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BYU 2022
Oct 5, 2022 15:16:49 GMT -5
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Post by samedog on Oct 5, 2022 15:16:49 GMT -5
My third observation of things that have impressed me has to do with the job Heather Olmstead is doing. It's hard to argue about becoming the fastest coach to ever hit 200 wins. Losing 3 players like TBN, Eschenberg, and most of all Koerber from last year, I had more modest expectations for this team. I get some will argue (MarnVB) that she isn't coaching in the Big 10 and, thus, has an easier schedule. IMO, this is a non starter. Most coaches aren't in the Big 10, and yet no one has ever done it faster. Dave Shoji (a great coach) built a dynasty at Hawaii playing against lesser competition than Heather. And don't knock the WCC this year with San Diego (only loss at Louisville and wins over Ohio State and Pitt already), Pepperdine (wins over Baylor, Minnesota and Washington), and LMU (sweep of UCLA) having great seasons with some bigtime wins. I continue to be impressed with Heather's ability to plug new faces in and get the same old, highly successful result, whether its needing to replace a great middle, serving specialist, or just keep on winning. Heather has found a way to consistently win. In particular, this year I have seen more adjustments than in prior years. I love the move to play Grimmer almost all rotations. Didn't expect that. Love the way she develops people so that they are ready when the time comes (Llarenas). Even as some of have pointed out that she is quicker to pull a player than in prior years--to me that's a sign she knows what is needed for this years team to win. IMO, this year might be Heather's best coaching job so far based on the pieces she has to work with. I wouldn't be surprised if San Diego wins the WCC this year as I don't know that this team's ceiling is as high as it has been in the past. But when BYU finishes at least 2nd, makes it to another Sweet Sixteen, and wins a bunch more matches, considering the losses from last year, well done, Heather! Agreed! Hats off to Heather! |
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Post by bbg95 on Oct 5, 2022 16:03:35 GMT -5
Continuing with my thought on people or things that have impressed me so far this year: two of our young outsides, Eden Bower and Elyse Stowell. Elyse Stowell--really glad she is finally getting her shot. I have long been a big fan of her game, believing her to be the indoor player with the “beach” strengths that come from being a really good beach player. I think she is an underrated defender and I love her crafty and intelligent shots--doesn't just pound it into the block all the time, although she can hit a heavy shot when she has to. I thought she played well in the match against the big block of Ohio State, and particularly from the time that she has come in late in the Pepperdine match, she has only impressed me. And while you can argue about the small sample size and the competition, hitting .369 thus far for the year is middle blocker-like. I know some here on the board rave about Callahan’s “superior” athleticism or higher approach, but I think that Stowell is a complete enough player that if she gets enough time to build confidence, she will be really good for us for the next few years. Eden Bower: I have been very impressed. For all of the naysayers and fault finders, I stand by my summer recruiting break down and believe she has proved me right. Defensively she has been better than I expected, and she has held up better with being targeted by serves than most expected. And she has consistently hit a very respectable rate (.259) into some good blocks. For a freshman, I love what I have seen out of Eden. I think given more time in the system, Eden will be a star for us. I haven't gotten around to watching the Portland and Gonzaga matches yet (I'm somewhat deterred by the lower broadcast quality of the road matches), but I did watch the Pepperdine one, and while it was a small sample size, I was impressed with Stowell's ability to get kills out of system. Given the quality of the passing or lack thereof, that's very important for this team. I agree that she makes intelligent decisions, which is one of the most important skills. |
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Post by bbg95 on Oct 5, 2022 16:13:11 GMT -5
My third observation of things that have impressed me has to do with the job Heather Olmstead is doing. It's hard to argue about becoming the fastest coach to ever hit 200 wins. Losing 3 players like TBN, Eschenberg, and most of all Koerber from last year, I had more modest expectations for this team. I get some will argue (MarnVB) that she isn't coaching in the Big 10 and, thus, has an easier schedule. IMO, this is a non starter. Most coaches aren't in the Big 10, and yet no one has ever done it faster. Dave Shoji (a great coach) built a dynasty at Hawaii playing against lesser competition than Heather. And don't knock the WCC this year with San Diego (only loss at Louisville and wins over Ohio State and Pitt already), Pepperdine (wins over Baylor, Minnesota and Washington), and LMU (sweep of UCLA) having great seasons with some bigtime wins. I continue to be impressed with Heather's ability to plug new faces in and get the same old, highly successful result, whether its needing to replace a great middle, serving specialist, or just keep on winning. Heather has found a way to consistently win. In particular, this year I have seen more adjustments than in prior years. I love the move to play Grimmer almost all rotations. Didn't expect that. Love the way she develops people so that they are ready when the time comes (Llarenas). Even as some of have pointed out that she is quicker to pull a player than in prior years--to me that's a sign she knows what is needed for this years team to win. IMO, this year might be Heather's best coaching job so far based on the pieces she has to work with. I wouldn't be surprised if San Diego wins the WCC this year as I don't know that this team's ceiling is as high as it has been in the past. But when BYU finishes at least 2nd, makes it to another Sweet Sixteen, and wins a bunch more matches, considering the losses from last year, well done, Heather! So I agree that getting to 200 wins faster than anyone else is very impressive. That said, I think this is a little disrespectful to Shoji. If you look at Hawaii's schedules in Shoji's earlier years, he was consistently playing against the strong teams from California. If anything, you could argue that the competition that Russ Rose and Terry Pettit faced were weaker because the Big 8 and Atlantic 10 were not especially strong conferences at the time. |
