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Post by psulion on Dec 14, 2015 12:53:20 GMT -5
That talent you are referring to is spread pretty thick in Minnesota. They are looking like the new dynasty with a franchise freshman setter, who is the second coming of Luaren Carlini.. Having a great setter is the key to winning championships. That was the key for PSU's previous success. I really think we can look for a lot of growth and improvement from Bryanna Weiskircher. In my opinion she could be a scary-good setter for us. But she needs some good passing coming her way, too! |
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Post by sasha21 on Dec 14, 2015 13:04:52 GMT -5
Having a great setter is the key to winning championships. That was the key for PSU's previous success. I really think we can look for a lot of growth and improvement from Bryanna Weiskircher. In my opinion she could be a scary-good setter for us. But she needs some good passing coming her way, too! I wonder if coach will experiment with 6-2 formation. Watching her high school games, BW can also hit. |
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Post by bob2061 on Dec 14, 2015 13:29:06 GMT -5
I hadn't thought of this but it has some positives - a six-rotation player who isn't a liability on defense and Rivera splitting time with Novakovic.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2015 18:36:18 GMT -5
Having a great setter is the key to winning championships. That was the key for PSU's previous success. I really think we can look for a lot of growth and improvement from Bryanna Weiskircher. In my opinion she could be a scary-good setter for us. But she needs some good passing coming her way, too! I agree that passing is key, but can she become a faster setter? Quick sets are key to winning at the college level (MN has been doing it all season long and Micha did it last year). Otherwise the blocking of good teams has too much time to setup. |
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Post by traveler on Dec 14, 2015 18:54:54 GMT -5
Perhaps this is a bit off this topic, but someone earlier mentioned that Russ Rose said that he failed to recognize the impact on recruiting of the change to rally scoring. I have read that elsewhere but I don't understand it. How did the change impact recruiting? Russ said that in 2000 when rally scoring began in the NCAA, he was still recruiting smaller, faster, scrappier type players, who were really good in the sideout system. Only few years later did he realize he needed to be recruiting much taller, less athletic players who could help score in any type of play in the rally scoring system. That's what I remember, if memory serves me correct. perhaps that's part of why HI was so short (but very able) up to very recent times. If so, the pivot HI made, similar to Rose but later, was all the difference in their competitiveness this year. On the other hand, there seems to be a rise in the Knopp's in the sport, even in DI. Maybe asymmetry is part of the equation, instead of a simple arms race. |
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Post by traveler on Dec 14, 2015 19:00:32 GMT -5
No, that was an injured MB whose name I have blocked from my memory (I think of her only as "Camo Jacket Waving Girl") Kori Cooper...who was redshirting that year. Although your moniker is funnier.
From the PSU archives Dec 18, 2008:
Head Coach John Cook
On the importance of the camouflage jacket "After we lost at Colorado, we decided that we had to fight a lot harder when teams came at us and that was really our first punch in the gut, the match that we had. So the next day at practice, to use as a metaphor, we brought in the camo. It was in every practice and actually traveled with us for the rest of the year. Kori [Cooper] just happened to bring it on the bench and wear it against Washington and so it stayed. But it's been with us since the Colorado match to remind us how hard we have to fight as a team and it is a great metaphor for us." |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2015 20:38:03 GMT -5
I hadn't thought of this but it has some positives - a six-rotation player who isn't a liability on defense and Rivera splitting time with Novakovic. And both are lefties--kind of a coincidence. |
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Post by phillytom on Dec 15, 2015 15:55:01 GMT -5
I am a big PSU volleyball fan, but have never played or coached. Just watching from the outside, I want to say that our girls are human, and they are not going to be perfect "all the time". I suspect Frantti played with some injury against Hawii, because she is not an athlete to hit less than 10%. I remember Coach Rose said before, a kid can only hit the hard wood so many times before they get banged up. Remember Hancock said Frantti's nickname was "crazy" last year? I do not see the fire in her this year nearly as much, so I am pretty sure she is not 100%. I suspect Frantti will emerge as a dominant player next year, a Kelsey Robinson (6'2") type of player, who is on the national team now. When it comes to setting, BW was not the setter of the year for sure, but Hancock did not do very well in her first year as a setter either. BW deserves more time to be judged what she is made of. Not having many taller players (6'3" or taller), they have to run a much faster and dynamic offense next year. Defense was a big problem for 2015. Aside from not having Dom and Lacy level of performance from current roster, the frequent change in line up made it harder