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Post by maigrey on Nov 8, 2024 15:21:10 GMT -5
I've got to say, Leslie G. has had some serious injury events to adjust to and has found creative solutions that have worked surprisingly well. After dropping the match to USC, where there was minimal practice time to adjust after Barton going down, she 1) switched to the 5-1, 2) moved Bush to hitting left-side, and 3) had Hunt serve instead of Wessels. There were probably other adjustments, but these all were pieces of last night's victory. The lady can coach! (and her team responds). Don't forget that Hunt started serving this year and got quite a few aces, then her error rate skyrocketed so Katy got to serve, and she was putting some bombs in, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see Julia serving, but it probably has more to do with Hunt getting her serve dialed back in than anything. The rest is definitely on Leslie  |
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Post by dawgs4life on Nov 8, 2024 15:36:32 GMT -5
If Barton comes back healthy before the tournament, If I were a seeded team, Washington would NOT be a team I'd want in my subregional. This, This 100%! |
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Post by ay2013 on Nov 8, 2024 15:49:00 GMT -5
I've got to say, Leslie G. has had some serious injury events to adjust to and has found creative solutions that have worked surprisingly well. After dropping the match to USC, where there was minimal practice time to adjust after Barton going down, she 1) switched to the 5-1, 2) moved Bush to hitting left-side, and 3) had Hunt serve instead of Wessels. There were probably other adjustments, but these all were pieces of last night's victory. The lady can coach! (and her team responds). This. USC caught a break, IMO. Fortunately, the football team beat those traitors - and that's what really matters in all of this. Send USC to sport irrelevance, it's exactly what the program deserves. |
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Post by dawgnerd on Nov 10, 2024 11:53:46 GMT -5
When was the last time that UW had two matches in a row starting the same line up? Seems as though it has been a while. It has definitely tested the depth of the squad.
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 10, 2024 13:41:23 GMT -5
Some thoughts after watching the Nebraska and Oregon matches in person and the Minnesota and USC matches on my iMac:
I'm encouraged that Leslie has experimented with the lineup. It has produced some good results but, IMO, more experimentation/changes are necessary if the coaching staff is to get the best out of this team.
I'm going to assume that Barton will be coming back fairly soon, whether that's against UCLA or Northwestern or shortly thereafter. She was out of her boot last night and looked fine walking around. I'm also going to assume that Endsley will be back in the relatively near future and that Wilmes is back for good. With those assumptions, here are my thoughts.
About 3-4 weeks ago, I advocated for Bush and Barton on the left. They are our most terminal pin hitters over the long haul. They will get more sets on the left, especially out of system sets. If we are playing two OPPs in a 6-2 offense, we should go with Fletcher and Endsley on the right. They are comparably terminal. Madi has more big games and clutch performances under her belt while Fletcher is the better blocker and is capable of having a big night (see Nebraska). If we are running a 5-1 with a single OPP, I would probably start Endsley but be prepared to sub Fletcher if Endsley is not having a good match.
With regard to serve receive, it is now clear that Bays is our best serve receiver; she did really well against both Minnesota and Nebraska and has improved during the course of the season. One of our left side hitters needs to be a six-rotation player and I think it should be Barton. Barton's serve receive needs work, that is for sure, but she is only a sophomore and will be a mainstay on the team for two plus more years, so let's get her the reps. Bush has shown some promise. Against Minnesota, playing six rotations and taking 19 serves, she had a higher serve receive rating that either Tulino or Heard. It still wasn't great, but she can receive in a pinch if Barton is not available. That leaves one more player for DS duty. If we are being realistic, Heard is not cutting it as a receiver. I like Heard as a back court defender. Her passing can be erratic but she can also make spectacular plays and did so against Minnesota. But she is our weakest link on serve receive. At this point, our best option for a third receiver to join Barton and Bays is Wilmes. Wilmes is not great at either receiving or digging/passing but "not great" is our best option. If we are running a 6-2, however, we will need a DS for both OPPs and so that probably means both Wilmes and Heard. Yes, you run the risk of running out of subs in a 6-2 with multiple DS but if that is the case, you just leave Wilmes in for six rotations at the end of a given set.
