a few more years.

[maka_ala]

amen to that roofed

[cardfan15]

I do not understand most of the posts of recent. This team of Americans was the best team that could have been fielded at this time. For those of you who say Willoughby should have been on this team, just because you jump high and hit the ball hard doesn't mean you are ready to play in the most prestigous tournament. Willoughby proved herself in the NCAA, but this isn't NCAA volleyball, and the Puerto Rican league is no indicator of an ability to play at a high interntaional level. Team USA is struggling. If they can pull it together, things will be fine. That is the nature of volleyball. People say Logan isn't terminating, that she can't terminate. She just won best scorer/server. Obviously she scores points. She is passing a majority of the balls and is still leading the team in kills in some games. The USA is not playing in system. When they do, they win. I feel bad for Toshi. He has worked so hard in so little time to establish a system, and the girls get the chance to display all their talent and they play like crap. I am pissed off too. I thought this would be the year that volleyball could get some publicity, but obviously it isn't. This USA team should be winning, but they aren't. It is as simple as that. You can break down the numbers all you want, but when it comes down to it, players aren't fulfilling their roles on the team. Ah Mow is setting like dog crap. Multiple times she could have set to the middle, but instead shoots the ball out to Tom or back to Haneef for the umpteenth time just to have the Russian block camping out. Keba is playing like a junior in high school. She is not providing offense, and her passing is awful. Haneef could be dominating, but she isn't. She is contacting the ball low, not playing a lick of defense, and many times looks utterly confused. This team is playing like crap, and either they pull it together or they become one of the biggest flops in US olympic history. The number 1 team in the world doesn't even make it out of pool play. This team is good enough to beat Brazil, they are good enough to beat China, they are good enough. They are just out of system. If they get back in, they will be fine. Yes, the pressure is on, but sometimes it is pressure that pushes us to our best. I am with you all, I am pissed right now. But I will still support the women's team to the end. They are awesome, and I have seen it before. I still have hope. NBC on the other hand. I have lost all hope with them. There are not words to describe the "slap in the face" it was only showing the 5th game. Bastards is a word that comes to mind. All the changes, not showing things, it really just pisses me off.

[sonofbarcelonabob]

Like I was saying earlier, there are just to many board lemmings.

Team USA under Yoshida's leadership has had an unprecedented run of success in the last 4 years. They have proven themselves in major international tournaments that have been much more grueling than the Olympics. The World Championships and the World Cup are both better overall tournaments than the Olympics because the field is tougher, and the tournament longer.

One bad showing and all of a sudden every lemming on this board is second-guessing everything about the team. Give me a break.

As for athletes like Weaver, Willoughby, and Porter - they wouldn't have made one iota of difference in this tournament.

[sistahsledge]

Toshi has had so little time to develop a system? I thought he's been the coach for the last four years, plus the years as assistant. He's even had the luxury of having his pick of new talent, veterans, and senior citizens.

Also, in the sport of volleyball, a "four year run of success" is nice but it's not the Olympic Gold Medal. A cyclist can win races all year long but whoever takes the Tour de France is THE MAN. The Lakers can win every game in a season but if they choke during the championship final, they still end up LOSERS. Every sport has what is understood by everyone to be the defining moment--Wimbledon, World Cup Soccer, Indy 500, etc. For a lot of sports, including volleyball, the Olympics is the pinnacle.

It's time for them to get their asses in gear, or "in system", and play the kind of volleyball that will inspire a whole new generation of players and fans.

Does anyone on this team have any fire? The girls congratulate and celebrate when everything is going well but when somebody is screwing up, they get an encouraging pat on the back. Who's their sports psychologist? Oprah?!? They need to get into each others faces...and I'm not talking about Logan's bitchy looks of disgust. They need to look at tapes of Kiraly and Dvorak, or Luis and Carvajal, or Oguienko. Instead of looking disappointed after an error, they need to get pissed and not do it again.

[Go Iowa]

sistahsledge said:

Toshi has had so little time to develop a system? I thought he's been the coach for the last four years, plus the years as assistant. He's even had the luxury of having his pick of new talent, veterans, and senior citizens.

Also, in the sport of volleyball, a "four year run of success" is nice but it's not the Olympic Gold Medal. A cyclist can win races all year long but whoever takes the Tour de France is THE MAN. The Lakers can win every game in a season but if they choke during the championship final, they still end up LOSERS. Every sport has what is understood by everyone to be the defining moment--Wimbledon, World Cup Soccer, Indy 500, etc. For a lot of sports, including volleyball, the Olympics is the pinnacle.

It's time for them to get their asses in gear, or "in system", and play the kind of volleyball that will inspire a whole new generation of players and fans.

Does anyone on this team have any fire? The girls congratulate and celebrate when everything is going well but when somebody is screwing up, they get an encouraging pat on the back. Who's their sports psychologist? Oprah?!? They need to get into each others faces...and I'm not talking about Logan's bitchy looks of disgust. They need to look at tapes of Kiraly and Dvorak, or Luis and Carvajal, or Oguienko. Instead of looking disappointed after an error, they need to get pissed and not do it again.

LOL. I love ya, Sistah! And I fully support this thread. Feeling bad for Toshi? What? He can't see the problems with this team in this tournament? The setting sucks, so pull her. Your 6'7" LoveChild has one shot and isn't scoring consistently, so why not take her out? Your veteran OH isn't what she's supposed to be, so put Ogonna in for her and watch her pop a couple of balls and then put the veteran back in... yeah... that makes sense. Good coaching? I think not.

[Gorf]

USAFAN said:

Well in the case of Kim Willoughby, she stated that she is taking a break because she has serious shin splints, so I don't think it was so much of a blow off. And in the case of Kristee Porter and Cheryl Weaver they left, but I think the manner in which people state that they blowed off the national team seems a bit exaggerated. While I understand that Toshi doesn't need to be begging players to come back, I think that he definitely should have gave them another chance. Now that we are here at the Olympics, it seems as if Bachman isn't as solid as a substitute as we anticipated, and with Keba and Logan struggling, they really don't have another complete outside hitter. Everyone has been really high on Toshi Yoshida, and while he has definitely led the team to success, if they don't make it out of pool play, you are definitely going to have to ask some questions. Was he in fact too strict? Did he give a chance to the younger players to prove themself? Or was he biased in leaving the "veterans" in even when they aren't winning? The USA hasn't played extremely horrible, as they have lost both times in 5th games, but they are not coming through in the clutch. Right now the USA doesn't have that fire, and if that means taking a player like Willoughby or Porter who have a "ego", then thats maybe thats what it takes.

How can you tell whether Bachman is a good backup middle?

How much has she played during the Olympics?

How much has Metcalf played during the Olympics?

I'm surprised that after getting a fair amount of playing time in tournaments leading up to the Olympics, and with the starters clearly struggling, that the backups have been given relatively little playing time.

I doubt making wholesale changes in the lineup at this point would do any better than sticking with the struggling starters, however, giving the most sets in all 5 games to the player hitting the lowest percentage on the team against Russia certainly seemed rather strange in the match against Russia. Metcalf didn't get into the game until Russia had match point against the US.