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2020 Texas Volleyball (Hopefully)

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Underdog

Underdog 28753

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Not going to pretend I know anything about either squad but Texas looked the most impressive last night, Huskies did a good job putting UK back on their heels and if not for the blown call at the Net, probably go on to win the match, UK should feel very fortunate to move on.  I think worse case scenario is a UT sweep, I think it goes 4 in UT's favor.  

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Here's my Kentucky scouting: They are athletic as hell, BUT they are not as tall as Wisconsin or Nebraska.  Their block should not provide huge issues in terms of intimidating Fields/Eggleston. 

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Js1

Js1 85449

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Just now, Underdog said:

Not going to pretend I know anything about either squad but Texas looked the most impressive last night, Huskies did a good job putting UK back on their heels and if not for the blown call at the Net, probably go on to win the match, UK should feel very fortunate to move on.  I think worse case scenario is a UT sweep, I think it goes 4 in UT's favor.  

I also think Texas in 4. Kentucky is too solid to sweep. 

No coincidence 2 of the teams who played fall and spring are playing for the title. B1G and Pac fans will bitch and moan and put an asterisk on it, but either way, Texas wins #3 or Kentucky wins #1 and the B1G wins nothing at all. 

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Js1

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2 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Kentucky has a number of players who went to high school in Texas.    What's the draw to UK for these Texas girls? 

There’s too much talent in the state for  it all to stay in state when the only programs people want to play for are Texas and Baylor. Texas will take theirs, but they also recruit nationally and those Texas girls gotta go somewhere. 

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31511

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1 minute ago, Js1 said:

There’s too much talent in the state for  it all to stay in state when the only programs people want to play for are Texas and Baylor. Texas will take theirs, but they also recruit nationally and those Texas girls gotta go somewhere. 

I guess UK has been pretty competitive in the SEC for a while now, and making a little noise nationally, so they're building a pretty attractive program.

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Nueces River Rat

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Just now, Js1 said:

There’s too much talent in the state for  it all to stay in state when the only programs people want to play for are Texas and Baylor. Texas will take theirs, but they also recruit nationally and those Texas girls gotta go somewhere. 

Makes sense.    I guess since I'm more connected to the football/baseball sphere of high school sports here in Texas and knowing the talent we export is pretty good in those sports, I've never really focused on the ladies sports and if its the same with a sport or two.  And just doing some quick reading on UK, it looks like they've only become a national  factor in the last few seasons, much less the best conference to ever be formed on planet Earth known as the SEC! SEC!SEC!   

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 39934

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50 minutes ago, Js1 said:

As I mentioned, the only people on the floor tomorrow with the experience in this type of match is the Texas staff.  Elliot has been here in 4 times.  Sullivan was here with us 3 times.  Johnson was here with us the last 2 times. 

And even last night, the only Texas player with Final Four experience was O'Brien, who went with Illinois.  Pfft, all those girls on our side looked like they were the ones in the Final Four in 2019, not Wisconsin. 

IF Texas continues to pass well on first and second-ball contact to let Gabriel spread it around,  Texas wins.  Texas also has to serve tough (but in bounds) to get Kentucky out of system, just like Washington did.  Establish our big block early and get in their heads. 

I think our height and ability to strike higher will hurt the shorter Kentucky team. 

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Js1

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18 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

Skinner is very likable. I bet players enjoy playing for him at Kentucky. 

Combine that with winning and it's a good formula in recruiting. 

Plus you’ll win championships at UK. SEC is like the B12 - 2 team conference. You’ll play and you’ll win 

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perfectchaos007

perfectchaos007 6677

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57 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I guess UK has been pretty competitive in the SEC for a while now, and making a little noise nationally, so they're building a pretty attractive program.

Yeah they generally play second fiddle to Florida in the SEC, but this is one of the first years they were the best team in the SEC. Hopefully the moment will be too big for them, similarly to when Baylor a few years ago was the top seed

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Js1

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We played Kentucky in 2018.  Won 3-1 in Austin. 

Lilley 3-0-6, 39 assists, 7 digs, 1 ace, 1 SE
Avery Skinner 7-6-29
Alli Stumler 13-6-38, 8 digs, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Gabby Curry 4 assist, 2 aces, 16 digs
Kendyl Paris 1-0-4, 3 blocks

Butler 8-1-12, 5 blocks, 2 digs
Eggleston 15-4-32, 2 blocks, 5 digs
Petersen 15 digs

Texas hit .400 and Kentucky hit .217.  Texas outblocked them 13-7. Texas 1 ace/2 errors and Kentucky 2 aces/4 errors. 

