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Post by c4ndlelight on Oct 13, 2024 20:51:43 GMT -5
Third, Akasha Anderson has been DREADFUL since early conference play. I don’t know if she’s kinda hurt, has some mental blocks or what but you’re just not going to win games when your pre season OH1 is hitting under .100 in conference play and .155 through the whole season. Especially when that percentage is because she’s getting roofed regularly. If you’re getting dug that’s whatever, but Anderson is so prone to getting roofed and it causes such a momentum swing. Preston has been able to switch back over to the OH and has been a revelation there, but it just makes the offense so one dimensional. This is what Anderson was giving at Auburn too. |
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 13, 2024 22:17:52 GMT -5
MSU’s chances are essentially non-existent outside running the table starting with Nebraska. I love this team dearly but there are just too variables weighing against us to make progress from last year. We will likely not see a win until early November when we play UMD. For starters, the schedule is pretty brutal and is certainly making us look worse than we are. 6 straight road games and your easiest game in that stretch was a scrappy Indiana team on the road. Tough draw there especially when your first home game is Penn State. Back end of the schedule will likely provide some confidence and relief. Second, the Courtley injury is MASSIVE. She was essentially the only player who was able to hit effectively from the opposite slot and we continue to struggle to get production over there to free up middles and left side attacks. I love Aliyah Moore. She is not an opposite. Third, Akasha Anderson has been DREADFUL since early conference play. I don’t know if she’s kinda hurt, has some mental blocks or what but you’re just not going to win games when your pre season OH1 is hitting under .100 in conference play and .155 through the whole season. Especially when that percentage is because she’s getting roofed regularly. If you’re getting dug that’s whatever, but Anderson is so prone to getting roofed and it causes such a momentum swing. Preston has been able to switch back over to the OH and has been a revelation there, but it just makes the offense so one dimensional. Fourth, Holdem has taken a step back as a front row attacker, but has significantly improved from the serve reception and defensive area. I think her not being able to switch in and be effective for Anderson is a bummer but she looks phenomenal as the back row attacking and passing sub. Preston and Anderson SHOULD be able to get it done. Fifth, for whatever reason this team is just allergic to setting its middles. I get that Doezma is struggling but this team is passing well enough in conference play to run the middle more than 17 times in a 5 set game. I don’t care what you’re running out of the back row that counts as a middle attack, Doezma and Kulig should never be in single digit swings in a 5 set match that is setting MALPRACTICE. Maybe this is fine if your pins are lighting it up Jess Mruzik style, but they’re not. If anything they’re struggling and not keeping the block honest is malpractice. It just is. This team will be fully dangerous if Anderson can put together a good game alongside the defense but I do fear we just don’t have the horses this year. The back end of the schedule maybe yields 4-5 wins but that might be it. I totally agree with your take. In regards to schedule and the injury to Courtely, there's not much you can do and they need to keep fighting or tweaking the lineup to see what clicks. For the right side/opp situation I think at some point you must move Doezema there and go with the shorter Okur in the middle. Okur's quicker side to side and can jump. Like you pointed out, they aren't setting the middles anyway, so it's not like you're losing offensive points from Doezema. I think Doezema is a better blocking option on the right. I do feel like Muesenga set the middles more when MSU was running the 6-2. Maybe she needs to be given a go at the 5-1 to see if she can be more creative in her decision making while running the offense. Anderson has to be on a short leash. If she can't figure out how to tool the block, hit high hands, and otherwise find points - instead of getting "roofed", Holdem needs to be given another shot. I thought the same thing about Okur then I did some digging and Evie has already surpassed Okur's numbers from last season and is hitting sixty points higher. It just doesn't FEEL like it since MSU was outperforming last season. Also I really don't think Bishop will lose out on the 5-1 job the rest of the season outside something DRASTIC. She's looked solid in most phases of the game and the coaching staff love her. That is her job to lose. She just does need to remember Kulig and Doezema exist.....both are hitting over .320 for the year. Let them eat lol As for Anderson, it will be very interesting to see what the staff does. It's clear something isn't 100%. Balls are sailing with no top spin, serves are getting mi%*$#, it's just not all there. