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2024 Volleyball: SEC, here comes Daddy


Js1

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The good: I saw a lot more flat footed setting from Swindle in the third set, where we hit .333.   Carlson started and set most of the first set (double sub late with Ella and Devin to close it out), while Carlson set all of the second set and Ella set most of the third, I believe.
Also good: Our serves were much better than they were against Minny (7 aces in 3 sets - 4 for Emma, 2 for Madi, 1 for Akana)
The meh: Slow start again in set 2 that didn't kill us, but will against better teams (Kentucky, Florida, Stanford, NCAAT later rounds)
The bad: Serve receive was so meh - aced 7 times, multiple bad passes (not just Jenna, but mostly Jenna)

  • Madi - amazing as always. 14 kills, hit .357
  • RR - masterful.  9 kills, .538
  • Jenna - 4 kills on 13 swings, .231 - I guess that's fine if Madi and RR are handling the load instead
  • Mari - a god damn star.  8 kills, .636, 4 blocks
  • Shout-out to Ames as well - only 3 kills on 5 swings, but hit .400.  She's definitely growing up, not only being asked to be MB2 as a freshman, but she's also serving and playing backrow defense for her one rotation back there. 

I think we are slowly seeing this team gel and gain chemistry - communication is still a work in progress, and the setter switches aren't helping, but Texas did hit .385.  When they are fucking on (that first set, hit .625 with no errors), this team is lethal.  But the goal for this team is that you have to be ON every set and every match, because everyone wants to take a match from the 2 time defending champs.  At least we haven't returned our entire team and got swept by SMU, y'know? 

A couple decent tune-ups before we go to Palo Alto on September 15 - 

  • 3-0 Miami on Saturday (Rutgers, Colorado, UNT, so not a schedule to write home about) - they do play Indiana Friday night before they play us
  • 2-1 Houston next Wednesday (W over Omaha and Washington St, but lost last night in 5 to ULL, and play Northwestern State this weekend) 

If Texas can walk out of non-conf play with Ws over Wisconsin, Indiana, Houston, Stanford and Baylor, I'll be impressed.  I probably would have predicted 7-1 non-conf preseason (assumed we'd lose to Wisconsin or Stanford)  

We are 3 weeks away from opening our SEC slate at aggy.  I sure hope we are settled at setter by then and have figured out Jenna in serve-receive (Ramirez or Emerick DS) or have one of Carlson/Swindle DS.  (Yes, I still have hopes of recreating our Collins/Dalton days where Dalton was the DS and secondary setter in the backrow) 

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5 hours ago, Js1 said:

The good: I saw a lot more flat footed setting from Swindle in the third set, where we hit .333.   Carlson started and set most of the first set (double sub late with Ella and Devin to close it out), while Carlson set all of the second set and Ella set most of the third, I believe.
Also good: Our serves were much better than they were against Minny (7 aces in 3 sets - 4 for Emma, 2 for Madi, 1 for Akana)
The meh: Slow start again in set 2 that didn't kill us, but will against better teams (Kentucky, Florida, Stanford, NCAAT later rounds)
The bad: Serve receive was so meh - aced 7 times, multiple bad passes (not just Jenna, but mostly Jenna)

  • Madi - amazing as always. 14 kills, hit .357
  • RR - masterful.  9 kills, .538
  • Jenna - 4 kills on 13 swings, .231 - I guess that's fine if Madi and RR are handling the load instead
  • Mari - a god damn star.  8 kills, .636, 4 blocks
  • Shout-out to Ames as well - only 3 kills on 5 swings, but hit .400.  She's definitely growing up, not only being asked to be MB2 as a freshman, but she's also serving and playing backrow defense for her one rotation back there. 

I think we are slowly seeing this team gel and gain chemistry - communication is still a work in progress, and the setter switches aren't helping, but Texas did hit .385.  When they are fucking on (that first set, hit .625 with no errors), this team is lethal.  But the goal for this team is that you have to be ON every set and every match, because everyone wants to take a match from the 2 time defending champs.  At least we haven't returned our entire team and got swept by SMU, y'know? 

