Post by kiyoat on Aug 16, 2023 15:13:19 GMT -5
#5 South Dakota State University (SDSU)
"Jackrabbits" (Jacks)
Last 5 Years' Results:
*only 4 teams in Summit Tournament in 2020
2022 Recap:
SDSU was picked #6 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll.
They went 6-6 in the non-conference season, with a relatively light schedule.
In conference play the Jacks started off with a bang, beating Omaha at home, and taking USD to five sets in the first couple of weeks. They hit the wall a bit in the middle of the season, but ended strong on a 7-win run, beating #2 NDSU twice in that span. They finished 11-7 for fifth place; the best conference record and finish in twelve years!
In the Conference Tournament they lost to #3 Denver in five sets in the quarter-final.
In the NIVC they won their opening match vs Louisiana in five sets, then dropped the second match to UTRGV in straight sets.
Statistically, The 2022 SDSU squad's team stats were well-balanced. They finished #3 to #6 in almost every stat, so you could call them an above-average, technically-sound team. The one stat that was exceptional was team digs. They averaged 16 per set for #2 in the conference.
Individually the team was led by:
5'-8" 5th-Year OH, Crystal Burk (First-team All-Conference)
6'-1" Soph MB Ella Thompson
5'-10" Soph Setter Raegan Reilly
6'-1" Freshman OH Masa Scheierman (All-Freshman Team)
__________________________________________________________________
2023 Roster:
link
Leaving the team for 2023 are:
OH Crystal Burk (Graduated) 5-year starter, All-Summit League 2021,22
MB Ella Thompson (xfer St Cloud St D-II) 2-year starter, All-Freshman 2021
MB Sydney Andrews (Graduated) 3-year starter
DS Jadyn Mackovica (Graduated) 1-year starter
MB Anna Nerad (Graduated)
S Carly Wedel (Graduated) 3-year starter
The Jacks lose:
64% of Kills (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #2)
12% of Assists
44% of Aces (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #4)
48% of Digs (Mackovica & Burk were #1 and #2)
62% of Blocks (Andrews & Thompson were #1 and #2)
Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:
Soph Alia Schlimgen (#5 Digs, 1.53 D/Set, #6 Assists)
Junior Faith Saewert (#8 Digs, 1.62 D/Set, #7 Aces)
Alia Schlimgen
Key Returning Setters:
Junior Raegan Reilly (#1 Assists, 9.98 Asst/Set, #3 Digs, #3 Aces, #5 Blocks, #7 Kills)
Raegan Reilly
Key Returning Outside Hitters:
Soph Masa Scheierman (#3 Kills, 2.52 K/Set, #4 Aces, #7 Digs, #7 Blocks)
Junior Elyse Winter (#4 Kills, 1.73 K/Set, .224 Hitting%, #3 Aces, #6 Digs, #3 Blocks)
Elyse Winter
Key Returning Middle Blockers:
Junior Annalee Ventling-Brown (#8 Blocks, 0.94 B/Set, #4 Kills, 1.84 K/Set, .248 Hitting %)
Annalee Ventling-Brown
Key Newcomers:
6'-5" RS Soph OH/RS: Sydni Schetnan (Sioux Falls, SD/ Louisville)
6'-4" Freshman MB: Brogan Beck (Sioux Falls, SD/ Kairos)
6'-2" Freshman MB/RS: Mckenna Moehrle (St Cloud, MN)
Sydni Schetnan
Brogan Beck
2023 Outlook:
Dan Georgalas has had his team show improvement in each of his previous three seasons. This program has gone from over a decade of futility to a solid upper-half Summit team. In order to keep moving up the ladder, the next step is to start upgrading the quality of athletes IMHO.
This year he will have a large amount of turnover, with six players moving on, and six coming in. The most puzzling one might be the lone transfer out, starting MB Ella Thompson to D-II St Cloud State. Two additional Middles are graduating, leaving only one Middle on the roster! The biggest loss, of course will be 5-year starting OH Burk. She was a six-rotation player, #2 on the team in digs, and even contributed a bunch of blocks with her 5'-8" frame. Also graduating is starting Libero, Jadyn Mackovica.
But on the bright side, 5-10 Junior Setter Raegan Riley will soften the blow of departing players, since she is a swiss-army-knife type setter, contributing in every stat. All-freshman 6-1 OH, Masa Scheierman should increase her role, possibly becoming a focus of the offense.
In terms of newcomers, the two Freshmen Middles will likely get thrown into action simply out of necessity Both will be a size upgrade, but the skill level is TBD. But the big story here is, of course, the transfer of 6'-5" Hitter/ Right Side Sydni Schetnan from Louisville. She was heavily recruited out of Sioux Falls for both Volleyball and Basketball. Although she only played sparingly on both VB and BB teams at Louisville, those teams were championship-level. With her, Beck, and Moehrle and Scheierman, the Jacks suddenly have one of the tallest front rows in the league. Will that translate to wins?.....
I'll say I have a lot of respect for coach Georgalas and what he has accomplished so far. I think the turnover will be a little disruptive this season, even with the size upgrades. They will need to have some back-row players emerge, too to replace Mackovica/Burk. I'll think they will be average at the start of the season, and should get some revenge in the back half. Schetnan is a wild-card that could have a dominant season. I think they will again finish 5th, but will pull the upset to get into the semifinal, similar to what they did to Denver in 2021.
