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Post by ericleo on Jan 19, 2019 2:30:51 GMT -5
It's a little bit too early to make the prediction. Because most players will get invited during the summer especially for those who are playing overseas right now. For instance, both Lee and Ogbogu went to Anaheim after they finished their Italian league season last year. Alhassan was not in the gym last summer due to some injuries I guess. So this year at least I am expecting to see Cuttino, Mitchem, Hunter, etc. joining the gym in May.
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Post by ericleo on Jan 19, 2019 2:45:58 GMT -5
For instance: I think Karch adds both Carlini and Poulter to the prelim roster. I also think Kingdon-Rishel is the most solid all around OH left on the roster. She can pass, she can play defense and she is aggressive at the net. Wilhite-Parsons still has a ways to go but she will make the cut. I really hope Simone Lee is the 6th. We are pretty stacked in the Middles column. Ogbogu and a healthy Ajanaku are my two picks for development. Hell that combo alone would make a nice starting set come next quad. Drews is my third pick for the 3rd opposite slot. I think with time she and Karsta will be the two that go to Tokyo. I love their power and height. Plus she is part of the lefty brigade. I honestly think that Courtney and Robinson will be vying for that Libero position so a third on the roster is a waste of a spot. This is where Karch will be able to bring Poulter as the 4th setter. These are just my predictions. I feel like Karch made up his mind about who he wanted to invest in back during the 2017 WGP. Hancock, Dixon, Gibbemeyer, Wilhite, Courtney, Kindgon, and MBH were all on that roster consistently that whole summer with Drews joining towards the end of the WGP. I hope at the very least during the 2019 VNL that more of those players get more court time. Add Carlini, Ogbogu, Ajanaku and Lee to the list and get them more reps and our depth chart is set for Tokyo. From there it's a matter of who is clicking and firing on all cylinders just before the games. For the setter, during the NCAA season, Poulter and SSS are thought to be the top 2 in the nation, but why when it comes to NT only Poulter is in the conversion. Where is SSS? Isn't she the Big 10 player of the year and co-setter of the year? For Kingdon, she is having a rough time in China right now. Recently she has lost her starting position. One reason is that Beijing needs to start the Australian Opposite to enhance their offensive power on the right side, and the other one is that Kingdon's passing has been quite shaky in China. I actually do not think she is a solid passer. I like her arm swing though. Totally agree with your comments on the middle position. For the 3rd opposite, is Cuttino worth a shot? For the libero, I still think both Courtney and Robinson could have developed into all-around, great OHs. It's just a sad fact that we currently do not have any libero who is better than two of them. How is Benson doing in Germany? I did not really follow the German league. Both Drews and Lee are getting a lot of sets from Hunter in their current Turkish league team. But as far as I can see, their problems are not resolved yet. Lee's passing is still a long way to go, and Drews still has too many hitting errors. These are my current opinions on the US players. I do not have a prediction yet. I prefer to make my own prediction at the end of this pro season, based on the performance of the American players at their leagues.
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Post by ironhammer on Jan 19, 2019 5:26:26 GMT -5
Will this time the tournament be held again in Nebraska? Hope it will come to the west coast this time, then I might have a chance to go and watch! If it's in Nebraska again, I'll get a few of us to chip in to get a bus ticket for you. Edit to add: Or fly to Shanghai and travel with me to the finals in Nanjing.... How much are the tickets in China compared to a ticket in the US for a VNL match this year?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 4:52:40 GMT -5
For instance: I think Karch adds both Carlini and Poulter to the prelim roster. I also think Kingdon-Rishel is the most solid all around OH left on the roster. She can pass, she can play defense and she is aggressive at the net. Wilhite-Parsons still has a ways to go but she will make the cut. I really hope Simone Lee is the 6th. We are pretty stacked in the Middles column. Ogbogu and a healthy Ajanaku are my two picks for development. Hell that combo alone would make a nice starting set come next quad. Drews is my third pick for the 3rd opposite slot. I think with time she and Karsta will be the two that go to Tokyo. I love their power and height. Plus she is part of the lefty brigade. I honestly think that Courtney and Robinson will be vying for that Libero position so a third on the roster is a waste of a spot. This is where Karch will be able to bring Poulter as the 4th setter. These are just my predictions. I feel like Karch made up his mind about who he wanted to invest in back during the 2017 WGP. Hancock, Dixon, Gibbemeyer, Wilhite, Courtney, Kindgon, and MBH were all on that roster consistently that whole summer with Drews joining towards the end of the WGP. I hope at the very least during the 2019 VNL that more of those players get more court time. Add Carlini, Ogbogu, Ajanaku and Lee to the list and get them more reps and our depth chart is set for Tokyo. From there it's a matter of who is clicking and firing on all cylinders just before the games. For the setter, during the NCAA season, Poulter and SSS are thought to be the top 2 in the nation, but why when it comes to NT only Poulter is in the conversion. Where is SSS? Assumed not to be physical enough to compete at a gold-medal level.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 4:54:23 GMT -5
