|
|
Post by hoosierman on May 18, 2019 8:27:16 GMT -5
So. Checking in with Indiana...
Emily Fitzner comes to the program as talented setter, so what does Aird do? Bench his three year starter Brisack, run a 6-2, or allow senior Brisack to run the team for her senior season? These are reasons I would've hated to be a coach. I get it - it comes with the job, but no thanks.
Still super sucks that Lexi Johnson left. Kendall Beerman, per her twitter, is returning for her final season of eligibility, but has earned her undergrad. Congrats to her!
There is still a good core of Lofton, Huybers, Edwards (playing with the B10 team in Japan this summer), and Lebo returning, so hopefully Aird can make some magic happen.
Of course I will continue to be the lone fan here (14 years and running), and report from time to time when IU knocks off someone they're not supposed to, but it's a rough life for fans of teams <9th in the B1G.
|
|
bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
4-Time VolleyTalk Poster of the Year (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016) All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team 2023
Posts: 13,130 
|
Post by bluepenquin on May 18, 2019 8:35:30 GMT -5
So. Checking in with Indiana... Emily Fitzner comes to the program as talented setter, so what does Aird do? Bench his three year starter Brisack, run a 6-2, or allow senior Brisack to run the team for her senior season? These are reasons I would've hated to be a coach. I get it - it comes with the job, but no thanks. Have to think Brisack starts the season - maybe with a relatively short leash? |
|
|
|
Post by n00b on May 18, 2019 9:06:44 GMT -5
So. Checking in with Indiana... Emily Fitzner comes to the program as talented setter, so what does Aird do? Bench his three year starter Brisack, run a 6-2, or allow senior Brisack to run the team for her senior season? These are reasons I would've hated to be a coach. I get it - it comes with the job, but no thanks. Have to think Brisack starts the season - maybe with a relatively short leash? Wasn't Brisack only in a 6-2 last year as well? Along with freshman Westenhofer? |
|
jiml
Sophomore
Go Badgers
Posts: 235
|
Post by jiml on May 18, 2019 15:14:00 GMT -5
So. Checking in with Indiana... Emily Fitzner comes to the program as talented setter, so what does Aird do? ... Kelly Sheffield had a similar problem his first year at WI; incoming hotshot freshman Lauren Carlini vs junior Courtney Thomas. Courtney was too valuable to bench, but Lauren was too good to not get the primary setter spot. His eventual solution was to play Courtney as RSS, and have her as the go-to option for second contact if Lauren had first contact. This worked well; with a transfer libero/DS Taylor Morey and another hotshot Libero freshman in AnneMarie Hickey, that 2013 WI team had so much ball control on the floor that they went all the way to national runner-up. You could call this the 5.5/1.5 setting solution, halfway between a 5-1 and a 6-2. Good luck to Indiana; you don't have to make it to the top of the B1G in a single bound like superwoman to make the NCAA tournament, only to 8th or 9th best. Iowa and Maryland and Indiana are all knocking on that door. |
|
bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
4-Time VolleyTalk Poster of the Year (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016) All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team 2023
Posts: 13,130
|
Post by bluepenquin on May 18, 2019 19:24:39 GMT -5
Have to think Brisack starts the season - maybe with a relatively short leash? Wasn't Brisack only in a 6-2 last year as well? Along with freshman Westenhofer? That is correct - I missed this. Westenhofer isn't on the roster, would think 6-2 is likely for this year with Fitzner? Either would be tall enough to run a 5-1. |
|
|
|
Post by ilikewaffles on May 19, 2019 11:01:18 GMT -5
What do you think will hold MSU back from at least being solidly in the middle ? Being historically apathetic and content. Excellent and well though out feedback. Now, how about tackling Iowa's lack of success ? Why are coaches who have had success at other programs (in particular the current coach) not able to duplicate their success at Iowa, where the program remains mired in the bottom one third of the conference and unable to make the NCAA tournament ? |
|
|
|
Post by abcd098 on May 19, 2019 12:31:02 GMT -5
I don’t know about a worse season. But I think expectations are for them to rise back into the top half or at least solidly in the middle and I think those expectations are going to be disappointed. What do you think will hold MSU back from at least being solidly in the middle ? Setting. |
|
|
|
Post by notpriddy (COIF) on May 19, 2019 13:29:46 GMT -5
Being historically apathetic and content. Excellent and well though out feedback. Now, how about tackling Iowa's lack of success ? Why are coaches who have had success at other programs (in particular the current coach) not able to duplicate their success at Iowa, where the program remains mired in the bottom one third of the conference and unable to make the NCAA tournament ? In Shymansky's case his previous stops were at Georgia Tech from the ACC and Marquette from the Big East. As far as women's volleyball goes, any of the top teams in recent history from these conferences would struggle to make it into the top half of the B1G. In women's volleyball the B1G continues to display its emergence as the top conference in women's volleyball. The PAC-12 still belongs in the conversation due mainly to the volleyball powerhouse that is Stanford. To my biased mind, there exists no volleyball conference that comes close to the coaching talent that exists in the B1G. I can certainly see why coaches would want to test their coaching mettle by pursuing B1G volleyball coaching (and salaries). However, there are not many coaches that are going to come into the B1G, and out-coach the existing coaches. |
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on May 19, 2019 13:36:26 GMT -5
Honestly, Iowa has gotten better recently. They took a match off of the badgers last year. They hadn't done that in forever. They do lack consistency, but the B1G is tough. If they hadn't improved, they might be holding up the very bottom of the standings with Rutgers.