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Post by kk1971 on Oct 5, 2022 19:15:35 GMT -5
My third observation of things that have impressed me has to do with the job Heather Olmstead is doing. It's hard to argue about becoming the fastest coach to ever hit 200 wins. Losing 3 players like TBN, Eschenberg, and most of all Koerber from last year, I had more modest expectations for this team. I get some will argue (MarnVB) that she isn't coaching in the Big 10 and, thus, has an easier schedule. IMO, this is a non starter. Most coaches aren't in the Big 10, and yet no one has ever done it faster. Dave Shoji (a great coach) built a dynasty at Hawaii playing against lesser competition than Heather. And don't knock the WCC this year with San Diego (only loss at Louisville and wins over Ohio State and Pitt already), Pepperdine (wins over Baylor, Minnesota and Washington), and LMU (sweep of UCLA) having great seasons with some bigtime wins. I continue to be impressed with Heather's ability to plug new faces in and get the same old, highly successful result, whether its needing to replace a great middle, serving specialist, or just keep on winning. Heather has found a way to consistently win. In particular, this year I have seen more adjustments than in prior years. I love the move to play Grimmer almost all rotations. Didn't expect that. Love the way she develops people so that they are ready when the time comes (Llarenas). Even as some of have pointed out that she is quicker to pull a player than in prior years--to me that's a sign she knows what is needed for this years team to win. IMO, this year might be Heather's best coaching job so far based on the pieces she has to work with. I wouldn't be surprised if San Diego wins the WCC this year as I don't know that this team's ceiling is as high as it has been in the past. But when BYU finishes at least 2nd, makes it to another Sweet Sixteen, and wins a bunch more matches, considering the losses from last year, well done, Heather! So I agree that getting to 200 wins faster than anyone else is very impressive. That said, I think this is a little disrespectful to Shoji. If you look at Hawaii's schedules in Shoji's earlier years, he was consistently playing against the strong teams from California. If anything, you could argue that the competition that Russ Rose and Terry Pettit faced were weaker because the Big 8 and Atlantic 10 were not especially strong conferences at the time. |
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Post by kk1971 on Oct 5, 2022 19:18:54 GMT -5
No disrespect intended towards Shoji at all. He is one of the GOATs. You are correct about his schedules. And its never apples to apples in terms of comparisons, although Dave captured Hawaii recruiting wise in the same way which Heather is trying to do with LDS recruits.
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Post by bbg95 on Oct 5, 2022 20:34:40 GMT -5
No disrespect intended towards Shoji at all. He is one of the GOATs. You are correct about his schedules. And its never apples to apples in terms of comparisons, although Dave captured Hawaii recruiting wise in the same way which Heather is trying to do with LDS recruits. No problem. Speaking of which, 2024 Blaykli Bobik (daughter of former BYU men's basketball player Daniel Bobik) committed a month ago. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiYqYaXPevS |
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Zazu
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Post by Zazu on Oct 5, 2022 22:12:00 GMT -5
While admittedly I had lower expectations this year after losing TBN, Eschenberg, and most of all Koerber, I have to say that there have been quite a few more positives than I expected. I thought a would share a few and see if others feel the same way. One pleasant surprise for me this year has been Whitney Llarenas. While she is not the defensive presence that Eschenberg was, IMO she is a more potent offensive weapon. I predicted that Prior would be starting by season’s end when I did my recruiting recap; well, I am pretty darn sure I will be wrong. Whitney has impressed me with a polish and quickness on the attack that I didn’t see coming. She doesn’t have the defensive presence at the net that we got from Eschenberg, and I do believe that hurts us against better teams, but she has certainly given me more than I expected. Well done. I was actually really excited that Whitney Llarenas decided to come back this year, and not because I had any idea she would be so good this year. I just love watching players that come in and work hard and progress year after year getting a little bit better every year and making an impact both on and off the court because of their work ethic and attitude. When I saw her play in the blue/white scrimmage I was astonished at how much progress she had made since last year. She's continually improved over the years, but she took a huge step forward since the end of last season. Even her blocking looks much better. She's never going to be a really quick side-to-side mover, but she's holding her own for the most part. |
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Zazu
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Post by Zazu on Oct 5, 2022 22:16:58 GMT -5
On a side note, I liked that they brought in Kate Prior as a blocking sub for Whitney Bower at the end of the Gonzaga match, but I've really wanted to see Briley Decker used in these moments instead of Prior, and not because she is a setter, but because I was very impressed with Decker's blocking on the right side during the scrimmage.