Carlini was named to the 2017 VNL preliminary roster.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 5:07:49 GMT -5
My VNL prelim roster, if I had one:
OH: Lee, Edmond, Lanier, Anae, Cuttino, Jones-Perry MB: Ogbogu, Washington, Alhassan, Stone, A. Rolfzen, Rettke OPP: Plummer, Atkinson, Holston S: Carlini, Hunter, Poulter L: Lake, Maloney, Muno
Cut: Kingdon, Wilhite, Dixon, Murphy, Lloyd, Drews, Courtney, Benson, Hancock, McCage, Happ, Papp, JWO, Wopat
Keep: Larson, Hill, MBH, Gibbemeyer, Akinradewo, Lowe, Adams, Robinson, Whitney
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Post by matte on Jan 20, 2019 16:48:33 GMT -5
Can Cuttino play as OH? I like her athletic skills, but she is still technically very raw. I would cut Whitney honestly, she's the worst opposite of Italian league imo
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Post by bmg3 on Jan 20, 2019 18:26:09 GMT -5
Cuttino didn’t pass in college and certainly not in Italy. She would not be an OH. She has potential as a MH and Opp
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Post by ToddyJ on Jan 20, 2019 20:17:46 GMT -5
My VNL prelim roster, if I had one: OH: Lee, Edmond, Lanier, Anae, Cuttino, Jones-Perry MB: Ogbogu, Washington, Alhassan, Stone, A. Rolfzen, Rettke OPP: Plummer, Atkinson, Whitney S: Carlini, Hunter, Poulter L: Lake, Maloney, Muno Cut: Kingdon, Wilhite, Dixon, Murphy, Lloyd, Drews, Courtney, Benson, Hancock, McCage, Happ, Papp, JWO, Wopat Keep: Larson, Hill, MBH, Gibbemeyer, Akinradewo, Lowe, Adams, Robinson I was waiting on you to post yours.
I don't follow NCAA that well yet so half of these players I don't even know. I am looking forward to learning about them and what they can do.
I do have one quick concern with your roster. With all of these young players....you would leave off every single veteran from even competing in the finals should they even get there. Do you think that wise in the penultimate year of the quad? I am curious as to your strategy here.
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Post by ToddyJ on Jan 20, 2019 20:22:02 GMT -5
Carlini was named to the 2017 VNL preliminary roster. You mean the 2018 roster? And yes I know this. Like you said she was fresh injured so she didn't play much over the summer. If I recall correctly Hancock was Lloyd's backup during the WGP in 2017 and then Carlini took over the reigns when Lloyd was injured during the WGCC later that fall correct?
I really want her to take over in 2019. She is my pick for the current setting front runner in the USNT gym.
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Post by ironhammer on Jan 20, 2019 21:02:05 GMT -5
Or maybe Karch just wants to win the VNL again and don't use this as an opportunity to train new players? In that any event, all your speculation will turn out for nought.
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Post by ericleo on Jan 20, 2019 22:30:46 GMT -5
Yes, that's possible that Karch wants to win the 100M USD and will use the 14-veteran roaster through the whole VNL like he did last year. But as a fan, I personally do not want that to happen. It will do no good for the future of this team.
Moreover, these veterans who are mostly in their 30s can hardly bring out their best form twice a year. They claimed the VNL and then collapsed at the WCH. Actually, ever since 2000, there are only twice that a team winning the VNL/WGP won the big tournament later that year. One is China in 2003 (WGP champion + World Cup champion), and the other one is Brazil in 2008 (WGP champion + Olympic champion). Both were over a decade ago. Winning VNL/WGP is kinda a "sentence" to losing the major title of the same year.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 23:34:30 GMT -5
Cuttino didn’t pass in college and certainly not in Italy. She wouldn't have to in a three-rotation offensive sub role if Plummer was a passing OPP.
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Post by donut on Jan 21, 2019 16:21:35 GMT -5
ASSUMING Karch uses all 21 players on his prelim roster (unlikely) AND not looking at NCAA players, here would be my pick for the 2019 VNL:
OH: Larson, Hill, Lee, Robinson/Courtney, Anae OPP: Lowe, Bartsch, Drews, Cuttino MB: Akinradewo, Adams, Ogbogu, Washington, Dixon S: Carlini, Lloyd, Hancock, Hunter L: Robinson/Courtney, Benson, Maloney
Players in bold should go to most of the prelim rounds, maybe with a few vets mixed in depending on the opponents.
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Post by matte on Jan 21, 2019 17:22:50 GMT -5
L: Robinson/Courtney, Benson, MaloneyBenson has been struggling in the German league so I can't imagine how she will perform at the international stage
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