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TexasDPT

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Everything posted by TexasDPT

  1. I'm pretty sure Jerritt will be giving Jhenna a scholarship after this season. I still think he needs to bring in a transfer setter to either quarterback the team or to back-up Jhenna. I personally would prefer the former (especially if she is taller and can provide the same setting consistency), so Jhenna can replace Claire on the court and still be a secondary setter on the court. I foresee Logan and Micaya playing every rotation next year and Autumn only rotating in if either struggles in the back row. The middles should be fine with an experienced Butler and a red-shirted O'Neal. Depth may be a problem if Orie decides to transfer, so incoming FR Molly Phillips may need to be ready to play because I don't see Westerlund seeing the court. I'd like to see Katarina focus on her arm strength in the off-season and become a more terminal hitter on the right pin. If not, Skylar Fields will be seeing the court over her. And Petersen will own the Libero position until she graduates.
  2. Even though overall ball control wasn't as strong in this match, Jhenna's setting is steadily improving...especially setting to the middles with Brionne hitting over .400 and Morgan hitting over .800. I've been really impressed with how well Jhenna is connecting with the middle hitters... Shook won't even attempt the sets Jhenna is putting up to the middles because she usually whiffs on them. Claire Hahn needs to step up her game because teams are really going to start going after her when she's playing defense behind Jhenna's block. Unfortunately, there is no one else on the bench that can play right back defense and Hahn tends to fold under pressure. I'm betting Shook has already mentally checked out and planning her transfer... she was the #6 recruit in her class and just got replaced by a walk-on DS player who has the team hitting close to .400 in the sets she has started as setter. The writing is on the wall. And if Shook does get subbed into the match for whatever reason, I predict it's not going to be pretty.
  3. If true, I think Elliott really needs to evaluate the type of setter that will be successful here at Texas and bring her in as a transfer. Jhenna's great, but I don't think she is a long-term solution to the setter position when there are TALLER setters out there with a similar or better skill sets...just gotta find one that will mesh well with the current nucleus of girls. We have 6'1 setter Naomi Cabello coming in with the class of 2020, so Jerritt needs a place holder for the 2019 season with Jhenna backing her up. Someone we might want to keep an eye out for is 5'11 Jr Norene Iosia who is the starting setter at Hawaii and former HS/Club teammate of Yaazie. Norene played for the USA WJNT and is the sister of 2021 incoming Libero recruit Kalani Iosia. She is currently having to share setting duties at Hawaii b/c she's also the Opposite when she is in the front row, since Hawaii's pin hitters suck this year. Hawaii is in rebuilding mode after Dave Shoji retired 2 years ago and there are rumors that she is looking to transfer upon completion of this season.
  4. Texas hits .386 for the night with a 5'8 setter!
  5. I hate this rotation. They are going to need to figure out who can attack from the back row.
  6. Passing/Ball control has improved from last year and I just thought that we needed consistent setting to play better....now we have that! I'd rather take our chances with good setting and let the hitters do what they do best...and the chips will fall where they fall with Jhenna's blocking.
  7. And they leave Logan in the back row at the end of this set? I think Jerritt's been reading the Surly!
  8. Jhenna's just a fuckin' gamer!
  9. So far in this match, I've seen so many hustle plays that Texas would not have won with Shook setting....
  10. Micaya all smiles.....haven't seen that since Chloe Collins' setting....
  11. This is the rotation where we need Logan in the back row for a back row attack. We lose a front row attacker with Jhenna and she only has two options in the front row and they are camping out on Micaya.
  12. Micaya is loving Jhenna's sets!
  13. YBG just destroyed that ball!
  14. Players are just taking rips on the ball....probably surprised that they don't have to make any adjustment....and overall team energy just looks better!
  15. All I have to say is that Autumn and Claire must consistently show out in practice because they suck during live games. Logan should be playing in the back row instead of Autumn, and Jhenna should have been playing instead of Claire...those two freshmen along with Petersen are just gamers.
  16. Logan SHOULD have been playing all 6 rotations after she showed she was capable of doing so (when Autumn was injured in the home ISU match). We know what we are going to get with Autumn as a DS...but come tournament time, there will be rotations when a back row attack will be needed, especially when teams are camping out on Micaya when she is front row. Or situations where games are tight and we run out of substitutions (like at Stanford, when Autumn had to play front row since Elliott ran out of subs....that still pisses me off). Elliott should have developed Logan's back-row play during conference play, but I don't think he's going to change anything with only 5 conference games left. Even during the 2012 Title run, he had Eckerman playing back row, until she became a liability and then subbed in Dalton...but he's not doing that with Logan. And unfortunately, I think that decision is going to come back and bite him in the ass. I've watched several of Nebraska's matches this year and even though I think Lexi has cost them some matches with her back row defense, there's no denying that her overall passing and ball control have improved....and having her attacking from the back row has bailed them out of matches.
  17. Badgers just lost today, so that probably moves Texas ahead of them. For Texas to host, Texas needs to win the rest of its games and Illinois would have to lose a couple of games.
  18. What's more important? Having a 6-1 setter that puts up a solid block for 3 rotations but dishes out crappy sets in almost every rotation, or having a smaller setter that puts up a weak block for 3 rotations but can give consistent, well-located sets EVERY rotation? I'd personally go with the latter, and have the team work on defensive adjustments behind the weaker block. Also, people criticized Collins for her height, but she was able to lead Texas to 2 National Championship matches her JR and SR seasons. Not saying Jhenna can replicate those results, but even with limited playing time at setter, her location and tempo IS better and more consistent than what Shook has shown this year and last. It all comes down to which setter puts the team (and ball) in a better position to win. I personally just don't think Shook has it in her.
  19. Agreed. I really liked seeing the well-located sets from Gabriel...she kinda reminded me of seeing Chloe Collins setting out there. Texas may give up the blocking with Jhenna in the front row, but if players like Butler, Yaazie, and Eggleston are consistently taking hard rips on the ball with the better setting, I'd say Elliott should take a chance on her.
  20. Ha! I've thought the same thing before...they like Shook as a person, but hate her setting. Imagine taking off for your approach and constantly having to adjust to where the set is going instead of just taking a rip on the ball. The players are frustrated. Texas has the bangers that can go up and get a kill, as long as the ball is at the right place.
  21. Shook is still the worst setter on a top 25 team....but Texas comes out with a win because of their athleticism. Interesting to see that they pulled Logan out of serve-receive and actually had Yaazie in the passing lanes instead of her...maybe they want Logan to just focus on hitting/blocking/serving, but it's pretty disappointing (and telling) that her passing hasn't improved, especially since Logan came in as a true 6-rotation, passing OH from HS/club/USA Youth & Junior NTs. But hitters have to continue to adjust to Shook's set, instead of just taking rips at the ball. Unfortunately, this Texas team will go only as far as Shook's setting takes them.
  22. Good god Shook's location is all over the place....
  23. Texas "should" win out, but you never know with this team....
  24. Same story... Shook's sets are head-scratchers at times... but Texas' athleticism against mediocre teams bails them out.
  25. Timely blocks by Johnson towards the end of that set put Texas ahead in the 1st set.
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