2021 VNL to take place in a bubble

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 4:10:03 GMT -5 werka said:

Mar 13, 2021 0:59:10 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

I have a feeling/am hoping teams want to play some volleyball before the Olympics.

Seems it would be a quite poor coaching decision to pass up the only tournament in 18 months before the Games.

China wont send an A-Team in the VNL in normal times. Now there’s a pandemic that could be detrimental to their chances. Also the Olympics is a huge deal for them.

The Olympics being a huge deal is precisely why I think more teams *will* send their top teams into the bubble.

[stanfordnebraskafan]

Mar 13, 2021 10:42:25 GMT -5 @avid said:

Polish press released some details/rumors.

Italy got it because they were interested in hosting both the men's and women's tournament/bubbles. (Poland, Argentina, Iran, France, and Turkey wanted the men's)

Families will be allowed into the bubble (but at a price). Each team gets 25 people total (staff and players) according to this Polish press.

How many staff will the US bring? Bring less staff, more players was my first thought. Staff can zoom in to meetings and practices. 

[werka]

Mar 13, 2021 11:11:45 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

Mar 13, 2021 4:10:03 GMT -5 werka said:

China wont send an A-Team in the VNL in normal times. Now there’s a pandemic that could be detrimental to their chances. Also the Olympics is a huge deal for them.

The Olympics being a huge deal is precisely why I think more teams *will* send their top teams into the bubble.

I have the opposite take on it. Being the conservative team CHN is, I think they'll be the ones who'll keep to themselves then get the actual job done. Shouldn't they have bid to make the event happen if they were ever thinking that the VNL is a good idea to preserve their health and/or add value to their experience as a team?

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 11:19:53 GMT -5 stanfordnebraskafan said:

Mar 13, 2021 10:42:25 GMT -5 @avid said:

Polish press released some details/rumors.

Italy got it because they were interested in hosting both the men's and women's tournament/bubbles. (Poland, Argentina, Iran, France, and Turkey wanted the men's)

Families will be allowed into the bubble (but at a price). Each team gets 25 people total (staff and players) according to this Polish press.

How many staff will the US bring? Bring less staff, more players was my first thought. Staff can zoom in to meetings and practices. 

No idea. Their site list that they have 7 staff (Karch, Slabe, Virtue, Tama + Data Analyst, Sports Psychologist, and a trainer) 

[werka]

Mar 13, 2021 11:19:53 GMT -5 stanfordnebraskafan said:

Mar 13, 2021 10:42:25 GMT -5 @avid said:

Polish press released some details/rumors.

Italy got it because they were interested in hosting both the men's and women's tournament/bubbles. (Poland, Argentina, Iran, France, and Turkey wanted the men's)

Families will be allowed into the bubble (but at a price). Each team gets 25 people total (staff and players) according to this Polish press.

How many staff will the US bring? Bring less staff, more players was my first thought. Staff can zoom in to meetings and practices. 

Karch, Luka, Tama, Erin, Jeff, Jimmy and Kara.

Then bring 17(+1) players part of the Olympic shortlist.

1. Bartsch-Hackley
2. Hill
3. Robinson
4. Larson
5. Plummer
6. Drews
7. Thompson
8. Lowe
9. Ogbogu
10. Akinradewo
11. Adams
12. Washington
13. Dixon
14. Carlini
15. Poulter
16. Wong-Orantes
17. Courtney
18. Wilhite-Parsons

You're welcome, USAV.
(Edit: Originally listed only 24 people). SWP can get it.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 11:37:55 GMT -5 werka said:

Mar 13, 2021 11:19:53 GMT -5 stanfordnebraskafan said:

How many staff will the US bring? Bring less staff, more players was my first thought. Staff can zoom in to meetings and practices. 

Karch, Luka, Tama, Erin, Jeff, Jimmy and Kara.

Then bring 17 players part of the Olympic shortlist.

