Post by redcard🏐 on Aug 11, 2022 19:40:29 GMT -5
2022
I thought if I waited long enough, someone else would create the 2022 BIG12 thread....
So this will be brief.The BIG12 is coming off a great 2021 season where 7 teams made it to the big dance. That was .778% of the conference, which led all conferences.
2022 is a new season and the BIG12 lost some major players both to graduation and the transfer portal.
The BIG12 is back on track with pre-Covid scheduling returning - 1 home/1 away for each series.
Baylor*
2021 Record: 22-6 (14-2)
Key Returners: Lauren Harrison, Kara McGhee
Key Newcomers: Mallory Talbert MB/Texas A&M, Averi Carlson S/Freshman
Baylor is coming off another great season making it to the Sweet16. They lose all-everything Yossiana Pressley along with Hannah Sedwick, Avery Skinner, Shanel Bramschreiber and Marieke van der Mark. Ryan McGuyre enters his 8th season as head coach and will insure his Bears are competitive. Likely a 2nd place to Texas but will be challenged by Kansas and Iowa State. How quickly Carlson can gel with her hitters will be very important right out of the gate. She's going to be fun to watch.
Iowa State*
2021 Record: 16-12 (8-8)
Key Returners: Eleanor Holthaus, Jaden Newsome and Annie Hatch
Newcomers: Maya Duckworth OH/Freshman, Kelsey Perry MB/Freshman
Iowa State rebounded last season and played their way into the tourney for its 15th time and finished tied for 3rd in the BIG12. Christy Johnson-Lynch loses Candelaria Herrera up front and Marija Popovic in the back. Good news is Jaden Newsome and Eleanor Holthaus are back for another season. Question marks might be who wears the Libero jersey this season and what kind of production can they get from Duckworth and Perry.
Kansas*
2021 Record: 18-12 (8-8)
Key Returners: Caroline Bien, Camryn Turner, London Davis, Rachel Langs
Key Newcomers: Rhian Swanson OH/Freshman, Katie Dalton S-RS/Freshman, Florida transfer Lauren Dooley MB/Grad
Kansas finished tied for 3rd in the BIG12 last year and had a great (unexpected) run in the tourney with a dominate sweep over #19 Oregon, then took down #20 Creighton in four before losing to #3 Pitt in the Sweet 16. The offense took a hit this year with the transfer of MB Caroline Crawford to Wisc. and the graduation of Jenny Mosser. Coach Ray Bechard has some great depth (19 on the roster) and talent to perform well this season and compete for the #2 spot in the league with existing firepower. The competition in the gym for Setter and Libero should be fun to see who emerges.
Kansas State*
2021 Record: 15-13 (6-10)
Key Returners: Aliyah Carter OH, Kadye Fernholz MB, Haley Warner RS
Key Newcomers: St Mary's transfer Elena Baka OH/Senior, Dalia Wilson RS/Freshman (Turkey), Ava LeGrand S/Freshman OH
Kansas State surprised many by getting the tourney nod with a losing conference record and 7th place finish in the BIG12. Coach Fritz has a small roster this year but kept much of her firepower and will lean heavily again Carter, Fernholz and Warner to score. Freshman setter Ava LeGrand will likely be called on out of the gate but certainly has the pedigree to do well.
Oklahoma
2021 Record: 4-12 (10-17)
Key Returners: Megan Wilson, Peyton Dunn, Savannah Davison, Callie Kemohah
Newcomers: Alexis Shelton OH/Freshman, Taylor Preston OH/Freshman, Cincinnati transfer Adria Oliver MB/Grad
Oklahoma had another disappointing season in 2021 finishing second to the bottom of the BIG12. This season Coach Lindsey Gray-Walton should feel excited. She returns a strong core with Wilson, Dunn and Kemohah having their first collegiate season under their belt. Will be fun to see if any of the newbies can fight their way on to the court.