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a game break or two just to rest and get some confidence back, but I think this teams best lineup is Preston and Anderson up front with Holdem in the back row swinging efficiently. Outside of maybe throwing Anderson at opposite, I just don't see another scheme that would maintain the integrity of the other stuff that is working. This is why the staff makes the big bucks and I just pay for Big10+ lol |
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 13, 2024 23:15:29 GMT -5
MSU’s chances are essentially non-existent outside running the table starting with Nebraska. I love this team dearly but there are just too variables weighing against us to make progress from last year. We will likely not see a win until early November when we play UMD. For starters, the schedule is pretty brutal and is certainly making us look worse than we are. 6 straight road games and your easiest game in that stretch was a scrappy Indiana team on the road. Tough draw there especially when your first home game is Penn State. Back end of the schedule will likely provide some confidence and relief. Second, the Courtley injury is MASSIVE. She was essentially the only player who was able to hit effectively from the opposite slot and we continue to struggle to get production over there to free up middles and left side attacks. I love Aliyah Moore. She is not an opposite. Third, Akasha Anderson has been DREADFUL since early conference play. I don’t know if she’s kinda hurt, has some mental blocks or what but you’re just not going to win games when your pre season OH1 is hitting under .100 in conference play and .155 through the whole season. Especially when that percentage is because she’s getting roofed regularly. If you’re getting dug that’s whatever, but Anderson is so prone to getting roofed and it causes such a momentum swing. Preston has been able to switch back over to the OH and has been a revelation there, but it just makes the offense so one dimensional. Fourth, Holdem has taken a step back as a front row attacker, but has significantly improved from the serve reception and defensive area. I think her not being able to switch in and be effective for Anderson is a bummer but she looks phenomenal as the back row attacking and passing sub. Preston and Anderson SHOULD be able to get it done. Fifth, for whatever reason this team is just allergic to setting its middles. I get that Doezma is struggling but this team is passing well enough in conference play to run the middle more than 17 times in a 5 set game. I don’t care what you’re running out of the back row that counts as a middle attack, Doezma and Kulig should never be in single digit swings in a 5 set match that is setting MALPRACTICE. Maybe this is fine if your pins are lighting it up Jess Mruzik style, but they’re not. If anything they’re struggling and not keeping the block honest is malpractice. It just is. This team will be fully dangerous if Anderson can put together a good game alongside the defense but I do fear we just don’t have the horses this year. The back end of the schedule maybe yields 4-5 wins but that might be it. Wow, all the preseason hype about development and incoming transfers plus the freshmen. Now they sit at 0-6. I thought their staff and promotion people built them up way too much. Our most efficient hitter and starting opposite blew her knee out in the 4th game of the year. It's kind of put a damper on things and derailed some of the chemistry and assignments the team had built in the preseason. They had to abandon the 6-2 and are now running the 5-1 with a 5'11 setter that hasnt ever blocked in a college game before lol Also the 0-6 (about to be 0-7 after Nebraska) is kind of misleading. We played UM, Penn State, Indiana and Purdue on the road back to back to back to back. Then followed that up with Penn State and Illinois. Nebraska, Washington, USC, UCLA and Minnesota are next. But once November hits, we play OSU, UMD, Rutgers, UM, Iowa, Oregon, UMD, Northwestern and Wisconsin. This schedule is just super lopsided. There's still 7 winnable games on the board. Also not sure what you're talking about freshman/development for. Bolton has been an absolute stud this year and Hood is redshirting because Kulig is the 2nd best blocking middle in the conference as a sophomore and a Doezema is a solid upperclassman at MB2. Iosia is the best libero in the conference and Holdem has had to shift her role and has significantly improved her serve receive and defensive ability. (2.36 passer for the year). |
