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Post by stanfordvb on Sept 18, 2022 11:17:21 GMT -5
I know she's been a mess a lot of time offensively but aiko jones doesn't get enough credit. pretty sure she blocked more balls per set than any opposite in the NCAA last year including kipp who's imposing block seems to always be mentioned. aiko also averaged the same amount t of aces per set as akana did in 2021. even when she's not producing offensively aiko is putting a lot of pressure on the opposing OH She has 12 K and hit .375 last night. That, will 2.0 BPS, is a pretty good match in my opinion. And so many of the comments about her on here were negative ... Oh well. People see what they want to see. yes she played well last night I was just talking about the amount of slander on here in general regarding her. finishing the 2021 season with 1.3 block per set as someone who is not a MB is wildly impressive |
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Post by jeffmca on Sept 18, 2022 13:00:23 GMT -5
A Louisville fan's next-day thoughts from Maples:
So, Stanford folks, let's talk.
Let me start by saying that you have a fine volleyball team that it clearly one of the best teams in the country. We had a great match last night between two teams that clearly belong at least in Top 10 discussions, if not more. I have nothing but great things to say about the Cardinal squad. Well, ok, I could probably find a critique or two here and there, but I can say the same about my Louisville squad as well, and that's not what this is about.
Stanford, you've got some issues off the court.
That crowd in Maples last night was probably the most lethargic, disinterested crowd I've ever seen for a volleyball team. When a handful of Louisville fans can generate more enthusiasm and energy for their team than a crowd of nearly 2500? You've got issues. To be clear, there were moments where there was cheering from the Stanford crowd...mostly from the young girls that were relegated to seats where they were nearly hanging from the rafters. When the jumbotron and PA announcer exhorted the crowd to get loud, there was cheering, but notably, within a second of the graphic being taken down from the scoreboard the place returned to nearly being able to hear a pin drop. For a top 10 matchup with 2 very close and exciting sets, plus one where Stanford pretty much curbstomped Louisville, it was...almost embarrassing to see the crowd reaction, or lack thereof.
To be clear, I'm not talking about the commentary here on VT...this is a forum for volleyball geeks to discuss the ins and outs of the game in way too much detail, and critique, sometimes pretty harshly, the play of players and teams. VT is an online forum specific to the field, I totally get it. But if you're going to plant your butt in a seat in Maples, you're there to cheer for your team, to bring energy and enthusiasm for them. You all gave Baird a lot of grief for being "checked out", and to be honest, I didn't pay specific enough attention to her to comment intelligently. But assuming that's a fair assessment, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, honestly I can't really blame her. Of course I don't know what her relationships with her teammates, coaching staff and others are really like, but if she's spent several years playing in front of a crowd that was as disinterested as the one last night...yeah, I'd probably be looking to make an exit as well.
Now the people working at Maples...I didn't experience anything, as a Louisville fan, in any way traumatic, but I've never felt more unwelcome at an "away" (for me) arena. I got condescension, sighs of exasperation, and in one case an honest-to-goodness eye-roll from ushers and other workers.
My day job is in computer networking. Given the outsized impact Stanford and the surrounding areas have had on my industry, part of my wanting to make the trip was to take almost a pilgrimage to see the campus and surrounding areas where so many advancements in my field occurred. Many people point out the degree of toxicity in the Information Technology field, and they're absolutely correct, and networking within it is not immune, for sure. I'm sad to say, if my experience at Maples is representative of part of the larger whole, I think I may have gotten a glimpse of where at least some of it comes from.
I'm glad I made the trip, overall it was fun (if brief). I'm glad my team won, I'm glad that it was a close match with two really close and exciting sets between two top teams. I wish nothing but the absolute best for Stanford's volleyball team. But I have to say that I came away from my experience here with a diminished view of Stanford as an institution. I hope I'm wrong and that it was just an "off night" for the crowd, but I'm skeptical.
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Post by hammer on Sept 18, 2022 14:07:13 GMT -5
Waited until now to post. It's exhausting seeing your team get beat when with a little better execution they could have won the match. Credit L'ville as they are pretty solid all around, have a ton of experience, and can up their game at the end of sets when it is needed. IMO, they are the clear #2 team right now and possibly a team that could give Texas a run for the NCAA title. Frankly, if Stanford could get to where L'ville is now by the end of the season I'd be pretty happy. Their D is better, their O is more diversified and faster, and their block is very good also. I like some of the moves DBK made also bringing in back row/server specialists at key moments in the match.
