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Post by volleyballjim on May 24, 2017 13:58:59 GMT -5
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Post by JB Southpaw on May 24, 2017 14:07:09 GMT -5
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Post by volleyballjim on May 24, 2017 14:14:48 GMT -5
JB: Saw Branagh a bit at Huntington and she looked good (though I didn't get to watch her as much as I would have liked). Well, she was her choice for the 2012 Olympics till Misty returned, so its not far off her game plan...
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Post by guest2 on May 24, 2017 14:23:11 GMT -5
JB: Saw Branagh a bit at Huntington and she looked good (though I didn't get to watch her as much as I would have liked). Well, she was her choice for the 2012 Olympics till Misty returned, so its not far off her game plan... They have more FIVB wins as a team than any other US women's team. |
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Post by JB Southpaw on May 24, 2017 14:25:30 GMT -5
JB: Saw Branagh a bit at Huntington and she looked good (though I didn't get to watch her as much as I would have liked). Well, she was her choice for the 2012 Olympics till Misty returned, so its not far off her game plan... They have more FIVB wins as a team than any other US women's team. Not rooting against them, but I'm worried about time off for Nicole. |
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Post by greenpier on May 24, 2017 15:11:44 GMT -5
I am happy that Walsh will be playing this year.
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Post by iowasurfer on May 24, 2017 21:43:05 GMT -5
I am happy that Walsh will be playing this year. AGREE!AGREE!AGREE! |
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Post by geddyleeridesagain on May 24, 2017 21:44:55 GMT -5
This would be one of the best teams in the world - a decade ago. No chance this is a long term move for Kerri. She'll play with Nic until she can pick off someone younger (but I very much doubt it will be Hughes).
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Post by guest2 on May 25, 2017 2:37:38 GMT -5
This would be one of the best teams in the world - a decade ago. No chance this is a long term move for Kerri. She'll play with Nic until she can pick off someone younger (but I very much doubt it will be Hughes). This is probably less about Nicole and more about the lousy state of US BVB right now but other than Sara and April, who would really be a much better partner than Branagh? Carico or Urango or the little one in Larsen/Flint may be slightly better, but they aren't a different class of player the way April is and Nicole has experience at the highest level they don't. I think one thing we saw a little during the Kerri/April partnership is that Kerri is more comfortable when the roles within the partnership are defined. She and April always seemed to be a little less than the sum of their parts and with Nicole, where Kerri is the clear leader, alpha etc. and there are no side issues, Kerri won't get served much etc., I think Kerri will play better. If they stay together all summer, I expect an average finish of 5th-7th, with a few 17ths and 3rds mixed in and at least one final. I think Kerri comes out angry and wants to show everyone that 39 or 29 she is the bull of the woods. |
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Post by c4ndlelight on May 25, 2017 8:49:16 GMT -5
Is Kerri's shoulder really gonna hold up a whole summer? And teams are smelling blood and will be serving Kerri.
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Post by geddyleeridesagain on May 25, 2017 11:52:56 GMT -5
This would be one of the best teams in the world - a decade ago. No chance this is a long term move for Kerri. She'll play with Nic until she can pick off someone younger (but I very much doubt it will be Hughes). This is probably less about Nicole and more about the lousy state of US BVB right now but other than Sara and April, who would really be a much better partner than Branagh? Carico or Urango or the little one in Larsen/Flint may be slightly better, but they aren't a different class of player the way April is and Nicole has experience at the highest level they don't. I think one thing we saw a little during the Kerri/April partnership is that Kerri is more comfortable when the roles within the partnership are defined. She and April always seemed to be a little less than the sum of their parts and with Nicole, where Kerri is the clear leader, alpha etc. and there are no side issues, Kerri won't get served much etc., I think Kerri will play better. If they stay together all summer, I expect an average finish of 5th-7th, with a few 17ths and 3rds mixed in and at least one final. I think Kerri comes out angry and wants to show everyone that 39 or 29 she is the bull of the woods. I think you're overrating the 2017 version of Branagh, a 38 year old mother of two who effectively retired from FIVB play six years ago. There are a number of better players out there, but few who are willing to give up playing AVP. From everything I've heard (which is not always 100% accurate, to be fair), Branagh was well down Kerri's wish list. But Walsh has painted herself in a bit of a corner with this AVP/NVL stuff. That said, Branagh/Walsh might do OK on the World Tour - 5th's/9th's (you can't get a 7th with the current FIVB format), maybe a top four here and there in non-majors... the problem is, just "doing OK" is not going to sit well with Walsh, at all. But Nic's a big girl and knows what she's getting into. On the other hand, they're almost certainly going to be the best team on the NVL, so there's that. |
