AVCA Top 25 (9/11)

[CarrollCyclone]

AVCA Top 25 (9/11)
1. Minnesota (40) (8-0)
2. Penn State (14) (7-0)
3. Florida (10) (4-0)
4. Stanford (5-2)
5. Wisconsin (7-0)
6. Texas (6-2)
7. Washington (8-1)
8. Creighton (7-2)
9. Kansas (9-1)
10. Nebraska (5-2)
11. Oregon (7-1)
12. Kentucky (7-2)
13. UCLA (5-2)
14. BYU (8-1)
15. Purdue (8-1)
16. Utah (8-1)
17. San Diego (6-3)
18. USC (7-2)
19. Iowa State (7-0)
20. Florida State (5-1)
21. Michigan (7-2)
22. Colorado State (8-1)
23. Michigan State (5-1)
24. North Carolina (2-4)
25. Ohio State (5-3)

Others Receiving Votes
Cal Poly, Wichita State, Baylor, Illinois, Washington State, Western Kentucky, Missouri State, Colorado, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Northern Iowa

 

[cowgirl836]

moving on up.

Big week ahead starting with UNI tomorrow. This is a week to see if we actually deserve our ranking.

 

[cowgirl836]

Conaway with ISU's 48th Big 12 DPOW. I wonder how many times it's not been for the Libero! Nice job Alexis - our blocking has looked leagues better than past years.

 

[StClone]

Remember when recruit Capezio was sent walking by new UM VB Coach Mc Cutcheon as he did not think she was his kind of player? Iowa Staters were excited to have her as a late addition in Ames and she had a decent career here.

Seems Mc Cutcheon can evaluate and land the best recruits for his team, then coach them to the top. Number 6 Texas (6-2) lost its season opener to #3 Florida then lost to the aforementioned #1 Minnesota on 9/8. Texas plays on Weds. 9/13 against unranked Texas A&M.

Kansas at #9 (9-1), who joins Texas from the Big XII in the Top Ten, lost to current #8 Creighton on Sept. 9. Iowa State joins the Top 25 undefeated standing 7-0. We look strong but as cowgirl noted, the upcoming matches will test us.

 

[runbikeswim]

Iowa definitely showed more energy on that match. But, boy, I don't ever remember our blocking ever being this good. I wish we would'do more jump serving just to mix up the serving pace. I know they like the knuckle serve and placing it, but sometimes a nice hard serve is good too.

For some reason Iowa had good intuition on our offense. I don't know if that is a result of the setting or relying too much on 1 or 2 hitters.

I have no doubt Texas although losing early in the season will be firing on all cylinders come tourney time.

 

[cowgirl836]

Iowa definitely showed more energy on that match. But, boy, I don't ever remember our blocking ever being this good. I wish we would'do more jump serving just to mix up the serving pace. I know they like the knuckle serve and placing it, but sometimes a nice hard serve is good too.

For some reason Iowa had good intuition on our offense. I don't know if that is a result of the setting or relying too much on 1 or 2 hitters.

I have no doubt Texas although losing early in the season will be firing on all cylinders come tourney time.

Herbst has a jump serve but think I only saw her do it once against NIU

 

[Cyfan1965]

Jump servers drive me crazy at most levels of play. I hardly ever see more than 3 in a row because the toss has to be close to perfect. We will get better in the 6-2 as the season goes along so tossing in a jump server right now is worth the high risk high reward. Once we are more comfortable in our system when the ball goes back and forth across the net a couple times I will take a strong jump float all day.

 

[runbikeswim]

Jump servers drive me crazy at most levels of play. I hardly ever see more than 3 in a row because the toss has to be close to perfect. I will take a strong jump float all day.

I think that is what I was referring to. Not the running throw a mile high jump serve. It just seems we used to be a very aggressive serving team that got some aces, and right now, we are bottom of the barrel on aces in Div 1.

In the Iowa match, it just didn't seem that we were putting much pressure on the serve/receive of Iowa much at all.

 

[Cyfan1965]

I think that is what I was referring to. Not the running throw a mile high jump serve. It just seems we used to be a very aggressive serving team that got some aces, and right now, we are bottom of the barrel on aces in Div 1.