Obviously Baird had a bad match but not all her fault. At times Stanford's passing broke down and she was the only option for Miner, and the block she was facing was YUGE. I'm hoping she can have a good match against a weaker opponent (like Cal) to sort of get untracked. Last year Baird was hitting high hands and tooling the block much more effectively, so if she can somehow return to her previous form, that would be a big boost to the Card's chances.
Baird's passing hasn't been bad (without knowing her Volleymetrics numbers), and that's likely why she's still 6-ro. However, against really good servers she has a tendency to get handcuffed, and if it is at a critical time of the match, Stanford really suffers.
Baird's back row D is very suspect as many posters have mentioned. In set one for example she was exposed three times with tips or roll shots to zone 5 where she didn't read the play and cheat over to back up Oglivie. If those are covered there's a good chance Stanford wins set one.
Looking at the stats after eight matches, Baird is hitting .147 with 2.97 KPS, 0.53 BPS, and 1.97 DPS. Granted, six of the opponents were top 15, so you would expect lower numbers than last year, but these are a lot lower than my expectations, other than digs per set.
I focused on Baird in this post, when there are others who had issues also, but I think it is Stanford's number one issue that needs to be addressed if they want to win the Pac-12 and make it to a Regional Final. If Baird's hitting numbers don't go way up, those goals won't be reached and in 2023, Blyashov will likely take Baird's place in the starting lineup.
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bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
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Post by bluepenquin on Sept 18, 2022 15:50:14 GMT -5
I think Texas and Louisville will be 1 and 2, id like to see stanford sneak into 3rd or 4th by the end of the year but that could be wishful thinking. those are the current top 3 teams in my opinion rn Stanford without a doubt is in the mix. I mean 16 or 17 conference wins and they are in consideration with this kind of schedule - and that seems very possible to me. I am not saying Louisville will be the #2 seed - but this non conference performance and schedule makes their RPI very tough to beat. They remind me a lot of Pittsburgh's non conference last year. Pitt had the RPI, but finishing 2nd in the ACC they dropped to #4 seed (if I remember correctly?). |
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Post by stanfordvb on Sept 18, 2022 16:12:31 GMT -5
I think Texas and Louisville will be 1 and 2, id like to see stanford sneak into 3rd or 4th by the end of the year but that could be wishful thinking. those are the current top 3 teams in my opinion rn Stanford without a doubt is in the mix. I mean 16 or 17 conference wins and they are in consideration with this kind of schedule - and that seems very possible to me. I am not saying Louisville will be the #2 seed - but this non conference performance and schedule makes their RPI very tough to beat. They remind me a lot of Pittsburgh's non conference last year. Pitt had the RPI, but finishing 2nd in the ACC they dropped to #4 seed (if I remember correctly?). if Louisville wins the ACC and goes undefeated I see them definitely taking #2, if they have no more than one loss to either Pitt or GT (preferably whichever one is ranked higher at th end) then id still see them likely to get the 3 or 4 spot. I think the B1G might be a circus this year and am assuming they are going to knock ecahother around a bit |
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Post by volleynerd on Sept 18, 2022 16:16:18 GMT -5
I think Texas and Louisville will be 1 and 2, id like to see stanford sneak into 3rd or 4th by the end of the year but that could be wishful thinking. those are the current top 3 teams in my opinion rn Stanford without a doubt is in the mix. I mean 16 or 17 conference wins and they are in consideration with this kind of schedule - and that seems very possible to me. I am not saying Louisville will be the #2 seed - but this non conference performance and schedule makes their RPI very tough to beat. They remind me a lot of Pittsburgh's non conference last year. Pitt had the RPI, but finishing 2nd in the ACC they dropped to #4 seed (if I remember correctly?). Pitt got the #3 seed and Wisconsin was #4 Louisville is probably #2 with the volume of quality wins they got. |