Which brings us to the question of 6-2 vs 5-1. When push comes to shove, Leslie prefers Wilson in a 5-1, at least lately. I think that's a mistake and here's why. First, this team needs as much firepower as possible. Rotations where Wilson is running a 5-1 and in the front row lack that firepower. Hunt's offense has disappeared lately and it's at least in part because she is being forced to run a slide in a two-hitter front row with Wilson. It's also because Wilson's connection with Hunt is still not very good; Haury's is better. And it's because Wilson is not as brave in her willingness to set middles as Haury. Second, this team needs as much blocking as possible. When Wilson is in the front row, we are absolutely vulnerable against the opposition's left side hitters. Would you rather have Fletcher or Wilson on that block? The usual argument for a 5-1 is that it results in more consistency and better connections with hitters. I'm not really seeing that. Defensively, both Haury and Wilson are pretty comparable (which is to say pretty good), although I think Haury is a bit quicker. We might have Molly for another year but we have Haury for three more years. Let's get her the experience and benefit from her talent.
Serving has been a traditional Husky forte and so it was disappointing early in the season to watch a very average serving team. I've been encouraged lately, however, and you can credit the serve/serve receive game for making the difference against Minnesota. Leslie's decision to have Hunt serve (and not Wessels) reaped huge benefits in that match. Hunt also served very well against Nebraska last night but the Huskers receivers are the best in the business. I expect Hunt will be a real weapon behind the service line the rest of the season. Bays has been improving lately and Madi should continue to be left in for serving; the trade-off between her poor back row defense and her good serving still favors her serving. Wilmes can uncork a few aces and so I like her coming in to DS for Fletcher rather than Heard so she can start her back row rotation by serving. Heard can sub in for Endsley after Madi is done serving. All this assumes a 6-2.
The Huskies play UCLA on the road, Northwestern at home, and Ohio State on the road for their next three matches. These are all winnable matches but also potential losses. A healthy Barton and Endsley would really help. Three wins would put the Huskies at 11-6 in conference and pretty much seal the deal in terms of making the tournament.
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Post by dawgnerd on Nov 10, 2024 15:47:36 GMT -5
Some thoughts after watching the Nebraska and Oregon matches in person and the Minnesota and USC matches on my iMac: I'm encouraged that Leslie has experimented with the lineup. It has produced some good results but, IMO, more experimentation/changes are necessary if the coaching staff is to get the best out of this team. I'm going to assume that Barton will be coming back fairly soon, whether that's against UCLA or Northwestern or shortly thereafter. She was out of her boot last night and looked fine walking around. I'm also going to assume that Endsley will be back in the relatively near future and that Wilmes is back for good. With those assumptions, here are my thoughts. About 3-4 weeks ago, I advocated for Bush and Barton on the left. They are our most terminal pin hitters over the long haul. They will get more sets on the left, especially out of system sets. If we are playing two OPPs in a 6-2 offense, we should go with Fletcher and Endsley on the right. They are comparably terminal. Madi has more big games and clutch performances under her belt while Fletcher is the better blocker and is capable of having a big night (see Nebraska). If we are running a 5-1 with a single OPP, I would probably start Endsley but be prepared to sub Fletcher if Endsley is not having a good match. With regard to serve receive, it is now clear that Bays is our best serve receiver; she did really well against both Minnesota and Nebraska and has improved during the course of the season. One of our left side hitters needs to be a six-rotation player and I think it should be Barton. Barton's serve receive needs work, that is for sure, but she is only a sophomore and will be a mainstay on the team for two plus more years, so let's get her the reps. Bush has shown some promise. Against Minnesota, playing six rotations and taking 19 serves, she had a higher serve receive rating that either Tulino or Heard. It still wasn't great, but she can receive in a pinch if Barton is not available. That leaves one more player for DS duty. If we are being realistic, Heard is not cutting it as a receiver. I like Heard as a back court defender. Her passing can be erratic but she can also make spectacular plays and did so against Minnesota. But she is our weakest link on serve receive. At this point, our best option for a third receiver to join Barton and Bays is Wilmes. Wilmes is not great at either receiving or digging/passing but "not great" is our best option. If we are running a 6-2, however, we will need a DS for both OPPs and so that probably means both Wilmes and Heard. Yes, you run the risk of running out of subs in a 6-2 with multiple DS but if that is the case, you just leave Wilmes in for six rotations at the end of a given set. Which brings us to the question of 6-2 vs 5-1. When push comes to shove, Leslie