TCU
2021 Record: 2-14 (8-18)
Key Returners: Julia Adams, Audrey Nalls, Afedo Manyang, Mckenzie Nichols, Mykayla Myers and Cecily Bramschreiber
Key Newcomers: Callie Williams S/Grad, Sarah Sylvester MB/Freshman, Jalyn Gibson OH/Freshman, Transfer Sabrina Sustala DS/Senior (Texas A&M)
TCU finished the season a disappointing last place (again). But new Head Coach Jason Williams (Baylor Assoc. HD Coach) walked into a great returning core group. So good, his daughter Callie decided to come play for him as a Grad student. Callie's time at Baylor and experience on the court will hopefully be a nice boost this team needs. Setter McKenzie Nichols looks to keep that role this season but Callie could provide a 6-2 option. Adams will be expected to lead the attack but also has a really good cast around her. The Frogs are predicted to finish 7th this year, but they can certainly make a push to crack the top 5.
Texas*
2021 Record: 27-2 (15-1) Big 12 Champions
Key Returners: Asjia O'Neal, Molly Phillips, Logan Eggleston, Melanie Parra, Saige Ka’aha’aina
Key Newcomers: Transfer Kayla Caffey MB/Grad (Nebraska), Madisen Skinner OH/Junior (Kentucky), Transfer Bella Bergmark MB/Junior (Cal), Transfer Zoe Fleck L/Sr. (UCLA), Transfer Keonilei Akana DS/Soph.(Nebraska), Transfer Jenna S/R-Sr Ewert (Colorado), Marianna Singletary MB/Freshman, Devin Kahahawai OH/Freshman
Seriously.....it's like a broken record. Texas is just deep and loaded as always. BUT can Texas win the big one? Of course they can and they have the talent to do so, even with the loss of Brionne Butler, Skylar Fields (transfer out) Nalani Iosia (transfer out) and Jhenna Gabriel. Texas fell in the regional final against Nebraska due in big part to a bad passing game and a Nebraska team who came in and played like they were possessed. 2021 Big 12 POY Logan Eggleston will need to take the leadership role and get them to the Final 4. Entering his 22nd year at the helm, Coach Elliott seems to have shored up his back row with the addition of Fleck and Akana, as well as returning DS Reilly Heinrich. Coach Elliott's biggest problem is his depth....hopefully he chooses wisely and can put all the right pieces together when it matters most.
Texas Tech*
2021 Record: 7-9 (17-13)
Key Returners: Karrington Jones, Kenna Sauer Brooke Kanas, Caitlin Dugan, KJ Adams
Key Newcomers: ?? Six incoming Freshman
Texas Tech finished 6th in the Big 12 last season but still found their way to the NCAA Tourney where they fell to FGCU in 5 sets. They lose floor leader Alex Kirby but they return a strong core group with Kanas, Dugan and Jones. This could be a break out year for Jones who has struggled with injuries in the past, so hoping her 5th season is memorable and fruitful. It would appear Reese Rhodes will take over the setter duties this season. She has a lot of weapons at her disposal. Coach Tony Graystone hasn't really had much of a transfer presence for the last couple of seasons and none found again this year. Expect for Tech to stay mid-pack again this season.
West Virginia*
2021 Record: 19-10 (8-8)
Key Returners: Adrien Ell, Skye Stokes
Key Newcomers: Jessica Dunn S/Freshman, Jordyn Schilling DS/Freshman, Tierney Jackson MB-OH/Freshman
West Virginia continued to surprise many with a great season and finished atop the 3way tie for 3rd in the BIG12. They were rewarded with their first ever trip to the NCAA tourney. For the 2022 season, Coach Reed Sunahara has a very, very young team (8 incoming Freshman, 4 Sophs) with just a few returnees that saw much playing time. WVU loses a ton to graduation including All BIG12 MB Briana Lynch, Setter Lacy Zerwas, OH Kristin Lux, OH Natali Petrova, Libero Alexa Hasting and Junior MB Emmy Ogogor transferred out to Wake Forest. All BIG12 Ell (5th Year) and Stokes along with lone senior DS Natalie Winter have their work cut out for them with such a young group. R-FR Kamiah Gibson will likely be running the floor, but Dunn could find her way into the lineup. Sunahara has his work cut out for him this season, but it's likely a rebuilding season and expect WVU to be on the bottom third of the conference.
* = NCAA Tourney Team
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