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bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
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Posts: 13,292
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Post by bluepenquin on Sept 18, 2022 16:39:13 GMT -5
Stanford without a doubt is in the mix. I mean 16 or 17 conference wins and they are in consideration with this kind of schedule - and that seems very possible to me. I am not saying Louisville will be the #2 seed - but this non conference performance and schedule makes their RPI very tough to beat. They remind me a lot of Pittsburgh's non conference last year. Pitt had the RPI, but finishing 2nd in the ACC they dropped to #4 seed (if I remember correctly?). if Louisville wins the ACC and goes undefeated I see them definitely taking #2, if they have no more than one loss to either Pitt or GT (preferably whichever one is ranked higher at th end) then id still see them likely to get the 3 or 4 spot. I think the B1G might be a circus this year and am assuming they are going to knock ecahother around a bit Yeah - I have beat around the bush here. Louisville is probably going to finish with the #2 RPI (or possibly #1). But I can see them dropping down a bit in seed if they don't win the ACC. Pittsburgh is also a strong contender to be a regional seed again this year, but unlike last year - Louisville's schedule is a tad better and they go into conference with one fewer loss. There are a number of contenders in the B1G - and they could easily get 2 of those spots. San Diego is a strong contender if they get through the West Coast w/o more than 1 or 2 losses. I don't think either Rice or Marquette will have enough top wins to get there. Florida and Kentucky are probably long shots - would probably have to run the table in the SEC. |
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Post by hammer on Sept 18, 2022 16:43:08 GMT -5
if Louisville wins the ACC and goes undefeated I see them definitely taking #2, if they have no more than one loss to either Pitt or GT (preferably whichever one is ranked higher at th end) then id still see them likely to get the 3 or 4 spot. I think the B1G might be a circus this year and am assuming they are going to knock ecahother around a bit Yeah - I have beat around the bush here. Louisville is probably going to finish with the #2 RPI (or possibly #1). But I can see them dropping down a bit in seed if they don't win the ACC. Pittsburgh is also a strong contender to be a regional seed again this year, but unlike last year - Louisville's schedule is a tad better and they go into conference with one fewer loss. There are a number of contenders in the B1G - and they could easily get 2 of those spots. San Diego is a strong contender if they get through the West Coast w/o more than 1 or 2 losses. I don't think either Rice or Marquette will have enough top wins to get there. Florida and Kentucky are probably long shots - would probably have to run the table in the SEC. Definitely agree, USD has a good shot if Pepperdine doesn't make waves and BYU doesn't claw them. |
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bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
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Posts: 13,292
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Post by bluepenquin on Sept 18, 2022 16:47:17 GMT -5
Yeah - I have beat around the bush here. Louisville is probably going to finish with the #2 RPI (or possibly #1). But I can see them dropping down a bit in seed if they don't win the ACC. Pittsburgh is also a strong contender to be a regional seed again this year, but unlike last year - Louisville's schedule is a tad better and they go into conference with one fewer loss. There are a number of contenders in the B1G - and they could easily get 2 of those spots. San Diego is a strong contender if they get through the West Coast w/o more than 1 or 2 losses. I don't think either Rice or Marquette will have enough top wins to get there. Florida and Kentucky are probably long shots - would probably have to run the table in the SEC. Definitely agree, USD has a good shot if Pepperdine doesn't make waves and BYU doesn't claw them. WCC teams come in with a significant RPI issue when it comes to getting a seed - let alone a regional seed. They end up having to be exceptional. |
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Post by CompSci87 on Sept 18, 2022 18:57:36 GMT -5
Match is up on YouTube.