EDIT: On a second side note, I was also hoping to see Elyse Stowell some in the back row this year, but it didn't look promising after the scrimmage. Now that she's starting at OH2, I'm still hoping to see her play some back row for some matches, but it still doesn't look very likely.
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Zazu
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Post by Zazu on Oct 5, 2022 22:18:19 GMT -5
No disrespect intended towards Shoji at all. He is one of the GOATs. You are correct about his schedules. And its never apples to apples in terms of comparisons, although Dave captured Hawaii recruiting wise in the same way which Heather is trying to do with LDS recruits. No problem. Speaking of which, 2024 Blaykli Bobik (daughter of former BYU men's basketball player Daniel Bobik) committed a month ago. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiYqYaXPevS Isn't she from the same high school as Kate Grimmer? Does anyone have any insights into her game? |
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Post by azvb on Oct 6, 2022 20:31:41 GMT -5
Isn't she from the same high school as Kate Grimmer? Does anyone have any insights into her game? Yes, she is. Coached by Erica (Lott) Crismon, former Cougar. |
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Post by bbg95 on Oct 6, 2022 22:07:21 GMT -5
Isn't she from the same high school as Kate Grimmer? Does anyone have any insights into her game? Yes, she is. Coached by Erica (Lott) Crismon, former Cougar. Erica Lott is one of the players that I knew in college and was a key part of the 2007 team that went to the Elite 8. Chelsea Goodman was their best player. |
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Post by marnvbc2 on Oct 19, 2022 13:00:48 GMT -5
I am not sure what to make of this BYU team. Caught 1.5 sets of Gonzaga/BYU and turned off the feed. Even USF was closer than it should have been. Then along comes Pacific? What is going on? That was a legit loss to a very very average team.
Callahan, Stowell, E.Bower have all been given time at OH to prove themselves. I like that. Stowell does seem to have good court vision that allows her to place balls better than Callahan. We wouldn't have known this unless each girl was given a shot in a match. Maybe they get better over the next couple of years? Or are none of them elite level pin hitters? Grimmer has digressed from the her start at BYU. She isn't a 6 rotation player and she isn't a good blocker. The whole Opp issue is really hurting BYU. Blocking that side has to be addressed. I understand Heather's total frustration with her back row. But the experiment at L has to end. Put them back to who started the year and go with it until the end. I would probably make a change at MB and put Heather K out there at Opp. Bring Kate into MB and get her going. Maybe Whitney L could go to Opp and leave Heather but something has to be done. I still want to see Decker. A 6-2 option is still out there. Wow, I envisioned a tougher learning curve this year with the schedule, but the wheels have just fallen off. Can Heather put things back together? I think it is still possible but she is going to have to put up a big block everywhere she can because she can't leave the back row defenseless and relying on their natural athletic ability to move quickly! There is very little of it back there.
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Post by bbg95 on Oct 19, 2022 16:58:04 GMT -5
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Post by marnvbc2 on Oct 20, 2022 14:16:13 GMT -5
I have seen Abby play a little bit. There is some upside there so good for her/BYU! Now we need to see 4-5 back row girls brought in to compete. BYU has 1 girl from Utah committed already but they need 4 more passers to find 1 or 2 legit ones. MB's will be decimated with Heather and Whitney both gone at season's end. Need to get Prior more match time in the middle right now. Stowell is being given an opportunity and we will see if she grabs the moment. I wouldn't rule out a return of E Bower but we will see. Can we ever see Montoya at OH or Opp? I can't believe that she can't hit but if she can't hit she isn't a good enough server to just fill that role. Perplexing.
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Zazu
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Post by Zazu on Oct 20, 2022 14:21:06 GMT -5
I have seen Abby play a little bit. There is some upside there so good for her/BYU! Now we need to see 4-5 back row girls brought in to compete. BYU has 1 girl from Utah committed already but they need 4 more passers to find 1 or 2 legit ones. MB's will be decimated with Heather and Whitney both gone at season's end. Need to get Prior more match time in the middle right now. Stowell is being given an opportunity and we will see if she grabs the moment. I wouldn't rule out a return of E Bower but we will see. Can we ever see Montoya at OH or Opp? I can't believe that she can't hit but if she can't hit she isn't a good enough server to just fill that role. Perplexing. Jarom Jordan has stated several times during broadcasts that Heather Gneiting is the only player with no eligibility left after this season, so Whitney Llarenas could play another season if she wants. I'd like to see them play Montoya as well, just to see what she can do. She didn't pass particularly well in the blue/white scrimmage (but neither did Stowell or Callahan) and I thought she hit fairly well. |
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