BYU 2020

[vtnewb]

Run a 6-2. I know.....hurts attacking consistency but improves net defense

[volleyl0ver]

A 2020 roster is up: byucougars.com/roster/w-volleyball/

Robinson is out
No Gneiting
Anderson and Johnson listed as freshmen, confirms they redshirted this past season
Tolman on roster as well

[azvb]

Anxiously awaiting Utah’s beach roster to see if Madi is on there.

[atticus]

Jan 15, 2020 12:51:34 GMT -5 mintonetteman said:

Friends in Idaho are telling me that Tolman is already on campus. Robinson is a big loss...but honestly, I think we needed a reset at the pin positions. Hoping/praying for an Erin Anderson awakening. Grimmer was interesting this year (and I am a big fan). Dynamic swing and nice offensive weapon, but a clear liability with the block--as evidence by the way Olmstead used her (or did not use her) against left side dominant teams. Given Tolman's length, her strengths appear to be Grimmer's weanknesses. I like having both on the RS. I think Dixon's time at RS is done.

I expect her to by the OH1 (but front row only). Dodson is a non BYU traditional MB--not as big as we are used to but very quick and athletic.

Still worried about a six rotational pin...can that be Grimmer? Libero/DS. Who knows. I honestly thought there was a chance that they would move Robinson to libero. Not easy to bring in a freshman libero (just ask Oregon or Nebraska this year)--especially into a program that has a very precise way they want things done. Just glad we have a bunch of them--Allen, Bower, Wee and Whitney.

One big plus, is that I think this is the year the team does a summer foreign trip (China, Brasil, etc)...this could be huge for getting some much needed reps for what will be a very young and inexperienced team.

I wonder if Nixon could play six rotations. I think she did in high school (granted that was a long time ago) when she was an under Armour AA first team. I agree she should be a lock at OH1.
Would be really interesting to see Grimmer go OH, but I think it’s unlikely as she has never played there and is really quite good on the right.
I don’t think any of the three OHs who came in with the class of ‘19 are as far along as Robinson, so I do think she’s a loss that will hurt, but as several have pointed out it does give them a chance to build for the future with players who can perhaps eventually be more terminal and/or consistent. My guess would be Anderson is the most likely but that’s based on her high school performance so who knows. The college gym is a different world.
Seems a nice advantage to get Tolman on campus and in the gym a semester early. Seems to be a trend with the players from Idaho lately. Morgan Bower graduated a semester early and Whitney Bower a whole year early.
Dodson sat out her senior high school season with Lyme disease but is reportedly back in the gym and playing club season. Hopefully she is feeling 100%. Lyme can be a tricky thing.
Hakes is the other MB coming in 2020 and is in more the traditional BYU middle mold. There is also LLarenas in the middle. I thought she was listed as a redshirt freshman last year but maybe I’m wrong because on the roster just posted she is a junior.

[jakesbff]

Jan 15, 2020 13:10:12 GMT -5 bbg95 said:

Jan 15, 2020 12:51:34 GMT -5 mintonetteman said:

Friends in Idaho are telling me that Tolman is already on campus. Robinson is a big loss...but honestly, I think we needed a reset at the pin positions. Hoping/praying for an Erin Anderson awakening. Grimmer was interesting this year (and I am a big fan). Dynamic swing and nice offensive weapon, but a clear liability with the block--as evidence by the way Olmstead used her (or did not use her) against left side dominant teams. Given Tolman's length, her strengths appear to be Grimmer's weanknesses. I like having both on the RS. I think Dixon's time at RS is done.

I expect her to by the OH1 (but front row only). Dodson is a non BYU traditional MB--not as big as we are used to but very quick and athletic.

Still worried about a six rotational pin...can that be Grimmer? Libero/DS. Who knows. I honestly thought there was a chance that they would move Robinson to libero. Not easy to bring in a freshman libero (just ask Oregon or Nebraska this year)--especially into a program that has a very precise way they want things done. Just glad we have a bunch of them--Allen, Bower, Wee and Whitney.

One big plus, is that I think this is the year the team does a summer foreign trip (China, Brasil, etc)...this could be huge for getting some much needed reps for what will be a very young and inexperienced team.

Good analysis. That's interesting that Tolman is already there. If that's the case, she may be the one who got Robinson's scholarship (since she dropped all her classes, I was curious how Olmstead would use the extra semester). And yeah, I'd rather develop the young players from last year's class and the incoming one, as I think Robinson was a sunk cost. I also appreciate the insight on Grimmer and Tolman. I've been wondering if Olmstead would find a way to use both of them. Hopefully, she can. Overall, with Robinson's transfer, Gneiting going on a mission, and the overall youth of the team, I think that Olmstead will be looking to develop the young players (including figuring out the libero spot) as much as possible so that the team will be really good in 2021 and 2022.

Shes on the updated roster as of this morning, so I would guess that she is on campus?  


byucougars.com/roster/w-volleyball/

[bbg95]

Jan 16, 2020 11:26:52 GMT -5 jakesbff said:

Jan 15, 2020 13:10:12 GMT -5 bbg95 said:

Good analysis. That's interesting that Tolman is already there. If that's the case, she may be the one who got Robinson's scholarship (since she dropped all her classes, I was curious how Olmstead would use the extra semester). And yeah, I'd rather develop the young players from last year's class and the incoming one, as I think Robinson was a sunk cost. I also appreciate the insight on Grimmer and Tolman. I've been wondering if Olmstead would find a way to use both of them. Hopefully, she can. Overall, with Robinson's transfer, Gneiting going on a mission, and the overall youth of the team, I think that Olmstead will be looking to develop the young players (including figuring out the libero spot) as much as possible so that the team will be really good in 2021 and 2022.