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Post by For_volley06 on Oct 15, 2024 10:31:41 GMT -5
I totally agree with your take. In regards to schedule and the injury to Courtely, there's not much you can do and they need to keep fighting or tweaking the lineup to see what clicks. For the right side/opp situation I think at some point you must move Doezema there and go with the shorter Okur in the middle. Okur's quicker side to side and can jump. Like you pointed out, they aren't setting the middles anyway, so it's not like you're losing offensive points from Doezema. I think Doezema is a better blocking option on the right. I do feel like Muesenga set the middles more when MSU was running the 6-2. Maybe she needs to be given a go at the 5-1 to see if she can be more creative in her decision making while running the offense. Anderson has to be on a short leash. If she can't figure out how to tool the block, hit high hands, and otherwise find points - instead of getting "roofed", Holdem needs to be given another shot. I thought the same thing about Okur then I did some digging and Evie has already surpassed Okur's numbers from last season and is hitting sixty points higher. It just doesn't FEEL like it since MSU was outperforming last season. Also I really don't think Bishop will lose out on the 5-1 job the rest of the season outside something DRASTIC. She's looked solid in most phases of the game and the coaching staff love her. That is her job to lose. She just does need to remember Kulig and Doezema exist.....both are hitting over .320 for the year. Let them eat lol As for Anderson, it will be very interesting to see what the staff does. It's clear something isn't 100%. Balls are sailing with no top spin, serves are getting mi%*$#, it's just not all there. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a game break or two just to rest and get some confidence back, but I think this teams best lineup is Preston and Anderson up front with Holdem in the back row swinging efficiently. Outside of maybe throwing Anderson at opposite, I just don't see another scheme that would maintain the integrity of the other stuff that is working. This is why the staff makes the big bucks and I just pay for Big10+ lol (I'm not a coach and just a fan too!) I'll take your word on the numbers comparison. I did look at Evie's conference numbers and they're bad. I finally got to watch the entire match vs Illinois and it was MSU's for the taking. Julia doesn't set the middles because she's not good at it. This may be why Evie's numbers have dropped. Bishops sets are way too low and it's a miracle that Kulig can do anything with them. I get that Bishop is the leader and coaches love her personality but she locked in on the outsides throughout the match and especially set 4. This is an ongoing problem and MSU is one dimensional because of it. I was happy to see adjustments being made in the rotation with Anderson not getting it done that night. I hope they apply the same logic and try Muisenga, since she had been setting the middles nicely. It doesn't need to be permanent, but hopefully they try a few things during this next difficult stretch of the schedule. |
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 18, 2024 19:07:13 GMT -5
Nebraska sweeps MSU 25-15, 25-19, 25-15. Never really thought this one would be close, but there were some moments where we fought back.
Shout out to Kayla Foley for getting her first reps of the year. Talk about a hell of a start to your career. Did alright and you can tell there’s some skill to come there. Just looked a little nervous for the moment.
Akasha Anderson slid over to the opposite slot and actually did pretty well hitting wise. You can tell she’s never played there before as the transition and blocking looked a little funky. But from my perspective it was her best hitting performance the whole season considering who we played. (No EMU doesn’t count lol)
Taylah Holdem looked improved even though the box score doesn’t show it. 6 kills and 6 errors on 30 swings is a zero, but she got set some poor balls there wasn’t much to do with out of the back row. In the front row she blocked out multiple times.
I’d like to see an extended look at this lineup and see if Anderson can continue to be effective as an Opp. That was a wonderful wrinkle and Andi/Beka won’t be your night to night blocking opposition.
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Post by For_volley06 on Oct 20, 2024 14:22:34 GMT -5
Definitely a winnable game today where MSU melted away. Washington does not look dominant.