Different teams, BUT Elliot/Johnson/Sullivan have already scouted Lilley, Skinner, Stumler and Curry.  Kentucky has never seen Gabriel set (Shook set that match), O'Neal, Phillips or Fields. 

Hell, Morgan Johnson and Butler were a combined 20-2-32 with 12 blocks in the middle.  Our outsides had 11 blocks (Luketic had 8 on the RS, Logan had 2 and White had 1). We gameplanned very well in that match.  No offense to MoJo, Micaya and Luketic, but O'Neal, Phillips and Sky is a better trio.

Good luck, Kentucky. 

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Js1

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This really screams 2012 to me in the way people are talking about Kentucky and Texas. 

Texas' ball control is iffy, can it show up?
Oregon's offense is too fast, they'll speed up the block
Oregon will pass well and get what they want

Texas hit .483 and Oregon hit .202. 15-1 in blocks.  Texas may run a slow-ish offense and face it in practice, but it has played plenty of faster offenses in Baylor, Penn St, Nebraska and Wisconsin.  7-0 in those matches. 

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 54310

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I saw a tweet from the NCAA last night about "Texas upsets #1 Wisconsin."

What was funny about it is that 95% of the replies (few of which seemed to be from Texas fans) were either "that was no upset" or along the lines of "Wisconsin and the Big 10 were overrated because the selection committee had their heads up their asses."

Wisconsin definitely looked like the 4th best team I saw last night, and not as good as Nebraska, either.

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Js1

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It def is not wrong.  Wisconsin may not have been the #1 seed if they played those 5 matches against PSU, Neb and Minny.

if Texas beats Rice, they are probably the #2 seed at worst assuming everything else stayed the same. Texas was undefeated in the fall, but as soon as the spring poll came out, Wisconsin was #1.  It was such obvious bias for the B1G.  If Wisconsin drops a couple of those 5 matches listed above, they are maybe #3 or #4, with Nebraska getting the other.  Kentucky would have been the #2.  

Except this team needed that Rice loss.  

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TexasDPT

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5 hours ago, texasstrong12 said:

O'brien was huge but adding Jamie Morrison to the coaching staff was just as important. I don't think it's a coincidence this is the best passing/ball control team under Elliott since he joined as a volunteer assistant. 

Texas needs to throw the bank at him but it's very unlikely he sticks around. He will probably get a head coaching gig overseas.  

It’s no coincidence that Texas started playing it’s best ball when Morrison arrived to Texas from his coaching stint with USA’s inaugural Professional Volleyball League (Athletes Unlimited) that ended in March.  

The improvements in blocking and floor defense and overall ball control are quite significant from the Fall season. Texas may have lost to Rice, but they were still testing out a different line-up with Parra on the left, Skylar on the right, and Iosia at libero (which I think has upped her level of play as a DS).

I agree that Elliot needs to whatever he can to retain Jamie on staff, whether that be throwing the bank at him or creating a role on his staff....similar to what Chris Beard has done with the Basketball staff like making Ogden “Managing Director” and Donewald “Special Assistant” - essentially adding more experienced coaches to the coaching roster.

 

 

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 54310

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2 hours ago, Pancho said:

Prediction?

I’ve been baffled as to why a place like San Antonio (or Houston or DFW) never hosts volleyball FFs.

SA hosted in 2005 (?).  I wuz their.  There were fewer than 10K in the Alamodome, IIRC, kinda sad.

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wood

wood 11230

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8 hours ago, texasstrong12 said:

Texas should be much more battle tested because Kentucky had a very easy path to the finals IMO. 

Washington wasn't right all tournament and probably should have lost to Louisville, Pitt, and even Dayton. They grinded out some wins but they didn't play well at all these last few matches. 

Purdue was probably the top team Kentucky played. Wisconsin went 2-0 vs Purdue, Penn State went 1-1, and my guess is Nebraska would have swept Purdue. I think you can make a legitimate argument that the last 3 teams Texas has played are better than anybody Kentucky had to beat to make the finals. 

Yeah it's crazy how lopsided those brackets were & how much rougher our road was. 

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Js1

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46 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

SA hosted in 2005 (?).  I wuz their.  There were fewer than 10K in the Alamodome, IIRC, kinda sad.

1994 Austin
2002 New Orleans
2005 San Antonio
2011 San Antonio
2014 OKC

2011 was Texas as the #1 overall seed and we lost to #9 UCLA in the regional final and missed out on playing in the Final Four in San Antonio.  UCLA went on to win it all.  That was the year we lost Bell for the season in the match against Kansas in November. 

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It's fun watching the narrative of Texas' opponents change to discount Texas' run to the finals through the B1G. 

