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Post by ilalum92 on Sept 10, 2024 0:23:52 GMT -5
To switch topics really quick, recruiting is still going strong and wondering if we have any offers out there. Maybe Tamas is going to pass on any ‘26’s and see what the portal has to offer. We need support at MB.
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Post by northwoods on Sept 10, 2024 10:01:16 GMT -5
CMM getting the libero jersey would solve so much lol. having her and Averie passing 6ro would be incredible for all involved. She seemed pretty shanky against Iowa State. I haven’t seen all the games this season, but I didn’t see any reason to replace a 4 year starter with a grad transfer/ 1 & done player. Not sure that would be the best message for recruiting either…
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Post by uofaGRAD on Sept 10, 2024 10:06:20 GMT -5
CMM getting the libero jersey would solve so much lol. having her and Averie passing 6ro would be incredible for all involved. She seemed pretty shanky against Iowa State. I haven’t seen all the games this season, but I didn’t see any reason to replace a 4 year starter with a grad transfer/ 1 & done player. Not sure that would be the best message for recruiting either… Barnes is passing a 1.85 on the season so far. that’s atrocious. the ISU match is the only one where she’s outplayed CMM. in the 5 other matches, CMM is passing a combined 2.08 and Barnes is passing a 1.80
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Post by Chewblocka on Sept 10, 2024 10:30:01 GMT -5
CMM getting the libero jersey would solve so much lol. having her and Averie passing 6ro would be incredible for all involved. She seemed pretty shanky against Iowa State. I haven’t seen all the games this season, but I didn’t see any reason to replace a 4 year starter with a grad transfer/ 1 & done player. Not sure that would be the best message for recruiting either… I agree with you, not that CMM is not fantastic and she is, but it’s also court presence and leadership right?
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Post by Chewblocka on Sept 10, 2024 11:19:20 GMT -5
My son-in-law is a volleyball geek (John) and he had the following suggestions for this weekend but he will never post on VT so I am going to share his ideas and given he is in the “VT witness protection program” lol.
From his perspective , some ideas to secure a win against Dayton, Illinois should focus on the following:
“1. Maximize Raina Terry’s Impact: Terry is the primary offensive weapon, but it’s essential to elevate contributions from secondary attackers like Smith, Philpot and de Boer to create a balanced, unpredictable offence that doesn’t rely solely on Terry.
2. Exploit Dayton’s Serve Receive Weaknesses: Illinois should capitalize on Dayton’s service errors and minimize their own to gain free points and keep pressure on their opponents. Aggressive serving will be critical in disrupting Dayton’s rhythm. Based on stats, Liana Sarkissian has struggled in serve receive, making her a key target for Illinois' servers. Pressuring her in serve receive could disrupt Dayton's offensive flow.
3. Shut Down Dayton’s Key Players: Special attention should be given to neutralizing Dayton’s top offensive players: Kaylee Cox (3.41 kills/set) and Alivia Skidmore (3.08 kills/set) are major threats. Illinois must use disciplined blocking and strategic defence to limit their attacking opportunities. Izzy Van De Wiele (.323 attack percentage) is also highly efficient. Strong blocking from Illinois will be essential to prevent her from finding gaps in the defense.
4. Leverage Ashlyn Philpot and Laynie Smith: Philpot brings a crucial defensive presence at the net with her 1.57 blocks per set, along with an efficient attack (.338 hitting percentage). Her ability to block and convert quick attacks is key to both Illinois' defence and offence. Smith provides consistent offensive output with 2.93 kills per set, but her blocking is not a primary strength. While her contributions in attack are critical, Illinois will need to rely more on Philpot and de Boer for effective blocking against Dayton’s top attackers. Smith’s focus should remain on offensive contributions, but she must support the blocking scheme when necessary.
5. Strengthen Passing and Defensive Coverage: Caroline Barnes and Christina Martinez Mundo will be pivotal in ensuring accurate passing and serve receive to keep Illinois in system. Both must provide consistent defensive coverage to maintain quick transitions from defense to offense, enabling Illinois to maintain offensive flow.
6. Utilize Taylor de Boer in the Front Row: At 6'5", de Boer offers a significant height advantage that strengthens Illinois’ front row, particularly in blocking and attacking. As a freshman, she has the potential to grow into a dominant player with more consistent playing time. Her presence at the net will be key in disrupting Dayton’s offensive flow, and she can serve as a major asset in Illinois’ blocking game alongside Philpot.