Shes on the updated roster as of this morning, so I would guess that she is on campus?  


byucougars.com/roster/w-volleyball/

Yeah, if she's on the roster, she must be on campus (must have graduated a semester early), as the other members of the incoming class aren't on the roster yet. Speaking of which, I found this picture of Tolman and some of the other members of the 2020 class on her Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blb1J6jgESz

From left to right, that's Whitney Bower (originally in the 2020 class before reclassifying to 2019), Leilani Dodson, Tolman, and Madi Allen.

[pelagius]

A couple of plays involving Leilani Dodson (incoming MB):

[mintonetteman]

Good stuff...not sure why (as I have never watched her in person) but I am intrigued by Dodson. I first had heard about her three years ago and that she was Oregon's top middle recruit for a long time. Hoping she is healthy and can be difference maker. I will maintain, as I did most of last year, that BYU desperately needs to develop a 6 rotation pin--hoping for anyone, Nixon, Grimmer, Anderson, Dayton.

[bbg95]

BYU 2023 commit Claire Little was named the PrepVolleyball National Freshman of the Year after dominating in a California state title match.

[bbg95]

Jan 16, 2020 10:49:55 GMT -5 atticus said:

Jan 15, 2020 12:51:34 GMT -5 mintonetteman said:

Friends in Idaho are telling me that Tolman is already on campus. Robinson is a big loss...but honestly, I think we needed a reset at the pin positions. Hoping/praying for an Erin Anderson awakening. Grimmer was interesting this year (and I am a big fan). Dynamic swing and nice offensive weapon, but a clear liability with the block--as evidence by the way Olmstead used her (or did not use her) against left side dominant teams. Given Tolman's length, her strengths appear to be Grimmer's weanknesses. I like having both on the RS. I think Dixon's time at RS is done.

I expect her to by the OH1 (but front row only). Dodson is a non BYU traditional MB--not as big as we are used to but very quick and athletic.

Still worried about a six rotational pin...can that be Grimmer? Libero/DS. Who knows. I honestly thought there was a chance that they would move Robinson to libero. Not easy to bring in a freshman libero (just ask Oregon or Nebraska this year)--especially into a program that has a very precise way they want things done. Just glad we have a bunch of them--Allen, Bower, Wee and Whitney.

One big plus, is that I think this is the year the team does a summer foreign trip (China, Brasil, etc)...this could be huge for getting some much needed reps for what will be a very young and inexperienced team.

I wonder if Nixon could play six rotations. I think she did in high school (granted that was a long time ago) when she was an under Armour AA first team. I agree she should be a lock at OH1.
Would be really interesting to see Grimmer go OH, but I think it’s unlikely as she has never played there and is really quite good on the right.
I don’t think any of the three OHs who came in with the class of ‘19 are as far along as Robinson, so I do think she’s a loss that will hurt, but as several have pointed out it does give them a chance to build for the future with players who can perhaps eventually be more terminal and/or consistent. My guess would be Anderson is the most likely but that’s based on her high school performance so who knows. The college gym is a different world.
Seems a nice advantage to get Tolman on campus and in the gym a semester early. Seems to be a trend with the players from Idaho lately. Morgan Bower graduated a semester early and Whitney Bower a whole year early.
Dodson sat out her senior high school season with Lyme disease but is reportedly back in the gym and playing club season. Hopefully she is feeling 100%. Lyme can be a tricky thing.
Hakes is the other MB coming in 2020 and is in more the traditional BYU middle mold. There is also LLarenas in the middle. I thought she was listed as a redshirt freshman last year but maybe I’m wrong because on the roster just posted she is a junior.

Llarenas is a junior school-wise, but I think she's a redshirt sophomore for volleyball, as she didn't play at all in 2018, her freshman season.

[pelagius]

A little training montage:

I think the most important thing we learn from this video is that it looks like the team is using something like the Rogue Russian bar for olympic lifts:

www.roguefitness.com/rogue-28mm-mens-russian-bar




Those are nice bars (although I personally don't like the Russian sleeve design).

[bbg95]

Jan 24, 2020 15:56:52 GMT -5 pelagius said:

A little training montage:

I think the most important thing we learn from this video is that it looks like the team is using something like the Rogue Russian bar for olympic lifts:

www.roguefitness.com/rogue-28mm-mens-russian-bar



Those are nice bars (although I personally don't like the Russian sleeve design).

Huh, I've been lifting for 20 years and have never seen a Russian barbell before. Then again, I've never been into Olympic lifts. At any rate, it doesn't surprise me that they've got nice equipment. When I was in college, the athlete gym was about a million times nicer than the student one, which was barely serviceable (I joined a real gym soon after). That is, of course, not particularly surprising, but I've heard that the student gym at UVU is actually quite nice.

[bbg95]

After a couple rounds of 90s trivia with the players, the coaches did some 2010s trivia. The best part was Heather Olmstead talking about Tom Holland. She also says at various points that she doesn't watch NetFlix and even more incredibly, doesn't listen to music. So does she just study volleyball tape all day?

[bbg95]

Heather Olmstead was the guest on the podcast Sports Stories with Denny Lennon. Among other things, she talks about her mother's pregnancy scare, growing up around volleyball in southern California, why she chose to play at Utah State, her coaching mentors, and BYU and USA volleyball. 

[bbg95]