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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 0:29:20 GMT -5
Post by uncfan on Sept 4, 2005 0:29:20 GMT -5
The University of North Carolina ended up 2-2 this weekend in San Francisco.They lost to USF 3-2 Saturday night.Carolina played the tournament without the offensive output of preseason All ACC OH Dani Nyenhuis who only played a little back row because of a shoulder injury.Her absence hurt UNC`s offensive production.But,it did provide others,including redshirt freshman Bekah Brinkley,an opportunity to gain valuable game experience.Freshman setter Stephanie Jansma saw significant PT against USF and played well.So,while Carolina only finished 2-2,they gained valuable experience which will help them once Nyenhuis returns and they enter ACC play.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 1:55:38 GMT -5
Post by Wolfgang on Sept 4, 2005 1:55:38 GMT -5
Uh crap!
Had I known UNC would be in San Francisco this weekend, I would've driven up there. God, I wish I had checked all the local schedules. What an imbecile I am!
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 3:05:16 GMT -5
Post by usfdon on Sept 4, 2005 3:05:16 GMT -5
I was at the USF Tournament this weekend...unless I am mistaken Nyenhuis played back row the entire weekend. UNC played their best match vs USF, but USF looked good this weekend. It was a very exciting match. GO DONS!
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 10:25:47 GMT -5
Post by uncfan on Sept 4, 2005 10:25:47 GMT -5
Yes,Nyenhuis did play back row.However,her absence on the front row as a hitter really hurt.She is Carolina`s dominant hitter.It was good that OHs Brinkley,Ihenetu,and Eckert had a chance to show what they could do.When Nyenhuis comes back as a hitter,UNC will be much stronger.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 12:59:34 GMT -5
Post by chancelucky on Sept 4, 2005 12:59:34 GMT -5
I was there for two of the matches UNC-William and Mary and USF-Fresno State.
USF looked good Theresa Hart is a terrific all around player with guts. On match point she got blocked. The team went back to her, she got partially blocked again. The next point the teamwent back to her and she got the kill. Just never seemed to be bothered by the prior point. I really liked their libero, Brynn Maurer?, as well. USF looks to have a couple very good freshman. An eastern european left and I was impressed with Darcy Carroll from Presentation High who looked very comfortable at setter.
Fresno State was very erratic, there were several instance where players didn't seem to know where they were and they constantly fell out of system. They are also very athletic and outblocked a big USF team with a frontline with on 6'1" player. They have a Japanese serve specialist who delivers with this weird roundhouse arm motion that was sort of fun all by itself.
It's hard to judge UNC at this point. Nyenhuis only played back row and they seem to be testing out the setting situation. Eckert didn't play at all either. I think this may be UNC's strongest freshman class in some time. I was really impressed with Prussing, who is very long and sees the block and the court very well. It looks like it's just a matter of getting her stronger. Brinkley also impressed me. Eskola was a little erratic, but looked very promising and Taylor looked fine in a very short stint. It wasn't Jansma's turn to play but I've heard she's got huge upside. That's five players who should contribute significantly. Of the veterans, Taylor Rayfield, who went to high school at Presentation, and who has settled in at libero this year may have been the most impressive. Ihenetu was up and down. Byrd played well, but whether by design or preference she had a tendency to set outside to the point of predictability. For that reason, it was hard to tell what Beaver and Clark might do offensively. The team could use a dominant hitter, who couldn't. They could do very well this year once they find the best mix. The big if though is that even with William and Mary, there wasn't a clear killer instinct. They did well in the USF match and to come back in the 5th game. Based on the box, it looked like the last 3 points were definitely a learning experience for the newcomers on the floor. Once they get used to executing under those conditions, they could be dangerous late in the season. Unfortunately, there's no ACC tournament this year. This is the sort of team that might have blossomed right around then.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 13:57:48 GMT -5
Post by uncfan on Sept 4, 2005 13:57:48 GMT -5
Interesting point on Byrd being predictable on setting the outsides.She seems to have trouble getting consistently good sets to the middles.Jansma came in pretty early in the USF match and did a pretty good job for a freshman.It will be interesting to see if Jansma will challenge Byrd at the setter position.Carolina needs to get their middles more involved in the offense.Both Beaver and Clark did a good job of blocking.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 13:58:15 GMT -5
Post by Wolfgang on Sept 4, 2005 13:58:15 GMT -5
On second thought, I never would have made it. I hate driving (and parking) in San Francisco at night.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 18:23:46 GMT -5
Post by parrotthead on Sept 4, 2005 18:23:46 GMT -5
Is Meg Eckert injured ? She was a fab 50 for 2003 and was a top hitter @ J.O.'s that year. I thought she was a great player.
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UNC
Sept 4, 2005 23:59:01 GMT -5
Post by uncfan on Sept 4, 2005 23:59:01 GMT -5
Eckert has had some injury problems.On the other hand,she hasn`t really developed into a dominant college hitter.Did she peak as a JO player? I don`t know.
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UNC
Sept 5, 2005 1:51:15 GMT -5
Post by chancelucky on Sept 5, 2005 1:51:15 GMT -5
I'm not sure why Eckert didn't play at all against William and Mary. She did against USF. As good as she was in the juniors, the college game is faster and higher for everyone. You never quite know what gets lost in the adjustment. It may also be a fit issue, in that Nyenhuis is already more or less a ball control leftside, though she has to play the role of main hitter for UNC.
UNC looks like a really good passing team. One issue for Byrd is just quickness or explosiveness to the ball. I would argue that setting the middle takes better footwork for both setter and hitter than setting outside. I suspect her margin for error in setting to the middle is very small because she's not especially quick for a setter running a 5-1.
looking at the ratio of sets to the left vs. to the 2 middles for the match. the two lefts took 62 swings and the middles 35. While the middles as a pair hit close to .400 and the lefts hit roughly .200 as a pair.
the ratio for the USF match was 83-35....though the middles didn't hit nearly as well. It looks like Jansma set the majority of that match.. so maybe it's by design. both the assistants at UNC are former setters.
Just glancing at STanford's match against Maine, a blowout, the lefts saw 29 sets and the middles 28. One of the lefts for Stanford is Barboza. with Kehoe
In Ucla's match agaisnt Reno the ratio was more like 64-48 with Spicer setting to very good lefts who hit .300 plus.
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