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Post by comet on Oct 13, 2021 20:54:09 GMT -5
The Gophers looked really good. I swear they're like the Vikings of old. They can be great and the next game they look like they've never seen a volleyball or football. I think playing at home is a real advantage in the B1G. That might have been part of it last week. |
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Post by huskergopher on Oct 13, 2021 21:03:46 GMT -5
The Gophers looked really good. I swear they're like the Vikings of old. They can be great and the next game they look like they've never seen a volleyball or football. I agree, pretty much perfect in all aspects today. Just wondering if even our best can keep up with the Texas', Louisvilles and Wisckys of the world. I mean, we could have been in a position to beat Texas 3-1 if a few points at the end of the first and fourth set had gone our way. When we're clicking on all cylinders, we can hang with just about anyone. We just... haven't been able to put it all together. |
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Post by run4ease on Oct 13, 2021 21:36:45 GMT -5
Great win tonight, Gophers! Really impressed with Rubright and Myers, and McGraw had tons of nice digs tonight! McGraw was all over the place tonight. Got rocked a couple of times with some massive kills but she kept every ball in play. |
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Post by gogophers on Oct 13, 2021 21:39:25 GMT -5
Very crafty, Hugh. To pretend like you’re not going to set the middle, ever, for the first 14 matches …. then suddenly go back to setting the middle at the 15 match! Wow! It s a gutsy strategy. Hasn’t been done since the late 70’s, I believe! the middles had only 15 swings, the same 5 per set we've gotten used to. 8 kills made it seem like more and, actually, it was somewhat more than usual, given that the match was over relatively quickly. In 2018, the middles were getting 10 swings per set. We're far from that. |
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Post by zero-rotation outside hitter on Oct 13, 2021 21:55:38 GMT -5
Very crafty, Hugh. To pretend like you’re not going to set the middle, ever, for the first 14 matches …. then suddenly go back to setting the middle at the 15 match! Wow! It s a gutsy strategy. Hasn’t been done since the late 70’s, I believe! the middles had only 15 swings, the same 5 per set we've gotten used to. 8 kills made it seem like more and, actually, it was somewhat more than usual, given that the match was over relatively quickly. In 2018, the middles were getting 10 swings per set. We're far from that. It doesn't need to be the same. Gophers in 2018 did not have the same outside heat they have this year, nor are Meyers or Rubright or Huseman as effective in hitting as Morgan/Pittman. Even if passing is perfect, the ball will go down more going to the outside in 2021 than in 2018. It's great that Rubright was able to pull the block a handful of times after a nice first set offensively. That's the bigger need...making the block hesitate just enough so that the MN outsides can get one-on-ones. That's how MN will have a chance at a decent run in the tournament. |
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Post by NFRvb on Oct 13, 2021 22:07:20 GMT -5
the middles had only 15 swings, the same 5 per set we've gotten used to. 8 kills made it seem like more and, actually, it was somewhat more than usual, given that the match was over relatively quickly. In 2018, the middles were getting 10 swings per set. We're far from that. It doesn't need to be the same. Gophers in 2018 did not have the same outside heat they have this year, nor are Meyers or Rubright or Huseman as effective in hitting as Morgan/Pittman. Even if passing is perfect, the ball will go down more going to the outside in 2021 than in 2018. It's great that Rubright was able to pull the block a handful of times after a nice first set offensively. That's the bigger need...making the block hesitate just enough so that the MN outsides can get one-on-ones. That's how MN will have a chance at a decent run in the tournament. Couldn’t have said it better. The middle production tonight is just what they need. |
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Post by vbcoltrane on Oct 13, 2021 23:00:40 GMT -5
I just don't get it. A close 5-setter v. NW to this? Not so much the sweep, but the set scores. And away-home isn't enough to explain the difference to me. MN continues to be an enigma.
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Post by gogophers on Oct 13, 2021 23:39:09 GMT -5
Perhaps it is NW that is the enigma. I didn't see the away match, but have to believe that NW played a lot better then. Nothing was working for NW today.
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Post by gophervbfan on Oct 14, 2021 0:21:38 GMT -5
First time Northwestern has been swept in conference play this year.
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Post by mcmike on Oct 14, 2021 3:38:52 GMT -5
Does anyone have access to sideout percentages?
One of the keys to winning, particularly against good teams with terminal hitters, is to get the first kill.
A good pass
A semblance of a middle threat
A reliable set
= a match where the opponents don't get runs
I would guess that MN graded well in all of these facets.
In Evanston NW hit ~350 in two of the sets.
MN hit .07 .13 .25 and .33
In the fifth set NW had 1 kill and 5 errors. I think both teams were worn out after a 31-29 4th set where MN staved off a number of match points.
NW had 17 blocks playing at home, but only 6 tonight
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2021 7:30:29 GMT -5
8 kills made it seem like more and, actually, it was somewhat more than usual, given that the match was over relatively quickly. Maybe that was the reason. In 2018, the middles were getting 10 swings per set. We're far from that. Hopefully tonight's performance -- especially from Rubright, out of literally no where -- will convince them to get back closer to that. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2021 7:32:02 GMT -5
That's the bigger need...making the block hesitate just enough so that the MN outsides can get one-on-ones. Which can only be accomplished if we have legit hitting threats from our middles, whether on the setter, 30 sets, or slides. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2021 7:34:01 GMT -5
The part gets irritated, you stop and rest. It feels better. You start up again, with those same movement/mechanics and it starts to hurt again, and you have to sit. OK. I could buy this, as a reasonable explanation. Could also just be a convenient excuse. I have no inside info, and neither do you. So we will have to continue to think what we want to think. |
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Post by pavsec5row10 on Oct 14, 2021 7:57:05 GMT -5
Very crafty, Hugh. To pretend like you’re not going to set the middle, ever, for the first 14 matches …. then suddenly go back to setting the middle at the 15 match! Wow! It s a gutsy strategy. Hasn’t been done since the late 70’s, I believe! the middles had only 15 swings, the same 5 per set we've gotten used to. 8 kills made it seem like more and, actually, it was somewhat more than usual, given that the match was over relatively quickly. In 2018, the middles were getting 10 swings per set. We're far from that. The first set, they were getting lots of balls. It seemed very intentional and there was a semblance of connection at least. Progress. |
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Post by pavsec5row10 on Oct 14, 2021 8:02:23 GMT -5
Kilkelly had a really nice match under the radar. Good serving runs and passing was on.
Got to love Miyabe leading the team in kills. She put some real heat on a couple of them.
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