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Post by jasonr on Apr 8, 2018 11:56:08 GMT -5
I think Hunter is a huge addition but I also think that having Ava Bell and Hadden LaGarde already enrolled and playing this spring is important as well. Ava looks like she will make an immediate impact and Hadden May compete for time as well. I only know what I’ve heard about Atherton so does anyone have any insight into her and her style? I think UNC is getting a pretty good setter, she just needs reps to iron out her location consistency. For example, against Oregon and Florida last year (Kelly Hunter was out), Atherton set and definitely showed some potential but was also inconsistent. If Sagula decides that she's the starter and she gets full commitment/starter reps in practice, then I expect her consistency to improve. What she immediately brings to the table is (1) A wicked hard knuckling serve. Granted, she will have some errors with it, but it's really difficult to pass when it's on. (2) She's good for chemistry. Her teammates love her. (3) Athleticism. She has quick feet and is strong. Overall, the raw talent is there, so I'm interested to see what happens if Sagula names her the starter in a 5-1. That would allow her the reps to gain consistency and maximize her potential.
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Post by chancelucky on Apr 8, 2018 13:36:44 GMT -5
Thanks Jasonr, that's helpful. I'm looking forward to seeing Atherton play this fall.
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Post by chancelucky on Apr 8, 2018 14:09:49 GMT -5
I think early enrollment can be a far bigger boost than playing one last year of club. I suspect it played a role in Scoles being ACC freshman of the year two years ago. I don't know how much time Bell has spent hitting from the outside prior to UNC, but she approaches and swings like a middle even when she's playing on the pins. Playing as a freshman is a big adjustment and playing a new position is yet another adjustment. I think Bell has a lot of potential, but I'm not expecting it to be realized immediately. She's still having some issues adjusting to a college level block and ETSU or South Carolina's block are not comparable to Minnesota's block. I suspect that she was generally able to power through the block in high school and juniors. She may be able to do that some at this level, but it won't be nearly as easy. She's also not super-consistent yet, something that's to be expected. When she's going well, it looks great though. There are players who can go from middle to outside, but it's not always that easy. Neuenfeldt was asked to do it her senior year, because the team didn't have a power hitter on the left. Ultimately, she was just much more comfortable in the middle. Fricano also went back and forth her senior year. She clearly did much better her junior year as a full time middle. Honestly, one of the mysteries of last year was whatever was going on with Fricano who one would have expected to be a source of stability as a senior instead of an irregular contributor, but she seemed especially unpredictable whenever she was on the right or left.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2018 16:15:24 GMT -5
I think early enrollment can be a far bigger boost than playing one last year of club. I suspect it played a role in Scoles being ACC freshman of the year two years ago. I don't know how much time Bell has spent hitting from the outside prior to UNC, but she approaches and swings like a middle even when she's playing on the pins. Playing as a freshman is a big adjustment and playing a new position is yet another adjustment. I think Bell has a lot of potential, but I'm not expecting it to be realized immediately. She's still having some issues adjusting to a college level block and ETSU or South Carolina's block are not comparable to Minnesota's block. I suspect that she was generally able to power through the block in high school and juniors. She may be able to do that some at this level, but it won't be nearly as easy. She's also not super-consistent yet, something that's to be expected. When she's going well, it looks great though. There are players who can go from middle to outside, but it's not always that easy. Neuenfeldt was asked to do it her senior year, because the team didn't have a power hitter on the left. Ultimately, she was just much more comfortable in the middle. Fricano also went back and forth her senior year. She clearly did much better her junior year as a full time middle. Honestly, one of the mysteries of last year was whatever was going on with Fricano who one would have expected to be a source of stability as a senior instead of an irregular contributor, but she seemed especially unpredictable whenever she was on the right or left. A lot of your observations are very good and I agree with them a lot. However, the last spring scrimmage, Bell was more consistent and more terminal because she had a different setter....as was LaGarde. Yesterday, Bell and LaGarde struggled trying to hit off of Koetter. While I agree there is a block to get used to at the collegiate level, I think a lot of the offensive issues have been with inconsistent setting. I think if the hitters, including the freshmen, get more stable setting, then they can be effective. It is extremely hard to go from hitting quick sets in the middle to a high or even semi high set to the outside. Neunfeldt and Fricano were not able to make the adjustment because they just got better in the middle. Bell has played all three positions her entire life so if anyone could do it, I think it’s her. I hate that out of the gate we have Minnesota and Wisconsin with such a young team. But I think some of the spring players will be ready. The other batch of freshmen coming up as well as the ones there now will hopefully get some experience in Europe next month.
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Post by psuvbfan10 on Apr 8, 2018 17:08:30 GMT -5
Shocked at the transfer situation here, what happened?
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Post by trainermch on Apr 8, 2018 17:09:43 GMT -5
Shocked at the transfer situation here, what happened? Scroll back a little bit. Not much. It’s all there.
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Post by Wolfgang on Apr 9, 2018 0:00:27 GMT -5
As a regular student (not a student-athlete), transferring was unthinkable to me. There was no other school I wanted to attend and there was no other school that had better resources than mine in my field of study.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 7:47:17 GMT -5
I think that is where the athlete part comes in....while these ladies are students, volleyball is very passionate for them. If volleyball is in their long term goals or if it is something they thrive upon, it may be important for their academic success as a well rounded person to find a better fit in both areas. It really depends on what the player prioritizes.
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Post by Brutus Buckeye on Apr 9, 2018 8:41:13 GMT -5
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Post by Wolfgang on Apr 9, 2018 11:57:58 GMT -5
Who is this? Can't be Lexi Sun because she hates green.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 12:26:29 GMT -5
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Post by Brutus Buckeye on Apr 9, 2018 14:54:22 GMT -5
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Post by nevollfan on Apr 9, 2018 23:11:15 GMT -5
Who is this? Can't be Lexi Sun because she hates green. Or at least burnt orange.
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Post by trainermch on Apr 10, 2018 0:20:02 GMT -5
Who is this? Can't be Lexi Sun because she hates green. Or at least burnt orange. Is there anyone who really likes burnt orange? It’s always the sharpest crayon in the box.
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Post by ay2013 on Apr 10, 2018 2:27:16 GMT -5
Or at least burnt orange. Is there anyone who really likes burnt orange? It’s always the sharpest crayon in the box. I know I don't. I don't like anything burnt, fwiw.
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