Post by gazelle1 on Aug 25, 2024 19:51:55 GMT -5
On X today, Lincoln Arneal, who covers Nebraska Volleyball for Huskers Illustrated, stated, "Andi Jackson" is the best player on the Husker roster.
Lincoln does a great job covering Husker Volleyball, but his statement is more appropriate for a fan than a journalist. Andi is a wonderful talent who led the team in kills for the first time in last night's exhibition, where she played with the "white" team All-Big Ten setter, Bergen Riley. Almost every other player switched sides throughout the competition.
To be sure Andi is a much improved attacker.
But even on this Husker squad she is not as consistent blocker as Rebekka Allick or transfer middle Leyla, Blackwell. Will she become a great blocker? Likely.
Would another college coach pick Andi first off the Husker roster over other players? It would depend on their needs. Teams are competitive when they have an extraordinary setter and an extraordinary libero. Nebraska has both. If they are healthy and choose to, they have professional careers ahead of them.
Perhaps the hardest talent to find is a six-rotation outside hitter. Nebraska has four players vying for two left-side attacker positions, and based on last night's competition, sophomore Harper Murray and Senior Lindsay Krause passed the best. (This is not to diminish Andi's talent and her hard work on becoming a more complete player.)
But Andi does not need the extra load of being called "the best player" on the Nebraska Volleyball team. A more accurate statement is that she currently hits "the slide" the best of Nebraska's three middle attackers.
There will be nights where any one of the pin hitters, including opposite Merritt Beason, leads the time in kills. Lexi Rodriguez already has other Big Ten teams hitting away from her.
(We don't have a stat for that.) Kennedy Orr was more comfortable than I have ever seen her on the court. So comfortable that it is conceivable Nebraska could situationally run a 6-2 with Taylor Landfair setting a 6'5" block on the right side.
The biggest challenges for this Nebraska team, or any team that has announced it is trying to compete for a national championship, are mental. A team has a better chance of doing that when we celebrate the process
The mindset that puts a team in a position to compete is focusing on the next play. When you sign up to play at Nebraska, you know that you will benefit from tremendous fan interest.
You may even know that fans will be interested in everything you do. But all that can become interference between a team and what they are working toward. (This is true for high school teams as well.)
The best teams appreciate an extraordinary fan base. Sometimes, an arena filled with enthusiastic fans can will a team back from defeat. But here is the truth: The best teams do not play for individual recognition. They do not even play for their coach. They play for each other.
Lincoln does a great job covering Husker Volleyball, but his statement is more appropriate for a fan than a journalist. Andi is a wonderful talent who led the team in kills for the first time in last night's exhibition, where she played with the "white" team All-Big Ten setter, Bergen Riley. Almost every other player switched sides throughout the competition.
To be sure Andi is a much improved attacker.
But even on this Husker squad she is not as consistent blocker as Rebekka Allick or transfer middle Leyla, Blackwell. Will she become a great blocker? Likely.
Would another college coach pick Andi first off the Husker roster over other players? It would depend on their needs. Teams are competitive when they have an extraordinary setter and an extraordinary libero. Nebraska has both. If they are healthy and choose to, they have professional careers ahead of them.
Perhaps the hardest talent to find is a six-rotation outside hitter. Nebraska has four players vying for two left-side attacker positions, and based on last night's competition, sophomore Harper Murray and Senior Lindsay Krause passed the best. (This is not to diminish Andi's talent and her hard work on becoming a more complete player.)
But Andi does not need the extra load of being called "the best player" on the Nebraska Volleyball team. A more accurate statement is that she currently hits "the slide" the best of Nebraska's three middle attackers.
There will be nights where any one of the pin hitters, including opposite Merritt Beason, leads the time in kills. Lexi Rodriguez already has other Big Ten teams hitting away from her.
(We don't have a stat for that.) Kennedy Orr was more comfortable than I have ever seen her on the court. So comfortable that it is conceivable Nebraska could situationally run a 6-2 with Taylor Landfair setting a 6'5" block on the right side.
The biggest challenges for this Nebraska team, or any team that has announced it is trying to compete for a national championship, are mental. A team has a better chance of doing that when we celebrate the process
The mindset that puts a team in a position to compete is focusing on the next play. When you sign up to play at Nebraska, you know that you will benefit from tremendous fan interest.
You may even know that fans will be interested in everything you do. But all that can become interference between a team and what they are working toward. (This is true for high school teams as well.)
The best teams appreciate an extraordinary fan base. Sometimes, an arena filled with enthusiastic fans can will a team back from defeat. But here is the truth: The best teams do not play for individual recognition. They do not even play for their coach. They play for each other.
I would agree that Jackson is poised to have a very impactful year at the MB position similar to Lauren Stivrins in 2021.