A couple of things I see as a casual fan:
1. Kulig should get WAY more attempts.
2. Maybe Bishop is not who MSU needs running the offense. How long do you stick with her? Her sets seem off as the hitters are constantly making adjustments and her middle sets look low.
3. Holdem is obviously not 100% (leg wrap). Keep her in the back row for passing, but maybe use Kelly or any other available hitter in the front row?
4. Anderson looks good on the right side when the set is on point.
Keep fighting.
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 20, 2024 17:13:20 GMT -5
Definitely a winnable game today where MSU melted away. Washington does not look dominant. A couple of things I see as a casual fan: 1. Kulig should get WAY more attempts. 2. Maybe Bishop is not who MSU needs running the offense. How long do you stick with her? Her sets seem off as the hitters are constantly making adjustments and her middle sets look low. 3. Holdem is obviously not 100% (leg wrap). Keep her in the back row for passing, but maybe use Kelly or any other available hitter in the front row? 4. Anderson looks good on the right side when the set is on point. Keep fighting. I really just don’t see a world where bishop loses time. I think Berger is the best setter all around but Julia is the lifeblood of this program and there’s loyalty there. Agree. I really want to see Kulig get 5 sets a game. 11 at a 545 rating is just too little considering our pin struggles. The bummer is I don’t think Grak or Karolina are better than even a hurt Holdem. They also don’t pass nearly as well. Anderson looks good on that right side though. I really think this is what you have to ride till easier teams come. Washington isn’t elite but we really don’t have a winnable game till OSU. Anything that maximizes Anderson HAS to be done. She’s got too much arm to not do anything |
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money
Sophomore
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Post by money on Oct 21, 2024 3:53:20 GMT -5
Definitely a winnable game today where MSU melted away. Washington does not look dominant. A couple of things I see as a casual fan: 1. Kulig should get WAY more attempts. 2. Maybe Bishop is not who MSU needs running the offense. How long do you stick with her? Her sets seem off as the hitters are constantly making adjustments and her middle sets look low. 3. Holdem is obviously not 100% (leg wrap). Keep her in the back row for passing, but maybe use Kelly or any other available hitter in the front row? 4. Anderson looks good on the right side when the set is on point. Keep fighting. I really just don’t see a world where bishop loses time. I think Berger is the best setter all around but Julia is the lifeblood of this program and there’s loyalty there. Any team that keeps a setter out there (if she not the best) at 0-8 due to loyalty deserves what they get. |
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Post by For_volley06 on Oct 21, 2024 10:30:08 GMT -5
I really just don’t see a world where bishop loses time. I think Berger is the best setter all around but Julia is the lifeblood of this program and there’s loyalty there. Any team that keeps a setter out there (if she not the best) at 0-8 due to loyalty deserves what they get. I agree with this sentiment. I think there has to be a change made. It unfortunate because of different injury issues but bottom line is that there hasn't been marked improvement in hitter efficiency, use of the middles, etc. Captains should be able to find ways to lead from the bench also - while they remain positive, work hard, and keep the team in line. |
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Post by For_volley06 on Oct 21, 2024 10:36:52 GMT -5
Definitely a winnable game today where MSU melted away. Washington does not look dominant. A couple of things I see as a casual fan: 1. Kulig should get WAY more attempts. 2. Maybe Bishop is not who MSU needs running the offense. How long do you stick with her? Her sets seem off as the hitters are constantly making adjustments and her middle sets look low. 3. Holdem is obviously not 100% (leg wrap). Keep her in the back row for passing, but maybe use Kelly or any other available hitter in the front row? 4. Anderson looks good on the right side when the set is on point. Keep fighting. The bummer is I don’t think Grak or Karolina are better than even a hurt Holdem. They also don’t pass nearly as well. If they can't pass as well, can't the Spartans use Holdem as a back row attacker/ds sub for either of them? What about Moore moving to the outside, I think that's her more natural position anyway? I definitely think Anderson should continue to play rightside....it could be a position she really starts to excel at with more reps. |
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Post by abcd098 on Oct 21, 2024 15:55:39 GMT -5
