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Post by SportyBucky on Nov 5, 2024 18:40:12 GMT -5
Wisconsin is now #1 in NCAA Division I for blocks per set, so it’s difficult to say blocking is still lacking from the team as a whole. Let’s call that problem solved. Meanwhile CC’s attack percentage is about the same as prior years, while Robinson’s is way better this year. It’s Booth’s and Smrek’s attack percentage that is way down. Given the strong correlation between height and attack percentage improvement/decline for these pairs of players, one can conclude the issue is Fuerbringer having to get more proficient at setting very tall hitters. Fortunately Smrek in general has been better, and last match was great for Booth, so maybe we are about to enter the time where it’s clicking. Blocks per set doesn't tell the whole story. For one, teams tend to rack up blocks in some games while going quiet in others, but if you're using the mean as your average the big block games are going to be way overrepresented. Guess what? Those are the games you would have won anyway. Also, stuff blocks are not the be-all end-all of blocking. Block touches are just as important, if not more so - I'd be interested in what the stats people say, but I'd guess that, on three attempts, you're better off with three positive block touches than one stuff block and two with no block or positive block touch. And when you're slow to the pin, you're not getting those positive block touches - it tends to be all or nothing (and when the other team is in system, it's nothing). So no, being #1 in blocks per set does NOT put me at ease. It is a nice number, however. Leading stuff blocks is great. It means we're blocking. Block touches are likely high as well. You don't have successful blocks without also effectively touching hits. I guarantee they're correlated. |
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Post by badgerbreath on Nov 5, 2024 21:15:22 GMT -5
But the team is still clear at the top in conference play for B/S and top in the B1G for opp HP. Those topline numbers suggest there is a lot going right. Where they are not doing as well is in attacking from the middle, except for Smrek. CC and Booth both hitting under 0.300 when booth hit 0.440 in conference last year. Clearly, the connections on the quicks have not been that dependable. Also, adding in the slide has been a challenge. They are really trying to get a connection to Booth on the slide going before the end of the year. If they could work that out, she would be hard to stop. But it is not natural for her. Dev, by contrast, is 5th in conference play in HP at 0.383. Looks to me like adjusting back to blocking in the middle has been hard for her after being on the RS for 2 years. Wisconsin is now #1 in NCAA Division I for blocks per set, so it’s difficult to say blocking is still lacking from the team as a whole. Let’s call that problem solved. Meanwhile CC’s attack percentage is about the same as prior years, while Robinson’s is way better this year. It’s Booth’s and Smrek’s attack percentage that is way down. Given the strong correlation between height and attack percentage improvement/decline for these pairs of players, one can conclude the issue is Fuerbringer having to get more proficient at setting very tall hitters. Fortunately Smrek in general has been better, and last match was great for Booth, so maybe we are about to enter the time where it’s clicking. I've said this before, this is probably a hard team to set for a young setter. Charlie never had to set a team with hitters this different or with this reach in HS. Neither Booth has not had to run slides much last year in the 6-2, so they are not up to speed on that either. Plus they've been throwing in some very fast tempo sets to the left pin which sometimes work and sometimes don't at this stage. Last year at this time of year they also sped up the tempo, and TTA had one of her worst performances against MSU, I think. |
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Post by swaggyp on Nov 6, 2024 10:05:17 GMT -5
I've said this before, this is probably a hard team to set for a young setter. Totally agree, and please forgive the temporary digression into coachspeak but the challenge is the opportunity. Hard for her to sort out these connections, especially when the passing is...lets call it inconsistent, but if and when she does, she's setting to hitters that have geometric and kinetic advantages over the other side of the net. And it's why even if Bucky appears to be on the outside looking in of winning the B1G and hosting a regional, there's lots of upside to the next 6 weeks. |
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Post by dragan11 on Nov 6, 2024 10:40:02 GMT -5
