Minnesota Golden Gophers 2024

[mplsgopher]

Oct 13, 2024 9:21:31 GMT -5 zero-rotation outside hitter said:

Oct 13, 2024 9:12:57 GMT -5 mplsgopher said:

I buy this. And they were competitive at Creighton, from what I recall last year (though I might be remembering it wrong).

Yeah, "avenging" the awful loss at Maryland last year, by beating up on a very average team this year, I guess proves something. I suppose you'll feel the same way about beating up on Rutgers? So far the 2024 Gophers lose to good teams (typically in 5), with the notable exception being the Texas win, and beat the lower teams.

It's not necessarily not making the S16 that does it, but not even hosting the first round that to me is a bad sign. Of course, both are still on the table for this year.

Wish there was a conf tournament. That would give teams something to play for at the end, who won't win the regular season standings and probably can't improve their seeding much more than what it's already going to be.

I'll concede that sweeps of Maryland and Rutgers (if the latter were to happen) aren't particularly impressive. But by comparison to last year in losing to them both (while again conceding the roster was not fully healthy), it's a reasonable measure when replying to someone who's suggesting the seasons are equal.

Glad to see you're already changing your tune a bit from the original declaration of "won't make it past the first host at their place" to the acknowledgment the possibility of hosting first round and/or reaching sweet 16 as "of course, both are still on the table this year."

I enjoy robust disagreements/arguments. But please, at least do it in good faith.

Since there is no conf tournament, you can only win the conference by winning the regular season standings. Clearly the team this year won't do that, and didn't do it last year.

What then else is a reasonable measure for season outcome? I discount using W-L record and/or comparative wins, because things change so much season to season (now even more so with transferring).

So ... that leaves NCAA Tournament placement and outcome. And in that, very simple measure, if we don't host and lost to the first host .... then 23 and 24 were equal seasons. That's all I'm saying, for the equal part. Bash it all you like, you've already given fair reasons for why it doesn't hold tons of water and that's fine. It's a bit of a shortsighted and pessimistic viewpoint, which I will raise my hand on that (for various reasons).

I disagree that my original declaration and acknowledging that both are still possible, are mutually exclusive.

[Keegan Cuck]

Why are we *still* interacting with the troll?

[zero-rotation outside hitter]

Oct 13, 2024 9:29:55 GMT -5 mplsgopher said:

Oct 13, 2024 9:21:31 GMT -5 zero-rotation outside hitter said:

I'll concede that sweeps of Maryland and Rutgers (if the latter were to happen) aren't particularly impressive. But by comparison to last year in losing to them both (while again conceding the roster was not fully healthy), it's a reasonable measure when replying to someone who's suggesting the seasons are equal.

Glad to see you're already changing your tune a bit from the original declaration of "won't make it past the first host at their place" to the acknowledgment the possibility of hosting first round and/or reaching sweet 16 as "of course, both are still on the table this year."

I enjoy robust disagreements/arguments. But please, at least do it in good faith.

Since there is no conf tournament, you can only win the conference by winning the regular season standings. Clearly the team this year won't do that, and didn't do it last year.

What then else is a reasonable measure for season outcome? I discount using W-L record and/or comparative wins, because things change so much season to season (now even more so with transferring).

So ... that leaves NCAA Tournament placement and outcome. And in that, very simple measure, if we don't host and lost to the first host .... then 23 and 24 were equal seasons. That's all I'm saying, for the equal part. Bash it all you like, you've already given fair reasons for why it doesn't hold tons of water and that's fine. It's a bit of a shortsighted and pessimistic viewpoint, which I will raise my hand on that (for various reasons).

I disagree that my original declaration and acknowledging that both are still possible, are mutually exclusive.

That's a stretch from the way you originally worded it. Maybe if you'd said "I'd be surprised if they make it past the first weekend this year..." Something to consider. But I'll try to avoid splitting hairs.

I agree with Keegan when he suggested that with the size of the B1G now, the format should be changed to "everyone plays each other once, and then there's a conference tournament at the end." I believe we're still bound to the current format for at least the next 1-2 years. After that, makes a lot of sense to change.