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Post by baytree on Sept 18, 2022 19:43:29 GMT -5
A Louisville fan's next-day thoughts from Maples: So, Stanford folks, let's talk. Let me start by saying that you have a fine volleyball team that it clearly one of the best teams in the country. We had a great match last night between two teams that clearly belong at least in Top 10 discussions, if not more. I have nothing but great things to say about the Cardinal squad. Well, ok, I could probably find a critique or two here and there, but I can say the same about my Louisville squad as well, and that's not what this is about. Stanford, you've got some issues off the court. That crowd in Maples last night was probably the most lethargic, disinterested crowd I've ever seen for a volleyball team. When a handful of Louisville fans can generate more enthusiasm and energy for their team than a crowd of nearly 2500? You've got issues. To be clear, there were moments where there was cheering from the Stanford crowd...mostly from the young girls that were relegated to seats where they were nearly hanging from the rafters. When the jumbotron and PA announcer exhorted the crowd to get loud, there was cheering, but notably, within a second of the graphic being taken down from the scoreboard the place returned to nearly being able to hear a pin drop. For a top 10 matchup with 2 very close and exciting sets, plus one where Stanford pretty much curbstomped Louisville, it was...almost embarrassing to see the crowd reaction, or lack thereof. To be clear, I'm not talking about the commentary here on VT...this is a forum for volleyball geeks to discuss the ins and outs of the game in way too much detail, and critique, sometimes pretty harshly, the play of players and teams. VT is an online forum specific to the field, I totally get it. But if you're going to plant your butt in a seat in Maples, you're there to cheer for your team, to bring energy and enthusiasm for them. You all gave Baird a lot of grief for being "checked out", and to be honest, I didn't pay specific enough attention to her to comment intelligently. But assuming that's a fair assessment, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, honestly I can't really blame her. Of course I don't know what her relationships with her teammates, coaching staff and others are really like, but if she's spent several years playing in front of a crowd that was as disinterested as the one last night...yeah, I'd probably be looking to make an exit as well. Now the people working at Maples...I didn't experience anything, as a Louisville fan, in any way traumatic, but I've never felt more unwelcome at an "away" (for me) arena. I got condescension, sighs of exasperation, and in one case an honest-to-goodness eye-roll from ushers and other workers. My day job is in computer networking. Given the outsized impact Stanford and the surrounding areas have had on my industry, part of my wanting to make the trip was to take almost a pilgrimage to see the campus and surrounding areas where so many advancements in my field occurred. Many people point out the degree of toxicity in the Information Technology field, and they're absolutely correct, and networking within it is not immune, for sure. I'm sad to say, if my experience at Maples is representative of part of the larger whole, I think I may have gotten a glimpse of where at least some of it comes from. I'm glad I made the trip, overall it was fun (if brief). I'm glad my team won, I'm glad that it was a close match with two really close and exciting sets between two top teams. I wish nothing but the absolute best for Stanford's volleyball team. But I have to say that I came away from my experience here with a diminished view of Stanford as an institution. I hope I'm wrong and that it was just an "off night" for the crowd, but I'm skeptical. Sorry the ppl who worked at Maples were rude. That shouldn't happen.
The Maples crowd is generally subdued. Polite clapping is much more likely than raucous yells. It looks like the size of the crowd was pretty typical (2426). A packed house is rare in the regular season.
Stanford isn't in session yet. The undergraduates arrive next week when the dorms open. They tend to be more enthusiastic and high energy, though there are no sections of screaming fans, like at some schools.
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Post by jeffmca on Sept 18, 2022 20:04:06 GMT -5
A Louisville fan's next-day thoughts from Maples: So, Stanford folks, let's talk. Let me start by saying that you have a fine volleyball team that it clearly one of the best teams in the country. We had a great match last night between two teams that clearly belong at least in Top 10 discussions, if not more. I have nothing but great things to say about the Cardinal squad. Well, ok, I could probably find a critique or two here and there, but I can say the same about my Louisville squad as well, and that's not what this is about. Stanford, you've got some issues off the court. That crowd in Maples last night was probably the most lethargic, disinterested crowd I've ever seen for a volleyball team. When a handful of Louisville fans can generate more enthusiasm and energy for their team than a crowd of nearly 2500? You've got issues. To be clear, there were moments where there was cheering from the Stanford crowd...mostly from the young girls that were relegated to seats where they were nearly hanging from the rafters. When the jumbotron and PA announcer exhorted the crowd to get loud, there was cheering, but notably, within a second of the graphic being taken down from the scoreboard the place returned to nearly being able to hear a pin drop. For a top 10 matchup with 2 very close and exciting sets, plus one where Stanford pretty much curbstomped Louisville, it was...almost