prefers Wilson in a 5-1, at least lately. I think that's a mistake and here's why. First, this team needs as much firepower as possible. Rotations where Wilson is running a 5-1 and in the front row lack that firepower. Hunt's offense has disappeared lately and it's at least in part because she is being forced to run a slide in a two-hitter front row with Wilson. It's also because Wilson's connection with Hunt is still not very good; Haury's is better. And it's because Wilson is not as brave in her willingness to set middles as Haury. Second, this team needs as much blocking as possible. When Wilson is in the front row, we are absolutely vulnerable against the opposition's left side hitters. Would you rather have Fletcher or Wilson on that block? The usual argument for a 5-1 is that it results in more consistency and better connections with hitters. I'm not really seeing that. Defensively, both Haury and Wilson are pretty comparable (which is to say pretty good), although I think Haury is a bit quicker. We might have Molly for another year but we have Haury for three more years. Let's get her the experience and benefit from her talent. Serving has been a traditional Husky forte and so it was disappointing early in the season to watch a very average serving team. I've been encouraged lately, however, and you can credit the serve/serve receive game for making the difference against Minnesota. Leslie's decision to have Hunt serve (and not Wessels) reaped huge benefits in that match. Hunt also served very well against Nebraska last night but the Huskers receivers are the best in the business. I expect Hunt will be a real weapon behind the service line the rest of the season. Bays has been improving lately and Madi should continue to be left in for serving; the trade-off between her poor back row defense and her good serving still favors her serving. Wilmes can uncork a few aces and so I like her coming in to DS for Fletcher rather than Heard so she can start her back row rotation by serving. Heard can sub in for Endsley after Madi is done serving. All this assumes a 6-2. The Huskies play UCLA on the road, Northwestern at home, and Ohio State on the road for their next three matches. These are all winnable matches but also potential losses. A healthy Barton and Endsley would really help. Three wins would put the Huskies at 11-6 in conference and pretty much seal the deal in terms of making the tournament. Wow - That's a heck of an analysis and I cannot argue with any of it. When you teased having a comment about Hunt's offensive production, I was wondering if that was where you were going. Her slides are definitely behind her spectacular performance in the middle. On the other hand, if a 5-1 is likely in future years, more gametime reps could be a good thing. However, their future usefulness would be limited by the sets coming from Wilson instead of Haury. I suspet that having Bush hitting opposite in the 6-2 was originally about wanting her block against opposing primary hitters, while assuming that she could still be set as needed. Passing consistency has limited the latter. She has really looked good hitting left side, even against the Nebraska defense and with far-out-of-system plays. I hope that they keep her there. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 10, 2024 16:11:08 GMT -5
Some thoughts after watching the Nebraska and Oregon matches in person and the Minnesota and USC matches on my iMac: Wow - That's a heck of an analysis and I cannot argue with any of it. When you teased having a comment about Hunt's offensive production, I was wondering if that was where you were going. Her slides are definitely behind her spectacular performance in the middle. On the other hand, if a 5-1 is likely in future years, more gametime reps could be a good thing. However, their future usefulness would be limited by the sets coming from Wilson instead of Haury. I suspet that having Bush hitting opposite in the 6-2 was originally about wanting her block against opposing primary hitters, while assuming that she could still be set as needed. Passing consistency has limited the latter. She has really looked good hitting left side, even against the Nebraska defense and with far-out-of-system plays. I hope that they keep her there. You make a point I should have made: our Opposites are constrained by our lack of quality receiving/passing. All the more reason to put our two most efficient pin hitters on the left. Hunt has the athletic ability to be a good slide hitter but it doesn't happen overnight. She's still a true freshman. To make the most of this season, she needs to be set early and often in the middle. The last two matches, in a 5-1 with Wilson, Hunt has been set a grand total of 17 times over 7 sets, and has hit .091 and -.667. As a team, UW hit .123 and .158 in those matches. More firepower, please! |
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 10, 2024 22:45:07 GMT -5
A benefit of a 5-1 is that it is easier to use two DSs, without running out of subs, which can improve the passing. One could be Wilmes, who could be available for back-row attacks. Two DSs can help compensate for having a setter blocking in the front-row. (Leslie did put Huard in against Neb.) If running a 6-2, the threat of running out of subs with two DSs is much more real. Wilmes (DSing for Endsley) rotating to the front-row would be fine, but not Heard (DSing for Bush).
