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Post by Fight On! on May 7, 2023 13:51:43 GMT -5
Threepeat for USC. What a great win over the favorite UCLA. I don't think the Nourse twins needed a second coach at the final time-out (Dain at 13-10). They were doing quite well with Gustavo Rocha. Both of them great motivators though! The players (and parents) love love love Gustavo. |
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Post by Fight On! on May 7, 2023 13:52:07 GMT -5
Do USC and UCLA share the plane home tonight?!?
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Post by burbank55 on May 7, 2023 13:53:03 GMT -5
Blanton in his 4th year at USC has won 3 natty Some year Dain will eventually lose a dual at Natties, but not this year! Dain getting his 7th national championship ring! |
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Post by houdini on May 7, 2023 14:00:52 GMT -5
After three straight wins against the Trojans after a season-opening loss it was tough for the Bruins to win a fourth dual.
The Madison were fearless at the twos and Rasnick-Pope also surprised at the fours to set the table.
Most would've thought Kraft and Maple would finish but they lost their second straight match!
A disappointing year for the heavily favored Bruins. After losing Graudina, Harward, Scoles, Slater, Villapondo most thought the tables would be turned but Blanton and Rocha steered the team to a nice upset. Three championships in a row.
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Post by viperton on May 7, 2023 14:00:59 GMT -5
The absolute grit the twins have when all the pressure is on them will never fail to amaze me
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Post by Fight On! on May 7, 2023 14:17:26 GMT -5
The absolute grit the twins have when all the pressure is on them will never fail to amaze me Thanks to their parents for recognizing the importance of sport psychology from a young age. |
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Post by pepperclove on May 7, 2023 14:48:51 GMT -5
Dain's critics might have to shut up for a while, now that he's won a championship with (arguably) slightly inferior talent. It seems like he outcoached Stein today. The USC twos and fours seemed much more dialed in, especially the twos, where I think everyone had penciled in a win for UCLA. Brennan didn't look the same on defense as she has all season. Pressure might have gotten to her a little.
I also wonder if Stein will regret not moving Newberry and Whitmarsh up to the fours once Newberry's shoulder held up through Pac-12s. They were a guaranteed win at the fives, but I think they would have also been more likely to win at the fours than Monserez and Smith.
Also, even though the team lost, huge props to Denaberg and Boyd for stepping up and crushing Kraft and Maple. The wind probably helped their jump serves and gave them an edge. Is Denaberg moving on (to the pros?) or is she coming back? I assume she still has a year of eligibility thanks to COVID?
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Post by Fight On! on May 7, 2023 15:12:42 GMT -5
Dain's critics might have to shut up for a while, now that he's won a championship with (arguably) slightly inferior talent. It seems like he outcoached Stein today. The USC twos and fours seemed much more dialed in, especially the twos, where I think everyone had penciled in a win for UCLA. Brennan didn't look the same on defense as she has all season. Pressure might have gotten to her a little. I also wonder if Stein will regret not moving Newberry and Whitmarsh up to the fours once Newberry's shoulder held up through Pac-12s. They were a guaranteed win at the fives, but I think they would have also been more likely to win at the fours than Monserez and Smith. Also, even though the team lost, huge props to Denaberg and Boyd for stepping up and crushing Kraft and Maple. The wind probably helped their jump serves and gave them an edge. Is Denaberg moving on (to the pros?) or is she coming back? I assume she still has a year of eligibility thanks to COVID? Stein’s sandbagging strategy sucked  |
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Post by ajm on May 7, 2023 15:17:41 GMT -5
Did I just hear Courtney Lyle say that UCLA has had a record 11 former players play in the Olympics? Maybe it’s the ESPN producer who has the bad research. They said it on the show's opening as well, that UCLA sent more players to Olympics than any other school. They didn't list the players. I was doubtful. I saw that and was also skeptical. They must have been including indoor players who ended up going to the Olympics for beach. I could only come up with ten: Kiraly, Nygaard, Wong, Metzger, Hanley, McPeak, Youngs, Jordan, Fendrick, Sponcil. Who am I missing? Edit: Sinjin Smith |
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Post by tamz on May 7, 2023 15:23:35 GMT -5
They said it on the show's opening as well, that UCLA sent more players to Olympics than any other school. They didn't list the players. I was doubtful. I saw that and was also skeptical. They must have been including indoor players who ended up going to the Olympics for beach. I could only come up with ten: Kiraly, Nygaard, Wong, Metzger, Hanley, McPeak, Youngs, Jordan, Fendrick, Sponcil. Who am I missing? Mitch Stahl |
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Post by david38 on May 7, 2023 15:26:40 GMT -5
Sporting event of the year, IMO. Though grinding my teeth to do it, congrats to USC. Their winning pairs were steely throughout, and I mean first point to last point; and to a degree, even their losing pairs. I can't say the same for UCLA, though they got some huge performances. Could be some nerves for Brennan, could also be some fatigue. She did play some of her standard awesome, clever points though. And some of the UCLA bigs who missed several timely short-short cut shots, possibly fatigue? I said it last year and will say it this year, USC looks in better physical condition/stamina than UCLA. I'm not saying UCLA would have definitely won if both sides were of the same fitness, or what looks to me like that - I mean USC played great; but it could have only helped UCLA.
For all the grief Dain takes on here, could he maybe have something that Stein doesn't? I see outcoaching was mentioned. Could be, but also what about the No. 1 rule of coaching - Ya gotta love your players. Not saying Stein doesn't, but wondering if there could be just a little bit of a different quality between the two in this regard. They just looked so steely, and even if conditioning might have played a role, it just seems like there was something a little bit more than that going on.
Oh and if you really want to grow the game, and turn first-time viewers into second and third-time viewers, don't ever broadcast any championship tournament match not played in flights again. All five courts at once is chaotic on the viewer and wipes out a huge chunk of drama building.
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Post by Fight On! on May 7, 2023 15:29:08 GMT -5
^ What Dain has that Stein doesn’t is Gustavo.
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Post by ajm on May 7, 2023 15:34:45 GMT -5
I saw that and was also skeptical. They must have been including indoor players who ended up going to the Olympics for beach. I could only come up with ten: Kiraly, Nygaard, Wong, Metzger, Hanley, McPeak, Youngs, Jordan, Fendrick, Sponcil. Who am I missing? Mitch Stahl If we were to include the indoor Olympic team there would be a lot more than eleven. But I just realized who the eleventh beach player is and I'm embarrassed I didn't think of him earlier: Sinjin Smith |
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Post by burbank55 on May 7, 2023 15:41:24 GMT -5
If we were to include the indoor Olympic team there would be a lot more than eleven. But I just realized who the eleventh beach player is and I'm embarrassed I didn't think of him earlier: Sinjin Smith Yeah, I was thinking of Sinjin also, but did he ever represent the US at the Olympics. Wikipedia doesn’t show anything. Edit: Sinjin’s own site shows he played in the 1996 Olympics. www.sinjinvolleyball.com/biography |
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Post by sonofdogman on May 7, 2023 16:05:59 GMT -5
If we were to include the indoor Olympic team there would be a lot more than eleven. But I just realized who the eleventh beach player is and I'm embarrassed I didn't think of him earlier: Sinjin Smith Yeah, I was thinking of Sinjin also, but did he ever represent the US at the Olympics. Wikipedia doesn’t show anything. Edit: Sinjin’s own site shows he played in the 1996 Olympics. www.sinjinvolleyball.com/biography Yep. With Carl Henkel |
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