She shouldn't have played opp and run normal tempo pin attack balls, IF SHE WANTED to be the next elite slide attacker of Olympics. That's why I called the systems "stupid". As I mentioned earlier, not everyone WANTS that and she might be very proud to be a part of Wisconsin team which made many Final Fours. |
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Post by savannahbadger on Nov 6, 2024 14:58:48 GMT -5
And it's why even if Bucky appears to be on the outside looking in of winning the B1G and hosting a regional, there's lots of upside to the next 6 weeks. I hope the pressure of trying to win a conference championship are set aside now, and the focus becomes solely on getting better for December. That 2013 team wasn’t even close to a B1G title, but peaked at the right time as they developed. Unless some crazy isht happens in the next few weeks, I don’t see the conference hardware landing back in Madison, and that’s fine. Get ready for the tourney. |
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Post by 25or624 on Nov 6, 2024 16:19:51 GMT -5
And it's why even if Bucky appears to be on the outside looking in of winning the B1G and hosting a regional, there's lots of upside to the next 6 weeks. I hope the pressure of trying to win a conference championship are set aside now, and the focus becomes solely on getting better for December. That 2013 team wasn’t even close to a B1G title, but peaked at the right time as they developed. Unless some crazy isht happens in the next few weeks, I don’t see the conference hardware landing back in Madison, and that’s fine. Get ready for the tourney. Amen to that. Some good play and some wins might lift my mood a bit. |
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Post by badgerguru on Nov 6, 2024 23:36:52 GMT -5
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Post by badgerbreath on Nov 7, 2024 0:03:47 GMT -5
I'm always struck by how deep her voice is. For some reason I don't expect it coming from one whose face looks so young to me. |
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Post by bballin on Nov 7, 2024 7:20:30 GMT -5
Wisconsins future.....
With all these seniors leaving, what the heck will happen to wisconsin in 2025?
New freshman setter isn't getting it done. With the current seniors just yet.
Robinson was robbed of a great volleyball career. She was a true MB. and now look. A back up RS and a benched MB. that's criminal. Wisconsin really harmed her Olympian potential. She was on track coming in as a freshman. Crawford...... no way.
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Post by chibadgerfan on Nov 7, 2024 8:40:57 GMT -5
Volleydork Chad Gordon rates Smrek as second best Opp in D1.
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Post by SportyBucky on Nov 7, 2024 9:56:37 GMT -5
Volleydork Chad Gordon rates Smrek as second best Opp in D1. He hasn't seen her this year. |
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Post by dodger on Nov 7, 2024 10:17:33 GMT -5
Volleydork Chad Gordon rates Smrek as second best Opp in D1. Is there link for above? Because Beason, Kennedy, Babcock, all seem ahead of Smrek: but maybe his stats uses only front row stats? |
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netninja
Sophomore
Go Badgers!
Posts: 104
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Post by netninja on Nov 7, 2024 10:37:05 GMT -5
PSU game is a big opportunity to play well vs. a top-notch team and get that statement win we've been chasing. More importantly to me, I'm eager to see how the team approaches the game, how confident they come out, how resolved they are to win, etc. I'd like to see us come out strong and determined and find that "edge" that Sarah mentioned. Need our seniors to step up - I feel like if they do, Charlie and Lola's confidence will go up as well. My gut tells me that we're finally ready and Sat will be a breakout game for the team, and we'll win a close one.
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Post by robtearle on Nov 7, 2024 10:48:27 GMT -5
Volleydork Chad Gordon rates Smrek as second best Opp in D1. Is there link for above? Because Beason, Kennedy, Babcock, all seem ahead of Smrek: but maybe his stats uses only front row stats? |
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Post by badgervb982597 on Nov 7, 2024 11:13:42 GMT -5
Volleydork Chad Gordon rates Smrek as second best Opp in D1. Is there link for above? Because Beason, Kennedy, Babcock, all seem ahead of Smrek: but maybe his stats uses only front row stats? Yall do realize Smrek being “down” from hitting +.400 last year, she’s still hitting .315 and .333 in conference play right as well as about 1.22 bps, while being at her highest kps in her career, it’s still a higher % than 90% of OPPS and probably all OPPS on the blocking side. There’s a reason she’s ranked 2 there. Good luck to the team this weekend! |
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