7. Deploy Avery Hernandez in the Back Row: Hernandez’s strengths in the back row—her defensive consistency, serve receive, and back-row attacking ability—are vital to Illinois’ success. Her ability to make crucial digs and contribute from the backcourt will keep Illinois in system and allow the team to maintain pressure on Dayton. While she is a versatile player, keeping Hernandez primarily in the back row will help prevent potential exposure in the front row, where she may be less effective against Dayton’s strong attackers. By using Hernandez where she excels and pairing her backcourt skills with de Boer’s front-row height, Illinois can maintain a balanced and efficient lineup.
IMO by focusing on these strategies, Illinois can counter Dayton’s offensive threats, limit unforced errors, and create a well-rounded attack. Although Dayton may have a statistical advantage, Illinois has the tools to win if they leverage their strengths, shore up defensive gaps, and maintain consistency throughout the match. Keying in on Liana Sarkissian during serves can also help disrupt Dayton’s rhythm and give Illinois an edge”
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Post by ilalum92 on Sept 10, 2024 11:52:42 GMT -5
Everyone keeps mentioned using the portal for one & done players and how it might effect recruiting. From my perspective, this is a dumb point. The top 10 programs consistently recruit and reload from the portal and still get the top recruits every year. The name of the game is winning, is it not? Top players want to to go to the programs that are in the mix for a natty every year.
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Post by uofaGRAD on Sept 10, 2024 12:24:59 GMT -5
2. Exploit Dayton’s Serve Receive Weaknesses: Illinois should capitalize on Dayton’s service errors and minimize their own to gain free points and keep pressure on their opponents. Aggressive serving will be critical in disrupting Dayton’s rhythm. Based on stats, Liana Sarkissian has struggled in serve receive, making her a key target for Illinois' servers. Pressuring her in serve receive could disrupt Dayton's offensive flow. Keying in on Liana Sarkissian during serves can also help disrupt Dayton’s rhythm and give Illinois an edge” Liana Sarkissian is a middle that doesn't pass
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Post by gurnee50 on Sept 10, 2024 12:54:40 GMT -5
Everyone keeps mentioned using the portal for one & done players and how it might effect recruiting. From my perspective, this is a dumb point. The top 10 programs consistently recruit and reload from the portal and still get the top recruits every year. The name of the game is winning, is it not? Top players want to to go to the programs that are in the mix for a natty every year. Absolutely right. It's Tamas' job to win games, not provide a friendship circle for the players. As Petros Kyprianou said when he took over our putrid Track & Field program two years ago, "Some feelings are going to get hurt". And then his women's team went out and won the Big10 championship in his second year at Illinois. My daughter started every game in her 4 years for the Northwestern FH team, and every year the coach told her she was bringing in transfers and freshman to take her place in the lineup. My kid had to prove herself over and over to keep the starting spot. Welcome to college sports.
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Post by vbkahuna on Sept 10, 2024 13:01:19 GMT -5
Everyone keeps mentioned using the portal for one & done players and how it might effect recruiting. From my perspective, this is a dumb point. The top 10 programs consistently recruit and reload from the portal and still get the top recruits every year. The name of the game is winning, is it not? Top players want to to go to the programs that are in the mix for a natty every year. Totally agree. Tamas and his coaching staff have already shown great loyalty to their recruited players and developed a "famILLy" culture on the team. But just as coaches shouldn't guarantee starting for transfers, they also shouldn't guarantee starting for their own recruited players. Performance should be the determinant, not when or how one joined the team. The Illini have brought in some excellent recruits this year (Philpot, Smith), but they also went out to the portal and luckily found some players (Hernandez, Reilly, Mundo) that added both depth and help in problem areas. The message should be clear: those who perform best and create a winning team will be the ones who start/play, so compete (and keep competing) to continue to deserve your role on the team. As for who those choices turn out to be as the season progresses, my perspective from looking at Tamas's background (1st team D1 All-American setter, USMNT setter, Assistant coach for Hugh McCutcheon at Minnesota, Assistant coach for John Cook at Nebraska) is that he might have a pretty good handle on how to make those evaluations and when to make needed changes...notwithstanding any additional help he can get from Volley Talk.
