2024 Volleyball: SEC, here comes Daddy

[Js1 86,929]

15-9 Texas after a tape ace by Devin 

[Js1 86,929]

20-15 Texas. In the red zone now 

[Js1 86,929]

23-17 Texas. Last TO for Florida 

[Js1 86,929]

25-18 Texas

2-0

[Js1 86,929]

5-1 Gata. TO Texas

[Js1 86,929]

13-10 Texas. TO Gata

Halter just had a dig that got some oohs from the Gata crowd 

[Js1 86,929]

Oooh Mari just read that setter dump for block #12 of the match for Texas 

9-1 run to go up to 19-11. Florida calls its last timeout 

 

[TwiceHorn 31,986]

So glad Devin stuck around. 

[pacman 7,486]

Locked in today!

[Js1 86,929]

That was a dominating and surprising sweep by Texas!

This 6-2 is just beautiful. When our middles put it together offensively, watch out. Because they can block 

[Cairn Horn88 8,500]

Wow….I’m impressed…Ladies went to Gainesville and kicked butt.

Taking care of business….

Way to go Ladies!

[Gut Wagon 8,214]

Total thrashing. Nice service work by Averi.

Now that single dropped set in SEC play is starting to annoy me. 😝

[Js1 86,929]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

So glad Devin stuck around. 

8 kills, 6 blocks, hit .667

[Js1 86,929]

On 10/4/2024 at 10:23 AM, Js1 said:

Defense gotta do it's thing (digs/blocks)
Serve receive has to be strong(er)
Need the same efficiency from our pins and Singletary we've gotten the last 6 matches.

.146 hitting % for Florida, 13 blocks total

Only 4 aces for Florida 

.360 for Madi, .667 for Devin, not so much Jenna .133 and RR .188

but Mari .333 so it evened out 

[Js1 86,929]

Texas is off until next Sunday @ Kentucky

Then we have 3 matches in 5 days from Oct 19-23 (at home), then 8 days off, followed by 3 matches in 5 days (Nov 1-6), then 9 days off, followed by a Fri/Sun match, then off for 5 days before we finish with 3 matches in 8 days 

Very odd schedule 

[Js1 86,929]

Texas is 7th in RPI this morning.  Man, we really need to schedule more 1 or 2 more non-conf matches.  We have the least amount of matches played in the top 10 of RPI 

Nebraska - 15
Louisville - 14 
Pitt - 14 
PSU - 15 
Stanford - 13 
Creighton - 15 
Texas - 12 
Wisconsin - 13 
TCU - 14 
Kansas - 13 

You have to go down to #52 OU to find another team that has only played 12 matches so far.  Everyone else is roughly 14-16 at this point. 

Rest of our schedule in RPI:

Kentucky 17
Arkansas 29
Georgia 79
aggy 22
Missouri 43
OU 52
Miss St 106
Auburn 14
Bama 112
OU 52
Tenn 47
Ole Miss 33

[Js1 86,929]

Singletary - SEC POW and Defensive POW.

[Rickylovesweed 15,306]

This is starting to feel a lot like last year's team. Started off slow but gradually improved throughout the year. 

[Js1 86,929]

2 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

This is starting to feel a lot like last year's team. Started off slow but gradually improved throughout the year. 

Gotta stick with the 6-2 and keep adding pieces to it. Texas introduced that very slow, high ball set to the middle just last week that allows Ames and Mari time to diagnose the block before hitting the ball after we started letting Devin serve and play one rotation back there instead of immediately subbing in Swindle.
 

Next we can re-add the BIC for Madi/Jenna and that D-ball to Devin in her one backrow rotation when she serves 

I think this may end up one of Elliot’s best coaching jobs. Introducing a 6-2 six matches into the season is not easy. The results so far speak for themselves. 

[Rickylovesweed 15,306]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Gotta stick with the 6-2 and keep adding pieces to it. Texas introduced that very slow, high ball set to the middle just last week that allows Ames and Mari time to diagnose the block before hitting the ball after we started letting Devin serve and play one rotation back there instead of immediately subbing in Swindle.
 