Just for the sake of argument, would you consider 2018's team (won B1G, 2nd seed in tourney, 27-4) which lost in Rd 3, and last year's team (5th in B1G, 17-13) to be pretty similar seasons as far as quality? Yes, the former won B1G, but only won one more match in the tourney. Not much of a difference when using measures of tourney depth. I personally think they are wildly different seasons, which is why I'm trying to be a bit more nuanced in regard to measuring what constitutes a "good" or "bad" season. We won't fully agree, just trying to understand how much of your posting is based on informed opinion vs deliberately being pessimistic so as to not be hurt when the team does worse than your expectations.

[pavsec5row10]

Here are my updated Gophers serving stats through the weekend:

Player	Attempts	Pts Won	Pts Lost	Pct	Aces	SE	Kill	HE	BLK	Opp K	Opp E
Ng	26	18	8	.692	3	3	8	0	1	5	6
Acevedo	199	112	87	.563	15	12	50	12	21	62	25
Grote	214	108	106	.505	17	28	54	15	14	63	23
Shaffmaster	242	118	124	.488	17	20	52	13	28	91	21
Hanson	201	98	103	.488	18	21	44	17	13	66	21
McGhie	127	61	66	.480	7	5	22	9	10	52	22
Palabiyik	226	104	122	.460	8	16	48	17	24	92	20
Wucherer	47	19	28	.404	5	15	7	0	1	13	7
Gray	46	16	30	.348	4	9	4	1	3	22	3
Crowl	58	17	41	.293	5	4	6	5	1	32	5
Minatee	16	4	12	.250	1	4	0	1	0	7	3
Thibault	9	2	7	.222	0	2	1	0	0	5	1

[minnley]

Oct 13, 2024 9:12:57 GMT -5 mplsgopher said:

Oct 13, 2024 9:08:15 GMT -5 zero-rotation outside hitter said:

If the ONLY thing you're using as a measure for the quality of a season is how far they go into he NCAA tournament, then you may be right. I'm not even necessarily disagreeing that this measure is wrong. I think it probably is wrong, but it doesn't bug me much.

I do disagree with the likelihood (of which you seem confident) that the Gophs won't make it past the first weekend of the tourney. I think it's an absolutely attainable aspiration to make it to the sweet 16 this year for this squad, perhaps beyond. And even if they don't, they've already had better wins and avenged awful losses compared to last year. So, one could reasonably argue it's a better-quality season (an argument I'd support).

I buy this. And they were competitive at Creighton, from what I recall last year (though I might be remembering it wrong).

Yeah, "avenging" the awful loss at Maryland last year, by beating up on a very average team this year, I guess proves something. I suppose you'll feel the same way about beating up on Rutgers? So far the 2024 Gophers lose to good teams (typically in 5), with the notable exception being the Texas win, and beat the lower teams.

It's not necessarily not making the S16 that does it, but not even hosting the first round that to me is a bad sign. Of course, both are still on the table for this year.

Wish there was a conf tournament. That would give teams something to play for at the end, who won't win the regular season standings and probably can't improve their seeding much more than what it's already going to be.

Wisconsin would like to have a word with you.

[pavsec5row10]

Phoebe Awoleye tied the Gophers single match record of 14 blocks held by Regan Pittman and Molly Lohman. Both of those matches went 4 sets.

TOTAL BLOCKS

14 Phoebe Awoleye vs. Maryland 10/12/2024
14 Regan Pittman at Nebraska 2/19/2021
14 Molly Lohman vs. Michigan 9/22/2017

[mcmike]

Washington at Oregon
going to a 5th set

Based on these teams’ level of play today
I think MN has a higher ceiling



If ORE’s Mimi Colyer can be kept from going off they seem kind of ordinary…
WA has a more balanced attack

If MN finishes 5th in the B1G I think this would be a solid league performance and more than deserving of a tourney start at the PAV

[pavsec5row10]

My musings from the Pav this weekend:

Hugh and family were all in attendance on Friday night (wow, has his daughter shot up in the past year). He and Wiz went down to chat with both Daly Santana and Lexi Hart, hugs were exchanged all around. I can't recall having seen Daly at the Pav in recent memory?

Leaving the Pav always takes some time, as they won't let us walk past the Gophers locker room until the teams leave the floor. This caused quite the consternation for an apparently new fan, who was wondering what the delay was. I said, ahh, Michaela Chester is holding us up interviewing Phoebe. He didn't seem amused with that info. It does seem strange though, since all the students and reserved end court fans are in the "restricted area". But rules are rules.

