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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Nov 26, 2023 20:28:04 GMT -5
Louisville gets the 5 seed, as expected. If (and that’s a big IF) seedings hold, Louisville will have to face: Wright St. (@ Yum! Center) Auburn (@ Yum! Center) Creighton (@ Pitt) Pitt (@ Pitt) Nebraska (@ Tampa) Stanford or Wisconsin (@ Tampa) Not a terrible draw, including three opponents we’ve already played this season. We beat Wright State 3-1 early on in the season, are split in the two matches with Pitt, and pushed Stanford to five. With the right cylinders firing another final four is absolutely possible for this team. I’m a bit nervous for a healthy Creighton team tbh, but I believe in the Cards, and I KNOW they’re going to want to make it to that rematch with Pitt. That is going to be the most exciting match of the entire tournament IMHO. I think minnesota is just about the worst unseeded team you could get in ur bracket, I know they've had a rough season but they have a ton of talent and have been playing well recently also can't forget wright state played them VERY close - probably should've gone 5 Both totally fair points. Could def see Minnesota pushing deeper than seeding shows. I would probably be rooting for them as an underdog if they weren’t in our section of the bracket lol. The Wright State match was a close one - I want to go back and watch it before the first round. I think it’ll be interesting to see where the team was back then with regards to Glock’s setting, Cresse’s block, and overall service pressure. I feel like Luper also had a slow start to the season IIRC. I would like to think this is a stronger team, despite some of the losses we’ve picked up.
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Nov 27, 2023 18:40:11 GMT -5
ACC Awards are in:
DeBeer wins co-POTY Scott wins DPOTY
1st team all-ACC: Anna DeBeer Charitie Luper Elena Scott
2nd team all-ACC Cara Cresse Elle Glock Aiko Jones
I think that Cresse should’ve been first team. Only one middle on the first team seems weird to me. Also tbh I was shocked that Glock made second team. I wonder what the stats looked like amongst the ACC’s setters after Fairbanks and Vach.
Either way happy to see so many Cards get honored after such an up-and-down season. Hopefully this is a nice boost going into the tourney! Go Cards!
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Post by stanfordvb on Nov 27, 2023 18:49:29 GMT -5
I think that Cresse should’ve been first team. Only one middle on the first team seems weird to me. Also tbh I was shocked that Glock made second team. I wonder what the stats looked like amongst the ACC’s setters after Fairbanks and Vach. Either way happy to see so many Cards get honored after such an up-and-down season. Hopefully this is a nice boost going into the tourney! Go Cards! I agree cresse was a little bit snubbed there, although I dont think she was as impressive in her final matches as she was in non-con and the first half of the ACC season. Glock 2nd team doesnt surprise me too much, I think she got at least 3 or 4 ACC setter of the week awards. aside from Fairbanks and vach the ACC isn't particularly a great setting conference
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Nov 29, 2023 19:00:19 GMT -5
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Post by jeffmca on Nov 30, 2023 19:07:27 GMT -5
I think another connection is Maggie DeJong working with the club, probably coaching.
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Dec 2, 2023 10:46:35 GMT -5
Cards make it through the first two rounds, admittedly much scrappier than expected. Even the sweep against WMU felt tight and not like Louisville’s full potential, especially that first set. Woof. Watching some of these other matches, Louisville needs to figure out how to play clean in the sweet sixteen, because other teams are getting stronger and hungrier.
I LOVE that we’re finally letting Robbins do her thing. She’s a star. She should’ve been given more opportunities during the season, but I’m so happy she’s making a splash in the tourney and is establishing herself as a presence for the Cards for years to come. I don’t know if we would have won without her. Having Cresse and Robbins at the net together for multiple years is going to be so fun.
Also really glad that DeBeer was able to turn things around against WMU after struggling against Wright St. - yesterday she hit .350 with 9 kills. What’s helpful is that when someone’s having an off night, this team has OPTIONS. Against WMU the kills were very spread out (Luper 11, Cresse 9, DeBeer 9, Robbins 8, PK 7, Jones 5).
For the regionals we have to play low-error, Glock needs to settle down and clean up her placement, and our serve receive has to improve. All of which feels related to nerves and the mental aspects of the game. We have the skill. Time to show it. Hoping this weekend was a wake-up call and the Cards show up in Pittsburgh ready to fight. Go Cards!
