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Post by jojonito on Jun 19, 2021 1:05:05 GMT -5
Some thoughts on the Poland match.
The US lineup was sort of a mishmash. Dixon started and hadn't played much, (she is an alternate for the US team). As seeyajohn said above, it sort of confused me as to why she was starting. I would have expected either Washington or Ogbogu as they will be playing in the Olympics. I hadn't seen Hill play other than to come in for serving substitution. The other five were regulars, Micha, Thompson, Bartsh-Hackley, Wong-Orantes, and Faluke. This is a strength of the US team. Other teams don't know who to prepare for as they can substitute players in with little loss of skill/ability.
The Polish serve receive was better than the US in the first two sets but about even in the 3rd set. With Poland up 12-10 in the first set, the US didn't have one excellent reception (a 3). Micha was running all over the place in the first set and so wasn't able to get very many good sets and consequently wasn't able to get many 1 on 1 attacks for her hitters. The US ended up with 53% excellent receptions to 72% for Poland so the US improved dramatically in the last 2/3 of the first set.
Poland had a couple of players that could really put the ball down, but the US hitting overall out classed the Poles. Poland had one hitter that was a lot like Plummer. This hitter could put the ball down whether Poland was in system or out of system.
US out blocked Poland 14 - 5 for the match. US was up in aces 5-3.
Poland's average age of their team is 23, while the average age of the US team is 28. Big difference. There were a few situations where the ball hit the ground on the Poland side because of confusion as to who should get the ball.
I'm curious as to who will start the next two matches. The US plays Russia on Saturday and China on Sunday. I would expect the setter Karch thinks is best to start against China. This goes for the rest of the players also. I would expect Larson, Faluke, to start for sure. Probably Thompson. Not sure who the other middle and OH would be. My guess would be Washington and Bartsch-Hackley, but who knows.
Russia was up 15 - 10 and 16 - 12 against China and lost 25 - 17. China went on a 10 to 12 point run. China went on the sweep Russia 3 - 0.
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Post by jojonito on Jun 20, 2021 8:40:50 GMT -5
Well, the China vs USA match was anticlimatic. China won 3-0. 25-10, 25-20 & 25-17. Remember tho, this match meant nothing. US had guaranteed themselves #1 standing. China couldn't possible make it to the playoffs; so this match didn't matter. Karch didn't play his #1 lineup - Hill as libero again, Tapp starting at MB, Larson not starting. Starting lineup was, Hancock - setting, Faluke & Tapp at MB, Drews at Opp, Bartsch-Hackley & Robinson at OH. Washington came in for Tapp in the 3rd set. No double substitutions for US. The first set was a disaster. Hill was aced I don't know how many times, along with few really good passes. To her credit, she improved over the course of the match. Karch also seemed to want to get Hill some experience at libero as she seems to be the designated libero backup. She'll probably play at least 1 maybe 2 matches at libero in the Olympics to give Wong-Orantes a breather. Serving by China was REALLY good. Their serve receive is also excellent and seems to be a fair bit better than the US; though that is hard to tell with the US lineup. Their blocking was really good also. Outblocked the US 9-5 for match. Hancock's serve didn't bother them virtually at all. She had one ace. China had "3" receptions on her other serves of which just about all of them were kills by China. China has REALLY quick middle attacks. As Salima said, You have to jump at the same time that the China middle jumps or you have no shot at blocking them. China also was tipping the US to death. Their hitters are very observant and were regularly tipping the US when their backrow was too far back to cover the tip. Drews was getting a fair number of kills early on, but they picked up on her tendencies and were blocking her quite a bit from the middle of the 2nd set to the end. If nothing else, this match really shows how good China is. Didn't really show much of the US squad, which was probably Karchs intention. I wonder if Karch actually wanted the US team to lose so that they wouldn't go into the playoffs over confident. This whole series also shows that I have NO idea as to what Karch is gonna do or what he is thinking.  |
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Post by jojonito on Jun 20, 2021 9:10:35 GMT -5
Speaking of the Olympics, somebody doesn't seem to like the US. (I know that is a shock <sarcasm>) The US women's volleyball team has China, Turkey and Russia in their pool. China is ranked #2, Turkey #4 and Russia #9. The only saving grace, is that 8 teams (out of 12), make it to the playoffs. Did Turkey have their #1 team at the VNL? I didn't hear much about them. This reminds me of the US women's soccer team in the last World Cup. I believe that if the seedings had held true, (they didn't), that the US would have played the #2 #3 and #4 ranked teams to win the cup. Is that fair or what? (Must be "what" as it certainly isn't fair ) International wrestling is equally "fair". They can have 5 out of the 6 top wrestlers on one side of the bracket. A chimp could do a better job. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2021 21:10:48 GMT -5
Speaking of the Olympics, somebody doesn't seem to like the US. (I know that is a shock <sarcasm>) The US women's volleyball team has China, Turkey and Russia in their pool. China is ranked #2, Turkey #4 and Russia #9. The only saving grace, is that 8 teams (out of 12), make it to the playoffs. Did Turkey have their #1 team at the VNL? I didn't hear much about them. This reminds me of the US women's soccer team in the last World Cup. I believe that if the seedings had held true, (they didn't), that the US would have played the #2 #3 and #4 ranked teams to win the cup. Is that fair or what? (Must be "what" as it certainly isn't fair ) International wrestling is equally "fair". They can have 5 out of the 6 top wrestlers on one side of the bracket. A chimp could do a better job.