|
|
|
|
Post by stanfordvb on May 19, 2019 22:44:37 GMT -5
Wasn't Brisack only in a 6-2 last year as well? Along with freshman Westenhofer? That is correct - I missed this. Westenhofer isn't on the roster, would think 6-2 is likely for this year with Fitzner? Either would be tall enough to run a 5-1. I believe westenhofer has left volleyball |
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on May 19, 2019 23:28:13 GMT -5
I voted Wisconsin in the end because there are fewer question marks for me. SSS was so central, and the team turnover so extensive, that I don't know what to expect from Minnesota, despite the fact that K. Miller is good. I haven't seen evidence that Sun can take over from Foecke, and passing/defense without Maloney is a question mark as well, so I'm uncertain there as well. I don't understand the setter situation at PSU, and Allison, though good, is no Poulter at Illinois. So there is that.
The badgers I understand, and any surprises are likely to be good ones. I expect to see a top 5 team this year. But in the B1G, that may not mean a championship. This group of badgers haven't won anything to date, and they have a tougher schedule than the rest next year, although that also means they can take games from the rest as well. If any team answers its question marks it can overtake the badgers, so really the B1G is wide open at the top.
|
|
|
|
Post by TuesdayGone on May 20, 2019 1:34:40 GMT -5
I voted Wisconsin in the end because there are fewer question marks for me. SSS was so central, and the team turnover so extensive, that I don't know what to expect from Minnesota, despite the fact that K. Miller is good. I haven't seen evidence that Sun can take over from Foecke, and passing/defense without Maloney is a question mark as well, so I'm uncertain there as well. I don't understand the setter situation at PSU, and Allison, though good, is no Poulter at Illinois. So there is that. The badgers I understand, and any surprises are likely to be good ones. I expect to see a top 5 team this year. But in the B1G, that may not mean a championship. This group of badgers haven't won anything to date, and they have a tougher schedule than the rest next year, although that also means they can take games from the rest as well. If any team answers its question marks it can overtake the badgers, so really the B1G is wide open at the top. 2018 BIG TEN Standings 1) Minnesota: 19-1 2) Illinois: 17-3 3) Nebraska and Wisconsin both 15-5 4) Penn State: 14-6 Minnesota was by FAR the best team in conference last year: Lose: SSS and Barnes Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Penn State were extremely close Wisconsin played Illinois 3 times.....Wisconsin went 1-2 but scored more points total 287 to 285 Wisconsin beat PSU in 5....21-19 Wisconsin beat Nebraska in 5 It just comes down to Wisconsin lost a very good player in Tionna Williams.... Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois lost the best players in their respective program history. |
|
bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
4-Time VolleyTalk Poster of the Year (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016) All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team 2023
Posts: 13,130
|
Post by bluepenquin on May 20, 2019 5:57:03 GMT -5
I voted Wisconsin in the end because there are fewer question marks for me. SSS was so central, and the team turnover so extensive, that I don't know what to expect from Minnesota, despite the fact that K. Miller is good. I haven't seen evidence that Sun can take over from Foecke, and passing/defense without Maloney is a question mark as well, so I'm uncertain there as well. I don't understand the setter situation at PSU, and Allison, though good, is no Poulter at Illinois. So there is that. The badgers I understand, and any surprises are likely to be good ones. I expect to see a top 5 team this year. But in the B1G, that may not mean a championship. This group of badgers haven't won anything to date, and they have a tougher schedule than the rest next year, although that also means they can take games from the rest as well. If any team answers its question marks it can overtake the badgers, so really the B1G is wide open at the top. 2018 BIG TEN Standings 1) Minnesota: 19-1 2) Illinois: 17-3 3) Nebraska and Wisconsin both 15-5 4) Penn State: 14-6 Minnesota was by FAR the best team in conference last year: Lose: SSS and Barnes Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Penn State were extremely close Wisconsin played Illinois 3 times.....Wisconsin went 1-2 but scored more points total 287 to 285 Wisconsin beat PSU in 5....21-19 Wisconsin beat Nebraska in 5 It just comes down to Wisconsin lost a very good player in Tionna Williams.... Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois lost the best players in their respective program history. Looking at last year's conference record as a starting point for this year is deceiving. The sample size is too short and too much luck and good/bad fortune plays into the record. There is no way that Minnesota was 4 games better than Nebraska and Wisconsin. Play the season again and the records may look much different. Here was the Pablo rankings at the conclusion of conference: Minnesota - 3 Nebraska - 4 Illinois - 6 Wisconsin - 8 Penn State - 9 Or after the NCAA tournament: Nebraska - 2 Minnesota - 4 Illinois - 5 Wisconsin - 8 Penn State - 9 I think either of these lists would be a more appropriate starting point before taking into account additions/subtractions to last year's team. Probably doesn't change the narrative much other than lessen the gap between Minny/Illinois and the rest of the conference. |
|
|
|
Post by notpriddy (COIF) on May 20, 2019 5:57:37 GMT -5
Excellent and well though out feedback. Now, how about tackling Iowa's lack of success ? Why are coaches who have had success at other programs (in particular the current coach) not able to duplicate their success at Iowa, where the program remains mired in the bottom one third of the conference and unable to make the NCAA tournament ? In Shymansky's case his previous stops were at Georgia Tech from the ACC and Marquette from the Big East. As far as women's volleyball goes, any of the top teams in recent history from these conferences would struggle to make it into the top half of the B1G. In women's volleyball the B1G continues to display its emergence as the top conference in women's volleyball. The PAC-12 still belongs in the conversation due mainly to the volleyball powerhouse that is Stanford. To my biased mind, there exists no volleyball conference that comes close to the coaching talent that exists in the B1G. I can certainly see why coaches would want to test their coaching mettle by pursuing B1G volleyball coaching (and salaries). However, there are not many coaches that are going to come into the B1G, and out-coach the existing coaches. To follow-up on the idea of a coach being hired into the B1G, and successfully challenging the existing B1G coaches, I would say the 2019-2020 season could be a good indicator of B1G coaching 'mettle'. Penn State's Rose seems to be fading. Wisconsin's Sheffield shook things up when he entered the conference having inherited a Badger team already loaded with talent (however some might say his teams have underperformed since his Carlini teams). Minnesota's McCutcheon has successfully stockpiled a huge amount of talent (however, he too, could be accused of underperforming with last years talent. And, what's with his players starting to go elsewhere). Nebraska's Cook seems to always produce a top team (the question now is who is going to replace Foecke as the constant savior of next season's team). And, not to be overlooked (by me, at least) is Purdue's Dave Shondell (always producing a blue-collar team that finds a previously hidden star to elevate the Boilers to unexpected heights). And most intriguing for me will be to see what Illinois' Chris Tamas can do with his third Illini team. He's going to have perhaps more overall talent than he has had in his previous two seasons, however, his three returning setters have not shown that any of them can deliver a consistently good second contact ball. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 20, 2019 9:03:52 GMT -5
Excellent and well though out feedback. Now, how about tackling Iowa's lack of success ? Why are coaches who have had success at other programs (in particular the current coach) not able to duplicate their success at Iowa, where the program remains mired in the bottom one third of the conference and unable to make the NCAA tournament ? In Shymansky's case his previous stops were at Georgia Tech from the ACC and Marquette from the Big East. As far as women's volleyball goes, any of the top teams in recent history from these conferences would struggle to make it into the top half of the B1G. In women's volleyball the B1G continues to display its emergence as the top conference in women's volleyball. The PAC-12 still belongs in the conversation due mainly to the volleyball powerhouse that is Stanford. To my biased mind, there exists no volleyball conference that comes close to the coaching talent that exists in the B1G. I can certainly see why coaches would want to test their coaching mettle by pursuing B1G volleyball coaching (and salaries). However, there are not many coaches that are going to come into the B1G, and out-coach the existing coaches. How difficult is it for new coaches to lift programs out of the lower half in the B1G? Has it been done frequently? How quickly can a bottom-feeder earn a bid to the dance? |
|