Saturday night we had the return of Sarah Cook and son. The newest child did not attend this time. Oliver was sporting a split Gophers/Maryland jersey, which I finally figured out was due to Sarah's brother Ryan being on the Maryland staff.

We also had the return of Pep, aka the Blanket Lady. Love her dedication to Gophers sports. 

On the way out we had the wait for Phoebe again, this time being interviewed by Emily Ehman. Saw Pedro and gave him a great job by your team nod, and then Gibby came down with their daughter and he picked her up in a big hug. While the interview went on, many of the players came back out of the locker room to exchange gifts with the volley squad. Ope so much for the security, lol.

Once Phoebe made her way past us and the ropes were dropped, I gave a "nice match Zeynep" to her and she responded with "thank you". She seemed so sweet in that moment. Love watching her play.

[vonner]

Oct 13, 2024 9:29:55 GMT -5 mplsgopher said:

Oct 13, 2024 9:21:31 GMT -5 zero-rotation outside hitter said:

What then else is a reasonable measure for season outcome? I discount using W-L record and/or comparative wins, because things change so much season to season (now even more so with transferring).

So ... that leaves NCAA Tournament placement and outcome. And in that, very simple measure, if we don't host and lost to the first host .... then 23 and 24 were equal seasons. That's all I'm saying, for the equal part. Bash it all you like, you've already given fair reasons for why it doesn't hold tons of water and that's fine. It's a bit of a shortsighted and pessimistic viewpoint, which I will raise my hand on that (for various reasons).

I gotta say, this seems like a little bit of talking out of both sides of your mouth.  If the W-L record and/or comparative wins is not a good measure to compare this years team to last years team, based on the above, then how is the NCAA tournament placement any different?

I mean the NCAA tournament placement is essentially based on the teams W-L for the year.  I know it's really based on the RPI, but that's determined by the W-L of the team and the teams that they play.   Both of which are exactly what you've said doesn't count for comparing this year to last year.  Somehow in this context it matters?

[comet]

Regarding comparison to last years team, statistically we are better than last year. In fact our stats are more comparable to our 2021 or 2022 seasons than last years season. For what it's worth.

[jeepers]

According to my eyeballs the 2024 team is better.

[BigDigEnergy]

Awoleye won the B1G weekly Defensive Player of the Week award and rightfully so!!!

[mcmike]

Oct 13, 2024 3:41:09 GMT -5 mcmike said:

a little more to come on our sideout % and FBSOs in ro1 which, from the stands, seemed excellent.
One in particular was a Wookie pass that forced her off the court and off her feet, but was a 'dime'

MN received a MD serve in ro1 10 times
in set 1  Grote had 3 FBSO kills
in set 2  at 1-1 Phoebe had 3rd touch, was dug and point went to MD
             at 1-2 Grote with FBSO
             at 19-11 Phoebe FBSO on gap set
in set 3  MD SE at 1-1
             MD block at 8-9
             at 8-10 Grote got a kill 2BSO
             at 18-17 Grote gets a kill on overpass (2B) after her first attack was dug

2 MD points
1 MD SE
5 FBSOs (Grote 4, Phoebe 1)
2 SBSOs

Nothing excels like a good first contact (pass)
MN sided out in ro1 AT 80%


Attack By Set

Set K E TA  Pct Sideout Pct
1  14 5 34 .265 15-22   68%
2  14 1 25 .520 10-15   66%
3  15 0 27 .556 15-19   78%

Too bad we can't put these stats in a canning jar and process them so we can bring them out whenever....

[BigDigEnergy]

I know JT usually doesn’t post the second match thread in the same week until the first match is over. I just noticed that our match against PSU on Sunday is in B1G+? I think it deserves better than that for a top 15 match up.

[gopherhim]

Oct 14, 2024 21:09:10 GMT -5 BigDigEnergy said:

I know JT usually doesn’t post the second match thread in the same week until the first match is over. I just noticed that our match against PSU on Sunday is in B1G+? I think it deserves better than that for a top 15 match up.

Looks like women's soccer got the BTN spot. Indiana at Minnesota. I'd rather have Minnesota @ Penn State on BTN than Maryland @ Minnesota, but my head is spinning trying to imagine putting together a tv schedule for multiple fall sports. At least Phoebe put on a show on BTN during the Maryland match!