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Post by guest2 on May 25, 2017 13:59:16 GMT -5
This is probably less about Nicole and more about the lousy state of US BVB right now but other than Sara and April, who would really be a much better partner than Branagh? Carico or Urango or the little one in Larsen/Flint may be slightly better, but they aren't a different class of player the way April is and Nicole has experience at the highest level they don't. I think one thing we saw a little during the Kerri/April partnership is that Kerri is more comfortable when the roles within the partnership are defined. She and April always seemed to be a little less than the sum of their parts and with Nicole, where Kerri is the clear leader, alpha etc. and there are no side issues, Kerri won't get served much etc., I think Kerri will play better. If they stay together all summer, I expect an average finish of 5th-7th, with a few 17ths and 3rds mixed in and at least one final. I think Kerri comes out angry and wants to show everyone that 39 or 29 she is the bull of the woods. I think you're overrating the 2017 version of Branagh, a 38 year old mother of two who effectively retired from FIVB play six years ago. There are a number of better players out there, but few who are willing to give up playing AVP. From everything I've heard (which is not always 100% accurate, to be fair), Branagh was well down Kerri's wish list. But Walsh has painted herself in a bit of a corner with this AVP/NVL stuff. That said, Branagh/Walsh might do OK on the World Tour - 5th's/9th's (you can't get a 7th with the current FIVB format), maybe a top four here and there in non-majors... the problem is, just "doing OK" is not going to sit well with Walsh, at all. But Nic's a big girl and knows what she's getting into. On the other hand, they're almost certainly going to be the best team on the NVL, so there's that. Certainly possible, Im a Nicole devote' and inclined to use rose colored glasses. Does pairing with Kerri mean she goes back to being a full time player rather than someone out there for fun, which is kind of how I saw the announcement? Which AVP defenders would you consider on a different level than Nicole, rather than marginally better. |
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Post by ajm on May 26, 2017 16:19:18 GMT -5
This would be one of the best teams in the world - a decade ago. No chance this is a long term move for Kerri. She'll play with Nic until she can pick off someone younger (but I very much doubt it will be Hughes). This is probably less about Nicole and more about the lousy state of US BVB right now but other than Sara and April, who would really be a much better partner than Branagh? Carico or Urango or the little one in Larsen/Flint may be slightly better, but they aren't a different class of player the way April is and Nicole has experience at the highest level they don't. I think one thing we saw a little during the Kerri/April partnership is that Kerri is more comfortable when the roles within the partnership are defined. She and April always seemed to be a little less than the sum of their parts and with Nicole, where Kerri is the clear leader, alpha etc. and there are no side issues, Kerri won't get served much etc., I think Kerri will play better. If nothing else, it moves Kerri back to the left side. I never thought she looked as comfortable on the right. |
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Post by Wahinevball1234 on May 26, 2017 18:17:42 GMT -5
Kinda surprising to see Kerri go with Nicole over Some of the younger up and comers... Obviosuly Sarah Hughes is out of the question, but Delaney Knudsen, Jace Pardon, or maybe even Lane Carico would have been more effective partners than Nicole.
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Post by newbeach on May 28, 2017 18:13:33 GMT -5
Kinda surprising to see Kerri go with Nicole over Some of the younger up and comers... Obviosuly Sarah Hughes is out of the question, but Delaney Knudsen, Jace Pardon, or maybe even Lane Carico would have been more effective partners than Nicole. I agree. I was surprised to see her not go with a younger player especially with all the speculation that it might have been Sarah Hughes. Of course, I am in a way surprised Sarah is staying with Claes. There Is a lot of up and coming talent. The experience and youth (e. g. Agatha and Duda) combo is perfect for an Olympic run still a few years away. What are the chances both Kerri and Hughes change their partners before the 2020 Olympics? Does the National team have any say in partner suggestions (as opposed to AVP partnerships etc.) as they want to field the best team possible for the Olympics? |
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