Nebraska doesn't play good defense
Wisconsin isn't a good passing team
Wisconsin is too predictable and slow on offense
(Insert Nebraska or Wisconsin player) isn't really that good/overrated/doesn't perform in the spotlight

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wood

wood 11230

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18 minutes ago, Js1 said:

It's fun watching the narrative of Texas' opponents change to discount Texas' run to the finals through the B1G. 

Nebraska doesn't play good defense
Wisconsin isn't a good passing team
Wisconsin is too predictable and slow on offense
(Insert Nebraska or Wisconsin player) isn't really that good/overrated/doesn't perform in the spotlight

LOL. Reminds me of the myriad explanations people used to manufacture to explain VY's numbers & the 2005 football team's success. Oh, they're just really fucking good? Nah. That can't be it.

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26 minutes ago, wood said:

LOL. Reminds me of the myriad explanations people used to manufacture to explain VY's numbers & the 2005 football team's success. Oh, they're just really fucking good? Nah. That can't be it.

Yep.  Wisconsin is not an elite passing team, but god damn, was Civita and Barnes passing DIMES when they dug the ball most of the time.   Some flat out ridiculous digs and passes to the setter.

Texas served tough and took them out of system.

But nah. 

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TexasDPT

TexasDPT 297

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1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

would the strat be go big up front with molly like we did switched to vs Wisconsin? And just over athlete them with height and such?

I doubt Elliott will change the line-up....why change something that's not broken? Plus, Molly is going to be needed for her blocking on the right pin. 

The Skinner sisters are a tad bit shorter than our OHs, but they have good verticals and have live arms.

Stumler is more like Eggleston... hits with power, has a lot of range, and mixes up her shots. I can see her really going after Jhenna's block. 

Tealer is only 5'10 but she jumps and hits well and they move her around all over the court.

Lilley is a great setter with excellent location and tempo, so we will need to continue to serve tough and get them OOS.

I think this is going to be a real competitive match. 

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texfan11

texfan11 90

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Off topic from the NCAA Championship - but we should be closeish to the USA Olympic National Team roster announcement (I think sometime before May 25th). Wondering if we will have any Longhorns on the team - Rachael Adams is still on the National Team roster, and Chiaka Ogbogu has gotten some good playing time with Team USA as well!

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SATXHorn

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Nervous as hell about tonight so i had to come out of a long-term lurking period. Thanks to the regulars for continuing the good comments and analysis: Js1, texasstrong12, perfectchaos. This is a much better place than Volley Talk.

Wish I were in Omaha tonight but couldn’t make it work this time. Flew to Louisville for the championship game in ‘12.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49314

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No. 4 Texas (27-1) will face No. 2 Kentucky (23-1) in the NCAA women's volleyball championship match Saturday (ESPN2/ESPN App, 8 p.m. ET).

Quote

ESPN -- NCAA women's volleyball tournament 2021 - Texas versus Kentucky, in a battle of power setters

Apr 23, 2021     ESPN staff

The Wildcats advanced to their first final with a four-set victory against Washington in the first semifinal, while the Longhorns will make their seventh finals appearance and first since 2016 after their win versus Wisconsin.

Which team has the advantage? Who are the players to watch? ESPN's volleyball gurus break down the matchup.

Who are the players to watch for each team?

Katie George (ESPN analyst, former Louisville star setter): The match will certainly come down to the setters, whose distribution will be key, and setting who and when will be equally important. So, I'll be keeping an eye on Texas' Logan Eggleston and Kentucky's Alli Stumler, who both have proven they can take over a match when needed. They will each need to have incredible performances to lift their teams. Eggleston, the Big 12 player of the year, has wowed and had 17 kills against Wisconsin. Stumler was very efficient against Washington (13 kills, 2 errors to hit .344), but needs to demand the ball from Madison Lilley so she can produce even more in the championship.

Sam Gore (ESPN studio host): With as many offensive weapons as these teams have (each had four players with double digits in kills in the semis), success begins with which setter makes the best decisions. Lilley and Jhenna Gabriel have a lot of attackers to choose from. The setter who navigates who to pass to, and when, will give their team an advantage.

Salima Rockwell (ESPN analyst, former Penn State and U.S. national team setter): Kentucky's Lilley needs to make this offense go, as they want to get out to a strong start after the Wildcats dropped their first set of the tournament against Washington in the semis. For Texas, Skylar Fields has been so good (12 kills and two digs in the semis) and needs to be again on Saturday.

Holly Rowe (ESPN reporter): I am also sticking with the setters. Lilley, the American Volleyball Coaches' Association national player of the year, continues to do it all for Kentucky: serving, setting and saves. She is the engine that makes Kentucky so efficient. For Texas, watch out for Gabriel. According to Longhorns coach Jerritt Elliott, Gabriel is the "spirit" of the team, as her encouragement, play and putting others in position to succeed, is contagious.

