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TexasDPT

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Everything posted by TexasDPT

  1. Texas can't stop Plummer right now...she's going over and abusing the block.
  2. Our weakest rotations are when Jhenna is in the front row. Teams are hitting over her or abusing her block. But she hustles and actually hand-sets balls that Shook would just bump-set. Plus, she is playing really good defense when she is in the back row. Skylar showed why she is the #1 recruit. She is so great on the right pin because she sees the court well and moves the ball around. At times, I wish she could play all 6 rotations to get her the ball more, but (dare I say it?) we need Claire Hahn in the back row. She has really improved her level play and I hope she maintains/exceeds it over the course of the season. Rounsaville, not so much (still playing at the same level for the past 2 years), but she's going to be needed when Eggleston struggles in the back row. Logan's overall play is much improved. She is serving tough and hitting with authority, even with not-so-ideal sets. Micaya is still trying to play with too much finesse for my liking - she tips way too much when she should be ripping the ball or at least attempting to abuse the block. I've never really understood why Asjia was starting at M1 or believed what Elliott would say about her in practice. But I saw glimpses of her being aggressive with her blocking and hitting with more power in her slide attacks against USC. She just needs to hit at a higher contact point and not into the block so much. Hopefully, she becomes the player that Elliott thinks she will be by the end of the season. Molly is a good, stable player - she puts up a formidable block and hits the quick attack well, but the team needs to play better defense behind her b/c over the weekend her attacks were dug up twice and sent straight back for points. Honestly, I can't wait until Butler returns...I think she is going to add a whole new blocking and attacking dynamic that teams are going to have fits dealing with. Sydney's floor defense, positioning, and hitter-reading has improved as well. She's getting to balls that she flat-out missed last season. As always, passing and floor defense are what needs to get better throughout the season, but they are actually at a good starting point IMO. Blocking numbers are kinda low right now but that's to be expected with 3 Freshmen front row players currently in the line-up.
  3. I hope you're right, but my expectations are tempered after watching the spring matches. Serving will be an adventure again with Micaya's jump serve and now with Logan doing one as well. Autumn's consistently serves into the net, while Claire's make it into the court but are easy to pass. Shook just lollipops her serves over. Sydney serves tough but tends to net just as equally. Jhenna and Asjia are the only players I thought served tough for the most part. Skylar and Molly have good serves, but sometimes those skills regress when they get to college... Texas' first line of defense (blocking) should be improved. Butler's blocking improved towards the end of last season, and the better blocker between Asjia & Molly will win the other MB spot IMO. I think Skylar's blocking will be an upgrade on the right pin. If Jhenna remains the starting setter, her blocking will become a liability against teams with the same caliber hitters as Texas. That's why we need better floor defense behind Jhenna's block but that line-up won't change since Claire will be playing right back (subbed-in for Skylar), Autumn in middle back (subbed in for Logan), and Sydney at left back. I can see Elliott trying to train Sydney to play middle back defense like he did Cat McCoy and then moving Autumn to left back (which I think she looks more comfortable defending). Or he can switch Micaya and Logan in the rotation and have Micaya playing middle back while Jhenna is in the front row, but I wouldn't expect that happening unless Micaya's floor defense makes huge strides over the summer. A transfer Libero/DS over the summer would help the situation, but it would need to be someone with a lot of experience from a power conference...or a foreign transfer. Elliott did bring in Luketic last summer out of nowhere, so it is possible.
  4. Also on the US Women's Junior National Training Team is 2020 commit 6'2 OH Madison Williams. With Elliott being named head coach of the team, it will be interesting to see if he takes all five of his Texas players to the World Championships. The last time Jerritt was head coach of a USA team (2017 US Collegiate National Team), he was heavily criticized for all the Texas players making the roster (Chiaka, Micaya, Yaazie, and Morgan). I think the locks for the 12 player roster are Logan, Skylar, and Molly. Sydney will have a difficult time getting on the roster if she doesn't improve her digging. And Madison does not have the consistent passing/digging skills to make the final roster IMO. On a side note, the competition for the starting MBs will be interesting to watch this fall. Brionne has been training with the Women's Senior National Team and will be one of the starters in the fall. Molly has consistently been making the USA rosters, but Asjia was the #2 recruit in her class and has had a red-shirt year to develop. I wasn't too impressed with Asjia during the spring matches, but I also think a lot of it had to do with the revolving door of setters for each match. I think it will all come down to who is the better blocker.
  5. For me, Logan appeared more focused on the court and played more consistent, even with the usual ups & downs as a freshman...but I think she likes the pressure of important matches and has the ability to carry the team like she did against BYU. The players looked like they genuinely liked each other this year. I'm not so sure that was the case last year with Lexi -- rumors were that she wasn't a very hard worker and always had her helicopter dad around. She also had more distractions living in Austin and was dating Mo Bamba at the time.
  6. During his pre-game match interview, the Illinois coach said he didn't have enough players to scrimmage each other...so all they focused on the spring and summer before his new players arrived were the fundamentals....serving, passing, and playing defense. It'd be nice if Texas would do the same.
  7. I agree...talented as hell...but cracks under pressure...not the player you want leading your team...
  8. ....Texas gets a new assistant coach? ....Texas starts offering more scholarships to defensive players? ....Texas gets a new head coach?
  9. And Furd returns everyone except 1 of their MBs. They are gonna make another run next season. Nebraska loses it's heart and hardest worker in Foecke and are going to have to break in a new libero and Outside hitter. Sun doesn't have the consistency to carry the team IMO....they won't make it back to the Final Four --- I'm calling it now!
  10. Haha...Cook being a dick and trying to ruin Stanford's celebration
  11. Stanford's setter is Shookin' her sets again...
  12. I just don't see how Elliott, Erik, and Tonya can watch this match and NOT make changes to the way they coach defense.
  13. That's a big frame taking a lot of swings for her team and also playing defense....plus, she plays beach in the spring and then usually beach for Team USA in the summer....she actually had to opt out of USA duties because of meniscus surgery this past summer.
  14. Damn, Nebraska is not letting anything hit the floor.
  15. Stanford's setter is pulling a Shook....can't locate the ball right now.
  16. Plummer looks gassed... She's no longer taking rips on the ball while NU is swinging away.
  17. I wanna see Butler or O'Neal develop a slide attack like Stivrins....she's unstoppable on that attack.
  18. I'm impressed with how much Sun has improved with her floor defense and serving.
  19. This is the worst I've seen Hentz play....she is so used to controlling hits going at her, but she can't control them coming from Foecke.
  20. And they probably haven't dealt with a very good defensive team that can slow down Plummer, so they are having to go to other players.
  21. I wonder if Elliott is watching this match and just thinking, "man, i wish my team could pass, serve, and play defense like this..."
  22. Sun having flashbacks of last year's regional final match against Stanford...
  23. She wants a 3rd Title along with a 3rd MVP in a Championship match.
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