|
|
Post by Mulcahy on Aug 26, 2005 20:16:29 GMT -5
They lost 3-1? You can pretty much kiss the NCAAs good-bye if this is how the team is going to be this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by IdahoBoy on Aug 26, 2005 20:27:20 GMT -5
:-D
|
|
|
|
Post by vbmypassion on Aug 26, 2005 20:53:45 GMT -5
Who is VCU?
|
|
|
|
Post by triasfan on Aug 26, 2005 20:55:41 GMT -5
virginia commonwealth University
|
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Aug 26, 2005 23:18:09 GMT -5
Virginia Commonwealth University, you west-coast biasmeisters!
That's good for us and the CAA (that is the Colonial Athletic Association) but not good for me personally since I picked VCU to finish second-to-last in the CAA. Who could finish that low in a low-level volleyball conference when they beat massive teams like UOP?
|
|
|
|
Post by IdahoBoy on Aug 26, 2005 23:20:55 GMT -5
Pacific has only been "massive" in the past few years for two reasons: A) and the primary reason is it's heritage, B) is Jenn Joines, but she's gone now... so Pacific...when does the new head coach search begin?
|
|
|
|
Post by BonJoeV on Aug 26, 2005 23:55:12 GMT -5
I think it has to start now, IB. At least for PG's sake (my condolences PG   ). This just may be the biggest upset of the season. At the end of last season VCU had a Pablo rank of 253 compared to Pacific's 37. Here's the link to the Pacific website... pacifictigers.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/paci-w-volley-body.htmlThey didn't even post the box score... to embarrassing I guess? |
|
|
|
Post by bucky415 on Aug 27, 2005 0:32:32 GMT -5
That isn't looking too good. You would hope that if Pacific were to lose to a CAA team, it would at least be the team picked to win the league. Ouch.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mulcahy on Aug 27, 2005 0:51:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Aug 27, 2005 9:42:01 GMT -5
This just may be the biggest upset of the season. At the end of last season VCU had a Pablo rank of 253 compared to Pacific's 37. Yeah, but how good are they this year? If VCU moves to 200 and Pacific drops to 100, that won't be near as much as an upset. |
|
rob
Sophomore
Posts: 205
|
Post by rob on Aug 28, 2005 21:56:40 GMT -5
The CAA is going to be one of the best underrated mid-major conference this year. VCU opened everyones eyes, but the rest of the conference is relatively strong as well.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2005 22:35:26 GMT -5
Pacific was no doubt looking ahead against VCU and I wouldn't write them off just because they lost their first match to a relatively unknown team.. They came back in their next two matches sweeping North Dakota State and handling Marquette (pablo=53) pretty easily 3-1 on Marquette's floor.
|
|
|
|
Post by rocket on Aug 29, 2005 8:33:08 GMT -5
VCU has quickly become Team Brazil or Team International. The new coach - former Juco coach in AZ, brought several foreign players with him and recruited a few more. This is not the typical VCU team we are used to. It appears as if VCU was willing to get a quick fix anyway possible. Parts of an article from the VCU site:
Turning a 6-21 team into a championship contender is no easy task, but Finley is confident that his overhauled roster has the tools to compete with the top teams in the league. Gone are eight players from last year’s roster, leaving only four returning Rams. New, however, are four junior transfers, three from Arizona Western College, and six freshmen, each of whom has the potential to contribute right away.
The experienced and well-decorated leader of VCU’s team is senior libero and team captain Griselle Lopez Pereira (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame) (pictured). A three-time CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year, Lopez Pereira led the conference and was fourth in the nation with 6.3 digs per game last season, and again looks to anchor the defense in the 2005 campaign. Freshman Laryssa Goncalves (Curitiba, Brazil/Colegio Dom Bosco) will look to spell Lopez Pereira and gain valuable experience at libero.
The team’s only other senior is Shahrzad Firouzabadian (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin), who returns as the Rams’ starting setter. Firouzabadian paced VCU with 867 assists in 2004, and has been eager to adjust to Finley’s new offensive game plan. Freshman Cat Juson (Houston, Texas/Bush), athletic with great court vision, expects to share time at setter with Firouzabadian.
The Rams are very deep at the outside hitter position, especially with the arrival of Brazilian transfers Ludmila Francescatto (Fraiburga, Brazil/Arizona Western) and Renata Salvatori (Londrina, Brazil/Arizona Western). Francescatto was an NJCAA All-American and Southwest Region I Division I Player of the Year last season at Arizona Western, and should prove a formidable force against CAA competition this year. The 6’3’’ Salvatori, also a NJCAA All-American, can play any position on the floor.
Outside hitter Alli Ainsley (Chesapeake, Va./Radford), who gave the Rams a strong performance in the spring, returns from knee surgery to strengthen the offense, while freshmen Ana Luiza Bernardes de Borja (Florianopolis, Brazil/Colegio Geracao), Allison Good (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) and Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany/Sportsgymnasium) look to rotate in and add depth to the position.
Junior transfer Melissa Peterson (Ganado, Ariz./Arizona Western) expects to add a new dimension to the defense as an effective blocker. A true student of the game, Peterson is very strong going one-on-one against opposing hitters. The middle position will also see the addition of Jaclyn Orlando (Clinton Township, Mich./Southwest Missouri St.-WP), who led the NJCAA National Tournament in blocks. In addition, VCU freshman Jenny McReynolds (Farmville, Va./Prince Edward) is a very athletic and dynamic player.
Last season, as head coach at Arizona Western, Finley led the Matadors to a 39-7 record and a #3 ranking in the national poll. In his four years as coach, he was selected District Coach of the Year three times, in addition to being named ACCAC Coach of the Year and Southwest Region Coach of the Year.
Upon arriving at VCU, Finley introduced a completely new system, one more complex and offensive-minded than that of Rams’ teams in the past. For example, all players were asked to add a jump serve to their repertoires. The players, however, adjusted well in the spring and look to compete with each other for playing time in the fall.
“Who’s willing to make adjustments faster will determine who’s out there on the court,” said Finley. “There are a lot of mental things that have to happen, especially with the young players, for us to be successful.”
|
|
|
|
Post by georgia(pacific)girl on Aug 29, 2005 14:02:12 GMT -5
I think it has to start now, IB. At least for PG's sake (my condolences PG ). This just may be the biggest upset of the season. At the end of last season VCU had a Pablo rank of 253 compared to Pacific's 37. Here's the link to the Pacific website... pacifictigers.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/paci-w-volley-body.htmlThey didn't even post the box score... to embarrassing I guess? I am having thoughts of moving to Idaho...  |
|
|
|
Post by Netter on Aug 29, 2005 15:12:40 GMT -5
With VCU having 10 new plus 4 returning and 3 of the new transferred together from JC, there is no way you can go off the rankings of last year's team and compare it with this one. With the foreign influence, and new players, they undoubtedly will be improved over last year. I'm sure Pacific had no way to prepare for them, because there's no tape of returning players. Chalk this one up to the first one on the road against an undoubtedly improved team. Pacific came together better as the tournament continued. No reason to want to throw the baby out with the bath water after this one or call for the coach's head. As always, there will be many teams that will grow and improve as the season goes on, that don't start out too great.
|
|
). 
