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Post by ACE on Oct 2, 2005 13:52:02 GMT -5
Is Victoria Prince going into a hitting slump? I know the passes need to be good, but looking at her stats as of late, she hasnt been hitting that high of a percentage. I mean, she hit for a higher percentage playing against top 5 teams, and now in the WAC, she's not that dominant - hitting wise. I know when they played LMU, the connection with KK was, at best, decent.
I'm not expecting her to hit over .400 all the time (although she ended last year with that). Her blocking has improved much as she is now averaging 1.45 bpg.
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Post by pineapple on Oct 2, 2005 14:14:07 GMT -5
I think blockers are more wary of her and go to her more quickly. She's more often double blocked now than last season. But I think she is now an effective decoy.
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Post by LanaiBoy on Oct 2, 2005 14:21:59 GMT -5
Is Victoria Prince going into a hitting slump? I know the passes need to be good, but looking at her stats as of late, she hasnt been hitting that high of a percentage. I mean, she hit for a higher percentage playing against top 5 teams, and now in the WAC, she's not that dominant - hitting wise. I know when they played LMU, the connection with KK was, at best, decent. I'm not expecting her to hit over .400 all the time (although she ended last year with that). Her blocking has improved much as she is now averaging 1.45 bpg. Last year, Prince was new to Hawaii. This year Prince is well scouted by the opposition. Several coaches mentioned that they use videos of Prince as an example of how to execute an ideal slide. This year, if the passing is not great, the opposing team will have two well-formed blocks waiting for Prince's slide. If Hawaii's passing is good and Hawaii "in system" Prince's slide is still almost unstoppable. WAC coaches have a whole year to prepare their teams for the opposing teams in the WAC. I don't know the reasons for the passing breakdowns that plague the Wahine this year as I don't know the reason so many tips or setter dumps succeed against them. (Except for the Loyola 2nd game, when the team did a great job of covering them.) But judging from quotes from almost all coaches whose teams have lost games, they will almost always say, "Our passing broke down," and they were right.
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Post by pineapple on Oct 2, 2005 14:41:54 GMT -5
eloquently put. That's what I wanted to say but didn't know how. you got it!
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Post by Psychopotamus on Oct 2, 2005 18:39:08 GMT -5
When do right, no can defense.
Wait, what were we talking about? Oh yes, Prince.
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Post by bucky415 on Oct 2, 2005 19:45:42 GMT -5
I haven't seen Hawaii play this season, but I am not a big fan of changing lineups all the time. I realize health has been a major issue for the Wahine this season, but I think teams are better off in the end when they find what they think is their best lineup and then go with that for the most part. Otherwise, I think players can tend to play tentatively if they feel they need to be looking over their shoulder if they make a couple of mistakes. Also, I think teams with established lineups just communicate better and make fewer mistakes as a result. Of course, I guess changes give people here a lot to talk about, so that is something. I think it is great for NMSU to draw so many people for the match; I guess their fans would have to be disappointed, but it must have been exciting. I hope a lot of those people come back for more. This sport could always use more fan support.
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Post by cougvb on Oct 2, 2005 22:08:10 GMT -5
Had no idea that many people even lived in Las Cruces. Pretty impressive numbers.
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Post by StuffU on Oct 3, 2005 0:04:24 GMT -5
I think Prince's lower hitting percentage in the last few matches has more to do with Kanoe's set location than Victoria. Quite frankly, I don't think Kanoe has played her best volleyball this year. Granted, she is chasing down quite a few passes, but an All-American setter should be able to put up a hittable ball off a bad pass (imho).
I'm currently home in Hawaii for personal reasons and I just watched the Boise St, and LMU matches on tape. Kanoe's setting was off in all three of those matches. Even on good passes, it's a 50/50 proposition whether the set is going to the right location. My observation is that many of the hitters don't know where the ball is going to be. Except for the first two games of the Penn St match in Hawaii, I don't think Kanoe has played up to the level she has in the past two years.
On a good note, the one person that Kanoe does seem to be connected better with is Sanders.
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Post by wetokole on Oct 3, 2005 0:14:02 GMT -5
kanoe is not the problm. passing is an issue. when is passing bad. when mason is in, especially.
i did not see road games but i have seen mason. i too thought she had promise at spring scrimmage, but her game now is crap, way too many stupid mistakes.
i do not care if she plays front a little and serves a little but please do not let her pass, and if game is on the line she will lose it for hawaii.
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Post by 5100 on Oct 3, 2005 0:46:34 GMT -5
Is Mason really that bad a passer? If she is, then why doesn't Shoji use someone else, like Cayley Thurlby to pass for her?
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Post by foreignball on Oct 3, 2005 1:31:34 GMT -5
...i do not care if she plays front a little and serves a little but please do not let her pass, and if game is on the line she will lose it for hawaii. I haven’t had a chance to watch the game but according to some people who were there (who I trust about vball), Mason was the player who won the game for UH!!! I'm quoting a comment: We didn’t have an answer for Mason and she was the big difference.
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Post by pineapple on Oct 3, 2005 1:57:56 GMT -5
Wetokole is not a fan of Mason for sure.
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Post by LanaiBoy on Oct 3, 2005 2:31:05 GMT -5
kanoe is not the problm. passing is an issue. when is passing bad. when mason is in, especially. In another thread, I brought up the question of being a reliable passer and being a good digger. I used the example of the shortstop in baseball. I have not followed professional baseball in decades so I have to use some really old examples. Ernie Banks as a shortstop had the highest fielding average in the majors, but the coach soon moved him to first base. Luis Aparicio made a lot more errors than Banks but was considered the best defensive shortstop in baseball and arguably for all time. Banks was reliable but was immobile and lacked range. Aparicio was small and quick and had tremendous range and a lots of put outs during the season. Susie Boogard is 6'2'' and has a reputation of being a solid passer. However, she lacks the range of the much smaller and quicker Ashley Watanabe or Kanoe Kamana'o. Sarah Mason at 6'3", in my opinion, is a reasonably good passer but not of the caliber of Boogard. Both, however, lack range and a lots of balls DO fall in front of them and to the side of them. Shoji obviously prefers a reliable passer rather than a quicker defensive specialist who has more range but is not a proven passer. As in any sports there are trade offs. I remember games in which Mason was replaced by a defensive specialist such as Woolford. Woolford was just as quickly replaced by Mason as soon as she made a receiving error. My point is that Mason CAN pass; I do agree that she and Boogard are relatively immobile and won't make many spectacular digs of balls hit far from them. However, Mason is the best of Hawaii outside hitters in hitting from the back row. I repeat, there are trade offs and keeping Mason in the back row makes sense when one considers her offensive prowess there. When Hawaii passing breaks down, you cannot blame it on one player. Practically all the back row players make bad passes in certain games; bad passing seems to be contagious.
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Post by 5100 on Oct 3, 2005 11:10:13 GMT -5
That's a nice explanation, LanaiBoy. Boogaard can never be as fast as Watanabe, and Mason can't match Woolford's quickness, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're lesser passers.
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Post by StuffU on Oct 3, 2005 12:16:55 GMT -5
That's a nice explanation, LanaiBoy. Boogaard can never be as fast as Watanabe, and Mason can't match Woolford's quickness, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're lesser passers. I totally agree!!! It's exciting to see little people flying all over the floor. But what that usually means is that they were out of defensive position! ... The greatest passer and defender Hawaii ever had, rarely dove for balls .. she didn't need to because she was always in perfect position. ... and she was a little person. Boy do I miss Nalani Yama%*$#a.
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