Next we can re-add the BIC for Madi/Jenna and that D-ball to Devin in her one backrow rotation when she serves 

I think this may end up one of Elliot’s best coaching jobs. Introducing a 6-2 six matches into the season is not easy. The results so far speak for themselves. 

I think there's also something to not peaking early. 

We've had some teams that were so dominant early in the season that they could just coast throughout the season. 

[Js1 86,929]

7 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

I think there's also something to not peaking early. 

We've had some teams that were so dominant early in the season that they could just coast throughout the season. 

Most coaches are absolutely terrified of running a 6-2, but most schools don't have a freshman who set her team to an NCAA title and a former Big 12 Freshman of the Year and top 5 recruit / top ranked setter both on the roster and only a year apart.  

We could have gone with a 5-2 with Averi setting in the backrow and Ella setting in the front row due to her height, but being able to play Madi, Jenna, Ames, Singletary, Rutherford and Devin is really why the 6-2 has been the best move.  

[TheBryMan81 2,630]

10 hours ago, Js1 said:

Most coaches are absolutely terrified of running a 6-2, but most schools don't have a freshman who set her team to an NCAA title and a former Big 12 Freshman of the Year and top 5 recruit / top ranked setter both on the roster and only a year apart.  

We could have gone with a 5-2 with Averi setting in the backrow and Ella setting in the front row due to her height, but being able to play Madi, Jenna, Ames, Singletary, Rutherford and Devin is really why the 6-2 has been the best move.  

New to volleyball strategy here...

Can you explain like I'm 5 the difference between a 5-2 and a 6-2?

[TwiceHorn 31,986]

2 hours ago, TheBryMan81 said:

New to volleyball strategy here...

Can you explain like I'm 5 the difference between a 5-2 and a 6-2?

The -2 means you have two setters rotating (as opposed to strategically subbing) in.  The 5-2 has one setter rotate through the back row and the other rotate through the front row, but only one setter on the court at a time..  6-2 has the two setters, but only rotating through the back row, again only one setter at a time.  The more conventional 5-1 uses just one setter that rotates through all six positions.

This refers to their starting positions (meaning until the serve) rather than where they actually set from.  So it affects the serve-receive formation in addition to providing two setters' skill sets.

Sort of a corollary to all of this is the "overlap rule."  In a given rotation, there are three front court players and three back court, and a right, middle, and left.  At serve, each of the front court players must be in front of the corresponding back court player, the two left side players must be to the left of corresponding middle players and right to the right of corresponding middle players, even if pretty slightly. (It's hard to state this accurately in words, a lot of sites explain this with varying clarity).

Edited October 8 by TwiceHorn

[Js1 86,929]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

The -2 means you have two setters rotating (as opposed to strategically subbing) in.  The 5-2 has one setter rotate through the back row and the other rotate through the front row, but only one setter on the court at a time..  6-2 has the two setters, but only rotating through the back row, again only one setter at a time.  The more conventional 5-1 uses just one setter that rotates through all six positions.

Yep. And the 6-2 means you have 3 attackers in the front row at all times. The main thing the 6-2 removes is Ella attacking in the front row on 2, but the 6-2 is better utilizing all of our offensive talent. 

At any point in the front row, we have 3 hitters - Madi/Jenna, Ames/Singletary, Devin/Rutherford.  Madi also serves and plays defense for one rotation, so she is a backrow weapon.  Jenna plays all 6 rotations (she's currently our best passing outside) so she can also hit from the backrow.  Devin, like Madi, serves and plays defense for one rotation, so you can set her from the backrow on the D-ball. 

Texas' next move is to re-add the backrow attack/D-ball to their offense.  It seems Elliot is weekly adding new plays or rotations (like Devin serving and the new middle attack on a slower and higher set ball).  Perhaps we will soon add in the slide again for our middles. 

