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Post by traveler on Oct 25, 2015 11:25:49 GMT -5
stats show an odd match: PSU limited to .233 hitting; PSU limiting MSU to .099. great margin, but not so great stat.
What i find perplexing...or is this just the magic of VB?...is that the biggest source of my joy on Wednesday was Washington and Thelen, who were much less so on Saturday. Either because of an excellent MSU game plan or just coming back down to earth, they played lesser roles on Saturday. In fact, i cannot tell from the video but it appears that Thelen who started on Wednesday (I think) and played a lot then did neither on Sat. Strategic match-up coaching decision? Or give Nia more time decision?
Also: Been a while since i've seen such a dramatic differential in how rotation plays out set after set.
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Post by novalion on Oct 25, 2015 11:25:50 GMT -5
Up to 21-7, the best third set PSU has played in a long time, maybe all year. Was looking great. Then to end up 25-17...I know some will rebut my concern, say we should be happy about a 3 set sweep on the road at a good team. as we should be. But if the standard is playing at the level of the top teams, PSU seemed to go soft for a while after 21-7 and MSU came back to score 10. Didn't past teams have more of a killer instinct in sets 3? Seems like they should have won 25-12, maybe 25-14. Standard of which top teams are you talking about? Like #6 tOSU that LOST at MSU? Like #3 Nebraska who lost TWO matches this week? It's amazing how spoiled we have become. Not here, but on rivals I've seen MANY posts like this that hold our team to a standard that can't be reached. No team is perfect and no team never has a let down or a bad stretch or a bad set or a bad match, although the 2008 & 2009 PSU teams came pretty close. However, we may never see a team at PSU or any other school for that matter, that can match what those teams did. |
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Post by traveler on Oct 25, 2015 11:29:50 GMT -5
Up to 21-7, the best third set PSU has played in a long time, maybe all year. Was looking great. Then to end up 25-17...I know some will rebut my concern, say we should be happy about a 3 set sweep on the road at a good team. as we should be. But if the standard is playing at the level of the top teams, PSU seemed to go soft for a while after 21-7 and MSU came back to score 10. Didn't past teams have more of a killer instinct in sets 3? Seems like they should have won 25-12, maybe 25-14. Standard of which top teams are you talking about? Like #6 tOSU that LOST at MSU? Like #3 Nebraska who lost TWO matches this week? It's amazing how spoiled we have become. Not here, but on rivals I've seen MANY posts like this that hold our team to a standard that can't be reached. No team is perfect and no team never has a let down or a bad stretch or a bad set or a bad match, although the 2008 & 2009 PSU teams came pretty close. However, we may never see a team at PSU or any other school for that matter, that can match what those teams did. a recent fortune cookie i received: "Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fail." point by point; set by set; match by match, i would add! |
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Post by cross5 on Oct 25, 2015 11:35:40 GMT -5
Up to 21-7, the best third set PSU has played in a long time, maybe all year. Was looking great. Then to end up 25-17...I know some will rebut my concern, say we should be happy about a 3 set sweep on the road at a good team. as we should be. But if the standard is playing at the level of the top teams, PSU seemed to go soft for a while after 21-7 and MSU came back to score 10. Didn't past teams have more of a killer instinct in sets 3? Seems like they should have won 25-12, maybe 25-14. Standard of which top teams are you talking about? Like #6 tOSU that LOST at MSU? Like #3 Nebraska who lost TWO matches this week? AT HOME I might add. |
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Post by phillytom on Oct 25, 2015 13:50:05 GMT -5
Yes, maybe they let up at the end a bit because they had such a large margin. Would have preferred if they finished them off quicker. You worry about how they will clinch a final set vs a better team with a smaller margin of points. Sure miss Micha, she had just enough of that good bit of "Nasty" where you knew PSU was going to close out a game. However, kudos to MSU for hanging in there at the end for 5 match points and not giving up. Traveling, so didn't see any of the match -- therefore can comment totally unfettered by facts ☺ But is it possible that MSU simply had a horrible start to that set, and PSU had a great start, and in the last 14 points, both teams reverted to closer to the norm? Yes, sometimes we see a letup but what is really happening is the other team is collecting themselves and playing better. Or sometimes it's a coaching adjustment. I'm regularly amazed by what coaches are capable of in VB. So many times a team will look lost, they lose 4 or 5 points and it looks like the world is ending. And then a coach calls a timeout, and 60 seconds later they're back on track winning again. The coaches must have so many little tricks prepared when they have to have a sideout. |
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Post by phillytom on Oct 25, 2015 13:54:18 GMT -5
Yes, nyline, I think that is exactly what happened. Penn State was playing 'lights out' for the first part of Set 3, then relaxed a bit and MSU started playing the kind of volleyball they are capable of. (See Sets 1 & 2!)It's sweet beating a quality team like MSU at their place, after a tough 5-set match Wednesday night, also on the road. And they did it with Megan again. Just watched the match. In the first set PSU went on a 7-0 run to start. MSU had 4 attack errors and PSU had 1 ace in that run. Both teams showed some good defensive as the match played on but struggled to terminate at times. I noticed that PSU is still suffering from lack of communication at times. Also, it seems that Weiskircher isn't feeding the middles enough. The Northwestern setter, Tashima, really got her offense going by feeding her middles early against PSU. Well, you know of course, feeding the middles is primarily a factor of a 3 point pass. Everybody wants to feed the middles but you can't do it without a perfect pass. When you see a setter try to feed the middles from a 2 point or 2 1/2 point pass, that's when you get middles blocked or just the ball dropping to the floor. If you don't want the other team to feed their middles, you have to serve tough. What was killing PSU against NW I suspect was the weren't able to break down the NW passing. That's how they lost to Nebraska as well. |
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snj
Sophomore
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Post by snj on Oct 25, 2015 14:36:25 GMT -5
As they have played recently, would PSU defeat USC? Texas? Doubtful. Maybe not Colorado, which defeated Stanford. That is standard for PSU women's VB, not just the other Big 10 teams, is it not?
