The experience of the younger girls going to the tourney would be good for us so we get a routine down with travel, venues etc etc. We won't last too long but it will be a good experience that I hope they get to have regardless of the outcome this year. We have been sucking diesel all year. No rhythm, no consistency this season where we put together a solid performance in all phases of the game.
Volleyball RPI thru 11/24
- Thread starter cykadelic2
- Start date
Still in the 30s for the RPI at #37. The 30s almost guarantee an at large bid based on Selection Committee history. Probably looking at another must win scenario on Wednesday at KU.
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-volleyball-rpi
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-volleyball-rpi
Cyclones lose in Lawrence to a pretty bad KU team with Holthaus out. By far our worst loss of the year with KU’s RPI sitting at 117. Most likely going to take a win over UT to make the tourney this year. :/
There’s been some really great play by this team, just can’t put a whole match together.
There’s been some really great play by this team, just can’t put a whole match together.
Maybe we'll get to defend out NIT championship.
I still can't figure out how a Big 12 Libero loses her starting spot the next year, then transfers and becomes the starting libero for the #2 team in the country. Meanwhile the girl who replaced her at ISU ends up losing it to a freshman who had never played libero before.
Perhaps losing Dawn Sullivan to a head coaching position was a bigger deal than we thought.
I still can't figure out how a Big 12 Libero loses her starting spot the next year, then transfers and becomes the starting libero for the #2 team in the country. Meanwhile the girl who replaced her at ISU ends up losing it to a freshman who had never played libero before.
Perhaps losing Dawn Sullivan to a head coaching position was a bigger deal than we thought.
Dawn this season got UNLV to 15-3 and 3rd place in the MWC and 19-10 overall. They won't make the NCAAs with their +100 RPI but she has got that program trending in the right direction. The slippage in results and recruiting since she left ISU is perhaps not a coincidence.
And the freshmen libero, Schuler, was moved to OH to replace Holthaus and had 16 kills, 2nd most on the team, with a team high 48 TAs. It is remarkable that she accomplished that after playing libero all season long as a true freshmen.
The Holthaus injury and circumstances of the KU match loss without her may cut ISU some slack with the Selection Committee if they are right on the at large cut line. This is assuming they don't beat Texas.
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Not expecting the committee to get that far into the weeds with our thin resume. Even with a starter lost it's a very bad loss. Guessing our RPI will be 40-something now. Not sure how we have been staying in the 30's as weak as the league is below the top two.
We won our last 4 matches last year and got left home. Looked like after beating the Sooners we might be able to win 3 of 4 to end the season strong and put us in but that looks like 1-3 unless Texas sleep walks Saturday and treats it like a scrimmage. An unlikely win over Texas would probably put us back on the bubble.
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I don't like the idea of missing the NCAA two years in a row. But I think recruiting to ISU is getting harder than it used to be. Most of the local teams have upped their game with facility improvements. The Big 12 is not a great VB conference anymore, OSU doesn't even field a team. Most of the away games are quite a long trip for parents and relatives. So I think CJL will struggle to maintain an elite program with so much working against her. That said some of her personnel choices have been hard to understand, granted I don't see any practice sessions.
I just remember Hilegas coming off of Tommy John surgery and just not being the same... she was not seeing the ball well and her serve was off (still is every time I watch Pitt play). Enna came in and did really well and with the addition of Centena, I believe Hilegas saw a lot of competition for the next year. (And remember she didn't start as a libero either, she was a setter). We can't see into the future, I don't think anyone saw Pitt being a top 5 team either!
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After a 3-1 loss to Texas last night, I do not expect the selection committee to look at Iowa State's resume' and say anything beyond, "uh-huh," before moving on to the next program under consideration. I was happy they took a set from the Horns and played well (enough) in two of the other three (the 25-9 set was pretty sad). But the collapse against Yosemite Sam State and K-boo pretty much showed that ISU was simply not good enough this season to warrant an NCAA invitation. I will be VERY surprised if the committee gives ISU a break.
Not sure how to read the beans of the program only graduating one senior this year. Does that mean a ton of experience next season? Or does it just mean 'more of the same'? Guess that depends on who else sticks around and who makes big leaps to improve. And who doesn't.
Not sure how to read the beans of the program only graduating one senior this year. Does that mean a ton of experience next season? Or does it just mean 'more of the same'? Guess that depends on who else sticks around and who makes big leaps to improve. And who doesn't.
CJL was hopeful of an at large bid after yesterday's match but the 8-8 conference record eliminates them. The two losses to TT (with Holthaus) and the inability to close out KU on Wednesday (without Holthaus) were the daggers.
While the team returns everyone except Herbst, it is telling on two counts that Schuler leads the team in OH kills for the final two matches after moving from libero. One is the glaring lack of depth and talent at OH beyond Hatch and Holthaus. Two is that Schuler ended up as the libero starter after being recruited as an OH and she beat out 5 other DS/L on the roster in doing so. Schuler is obviously a talented all round player but her role on this year's team speaks to the talent gaps that exist.
Next season's roster has a lot of question marks. The setter position is still not getting consistent all-conference caliber play (Did CJL go 6-2 yesterday or rotate setters in a 5-1? Brandt had more assists than Mauck on Saturday). I don't think 2020 recruiting addresses the OH talent gap unless Englebrecht fills it after being playing primarily MB. There is obviously a B12 talent gap at DS/L as mentioned above and I'm not sure if the Canadian DS/L recruit will immediately address that gap. The other 2020 signees appear to be developmental prospects and will likely not immediately contribute.
The ongoing recruiting issues appear to persist and IMO will not be fixed until a commitment is made for a new VB/Wrestling competition venue as part of the JTS/JHH development project. A practice facility is on the drawing board but it really needs to be competition venue as well. Also, are there staff issues related to recruiting & coaching? If so, they also may need to be addressed.
Sitting in the stands for that 5th set in Mpls when winning it would have put us in the Final Four seems like a REALLY long time ago. Thought we were on the cusp of something back then but also worried that it might be the high tide mark and felt really bad for the gals as it might have been a once in a program opportunity. I am more of a casual fan. Got to watching mainly because buddies wife played at Nebraska and they both knew Johnson casually and he was always talking volleyball. I like to watch when they are good but don't understand enough to enjoy watching when they are mediocre. Been following along but not watching much on Cy.TV this year.
Not optimistic (at all) about a separate venue although I agree that without one we are at a big disadvantage in a league that isn't that good in volleyball (except at the very top) anymore. We can't recruit based on the league being elite or us being elite or the facilities even being on par with the Midwest powers. I think all of our eggs are in the support and sustain football basket. Both basketball programs can get by with okay practice faculties since we still have the magic of Hilton and a solid tradition. I worry that volleyball will fall back to the level of soccer, softball, gymnastics etc as just Title IX placeholders with WBB our only really competitive women's sport. Even with the best runner in the Big 12 we dropped way down team wise in women's cross country only a couple of years after losing the coach that built that up.
Okay, I've now depressed myself and will show myself the door.
The latest RKPI ranking came out - we're at #46. Above the "cutoff line" but still on the bubble no question.
ISU could be in. We'll find out.
Well, I'm crossing my fingers, but am not optimistic at all.
The other postseason tournament will be announced later tonight after the NCAA has made their selections. The website is: www.womensnivc.com
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What would kill us would be our bad losses IMO. And we certainly had a few.