1. Bartsch-Hackley
2. Hill
3. Robinson
4. Larson
5. Plummer
6. Drews
7. Thompson
8. Lowe
9. Ogbogu
10. Akinradewo
11. Adams
12. Washington
13. Dixon
14. Carlini
15. Poulter
16. Wong-Orantes
17. Courtney

You're welcome, USAV.

Drop Dixon and Lowe. Add Hancock and someone else. 

[werka]

Mar 13, 2021 11:40:30 GMT -5 @avid said:

Mar 13, 2021 11:37:55 GMT -5 werka said:

Karch, Luka, Tama, Erin, Jeff, Jimmy and Kara.

Then bring 17 players part of the Olympic shortlist.

1. Bartsch-Hackley
2. Hill
3. Robinson
4. Larson
5. Plummer
6. Drews
7. Thompson
8. Lowe
9. Ogbogu
10. Akinradewo
11. Adams
12. Washington
13. Dixon
14. Carlini
15. Poulter
16. Wong-Orantes
17. Courtney

You're welcome, USAV.

Drop Dixon and Lowe. Add Hancock and someone else. 

We both know that's not happening...

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 11:41:00 GMT -5 werka said:

Mar 13, 2021 11:40:30 GMT -5 @avid said:

Drop Dixon and Lowe. Add Hancock and someone else. 

We both know that's not happening...

Do we know the severity of Dixon’s injury? I wouldn’t be surprised if she weren’t part of VNL.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 11:33:15 GMT -5 werka said:

Mar 13, 2021 11:11:45 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

The Olympics being a huge deal is precisely why I think more teams *will* send their top teams into the bubble.

I have the opposite take on it. Being the conservative team CHN is, I think they'll be the ones who'll keep to themselves then get the actual job done. Shouldn't they have bid to make the event happen if they were ever thinking that the VNL is a good idea to preserve their health and/or add value to their experience as a team?

Sure, but only if you apply that logic to all teams who didn’t bid to host. Why is not hosting the event only indicative of a lack of care for China and not the other countries? Or do you feel that every country that didn’t want to host doesn’t care about the tournament?

I guess I just don’t see how “staying at home in a bubble and playing against the B team” is in any way more beneficial or more dangerous than “enter new bubble and play in a tournament for the first time in nearly two years; the only chance before the Olympics.”

I guess we shall wait and find out. I won’t be surprised either way, I just think one of the decisions has clear advantages that the other decision does not.

Edit: and I get that China is usually pretty low key before the Olympics. But it’s just been such a weird time, for some reason I feel “hey if there’s ever a time to try something different, why not now!” 😅

[trojansc]

Mar 13, 2021 11:11:45 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

Mar 13, 2021 4:10:03 GMT -5 werka said:

China wont send an A-Team in the VNL in normal times. Now there’s a pandemic that could be detrimental to their chances. Also the Olympics is a huge deal for them.

The Olympics being a huge deal is precisely why I think more teams *will* send their top teams into the bubble.

Marcos Kwiek has publicly announced he will specifically use the VNL to select the team's 12-player Tokyo roster. Not that its relevant to what the top teams who will do and no surprise here as DR will usually load up even for the Pan-Am Cup.

But I will be surprised to see most of the top players not at the VNL, unless it is absolutely crucial to rest them like if certain players have lingering injuries.

[werka]

Mar 13, 2021 12:08:56 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

Mar 13, 2021 11:33:15 GMT -5 werka said:

I have the opposite take on it. Being the conservative team CHN is, I think they'll be the ones who'll keep to themselves then get the actual job done. Shouldn't they have bid to make the event happen if they were ever thinking that the VNL is a good idea to preserve their health and/or add value to their experience as a team?

Sure, but only if you apply that logic to all teams who didn’t bid to host. Why is not hosting the event only indicative of a lack of care for China and not the other countries? Or do you feel that every country that didn’t want to host doesn’t care about the tournament?