Group B (USA's group) is definitely the tougher of the two Olympic groups, but that bodes well for USA's QF match-up.
I don't think the USA will have a problem getting the #3 spot in the group (4 teams from each group advance). China is the best team in the world right now. USA won't beat them in group. Italy, has the best OPP in the world right now, and I don't think USA will beat them.
Turkey had their best team at the VNL, but they don't have the OH's to really compete. USA will beat them in Tokyo.
Russia has some promise, but they are horrible in serve-receive and run a very slow offense. USA will beat them too. Nothing needs to said about Argentina. Here are the groups for the Olympics, in order of relative strength.
Pool A
Serbia Brazil Japan
Dominican Rep.
South Korea
Kenya
Pool B
China
Italy
USA
Turkey Russia
Argentina
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Post by jojonito on Jun 21, 2021 11:58:37 GMT -5
WestEnder, so if Italy is that good, who were they missing in the VNL? I would think it would be more than just their really good OPP, as that player by them self is't going to make the Italy better than the US, at least according to what I saw in the USA vs Italy match.
I agree that China is the best team in the world now. Even with the best US lineup, I don't see the US beating China. China has so much skill and discipline.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2021 13:04:15 GMT -5
WestEnder, so if Italy is that good, who were they missing in the VNL? I would think it would be more than just their really good OPP, as that player by them self is't going to make the Italy better than the US, at least according to what I saw in the USA vs Italy match. I agree that China is the best team in the world now. Even with the best US lineup, I don't see the US beating China. China has so much skill and discipline.
Italy and Serbia did not send any of their expected Olympic roster players to the VNL. They choose instead to play scrimmages between the 2 teams before the Olympics. I assume they don't want to give away any insight to China or USA. All the players for Italy and Serbia at the VNL are young.
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Post by pennstate1973 on Jun 21, 2021 16:23:38 GMT -5
Some of the Olympic alternates were sent home. Plummer is in Omaha, Nebraska watching her boyfriend in the college baseball world series.
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Post by ethankasales on Jun 24, 2021 12:34:13 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2021 14:56:18 GMT -5
Nice sweep by Team USA.
About half way through set 2, Drews and Robinson subbed in for Thompson and Larson.
They helped turn that set around, after being down 22-18, and eventually won it. Wow!
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Post by elliotberton on Jun 24, 2021 15:52:51 GMT -5
Brazil will be a good test-again.
Do we think Poulter starting and playing entire semi means that she is the no 1 setter?
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Post by ethankasales on Jun 24, 2021 21:24:08 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2021 21:41:17 GMT -5
Brazil will be a good test-again. Do we think Poulter starting and playing entire semi means that she is the no 1 setter?
That would be my assumption, but either way, I think Poulter is the teams # 1 setter.
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Post by EnglishPennStateFan on Jun 25, 2021 1:35:02 GMT -5
Just dipped into the 2019 Final, again USA v Brazil. Amazing finish with eagle eye Kiraly spotting a Brazil aerial touch and halting play mid-rally with a challenge and with the score at 2 sets all and 14-13 USA. It was refreshing to be able to watch some volleyball without 2021's hideous music between every rally. Why do they do that?  I find it so annoying that I've watched much of the 2021 tournament without sound, just turning it on for time-outs. USA 2019 line-up not too different from 2021 - Carlini setting, Drews at opposite, Washington and Ogbogu at middle, Robinson and Bartsch-Hackley outside and Courtney as Libero. |
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Post by ethankasales on Jun 25, 2021 12:36:02 GMT -5
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Post by ethankasales on Jun 25, 2021 13:22:19 GMT -5
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I find it so annoying that I've watched much of the 2021 tournament without sound, just turning it on for time-outs.