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Post by stanfordvb on Dec 2, 2023 10:51:42 GMT -5
Hoping this weekend was a wake-up call and the Cards show up in Pittsburgh ready to fight. Go Cards! Well first we gotta root for the trojans so that we dont have to go to Pittsburg at all ! keep the regional at yum
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Dec 2, 2023 11:07:46 GMT -5
Hoping this weekend was a wake-up call and the Cards show up in Pittsburgh ready to fight. Go Cards! Well first we gotta root for the trojans so that we dont have to go to Pittsburg at all ! keep the regional at yum Wait that’s how that works? I didn’t realize if Pitt loses they don’t host anymore. Sending all the good energy to Skylar Fields and London Wijay in that case. (Low key though I do want another matchup with Pitt just for the rivalry. They bring out the best in Louisville lol)
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Post by stanfordvb on Dec 2, 2023 12:00:54 GMT -5
Well first we gotta root for the trojans so that we dont have to go to Pittsburg at all ! keep the regional at yum Wait that’s how that works? I didn’t realize if Pitt loses they don’t host anymore. Sending all the good energy to Skylar Fields and London Wijay in that case. (Low key though I do want another matchup with Pitt just for the rivalry. They bring out the best in Louisville lol) yes if pitt loses before the sweet 16, the regional is moved to the next highest seed's home court. I agree a rematch would be fun, but when the final four is on the line I want them to play the lowest possible seed they can lol
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Post by jwvolley on Dec 2, 2023 12:05:41 GMT -5
Wait that’s how that works? I didn’t realize if Pitt loses they don’t host anymore. Sending all the good energy to Skylar Fields and London Wijay in that case. (Low key though I do want another matchup with Pitt just for the rivalry. They bring out the best in Louisville lol) yes if pitt loses before the sweet 16, the regional is moved to the next highest seed's home court. I agree a rematch would be fun, but when the final four is on the line I want them to play the lowest possible seed they can lol I love referencing a conversation Micah Ma’a had once where someone was like people say they’d want to play the best and beat the best in a championship bracket and he was like um no I want to win, give me the worst 😂
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Post by stanfordvb on Dec 2, 2023 12:11:57 GMT -5
yes if pitt loses before the sweet 16, the regional is moved to the next highest seed's home court. I agree a rematch would be fun, but when the final four is on the line I want them to play the lowest possible seed they can lol I love referencing a conversation Micah Ma’a had once where someone was like people say they’d want to play the best and beat the best in a championship bracket and he was like um no I want to win, give me the worst 😂 literally... if I had it may way Louisville would be playing Fresno state for the natty lol
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Post by volleynerdmw on Dec 2, 2023 15:55:13 GMT -5
Only thing stopping this team is the setting. I think Dani would absolutely take Western Michigan’s setter (don’t care how small she is)
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Dec 3, 2023 14:12:27 GMT -5
With transfer portal activity starting to happen, I wonder what Louisville’s priorities should be going into next year. DBK usually is able to get one, sometimes two impact transfers per year, and I wonder which position needs that most.
With a stack of outside hitters and liberos/DS’s on our roster already, I feel like priority could be a setter, a middle, or an opposite.
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Post by stanfordvb on Dec 3, 2023 14:18:22 GMT -5
With a stack of outside hitters and liberos/DS’s on our roster already, I feel like priority could be a setter, a middle, or an opposite. I agree. I trust meske and think the middles can definitely get there. id feel really bad for Glock but a top setter transfer could transform this entire team. she is our weakest link unfortunately
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Post by herecomesthebusboom on Dec 3, 2023 14:27:49 GMT -5
With a stack of outside hitters and liberos/DS’s on our roster already, I feel like priority could be a setter, a middle, or an opposite. I agree. I trust meske and think the middles can definitely get there. id feel really bad for Glock but a top setter transfer could transform this entire team. she is our weakest link unfortunately If we did get an elite setter out of the portal, maybe we could run a system like Wisconsin’s? Obviously a bit of fantasy on my part, so bear with me. But, we could keep Glock setting Robbins, Cresse, and Luper, who she has the best connections with, and then have a transfer setter set for DeBeer, PK, and then move one of our other pins to the right (Bankston? Petersen?). But it also feels based on this year that DBK doesn’t want to run a 6-2 full time. If it wasn’t implemented with this team I find it hard to imagine she’d go for it next year. Maybe the success it’s had in the tourney so far could change that.
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