embarrassing to see the crowd reaction, or lack thereof. To be clear, I'm not talking about the commentary here on VT...this is a forum for volleyball geeks to discuss the ins and outs of the game in way too much detail, and critique, sometimes pretty harshly, the play of players and teams. VT is an online forum specific to the field, I totally get it. But if you're going to plant your butt in a seat in Maples, you're there to cheer for your team, to bring energy and enthusiasm for them. You all gave Baird a lot of grief for being "checked out", and to be honest, I didn't pay specific enough attention to her to comment intelligently. But assuming that's a fair assessment, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, honestly I can't really blame her. Of course I don't know what her relationships with her teammates, coaching staff and others are really like, but if she's spent several years playing in front of a crowd that was as disinterested as the one last night...yeah, I'd probably be looking to make an exit as well. Now the people working at Maples...I didn't experience anything, as a Louisville fan, in any way traumatic, but I've never felt more unwelcome at an "away" (for me) arena. I got condescension, sighs of exasperation, and in one case an honest-to-goodness eye-roll from ushers and other workers. My day job is in computer networking. Given the outsized impact Stanford and the surrounding areas have had on my industry, part of my wanting to make the trip was to take almost a pilgrimage to see the campus and surrounding areas where so many advancements in my field occurred. Many people point out the degree of toxicity in the Information Technology field, and they're absolutely correct, and networking within it is not immune, for sure. I'm sad to say, if my experience at Maples is representative of part of the larger whole, I think I may have gotten a glimpse of where at least some of it comes from. I'm glad I made the trip, overall it was fun (if brief). I'm glad my team won, I'm glad that it was a close match with two really close and exciting sets between two top teams. I wish nothing but the absolute best for Stanford's volleyball team. But I have to say that I came away from my experience here with a diminished view of Stanford as an institution. I hope I'm wrong and that it was just an "off night" for the crowd, but I'm skeptical. Sorry the ppl who worked at Maples were rude. That shouldn't happen. The Maples crowd is generally subdued. Polite clapping is much more likely than raucous yells. It looks like the size of the crowd was pretty typical (2426). A packed house is rare in the regular season. Stanford isn't in session yet. The undergraduates arrive next week when the dorms open. They tend to be more enthusiastic and high energy, though there are no sections of screaming fans, like at some schools.
Man, that's just crazy. I dislike how sedate Louisville's crowd is, but Maples made us look like Mardi Gras. |
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Post by baytree on Sept 18, 2022 20:39:41 GMT -5
Sorry the ppl who worked at Maples were rude. That shouldn't happen. The Maples crowd is generally subdued. Polite clapping is much more likely than raucous yells. It looks like the size of the crowd was pretty typical (2426). A packed house is rare in the regular season. Stanford isn't in session yet. The undergraduates arrive next week when the dorms open. They tend to be more enthusiastic and high energy, though there are no sections of screaming fans, like at some schools.
Man, that's just crazy. I dislike how sedate Louisville's crowd is, but Maples made us look like Mardi Gras. Are you comparing before students arrive at Louisville to your experience at Stanford?
Plus, Stanford is a fairly small school (8000 undergrads). Louisville has twice as many. You're not going to get as many ppl as at a large university.
The West Coast (esp California) is notorious for small crowds, too. Compared to, e.g., Berkeley or USC (both of which are much larger than Stanford), Stanford generally gets good crowds. |
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Post by Riviera Minestrone on Sept 18, 2022 21:22:04 GMT -5
Plus, Stanford is a fairly small school (8000 undergrads). Louisville has twice as many.
The West Coast (esp California) is notorious for small crowds, too. Compared to, e.g., Berkeley or USC (both of which are much larger than Stanford), Stanford generally gets good crowds. I researched attendance figures for the top D1 schools back in 2019. SU came in 10th in avg. NCAA attendance (Louisville was way down  ). SU drew 3K+ @ match. Besides UT and BYU, the rest were B1G. |
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Post by jeffmca on Sept 20, 2022 18:06:20 GMT -5
Man, that's just crazy. I dislike how sedate Louisville's crowd is, but Maples made us look like Mardi Gras. Are you comparing before students arrive at Louisville to your experience at Stanford?
Plus, Stanford is a fairly small school (8000 undergrads). Louisville has twice as many. You're not going to get as many ppl as at a large university.
The West Coast (esp California) is notorious for small crowds, too. Compared to, e.g., Berkeley or USC (both of which are much larger than Stanford), Stanford generally gets good crowds. Comparing to both/and from Louisville, really. Students (sadly) don't seem to make *that* much difference to the crowd energy at Louisville for the most part. Well, except for when the men's swim and dive team shows up. They get hyped. It's not so much about crowd size, too. Almost 2,500 at Maples is about 2.5 times what Louisville could ever have on their home floor. LNFCU Arena *capacity* just barely breaks 1,000. |
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). SU drew 3K+ @ match. Besides UT and BYU, the rest were B1G.