Not seeing Texas running a slide just seems criminal after the last decade plus of watching Sha'Dare McNeal, Molly McCage and Asjia O'Neal run them to perfection. 

Edited October 8 by Js1

[Js1 86,929]

Kentucky appears to be a good serving team, but not a good hitting or blocking team. Florida was also an elite serving team and they didn’t kill us in that phase of the match

If we play like we did Sunday, we win at Kentucky too. Homecoming for Madi and Reagan. 

Texas needs to do what they've historically done to short setters - hit over them.  Emma Grome is a good setter, but she's 5'9

Edited October 8 by Js1

[Js1 86,929]

NCAA Best Servers from advanced stats

#1 Emma Halter
#3 Averi Carlson
#8 Jenna Wenaas

[TheBryMan81 2,630]

6 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

The -2 means you have two setters rotating (as opposed to strategically subbing) in.  The 5-2 has one setter rotate through the back row and the other rotate through the front row, but only one setter on the court at a time..  6-2 has the two setters, but only rotating through the back row, again only one setter at a time.  The more conventional 5-1 uses just one setter that rotates through all six positions.

This refers to their starting positions (meaning until the serve) rather than where they actually set from.  So it affects the serve-receive formation in addition to providing two setters' skill sets.

Sort of a corollary to all of this is the "overlap rule."  In a given rotation, there are three front court players and three back court, and a right, middle, and left.  At serve, each of the front court players must be in front of the corresponding back court player, the two left side players must be to the left of corresponding middle players and right to the right of corresponding middle players, even if pretty slightly. (It's hard to state this accurately in words, a lot of sites explain this with varying clarity).

 

5 hours ago, Js1 said:

Yep. And the 6-2 means you have 3 attackers in the front row at all times. The main thing the 6-2 removes is Ella attacking in the front row on 2, but the 6-2 is better utilizing all of our offensive talent. 

At any point in the front row, we have 3 hitters - Madi/Jenna, Ames/Singletary, Devin/Rutherford.  Madi also serves and plays defense for one rotation, so she is a backrow weapon.  Jenna plays all 6 rotations (she's currently our best passing outside) so she can also hit from the backrow.  Devin, like Madi, serves and plays defense for one rotation, so you can set her from the backrow on the D-ball. 

Texas' next move is to re-add the backrow attack/D-ball to their offense.  It seems Elliot is weekly adding new plays or rotations (like Devin serving and the new middle attack on a slower and higher set ball).  Perhaps we will soon add in the slide again for our middles. 

Not seeing Texas running a slide just seems criminal after the last decade plus of watching Sha'Dare McNeal, Molly McCage and Asjia O'Neal run them to perfection. 

Thanks for the great explanations. I didn't know about the overlap rule... That makes sense because I've always wondered how refs make a call that someone is out of rotation.

So in a 6-2, the setter is in the back row. Say we receive. On the serve, I'm assuming, if we're in system, the setter moves to the front to receive the pass and then has the option of setting to 3 front row attackers and maybe 1 back row attacker. Once she sets, she moves back to the back row for defensive coverage?

Another question, if you're running a 6-2, wouldn't the serving team try and target the back row setter on the serve and force the set to someone else?

[BevoBae 31]

You can still hide the setter in serve receive, and just put a passing pin hitter in the back to help cover the court. Like in a 5-1 when the setter is in the back row rotations.

[Js1 86,929]

Jenna is our passing pin when a setter is on the court, along with Madi’s one setting rotation. When Devin serves, there’s no setter on the court until a sideout for Swindle to come in 

Edited October 8 by Js1

[Js1 86,929]

In conference games:

Texas is #3 in hitting % (.283), #1 in opp hitting % (.180), 6th in assists, 3rd in kills, 5th in blocks, 4th in aces

Singletary is #8 in hitting % (.380), Halter is t-7th in aces, Singletary is #1 in blocks (1.92 per set) and Devin is t-5th (1.46)

[TheBryMan81 2,630]

5 hours ago, BevoBae said:

You can still hide the setter in serve receive, and just put a passing pin hitter in the back to help cover the court. Like in a 5-1 when the setter is in the back row rotations.