Any team that keeps a setter out there (if she not the best) at 0-8 due to loyalty deserves what they get. I agree with this sentiment. I think there has to be a change made. It unfortunate because of different injury issues but bottom line is that there hasn't been marked improvement in hitter efficiency, use of the middles, etc. Captains should be able to find ways to lead from the bench also - while they remain positive, work hard, and keep the team in line. I get that MSU has had a tough stretch to start Big Ten play, but yes, they need to make changes when things aren’t working. It doesn’t make sense to keep a middle in the game who has one kill and one block for three sets. Bishop is going to be the most offensive of the three setters, but I would love to see Berger get a shot. Especially since she is probably going to have to be the starter next season. |
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 21, 2024 16:41:42 GMT -5
The bummer is I don’t think Grak or Karolina are better than even a hurt Holdem. They also don’t pass nearly as well. If they can't pass as well, can't the Spartans use Holdem as a back row attacker/ds sub for either of them? What about Moore moving to the outside, I think that's her more natural position anyway? I definitely think Anderson should continue to play rightside....it could be a position she really starts to excel at with more reps. I meant more along the lines of Grak and Karolina are not anywhere near terminal enough to warrant front row reps. Love those girls but there’s a reason the staff recruited multiple new arms. A 75% Holdem still does more in totality than a 100% other arm. Also I don’t think Moore can play bc at that point you’re DS’ing Anderson, Preston and Moore. You’d run out of subs. Like I said before, this is gonna be a rough stretch until we get to the Ohio State game. We’ve played like maybe 1 or 2 games in our peer group. Nearly the entire backend of the schedule is winnable games. As for the setter, I’ve called from the high heavens that Berger deserves the chance to run the offense but I just don’t see it happening. IMO there’s nothing Jake and Leah have done to give us the impression they can’t make the best choice from that perspective. Remember, team chemistry is very important as well. If you feel like you may lose your locker room if you bench your well loved captain, it might not be worth the risk. The results are not there, but I will have zero calls for any concern until we start losing games to UMD/Iowa/Rutgers. |
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Post by rollshotcornerpocket on Oct 25, 2024 1:03:00 GMT -5
MSU reverse sweeps USC on the road at the Galen Center.
Takeaways for the game are really simple:
USC had a ton of service errors and MSU punished them for it. Truly the first game this season where MSU was able to play side out ball with another team AND block/defend their way to some points.
The biggest point of all is that rumors of Kash Anderson’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Her move to the opp slot looks like a stumbling into a gold mine. Two games in a row with 18/26 kills on .318 and .250 efficiency respectively. It’s been like 3 games and she’s really starting to grow and I can see this really sticking as a position change. Shes blocking fairly well and clearly can terminate far more effectively on the right.
Hoping this can be a turn the page moment for a program with a much more manageable back half of the schedule.
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Post by abcd098 on Oct 25, 2024 8:49:01 GMT -5
MSU reverse sweeps USC on the road at the Galen Center. Takeaways for the game are really simple: USC had a ton of service errors and MSU punished them for it. Truly the first game this season where MSU was able to play side out ball with another team AND block/defend their way to some points. The biggest point of all is that rumors of Kash Anderson’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Her move to the opp slot looks like a stumbling into a gold mine. Two games in a row with 18/26 kills on .318 and .250 efficiency respectively. It’s been like 3 games and she’s really starting to grow and I can see this really sticking as a position change. Shes blocking fairly well and clearly can terminate far more effectively on the right. Hoping this can be a turn the page moment for a program with a much more manageable back half of the schedule. Love to see this. MSU is trying to ride out the season with Preston and Anderson as the focal point of the offense. Really hope we can get the middles involved at some point. They need to get Kulig involved. |
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Post by Pepperjack on Oct 25, 2024 9:24:14 GMT -5
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