Paul Sunderland (ESPN analyst, Olympic gold-medal winner): This is a tough one because both teams have so many weapons. For Texas, Gabriel has been a remarkable upgrade and gives the Longhorns an offensive advantage given their long list of hitters. For the Wildcats, I'm going out a limb here a little, but libero Gabby Curry will be key. If she can keep Kentucky in system with her receiving, the Wildcats have a great chance against Texas.

You are coaching Kentucky or Texas. What is your strategy for each team?

George: Texas needs to continue to apply pressure from the service line, like we've seen them do throughout the NCAA tournament. Yes, they miss a few per set, but they attack their opponents' passers, forcing the offense out of system. Washington strung together a few runs when they forced Kentucky out of system and Lilley was on the run, bump-setting many balls. Kentucky hitters struggled for a short time when Lilley couldn't run her offense effectively.

Kentucky, meanwhile, needs to be disciplined at the net. The first line of defense is the block. The Wildcats are a physical team with good size -- they'll have their hands full with the variety of capable hitters Texas runs each play. Kentucky needs to have patience, good eye work and disciplined hands to slow down attacks. If the block can get touches to help the backcourt defense behind them, Kentucky can succeed in transition, but first have to keep the ball off the floor to be able to do so. Defense (blocking and digging) will be key for the Cats.

Gore: It's the same strategy for both teams -- get the other team out of system. And the one who does it best, wins. Both teams are so similar in their strengths, but the one who can disrupt the other with excellent serving and passing can impose themselves on the other and take home the title.

Rockwell: For Texas, it needs to make it difficult for Kentucky to be in rhythm -- make the Wildcats' outsides work by serving the ball deep and flat at them and attacking them in the backcourt defensively by getting them on the floor. The Longhorns should also attack the right side of the court so Lilley has to play the first ball -- she makes Kentucky go and keeps it in system. For the Kentucky, it needs to control the first contact and beat the Texas block with speed. Be patient and win the long rallies, control the ball and take smart swings to finish the play -- high off hands and work the line/edges of the block.

Rowe: Texas must stay balanced. With so many weapons, it's hard to stop any one person. This is the first time Kentucky has been on this stage, so the team needs to be composed. They have talked about "When we are in the national championship" all season. Well, here they are.

Sunderland: For Kentucky, it has to serve Eggleston every time she's in the front row. You can't stop all the Longhorns' weapons, so pick your poison. For Texas, they need to keep the ball off of Stumler and Gabby Curry and serve Avery Skinner, who got in some trouble against Washington.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the tournament to be staged in one location. How has this impacted teams? And will it be difficult to return to the original format next season?

Katie George: Playing at one venue with limited capacity has minimized distractions, which is certainly beneficial. I think players miss playing in front of fans and having home-court advantage, if seeded. I don't think it'll be difficult to go back, but I commend all teams for their flexibility and adaptability this season.

Sam Gore: It seems to have benefited the teams in that, once they arrived for the first and second rounds, they could settle in and not have to worry about traveling to another site or the distractions that come from remaining on campus if they would've hosted. This gives players more time to rest, recover, be together as a team and focus more intently on the task at hand. I don't think it will be difficult to go back, because the other way was the norm. It's an interesting debate now, and it's been shown that being in one venue is possible. The bottom line is, what is best for the sport? People who are a lot smarter than me will make those decisions.

Rockwell: I don't think it will be difficult to go back to the original format. But the one-site format this year has been good in the sense that they didn't have to fly somewhere, go home and fly back. It would have been even more enjoyable had they had the opportunity to socialize with other players they knew through club or U.S. national teams -- the best part of the experience aside from the actual volleyball.

Rowe: It's been great from a rest and recovery standpoint. The limited fans have been loud -- a shout-out to Nebraska fans for still showing up and appreciating good volleyball.

Sunderland: The single venue has been good for the level of play and reducing travel and wear-and-tear on the players. It won't at all be difficult to go back to the old format -- the atmosphere in the early rounds is awesome.

Make your finals prediction

[Editor's note: Reporters for the NCAA finals did not make predictions to maintain objectivity for the match.]

George: It will be a back-and-forth, physical match with a lot of big-time kills. I root for a match that stays close and goes down to the wire.

Gore: Because I have so much affection and respect for both programs, I just can't pick a winner! They are both so similar in their talent, I prefer to sit back and watch it unfold. Both teams have an equal shot, but it will come down to which one better handles the moment.

Sunderland: Texas is on a roll, and is so far winning the serve-pass battle. It will a close-played final, but I give the Longhorns the edge

 

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31317426/ncaa-women-volleyball-tournament-2021-texas-versus-kentucky-battle-power-setters 

 

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