I guess I just don’t see how “staying at home in a bubble and playing against the B team” is in any way more beneficial or more dangerous than “enter new bubble and play in a tournament for the first time in nearly two years; the only chance before the Olympics.”

I guess we shall wait and find out. I won’t be surprised either way, I just think one of the decisions has clear advantages that the other decision does not.

Edit: and I get that China is usually pretty low key before the Olympics. But it’s just been such a weird time, for some reason I feel “hey if there’s ever a time to try something different, why not now!” 😅

Well, I'm only speaking about what I think China's tendencies have been and not for the other countries whom I don't have enough historical data on what they tend to do before the Olympics. They're pretty hidden from society right now. No people can enter and exit their training bubble and it's all pre-meditated. They train from 8:15AM to 3PM and do homework after. The news I see of China now seem to indicate that they wouldn't want to leave that state until right before the Olympics. 

[alohavball]

Mar 13, 2021 12:35:42 GMT -5 werka said:

Mar 13, 2021 12:08:56 GMT -5 @gopherfan said:

Sure, but only if you apply that logic to all teams who didn’t bid to host. Why is not hosting the event only indicative of a lack of care for China and not the other countries? Or do you feel that every country that didn’t want to host doesn’t care about the tournament?

I guess I just don’t see how “staying at home in a bubble and playing against the B team” is in any way more beneficial or more dangerous than “enter new bubble and play in a tournament for the first time in nearly two years; the only chance before the Olympics.”

I guess we shall wait and find out. I won’t be surprised either way, I just think one of the decisions has clear advantages that the other decision does not.

Edit: and I get that China is usually pretty low key before the Olympics. But it’s just been such a weird time, for some reason I feel “hey if there’s ever a time to try something different, why not now!” 😅

Well, I'm only speaking about what I think China's tendencies have been and not for the other countries whom I don't have enough historical data on what they tend to do before the Olympics. They're pretty hidden from society right now. No people can enter and exit their training bubble and it's all pre-meditated. They train from 8:15AM to 3PM and do homework after. The news I see of China now seem to indicate that they wouldn't want to leave that state until right before the Olympics. 

Lang Ping said this last month during an interview, "We are very looking forward to having some international competitions, especially before the Tokyo Olympics, we must play some games." 

She knows how important it is to get the team together to work on tactics and combinations against international opponents, no way she is heading into Tokyo just by playing scrimmages. 

She also said this, "The selection of the lineup should be based on the needs of the team and the status of the athletes. It also very important to do a good job of replacing the old and the new. Now there are some contradictions, we try to balance it well. I hope the newcomers will experience more training in international competitions."

This was all said before Italy was announced as the VNL host so China might have changed their minds about what roster to bring now. If anything the only player that might be exempt from playing VNL is their middle blocker Yan Ni because of her age and condition, everyone else will and should be there. Now whether the main players play a large portion of VNL is still unknown. I think she'll use her bench majority of the time to figure out who gets those last remaining Tokyo spots. The same could be said for Serbia who I don't see taking VNL that seriously. 

[alohavball]

Not sure if anyone brought it up, but apparently the schedule will be 3 days of matches followed by 3 days of rest. During those 3 days of rest the men's will have their 3 matches then they will rest when the women's start their next 3 matches alternating back and forth. 

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 16:36:57 GMT -5 alohavball said:

Not sure if anyone brought it up, but apparently the schedule will be 3 days of matches followed by 3 days of rest. During those 3 days of rest the men's will have their 3 matches then they will rest when the women's start their next 3 matches alternating back and forth. 

gross.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2021 16:39:03 GMT -5 @avid said:

Mar 13, 2021 16:36:57 GMT -5 alohavball said:

Not sure if anyone brought it up, but apparently the schedule will be 3 days of matches followed by 3 days of rest. During those 3 days of rest the men's will have their 3 matches then they will rest when the women's start their next 3 matches alternating back and forth. 

gross.

.....why?