No doubt PSU is playing better since the NU debacle. And at times they are playing at a high level, as we saw up to 24-11 in the 3rd last night. I hope for these players that they can build up soon to play at that high level consistently so they can compete with USC, Texas et al. If you haven't seen USC this season, you all would be impressed, they are legit #1 right now
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Post by cross5 on Oct 25, 2015 16:15:28 GMT -5
As they have played recently, would PSU defeat USC? Texas? Doubtful. Maybe not Colorado, which defeated Stanford. That is standard for PSU women's VB, not just the other Big 10 teams, is it not? No doubt PSU is playing better since the NU debacle. And at times they are playing at a high level, as we saw up to 24-11 in the 3rd last night. I hope for these players that they can build up soon to play at that high level consistently so they can compete with USC, Texas et al. If you haven't seen USC this season, you all would be impressed, they are legit #1 right now USC nor Texas is NOT playing the same level of competition in their league. I wouldn't compare what you see from them too much right now. I'm more focused on OSU ×2. Just saying. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2015 17:04:01 GMT -5
I'd give USC and the PAC-12 the benefit of the doubt. As to the Big 12... Is the level of play a farce or a joke?
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Post by nyline on Oct 25, 2015 17:10:14 GMT -5
As they have played recently, would PSU defeat USC? Texas? Doubtful. Maybe not Colorado, which defeated Stanford. That is standard for PSU women's VB, not just the other Big 10 teams, is it not? No doubt PSU is playing better since the NU debacle. And at times they are playing at a high level, as we saw up to 24-11 in the 3rd last night. I hope for these players that they can build up soon to play at that high level consistently so they can compete with USC, Texas et al. If you haven't seen USC this season, you all would be impressed, they are legit #1 right now USC nor Texas is NOT playing the same level of competition in their league. I wouldn't compare what you see from them too much right now. I'm more focused on OSU ×2. Just saying. C'mon Cross5, Baylor is a real Bear. And it can't be easy figuring out which Oregon and which Washington you're supposed to be at on the road. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2015 22:46:48 GMT -5
Well, you know of course, feeding the middles is primarily a factor of a 3 point pass. Everybody wants to feed the middles but you can't do it without a perfect pass. When you see a setter try to feed the middles from a 2 point or 2 1/2 point pass, that's when you get middles blocked or just the ball dropping to the floor. If you don't want the other team to feed their middles, you have to serve tough. What was killing PSU against NW I suspect was the weren't able to break down the NW passing. That's how they lost to Nebraska as well. Yes, I see what you are saying, good point. However, it still seems that even when PSU is passing well, Weiskircher prefers her pins or the backslide. I suspect that setting the middles requires a faster tempo offense. PSU seems to be having problems with going to a faster offense this year, with all the communication breakdowns and the team youth. I agree with you about the passing in the NW and NE games. PSU is serving good, not great this year. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2015 23:00:41 GMT -5
As they have played recently, would PSU defeat USC? Texas? Doubtful. Maybe not Colorado, which defeated Stanford. That is standard for PSU women's VB, not just the other Big 10 teams, is it not? No doubt PSU is playing better since the NU debacle. And at times they are playing at a high level, as we saw up to 24-11 in the 3rd last night. I hope for these players that they can build up soon to play at that high level consistently so they can compete with USC, Texas et al. If you haven't seen USC this season, you all would be impressed, they are legit #1 right now USC nor Texas is NOT playing the same level of competition in their league. I wouldn't compare what you see from them too much right now. I'm more focused on OSU ×2. Just saying. USC is a really good team; I've watched some of their games. It seems, though, that they rely on Bricio too much. If she has one poor game or gets hurt during the playoffs USC could fall. Are the other hitters reliable enough to cover for her? Just last year they were really struggling and they lost 2-3 good players who transferred to other schools. Not being critical of them, kudos for their record, and as they say you are as good as your record says you are. As for Texas, I'd be concerned if my team played in a weak conference. Players are so used to being on top they are not accustomed to dealing with adversity as well, and that can be a disadvantage. I too am concerned about OSU; they will play PSU tough. Does anyone know the status of their setter Hughes who got injured during the MSU game? |
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