"Jackrabbits" (Jacks)
Last 5 Years' Results:
year | overall | conf | postseason | coach |
2018 | 6-23 | 3-13 (#8) | - | Nicole Cirillo |
2019 | 6-22 | 3-13 (#8) | - | Nicole Cirillo |
2020 | 6-11 | 6-10 (#6) | -* | Dan Georgalas |
2021 | 19-12 | 10-8 (#6) | SLT Semifinal | Dan Georgalas |
2022 | 18-15 | 11-7 (#5) | SLT Qtrfinal/ NIVC 2nd Round | Dan Georgalas |
2023 | ? | ? | ? | Dan Georgalas |
2022 Recap:
SDSU was picked #6 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll.
They went 6-6 in the non-conference season, with a relatively light schedule.
In conference play the Jacks started off with a bang, beating Omaha at home, and taking USD to five sets in the first couple of weeks. They hit the wall a bit in the middle of the season, but ended strong on a 7-win run, beating #2 NDSU twice in that span. They finished 11-7 for fifth place; the best conference record and finish in twelve years!
In the Conference Tournament they lost to #3 Denver in five sets in the quarter-final.
In the NIVC they won their opening match vs Louisiana in five sets, then dropped the second match to UTRGV in straight sets.
Statistically, The 2022 SDSU squad's team stats were well-balanced. They finished #3 to #6 in almost every stat, so you could call them an above-average, technically-sound team. The one stat that was exceptional was team digs. They averaged 16 per set for #2 in the conference.
Individually the team was led by:
5'-8" 5th-Year OH, Crystal Burk (First-team All-Conference)
6'-1" Soph MB Ella Thompson
5'-10" Soph Setter Raegan Reilly
6'-1" Freshman OH Masa Scheierman (All-Freshman Team)
__________________________________________________________________
2023 Roster:
link
Leaving the team for 2023 are:
OH Crystal Burk (Graduated) 5-year starter, All-Summit League 2021,22
MB Ella Thompson (xfer St Cloud St D-II) 2-year starter, All-Freshman 2021
MB Sydney Andrews (Graduated) 3-year starter
DS Jadyn Mackovica (Graduated) 1-year starter
MB Anna Nerad (Graduated)
S Carly Wedel (Graduated) 3-year starter
The Jacks lose:
64% of Kills (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #2)
12% of Assists
44% of Aces (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #4)
48% of Digs (Mackovica & Burk were #1 and #2)
62% of Blocks (Andrews & Thompson were #1 and #2)
Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:
Soph Alia Schlimgen (#5 Digs, 1.53 D/Set, #6 Assists)
Junior Faith Saewert (#8 Digs, 1.62 D/Set, #7 Aces)
Alia Schlimgen
Key Returning Setters:
Junior Raegan Reilly (#1 Assists, 9.98 Asst/Set, #3 Digs, #3 Aces, #5 Blocks, #7 Kills)
Raegan Reilly
Key Returning Outside Hitters:
Soph Masa Scheierman (#3 Kills, 2.52 K/Set, #4 Aces, #7 Digs, #7 Blocks)
Junior Elyse Winter (#4 Kills, 1.73 K/Set, .224 Hitting%, #3 Aces, #6 Digs, #3 Blocks)
Elyse Winter
Key Returning Middle Blockers:
Junior Annalee Ventling-Brown (#8 Blocks, 0.94 B/Set, #4 Kills, 1.84 K/Set, .248 Hitting %)
Annalee Ventling-Brown
Key Newcomers:
6'-5" RS Soph OH/RS: Sydni Schetnan (Sioux Falls, SD/ Louisville)
6'-4" Freshman MB: Brogan Beck (Sioux Falls, SD/ Kairos)
6'-2" Freshman MB/RS: Mckenna Moehrle (St Cloud, MN)
Sydni Schetnan
Brogan Beck
2023 Outlook:
Dan Georgalas has had his team show improvement in each of his previous three seasons. This program has gone from over a decade of futility to a solid upper-half Summit team. In order to keep moving up the ladder, the next step is to start upgrading the quality of athletes IMHO.
This year he will have a large amount of turnover, with six players moving on, and six coming in. The most puzzling one might be the lone transfer out, starting MB Ella Thompson to D-II St Cloud State. Two additional Middles are graduating, leaving only one Middle on the roster! The biggest loss, of course will be 5-year starting OH Burk. She was a six-rotation player, #2 on the team in digs, and even contributed a bunch of blocks with her 5'-8" frame. Also graduating is starting Libero, Jadyn Mackovica.
But on the bright side, 5-10 Junior Setter Raegan Riley will soften the blow of departing players, since she is a swiss-army-knife type setter, contributing in every stat. All-freshman 6-1 OH, Masa Scheierman should increase her role, possibly becoming a focus of the offense.
In terms of newcomers, the two Freshmen Middles will likely get thrown into action simply out of necessity Both will be a size upgrade, but the skill level is TBD. But the big story here is, of course, the transfer of 6'-5" Hitter/ Right Side Sydni Schetnan from Louisville. She was heavily recruited out of Sioux Falls for both Volleyball and Basketball. Although she only played sparingly on both VB and BB teams at Louisville, those teams were championship-level. With her, Beck, and Moehrle and Scheierman, the Jacks suddenly have one of the tallest front rows in the league. Will that translate to wins?.....
I'll say I have a lot of respect for coach Georgalas and what he has accomplished so far. I think the turnover will be a little disruptive this season, even with the size upgrades. They will need to have some back-row players emerge, too to replace Mackovica/Burk. I'll think they will be average at the start of the season, and should get some revenge in the back half. Schetnan is a wild-card that could have a dominant season. I think they will again finish 5th, but will pull the upset to get into the semifinal, similar to what they did to Denver in 2021.