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Post by stanfordvb on Apr 30, 2020 21:04:54 GMT -5
Did anyone notice that Morgan Hentz was on USAV's recent Instagram story about how to train with out a ball? They interviewed most of the active roster and I was pleasantly surprised to see her included, like she was already on the training roster. I mean this could be assumed since she was invited to the spring training block but she just as easily could have been cut. Also what's up with various players being in California and quarantining together (Drews and Dixon). Could the team be in pre-training quarantine before getting together? Anyone got any deets? Maybe they are just quarantining together to have training and workout partners? Probably easier to stay motivated and keep in shape if you’ve got someone to do it with everyday.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2020 21:12:32 GMT -5
Did anyone notice that Morgan Hentz was on USAV's recent Instagram story about how to train with out a ball? They interviewed most of the active roster and I was pleasantly surprised to see her included, like she was already on the training roster. I mean this could be assumed since she was invited to the spring training block but she just as easily could have been cut. Also what's up with various players being in California and quarantining together (Drews and Dixon). Could the team be in pre-training quarantine before getting together? Anyone got any deets? Maybe they are just quarantining together to have training and workout partners? Probably easier to stay motivated and keep in shape if you’ve got someone to do it with everyday. @toddyj Not that organized, sadly. Dixon and Drews are neighbors so they workout together.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2020 21:37:03 GMT -5
Maybe they are just quarantining together to have training and workout partners? Probably easier to stay motivated and keep in shape if you’ve got someone to do it with everyday. @toddyj Not that organized, sadly. Dixon and Drews are neighbors so they workout together. Dang....well ok then. Thanks for the details!
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Post by werka on May 4, 2020 13:23:22 GMT -5
I'm wheezing
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Post by Wichsen on May 4, 2020 14:43:05 GMT -5
Krob will play as OH. Am telling you all and Courtney will be libero.
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trojansc
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Post by trojansc on May 4, 2020 14:50:51 GMT -5
Krob will play as OH. Am telling you all and Courtney will be libero. And what place will USA come in? Or are you expecting a medal?
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2020 14:55:06 GMT -5
Krob will play as OH. Am telling you all and Courtney will be libero. And what place will USA come in? Or are you expecting a medal? this lineup screams a QF loss to Serbia or Brazil
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trojansc
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Post by trojansc on May 4, 2020 15:10:13 GMT -5
And what place will USA come in? Or are you expecting a medal? this lineup screams a QF loss to Serbia or Brazil Ugh. USA/Serbia could be a realistic QF match. But I think Serbia will take #1, though whoever comes out as #4 from Pool B will still be very dangerous for them. Turkey/Russia is a tough call for me for that #4 spot. Turkey completely overachieved to even be here, but that’s what good coaching can do for you!
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2020 15:19:46 GMT -5
this lineup screams a QF loss to Serbia or Brazil Ugh. USA/Serbia could be a realistic QF match. But I think Serbia will take #1, though whoever comes out as #4 from Pool B will still be very dangerous for them. Turkey/Russia is a tough call for me for that #4 spot. Turkey completely overachieved to even be here, but that’s what good coaching can do for you! if Turkey peaks, I could see them sneaking to #3 over the USA (under the right circumstances, esp if courtney is at libero). They have a whole year to figure out where Karakurt is going to fit in (or figure out whatever plan B will be for their pins) and I won't doubt Guidetti. Brazil and even the Dominican have given us troubles in the past... this is going to be such a mess
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2020 23:42:30 GMT -5
I still think that if USA plays to the best of their ability they can still take the top of the pool. China and Italy are not perfect. I do however think that if Turkey plays clean volleyball they have a very good chance at taking any position in the pool as well. Russia will likely have Kosheleva back in the line-up which, while she struggles passing, is WAY more terminal than Parubets and Voronkova. That being said don't count Russia out either.
USA could just as likely crash out in the pool phase and if that happens Karch might be out of a job. All of these scenario's are possible. Going 4th in the pool should lead to a QF match vs. Serbia or Brazil which will be tough pending the final roster selections. Serbia has been dealing with some injuries and Brazil's vets are aging out quickly. Brazil's roster is an enigma at this moment more so than the Serbia's IMO. There is still a lot of time between now and the OG's for everyone to get healthy and be ready. On the flip side of that coin both teams could see a reduction in level of play. Time will tell.