for players to gel. Next year we will see what Reed and Novakovic can do. I believe Lee will get much better and consistent next year as well. Santana from Minnesota was a mediocre player for a couple of years, and this year she is playing like a machine. Considering Minnesota did not make the postseason last year, but this year they have a chance to go all the way, PSU has reason to be optimistic as well. Good stuff. Yes Santana is a great story and a great example. Obviously a wonderful player from the beginning, but I never would have expected her to be such a difference maker. She just continued working hard, got better -- significantly better -- every single year. And this year they got a fabulous young setter and things fell in place for them. I agree with you, Frantti was not 100%, there were so many hints of that. She is super tough so she wasn't going to show it overtly but she wasn't leaping like she can. I bet she is a totally different player next year. I also expect a lot more from Weiskircher now that she knows what she has to work on. Yes they have to run a faster offense because they don't have dominant size any more in the B1G. But that is very much a factor of passing. I think we can pretty much count on better passing, better back court defense, and better setting next year. |
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Post by phillytom on Dec 15, 2015 16:00:04 GMT -5
I really think we can look for a lot of growth and improvement from Bryanna Weiskircher. In my opinion she could be a scary-good setter for us. But she needs some good passing coming her way, too! I wonder if coach will experiment with 6-2 formation. Watching her high school games, BW can also hit. I think Rose was quoted as saying that before the season, he wanted to try some 6-2 this year to get Rivera and Weiskircher both on the court. Next year's roster with the likely shortage of pin hitters may help make the decision. Heck, going back to before the dynasty era, Rose was putting together elite volleyball teams with a pile of good backcourt players (most not on scholarship) and only one or two elite net players. He knows how to do that as well as anybody in college volleyball. It's not how he would like things to be, but it could make for compelling watching and PSU could beat a lot of teams that way if they can assemble the backcourt. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2015 16:02:35 GMT -5
I think Oregon schooled PSU on the value of a fast offense in 2012. PSU was very fast in 2014, it was hard to watch how many times our hitters went into a block with a slower offense.
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Post by sasha21 on Dec 15, 2015 16:12:31 GMT -5
What's the update with novakovic? I'm putting my money on nia reed next year!
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Post by psumaui on Dec 15, 2015 16:32:56 GMT -5
Kori Cooper...who was redshirting that year. Although your moniker is funnier.
From the PSU archives Dec 18, 2008:
Head Coach John Cook
On the importance of the camouflage jacket "After we lost at Colorado, we decided that we had to fight a lot harder when teams came at us and that was really our first punch in the gut, the match that we had. So the next day at practice, to use as a metaphor, we brought in the camo. It was in every practice and actually traveled with us for the rest of the year. Kori [Cooper] just happened to bring it on the bench and wear it against Washington and so it stayed. But it's been with us since the Colorado match to remind us how hard we have to fight as a team and it is a great metaphor for us." I'll never forget that match: Remember that we took them in 1st two sets pretty handily but the 17K plus crowd was extremely loud and took something out of the players after that. As Russ said in post match press conference; "I think the players looked tired" I hope MN and NE gets to final and MN can withstand the pressure of playing there and take the NC trophy home with them! |
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Post by nyline on Dec 15, 2015 16:40:15 GMT -5
Russ said that in 2000 when rally scoring began in the NCAA, he was still recruiting smaller, faster, scrappier type players, who were really good in the sideout system. Only few years later did he realize he needed to be recruiting much taller, less athletic players who could help score in any type of play in the rally scoring system. That's what I remember, if memory serves me correct. perhaps that's part of why HI was so short (but very able) up to very recent times. If so, the pivot HI made, similar to Rose but later, was all the difference in their competitiveness this year. On the other hand, there seems to be a rise in the Knopp's in the sport, even in DI. Maybe asymmetry is part of the equation, instead of a simple arms race. Arms and legs race? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2015 16:57:10 GMT -5
I hadn't thought of this but it has some positives - a six-rotation player who isn't a liability on defense and Rivera splitting time with Novakovic. Can you explain what you mean here? I wasn't sure which post you were originally referencing too. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2015 16:58:00 GMT -5
I hadn't thought of this but it has some positives - a six-rotation player who isn't a liability on defense and Rivera splitting time with Novakovic. And both are lefties--kind of a coincidence. You mean Rivera and Novakovic are lefties? |
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