 

4 hours ago, Js1 said:

Jenna is our passing pin when a setter is on the court, along with Madi’s one setting rotation. When Devin serves, there’s no setter on the court until a sideout for Swindle to come in 

Thanks, I appreciate the strategy lesson. As much as I love watching volleyball, it's nice to understand what's actually happening and why

[TexasDPT 333]

19 hours ago, Js1 said:

Jenna is our passing pin when a setter is on the court, along with Madi’s one setting rotation. When Devin serves, there’s no setter on the court until a sideout for Swindle to come in 

Averi is in the front row when Devin is serving. It allows them to run the slide to Ayden for that rotation.

[TexasDPT 333]

The block is improving which is a good sign.

Madi is starting to play at a high level again.

Teams are definitely going after Jenna in serve receive and she’s holding it down. She’s passing 1.87 out of 3. Hopefully she can get that number up to 2.

Devin is thriving in the 6-2.

If anyone needs to step up their play, it’s Swindle. Her setting and bump setting have been so bad. She really needs to better the ball.

Emma has been the team’s rock.

[Js1 86,929]

Just now, TexasDPT said:

The block is improving which is a good sign.

Madi is starting to play at a high level again.

Teams are definitely going after Jenna in serve receive and she’s holding it down. She’s passing 1.87 out of 3. Hopefully she can get that number up to 2.

Devin is thriving in the 6-2.

If anyone needs to step up their play, it’s Swindle. Her setting and bump setting have been so bad. She really needs to better the ball.

Emma has been the team’s rock.

Jenna had 31 receptions versus Florida, I think. She’s really holding up well for the volume she’s being asked to pass. 

[gsoda3 3,358]

1 hour ago, TexasDPT said:

If anyone needs to step up their play, it’s Swindle. Her setting and bump setting have been so bad. She really needs to better the ball.

Those passes to her Sunday weren't helping. 

[Js1 86,929]

Advanced metrics has us the #2 serving team in the country - our ace rate is fine, our error rate is a little high but we are absolutely forcing teams to pass poorly with our serves. 

And when our serving forces teams out of system and our block is doing its thing, you get results like Florida and why our opp hitting % is so low (.196) - and that's really distorted by Stanford hitting .340

[Js1 86,929]

#1 Pitt takes their first loss in 5 sets at SMU

[Jive Turkey 12,930]

 

[Js1 86,929]

Second consecutive Sunday with a huge road match - 12pm vs Kentucky on ESPN

[Js1 86,929]

16 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

Wins over #1 Pitt and #2 Nebraska. Two best wins in the country by far. Hopefully they are hosting and also far away from whatever top 4 regional we end up in 

[Underdog 29,100]

Howdy!  Thought I'd peep in before the ass kicking commences, fully expect it to go no more than 4 sets in UT's favor. 

[Dahobbs 18,183]

Tough match early. 8-7 Kentucky. 

[Dahobbs 18,183]

Singletary taking over right now. 14-10 Texas. 

[Js1 86,929]

15-10 Texas at the media TO

[Dahobbs 18,183]

2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

15-10 Texas at the media TO

Maybe. Challenge by KY. 

[Js1 86,929]

Did Craig Skinner use the entire media TO before deciding to challenge? 

Like there’s to be a time limit 

Kentucky wins the challenge 

[Dahobbs 18,183]

Kentucky on a run. 16-14 Texas. 

[Dahobbs 18,183]

Yuck. 17-17

[Js1 86,929]

17-17

Just now, Dahobbs said:

Yuck. 17-17

Ames looked like a freshman on those 2 plays

[Dahobbs 18,183]

4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

17-17

Ames looked like a freshman on those 2 plays

And there.