Pool A as a whole should be very exciting to watch. Serbia and Brazil should be 1 and 2 in the pool but Japan, being hosts, tend to over perform when at home. I mean they made the final 6 of the World Championships in 2018. I didn't see that coming. Add to that Korea and the Dominican Republic both look like they are making BIG improvements and are playing cleaner volleyball.
I honestly will just be ecstatic when we can all look forward to watching the tournament (if it even happens). Europe hasn't won the OG's since the 80's. It was all Cuba in the 90's and has been China and Brazil since 2004. China look to be in the best shape but they too were only slightly tested last season. Their only loss with their top roster was to the USA in straight sets in the 4th week of the VNL prelims. Week's 1 and the finals they used the B/C team. Plus we all know the World Cup was a farce due to the FIVB's incompetence in properly scheduling the 2019 season. Italy brought the big guns to the VNL finals and looked terrible, crashing out in the pool phase of the finals. Serbia and China's B/C teams got a lot of development this past season which should pay of in the next quad.
Long post....lots to consider.
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Post by mikegarrison on May 5, 2020 5:11:31 GMT -5
This is the same as every outfielder in the AL, when somebody asks them about maybe playing designated hitter instead.
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Post by ace35 on May 10, 2020 14:49:27 GMT -5
After reading the whole thread, and as someone who watches more non-USA volleyball than most of you, I've seen quite a few outdated and/or inaccurate takes. The following is just addressing a few of the most often mentioned ones, or providing some basic info.
Zhu, Boskovic and Egonu are currently (and have been since 2018) the clearly best 3 players in the world. This is not really a hot take, and many of you know it already. But what many seem to be unaware is that Haak has become in the last 12 months the clear #4 player in the world. She has improved so, so much in the last year under Guidetti, and we are talking about a girl who was MVP of the Italian league at 19. Her not playing for the NT on any big competitions masked that fact to you Americans.
KYK has declined really, really badly in the last 2 years, but even more in the last year. In this club season, besides missing half the (played) season due to injury, she has become largely ineffective on offence, and her role has become (as absurd as that sounds) a reception and defensive specialist. Literally the only really good performances in the last 2 years she has had are during the last World Cup. And even that was noticeable weaker than her games in 2017/2018 club season.
USA has no player currently who is Top 3 in their respective position in the world ATM. No ifs or buts or maybe's about it. Top 5, possibly, but even that is not 100% certain. What they have is well spread, balanced excellence across the board, with all of their starters probably in Top 10 on their positions (or just outside, other than libero of course), something arguably no other teams except maybe China has. But the recent trend seems to suggest you can't win the really big trophies without go-to players (much as in NBA, bar the freakish seasons here or there).
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Post by Hawk Attack on May 10, 2020 15:00:22 GMT -5
who is Top 3 in their respective position in the world Name them. Go ahead and educate the masses, chosen one.
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Post by ace35 on May 10, 2020 15:49:37 GMT -5
who is Top 3 in their respective position in the world Name them. Go ahead and educate the masses, chosen one. I won't list the best 3 for the positions, because that would be difficult to decide, but I will list all those who are definitely better ATM than any US player on that position. Opp: Boskovic, Egonu, Haak (and arguably Goncharova when in good form, as well as Smarzek and Lippman) MB: Eda Erdem, Yuan, Veljkovic, Robin de Kruijf (as well as arguably Yan Ni, Fetisova and maybe even Thaisa still) Setter: Maja Ognjenovic, Joana Wolocz, Ding Xia, Naz Aydemir OH: this is the one you can most plausible argue that any American is closest, but that's because it's really, really packed with only the top 2 clear. Zhu and Gabi are definitely better than any American atm, and then how you rank KRob, Larson, Hill, MBH, Mihajlovic, KYK, Natalia, Voronkova, Sylla, Karakurt, Stysiak, Geerties, and half a dozen others is personal taste, but I don't think the 3rd is any of the American.
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trojansc
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Post by trojansc on May 10, 2020 15:52:09 GMT -5
KYK was still good enough to put almost 40-points in an Olympic Qualifying match against Canada. Yeah, ok, not the best competition, but she put up another 25 vs. Russia.
I’ll accept she’s not at her peak — but I cannot agree that KYK has declined THAT much.
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