Q&A w/ Talking Head: On Iowa Match, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Nov 11, 2017 16:12:56 GMT -5
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Post by nyline on Nov 11, 2017 16:12:56 GMT -5
We've added a new post to DigNittanyVolleyball.com: Q&A with Talking Head: On Iowa Match, and quick look at Wisconsin/Minnesota.
Here's an excerpt:
Here's an excerpt:
DigNittany: Quick reactions to the Iowa match? How would you describe Penn State’s play?
Talking Head: Two words — consistent, and clean. We hit .353 in game 1, then we hit .343 in game 2, and then we hit .355 in game 3. And in that we had several runs of six straight points. We had 46 kills with only 11 errors. Outside of a few points in the latter part of game 3, Penn State probably hit close to .400 for the match. There were a few stretches were we kind of let down, but it was really interesting to watch how clean the team played.
DigNittany: How was the transition game?
Talking Head: Our digs to transition were stellar. And I’m not only talking about our usual Kendall White, unbelievable digs with what is basically a 3-pass, where we can run all of our options off it. I’m talking everybody who was making that first contact. Bryanna Weiskircher being able to dig a ball perfectly — at least two, maybe three times — to Abby, who could turn on it and get a kill. And we’re not talking about digging a roll shot. We’re talking about digging a pretty nice stroked ball, that we’re digging to the setter, and that the setter is barely having to move, and we can run with three options.
DigNittany: So what’s the difference between this season and last season in terms of that kind of team defense?
Talking Head: The “reading” of the game right now, and the touch of everyone — and I mean everyone — who’s on that floor right now, is extremely high level. I don’t know if I’ve seen another Penn State team do that. The 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Penn State teams may all have had superior fire power, but I’m not sure they had this symmetry, this movement without the ball, this efficiency that we’re seeing from this year’s team. And before everyone gets all excited about the comparison, I get it that those other teams had unbelievable consecutive win streaks, and won 111 consecutive sets from Dec. 15, 2007, to Dec. 18, 2008. Those were all-time great teams. But right now, Penn State is pretty darn efficient. And don’t forget, Penn State was on the road here.
Talking Head: Two words — consistent, and clean. We hit .353 in game 1, then we hit .343 in game 2, and then we hit .355 in game 3. And in that we had several runs of six straight points. We had 46 kills with only 11 errors. Outside of a few points in the latter part of game 3, Penn State probably hit close to .400 for the match. There were a few stretches were we kind of let down, but it was really interesting to watch how clean the team played.
DigNittany: How was the transition game?
Talking Head: Our digs to transition were stellar. And I’m not only talking about our usual Kendall White, unbelievable digs with what is basically a 3-pass, where we can run all of our options off it. I’m talking everybody who was making that first contact. Bryanna Weiskircher being able to dig a ball perfectly — at least two, maybe three times — to Abby, who could turn on it and get a kill. And we’re not talking about digging a roll shot. We’re talking about digging a pretty nice stroked ball, that we’re digging to the setter, and that the setter is barely having to move, and we can run with three options.
DigNittany: So what’s the difference between this season and last season in terms of that kind of team defense?
Talking Head: The “reading” of the game right now, and the touch of everyone — and I mean everyone — who’s on that floor right now, is extremely high level. I don’t know if I’ve seen another Penn State team do that. The 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Penn State teams may all have had superior fire power, but I’m not sure they had this symmetry, this movement without the ball, this efficiency that we’re seeing from this year’s team. And before everyone gets all excited about the comparison, I get it that those other teams had unbelievable consecutive win streaks, and won 111 consecutive sets from Dec. 15, 2007, to Dec. 18, 2008. Those were all-time great teams. But right now, Penn State is pretty darn efficient. And don’t forget, Penn State was on the road here.