I'd still have Bush serve for half a rotation, and she could be available for a D attack. So, who do you put at OH1 and OH2? With Bush and Barton at OH, they'll be facing the opposing setter, if in a 5-1, half the time.
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 10, 2024 22:52:04 GMT -5
A benefit of a 5-1 is that it is easier to use two DSs, without running out of subs, which can improve the passing. One could be Wilmes, who could be available for back-row attacks. Two DSs can help compensate for having a setter blocking in the front-row. (Leslie did put Huard in against Neb.) If running a 6-2, the threat of running out of subs with two DSs is much more real. Wilmes (DSing for Endsley) rotating to the front-row would be fine, but not Heard (DSing for Bush). I'd still have Bush serve for half a rotation, and she could be available for a D attack. So, who do you put at OH1 and OH2? With Bush and Barton at OH, they'll be facing the opposing setter, if in a 5-1, half the time. Well, as I suggested above, if we are in danger of running out of subs, and Wilmes is one of your DS, you plan in advance to leave Wilmes in for six rotations as you near the end of a close set. She is not a liability in the front row like a classic DS. |
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Post by ay2013 on Nov 11, 2024 13:57:18 GMT -5
Ok.... I feel like unless we totally blow it for the remaining matches, we will be among the 32 seeded teams. While I'd have preferred to perhaps be a bit worse off in the RPI and NOT be among the 32 seeded teams (which makes our position the bracket a lot more "floaty"), wins against Oregon and Minnesota recently will look too good to the committee. The trick now is to NOT be on the 8 seed line and avoid Pitt and Louisville's sub regional. the 7 and 6 seed line's are a bit trickier. Personally, I don't think any of the Big 12 teams are all that superior and I'm becoming suspect about Stanford. In the ideal world, we end up in ASU or Kansas' sub regional. I could also live with being in Stanford's sub regional - the Cardinal are beatable.
We have the following remaining matches:
Must wins - Northwestern
Should win - @ UCLA, @ Ohio State
Would be nice to win to get to a higher seed line (7 or 6) - USC
If we could win all of those matches AND sneak out a win against Purdue or Penn State, I think we'd have a very good chance of making it to the 4 seed line and hosting a sub regional. Actually, even if we still only lost to Purdue and Penn State, depending on what else happens to the bubble teams, a top 16 seed isn't out of the question for Washington. The match I'd really like to have back is home against UCLA.
On the things we can't control, it would be really helpful if we can get the scheduling bonus, which means some combination of 5 of Pepperdine, UC Davis, LBSU, Georgia, Colorado, and Washington State are in the top 75 in the unadjusted RPI. Right now just Pepperdine is in there, but UC Davis, LBSU, Georgia, Colorado, and Washington State are all very very close.
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Post by jwvolley on Nov 11, 2024 14:08:00 GMT -5
Not sure why but I’m obsessed with Washington’s gym and court lol. It’s so…crisp. And purple, that’s a good color.