In the Iowa match, it just didn't seem that we were putting much pressure on the serve/receive of Iowa much at all.

I should have clarified topspin jump serve. Wish I could have been there. There are aces and there is getting a team completely out of system with a tough serve. Not as sexy but effective. Was Schaben doing the high lob serve short again?

 

[runbikeswim]

I do recall some real short serves, but not who did them. I think Jess only served 3 or 4 points the whole match, with Izzy subbing in for her when time for her to serve.

We won a lot of points when Miranda is serving. Seemed we went on several 2, 3, 4 point runs with her serving. Just wish her OH attack was more consistent.

 

[runbikeswim]

Remember when recruit Capezio was sent walking by new UM VB Coach Mc Cutcheon as he did not think she was his kind of player? Iowa Staters were excited to have her as a late addition in Ames and she had a decent career here.

Seems Mc Cutcheon can evaluate and land the best recruits for his team, then coach them to the top. Number 6 Texas (6-2) lost its season opener to #3 Florida then lost to the aforementioned #1 Minnesota on 9/8. Texas plays on Weds. 9/13 against unranked Texas A&M.

I guess Hugh is earning his half million salary....his Olympic experience will continue to be a draw for recruits with those aspirations. That freshman OH they have from Florida is tearing it up this year, with her, and arguably the best setter in NCAA this year, and that block, they will be hard to beat.

 

[CY9008]

Prediction for the week:

UNI: 3-1 W
CREIGHTON: 2-3 L
WSU: 3-1 W

I would be pleased with this result. I definitely think were capable of a 3-0 week but our offense has got to improve, just as CJL has said, in terminating the ball in rallies and in transition.
Crazy how are blocking is Top 10 in the country this year, but our traditional serving strength has taken a dip. Is it a shift in focus that CJL trusts our defense so much that spending time on serving has been moved to a low priority? Could possibly just be inconsistency as well.

 

[Cyfan1965]

If we beat Creighton we are for real right now. If we don't we still have time to get there if we improve our offense during big 12 play. CJL has talked about the use of the swing block and it has revolutionized our blocking. I have no idea how long they have been working on it specifically but it WORKS!

 

[CY9008]

Pretty ugly match now in Set 5 with UNI.

Not sure what's happening with front row players flipping sometimes...seems to mor harm than good. Strange to see Conaway taking swings from the left.

 

[cowgirl836]

ugly loss. Some good blocks but that was not good enough. I was fearful that our record was making us look better than we were. Honestly, we haven't played good teams thus far, and UNI is decent and exposed us. Our serve receive is atrocious right now. Passing not much better. I saw way too many overpasses batted down in our face tonight. And poor passing takes our middles out of the game. We are going to wear Jess's arm right off if we continue.

Bit of a Debbie Downer right now. We really shouldn't have let that 1st set get away. The grit and composure that came through in the last couple games at the end of the sets was missing tonight.

 

[StClone]

ugly loss.\We really shouldn't have let that 1st set get away...

From the get go this was not going well. We have as much (or more) talent as UNI so how do we lose at home? Outplayed and out-coached that's how.

Everytime UNI set to the back or outside I held my breath as the Panthers seem to pound us. Volleys were a nightmare and too many little things. It's early and its fixable (I hope).

 

[cowgirl836]

From the get go this was not going well. We have as much (or more) talent as UNI so how do we lose at home? Outplayed and out-coached that's how.

Everytime UNI set to the back or outside I held my breath as the Panthers seem to pound us. Volleys were a nightmare and too many little things. It's early and its fixable (I hope).

CJL's presser right now is talking about our transition (totally agree, when we got out of system, we were ****) and we are good defensively but not making offense. Says she thinks we'll be a lot better in even a few weeks.

I hope so - we have the hitters.

 

[StClone]

Says she thinks we'll be a lot better in even a few weeks.

I hope so - we have the hitters.

Without set-receive efficiency this team will beat many opponents but not the best teams.

 

[runbikeswim]

To me the difference was serving. They put pressure on our receive but we didn't on theirs. Where was Samara at tonight....