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Post by tophe on Sept 10, 2024 13:03:25 GMT -5
3. Shut Down Dayton’s Key Players: Special attention should be given to neutralizing Dayton’s top offensive players: Kaylee Cox (3.41 kills/set) and Alivia Skidmore (3.08 kills/set) are major threats. Illinois must use disciplined blocking and strategic defence to limit their attacking opportunities. Izzy Van De Wiele (.323 attack percentage) is also highly efficient. Strong blocking from Illinois will be essential to prevent her from finding gaps in the defense. These are 3 of WKU's offensive threats the Illini will need to focus on during Saturday's match. Kenadee Coyle should not be overlooked, hitting 0.278 with 2.27 kills/set.
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Post by ilalum92 on Sept 10, 2024 16:08:41 GMT -5
RPI futures has us at 41. Thats right on the bubble for the tourney (yes I know its early but still, huge jump from 90’s). Dayton is #17. WKU is #34. Two big wins this weekend and we put ourselves in a good position to begin the conference schedule.
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Post by volleyaudience on Sept 10, 2024 16:26:20 GMT -5
My son-in-law is a volleyball geek (John) and he had the following suggestions for this weekend but he will never post on VT so I am going to share his ideas and given he is in the “VT witness protection program” lol. From his perspective , some ideas to secure a win against Dayton, Illinois should focus on the following: “1. Maximize Raina Terry’s Impact: Terry is the primary offensive weapon, but it’s essential to elevate contributions from secondary attackers like Smith, Philpot and de Boer to create a balanced, unpredictable offence that doesn’t rely solely on Terry. 2. Exploit Dayton’s Serve Receive Weaknesses: Illinois should capitalize on Dayton’s service errors and minimize their own to gain free points and keep pressure on their opponents. Aggressive serving will be critical in disrupting Dayton’s rhythm. Based on stats, Liana Sarkissian has struggled in serve receive, making her a key target for Illinois' servers. Pressuring her in serve receive could disrupt Dayton's offensive flow. 3. Shut Down Dayton’s Key Players: Special attention should be given to neutralizing Dayton’s top offensive players: Kaylee Cox (3.41 kills/set) and Alivia Skidmore (3.08 kills/set) are major threats. Illinois must use disciplined blocking and strategic defence to limit their attacking opportunities. Izzy Van De Wiele (.323 attack percentage) is also highly efficient. Strong blocking from Illinois will be essential to prevent her from finding gaps in the defense. 4. Leverage Ashlyn Philpot and Laynie Smith: Philpot brings a crucial defensive presence at the net with her 1.57 blocks per set, along with an efficient attack (.338 hitting percentage). Her ability to block and convert quick attacks is key to both Illinois' defence and offence. Smith provides consistent offensive output with 2.93 kills per set, but her blocking is not a primary strength. While her contributions in attack are critical, Illinois will need to rely more on Philpot and de Boer for effective blocking against Dayton’s top attackers. Smith’s focus should remain on offensive contributions, but she must support the blocking scheme when necessary. 5. Strengthen Passing and Defensive Coverage: Caroline Barnes and Christina Martinez Mundo will be pivotal in ensuring accurate passing and serve receive to keep Illinois in system. Both must provide consistent defensive coverage to maintain quick transitions from defense to offense, enabling Illinois to maintain offensive flow. 6. Utilize Taylor de Boer in the Front Row: At 6'5", de Boer offers a significant height advantage that strengthens Illinois’ front row, particularly in blocking and attacking. As a freshman, she has the potential to grow into a dominant player with more consistent playing time. Her presence at the net will be key in disrupting Dayton’s offensive flow, and she can serve as a major asset in Illinois’ blocking game alongside Philpot. 7. Deploy Avery Hernandez in the Back Row: Hernandez’s strengths in the back row—her defensive consistency, serve receive, and back-row attacking ability—are vital to Illinois’ success. Her ability to make crucial digs and contribute from the backcourt will keep Illinois in system and allow the team to maintain pressure on Dayton. While she is a versatile player, keeping Hernandez primarily in the back row will help prevent potential exposure in the front row, where she may be less effective against Dayton’s strong attackers. By using Hernandez where she excels and pairing her backcourt skills with de Boer’s front-row height, Illinois can maintain a balanced and efficient lineup. IMO by focusing on these strategies, Illinois can counter Dayton’s offensive threats, limit unforced errors, and create a well-rounded attack. Although Dayton may have a statistical advantage, Illinois has the tools to win if they leverage their strengths, shore up defensive gaps, and maintain consistency throughout the match. Keying in on Liana Sarkissian during serves can a An impressively detailed effort. Thanks to you and your SIL. Congratulations to the team for their start. I can't comment on #6 and #7 but does it not see that #1 through #5 are likely things the coaches are preaching every day but the players are not executing well enough? If I'm offbase and totally missed something, I apologize for my ignorance. Go Big Ten!