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Post by ay2013 on Nov 11, 2024 14:08:40 GMT -5
Not sure why but I’m obsessed with Washington’s gym and court lol. It’s so…crisp. And purple, that’s a good color. it's a fabulous a fabulous venue for volleyball. |
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 11, 2024 14:54:34 GMT -5
A benefit of a 5-1 is that it is easier to use two DSs, without running out of subs, which can improve the passing. One could be Wilmes, who could be available for back-row attacks. Two DSs can help compensate for having a setter blocking in the front-row. (Leslie did put Huard in against Neb.) If running a 6-2, the threat of running out of subs with two DSs is much more real. Wilmes (DSing for Endsley) rotating to the front-row would be fine, but not Heard (DSing for Bush). I'd still have Bush serve for half a rotation, and she could be available for a D attack. So, who do you put at OH1 and OH2? With Bush and Barton at OH, they'll be facing the opposing setter, if in a 5-1, half the time. Well, as I suggested above, if we are in danger of running out of subs, and Wilmes is one of your DS, you plan in advance to leave Wilmes in for six rotations as you near the end of a close set. She is not a liability in the front row like a classic DS. You don't want to DS for Barton, who is a primary passer. If the opps are being subbed for by setters in a 6-2, you can't DS for them. So, in a 6-2, you would only be able to use two DSs if subbing in for both OHs (Bush and Barton). Yes, Wilmes as a DS can rotate to the front row if out of subs, but at the cost of not having Barton or Bush in the front-row. With a 5-1, you can DS for both an OH and an OPP. McLaughlin used to do the double-sub with setters/middles, with the libero swapping out when one opp rotates in, and back in for the other opp after serving - you can sub a SS for the second opp, but not a DS. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 11, 2024 17:25:53 GMT -5
Well, as I suggested above, if we are in danger of running out of subs, and Wilmes is one of your DS, you plan in advance to leave Wilmes in for six rotations as you near the end of a close set. She is not a liability in the front row like a classic DS. You don't want to DS for Barton, who is a primary passer. If the opps are being subbed for by setters in a 6-2, you can't DS for them. So, in a 6-2, you would only be able to use two DSs if subbing in for both OHs (Bush and Barton). Yes, Wilmes as a DS can rotate to the front row if out of subs, but at the cost of not having Barton or Bush in the front-row. With a 5-1, you can DS for both an OH and an OPP. McLaughlin used to do the double-sub with setters/middles, with the libero swapping out when one opp rotates in, and back in for the other opp after serving - you can sub a SS for the second opp, but not a DS. As you say, you don't want to DS for Barton. And in the usual 6-2, the setters would come in when the OPP rotates to the back row. So assuming everyone is healthy and available, it would probably make sense to go with a single DS for Bush when she rotates to the back row. That DS should be Wilmes. If in danger of running out of subs, you leave Wilmes in. That means Bush is out and that's not ideal but Wilmes can hit on both right and left and is not a bad choice. She can also receive serve if necessary. In a 6-2, I would want to ensure that Haury is setting Hunt. |
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 11, 2024 20:00:22 GMT -5
You don't want to DS for Barton, who is a primary passer. If the opps are being subbed for by setters in a 6-2, you can't DS for them. So, in a 6-2, you would only be able to use two DSs if subbing in for both OHs (Bush and Barton). Yes, Wilmes as a DS can rotate to the front row if out of subs, but at the cost of not having Barton or Bush in the front-row. With a 5-1, you can DS for both an OH and an OPP. McLaughlin used to do the double-sub with setters/middles, with the libero swapping out when one opp rotates in, and back in for the other opp after serving - you can sub a SS for the second opp, but not a DS. As you say, you don't want to DS for Barton. And in the usual 6-2, the setters would come in when the OPP rotates to the back row. So assuming everyone is healthy and available, it would probably make sense to go with a single DS for Bush when she rotates to the back row. That DS should be Wilmes. If in danger of running out of subs, you leave Wilmes in. That means Bush is out and that's not ideal but Wilmes can hit on both right and left and is not a bad choice. She can also receive serve if necessary. In a 6-2, I would want to ensure that Haury is setting Hunt. In which case, you'd basically be replacing Heard with Wilmes, which likely doesn't help the passing and could hurt the digging. Wilmes could attack from the back-row, but that's not adding much. If you want to help the passing and the digging, then run a 5-1 with Wilmes DSing for Endsley or Fletcher at OPP and Heard DSing for Bush at OH. That way Wilmes can rotate to the front-row (if needed or desired) and you don't lose Bush. You lose some blocking with the setter in the front-row, but that could be compensated for with improved passing and digging. If Wilson is struggling to set Hunt, then you have to go with Haury, who is the quicker, more adventuresome, and, probably, more deceptive, if also somewhat more error-prone, setter. |
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