Post by phillytom on Dec 12, 2015 8:59:01 GMT -5
Decided to sleep on it before commenting.
1.) Thanks. I have enjoyed watching Megan Courtney play for four years and I will miss that tremendously She has given us so many great moments, she's taught me a lot about volleyball just by watching her, and she's made me so proud to be a PSU alum and a PSU volleyball fan. If she is still feeling the way she did when she was interviewed for the Big Ten volleyball documentary, her playing career may be finished, and if that's the case, we got to see a remarkable player who was a big part of delivering two national championships. Even if volleyball is over I'm confident that Megan (and Aiyanna and Kendall and Laura) will carry the same drive and creativity into their future lives. It's easy to forget but volleyball for most college players ends after four years, and now there's 40 or 50 years of other work ahead.
2.) Post mortem. In the end the team's weaknesses turned out to be many little ones. There were just too many problems to resolve, and Rose was in the uncharacteristic position of trying to weigh weaknesses instead of strengths when he juggled the lineup. Solving one problem would create another. This is what most volleyball coaches have to do every year but Rose has had the luxury most years of having such a deep lineup and such surpassingly great talent. This team was talented but maybe not as talented as everyone thought, and didn't have quite enough of the difference-making talent of past years.
I agree with NYline, looking back, Prieto-Cerame's transfer threw things off, and their inability to firm up the backcourt succession (despite trying a lot of players the last 3 seasons) played a role.
Looking back, I expected too much of the setting. BW did have that redshirt year but she was still a freshman, and when I look at all the terrific freshman setters in the B1G this year, I saw (and still see) the same kinds of problems of inexperience -- lapses of concentration, location problems, predictability, fatigue. BW is a really good athlete and I think she will get a lot better. And we really may see a 6-2 next year with Rivera -- the roster really makes a good argument for that if the coaches and players can do the offseason work to make it possible.
3) Future. I suppose things are never quite as bleak as they seem when you lose a regional semifinal, but I'm not sure I see them snapping back next year. Recruiting was uncharacteristically quiet after the 2014 class and I don't really see the successor to Whitney and Courtney. There is great backcourt talent coming next year so hopefully some building blocks there. But otherwise, the task is going to be for every player on the roster to grow and develop the parts of their game that most need to be developed. That's something this program does really well and I think every one of these players has plenty of upside room.
The 2014 class -- Washington, Frantti, Lee, Reed, Weiskircher and Thelen -- they are the core of the team now and the future of PSU volleyball is basically in their hands. And I think they can do it.
But still, we as fans should work on appreciating the team as they are and not spend the next 5 years wanting to turn the clock back. The dynasty era is probably over. PSU is a great program but going forward, it is highly unlikely they are going to dominate college VB like they have the last decade. There are too many other great teams and great players out there. Let's enjoy it.
1.) Thanks. I have enjoyed watching Megan Courtney play for four years and I will miss that tremendously She has given us so many great moments, she's taught me a lot about volleyball just by watching her, and she's made me so proud to be a PSU alum and a PSU volleyball fan. If she is still feeling the way she did when she was interviewed for the Big Ten volleyball documentary, her playing career may be finished, and if that's the case, we got to see a remarkable player who was a big part of delivering two national championships. Even if volleyball is over I'm confident that Megan (and Aiyanna and Kendall and Laura) will carry the same drive and creativity into their future lives. It's easy to forget but volleyball for most college players ends after four years, and now there's 40 or 50 years of other work ahead.
2.) Post mortem. In the end the team's weaknesses turned out to be many little ones. There were just too many problems to resolve, and Rose was in the uncharacteristic position of trying to weigh weaknesses instead of strengths when he juggled the lineup. Solving one problem would create another. This is what most volleyball coaches have to do every year but Rose has had the luxury most years of having such a deep lineup and such surpassingly great talent. This team was talented but maybe not as talented as everyone thought, and didn't have quite enough of the difference-making talent of past years.
I agree with NYline, looking back, Prieto-Cerame's transfer threw things off, and their inability to firm up the backcourt succession (despite trying a lot of players the last 3 seasons) played a role.
Looking back, I expected too much of the setting. BW did have that redshirt year but she was still a freshman, and when I look at all the terrific freshman setters in the B1G this year, I saw (and still see) the same kinds of problems of inexperience -- lapses of concentration, location problems, predictability, fatigue. BW is a really good athlete and I think she will get a lot better. And we really may see a 6-2 next year with Rivera -- the roster really makes a good argument for that if the coaches and players can do the offseason work to make it possible.
3) Future. I suppose things are never quite as bleak as they seem when you lose a regional semifinal, but I'm not sure I see them snapping back next year. Recruiting was uncharacteristically quiet after the 2014 class and I don't really see the successor to Whitney and Courtney. There is great backcourt talent coming next year so hopefully some building blocks there. But otherwise, the task is going to be for every player on the roster to grow and develop the parts of their game that most need to be developed. That's something this program does really well and I think every one of these players has plenty of upside room.
The 2014 class -- Washington, Frantti, Lee, Reed, Weiskircher and Thelen -- they are the core of the team now and the future of PSU volleyball is basically in their hands. And I think they can do it.
But still, we as fans should work on appreciating the team as they are and not spend the next 5 years wanting to turn the clock back. The dynasty era is probably over. PSU is a great program but going forward, it is highly unlikely they are going to dominate college VB like they have the last decade. There are too many other great teams and great players out there. Let's enjoy it.