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Post by oldmanvb on Sept 10, 2024 16:27:55 GMT -5
As the season progresses the availability of video should help us prepare for our opponents, as they will be better prepared for us. I was disappointed during the Iowa State match when it took us 2 sets to adjust to the setter’s dumps on 2. I trust we will be better prepared for this weekend, particularly if one of the coaches has been assigned to read this thread!
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Post by UofIlliniVBFan on Sept 10, 2024 17:30:50 GMT -5
RPI futures has us at 41. Thats right on the bubble for the tourney (yes I know its early but still, huge jump from 90’s). Dayton is #17. WKU is #34. Two big wins this weekend and we put ourselves in a good position to begin the conference schedule. Allow me to add (since I like numbers). RPI Futures Rank. (last week rank) - Conference (projected wins-losses[rounded] - RPI Score - Strength of Schedule Week 2 RPI Future: 41. (77) Illinois - Big Ten (18-12) - .5896 - 32 Week 1 RPI Future: 77. (96) Illinois - Big Ten (14-16) - .5538 - 30 Week 0 RPI Future: 96. Illinois - Big Ten (12-18) - .5342 - 27 Illini opponents this weekend: 14. (26) Dayton - Atlantic 10 (27-2) - .6376 - 84 34. (24) Western Kentucky - Conference USA (24-7) - .5995 - 80 Illini opponents following weekend: 61. (52) Missouri - Southeastern (14-14) - .5649 - 36 97. (106) Lipscomb - Atlantic Sun (18-9) - .5434 - 142 To benefit Illinois RPI, past opponents win and improve their RPI: 141. (105) Cincinnati - Big 12 (14-15) - .5178 - 97 80. (90) Bowling Green - Mid-American (17-12) - .5531 - 85 Improved 232. (240) Illinois State - Missouri Valley (14-17) - .4719 - 230 Improved 156. (169) Toledo - Mid-American (16-14) - .5090 - 137 Improved 52. (42) Iowa State - Big 12 (16-13) - .5725 - 39 161. (120) Wake Forest - Atlantic Coast (12-19) - .5050 - 75
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Post by ilalum92 on Sept 10, 2024 17:40:57 GMT -5
RPI futures has us at 41. Thats right on the bubble for the tourney (yes I know its early but still, huge jump from 90’s). Dayton is #17. WKU is #34. Two big wins this weekend and we put ourselves in a good position to begin the conference schedule. Allow me to add (since I like numbers). RPI Futures Rank. (last week rank) - Conference (projected wins-losses[rounded] - RPI Score - Strength of Schedule Week 2 RPI Future: 41. (77) Illinois - Big Ten (18-12) - .5896 - 32 Week 1 RPI Future: 77. (96) Illinois - Big Ten (14-16) - .5538 - 30 Week 0 RPI Future: 96. Illinois - Big Ten (12-18) - .5342 - 27 Illini opponents this weekend: 14. (26) Dayton - Atlantic 10 (27-2) - .6376 - 84 34. (24) Western Kentucky - Conference USA (24-7) - .5995 - 80 Illini opponents following weekend: 61. (52) Missouri - Southeastern (14-14) - .5649 - 36 97. (106) Lipscomb - Atlantic Sun (18-9) - .5434 - 142 To benefit Illinois RPI, past opponents win and improve their RPI: 141. (105) Cincinnati - Big 12 (14-15) - .5178 - 97 80. (90) Bowling Green - Mid-American (17-12) - .5531 - 85 Improved 232. (240) Illinois State - Missouri Valley (14-17) - .4719 - 230 Improved 156. (169) Toledo - Mid-American (16-14) - .5090 - 137 Improved 52. (42) Iowa State - Big 12 (16-13) - .5725 - 39 161. (120) Wake Forest - Atlantic Coast (12-19) - .5050 - 75 Thanks for the extra data!
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