A couple decent tune-ups before we go to Palo Alto on September 15 - 

  • 3-0 Miami on Saturday (Rutgers, Colorado, UNT, so not a schedule to write home about) - they do play Indiana Friday night before they play us
  • 2-1 Houston next Wednesday (W over Omaha and Washington St, but lost last night in 5 to ULL, and play Northwestern State this weekend) 

If Texas can walk out of non-conf play with Ws over Wisconsin, Indiana, Houston, Stanford and Baylor, I'll be impressed.  I probably would have predicted 7-1 non-conf preseason (assumed we'd lose to Wisconsin or Stanford)  

We are 3 weeks away from opening our SEC slate at aggy.  I sure hope we are settled at setter by then and have figured out Jenna in serve-receive (Ramirez or Emerick DS) or have one of Carlson/Swindle DS.  (Yes, I still have hopes of recreating our Collins/Dalton days where Dalton was the DS and secondary setter in the backrow) 

I will say Indiana is the most aggressive serving team in college volleyball. Pretty much every one of their servers is a jump serve top spin heavy server. They're very much risk reward. Given that there are so few jump servers in college volleyball any more - Kahahawai is the only one who does it regularly on our team - it makes it tough to prepare for. Texas sacrifices velocity and top spin for accuracy and late movement on the ball. And its worked well for us. Not to say you're incorrect, because you're not, but there is some context. 

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1 hour ago, SL Xpress said:

I will say Indiana is the most aggressive serving team in college volleyball. Pretty much every one of their servers is a jump serve top spin heavy server. They're very much risk reward. Given that there are so few jump servers in college volleyball any more - Kahahawai is the only one who does it regularly on our team - it makes it tough to prepare for. Texas sacrifices velocity and top spin for accuracy and late movement on the ball. And its worked well for us. Not to say you're incorrect, because you're not, but there is some context. 

Yeah I know Indiana is one of the best/most aggressive serving teams.  

But Jenna struggled mightily against Minnesota too, in that department. 

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2 hours ago, Js1 said:

Yeah I know Indiana is one of the best/most aggressive serving teams.  

But Jenna struggled mightily against Minnesota too, in that department. 

Yeah, both Wenaas and Skinner. We just did a better job of hiding Skinner. She only received 4 serves all match...but two of those were aces.

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3 minutes ago, Mittens said:

Aggy beat Baylor last week, so that's a surprise to see Baylor turn around and beat Minn.

Meh it’s so early. Teams are still gelling, working through chemistry and roles. Upsets in September happen, as long as you grow and get better and don’t get upset in November and December  

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7 minutes ago, Mittens said:

Regardless, it looks to be the best aggy side we've seen in a while.  Year 2 for the new HC and he seems to have them headed in the right direction.

Fair but that was also an exhibition match.

they are 4-0 with wins over South Alabama, TXST, Mcneese and TAMUCC.  Will not really Judge them until they play a good OOC opponent (Wisky on 9/21), because the rest is Temple, UNH, Louisiana, UNI and Troy. 

For comparison, we play Wisky, Minny, Stanford, UH, Indiana, Miami, Hawaii, Baylor. 7/8 Power 4 teams and a traditional powerhouse 

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1 minute ago, SL Xpress said:

This Miami match is not going the way I would prefer.

22-18 Miami. Texas still up 2-1. May be going to a 5th set here after being a match point away from a sweep.

Going to a fifth. wtf 

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Just now, Js1 said:

Going to a fifth. wtf 

We're not terminal. Just had a really tough time getting points in the last two sets. 

I find myself constantly having a strong negative reaction to Wenaas as an outside hitter, but she's not the only problem. Skinner needs to remember who she is. The setting needs to get settled. Texas needs to remember who Reagan Rutherford is. 

It's not as bad as the beginning of last year. But there are issues.

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1 minute ago, SL Xpress said:

We're not terminal. Just had a really tough time getting points in the last two sets. 

I find myself constantly having a strong negative reaction to Wenaas as an outside hitter, but she's not the only problem. Skinner needs to remember who she is. The setting needs to get settled. Texas needs to remember who Reagan Rutherford is. 

It's not as bad as the beginning of last year. But there are issues.

Skinner has been error prone. Blocked or hitting out 

4-1 Miami in the fifth. This team is kind of not great 

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That was even more disappointing than the Minnesota result. That's two 5 set losses where we weren't even really competitive in the 5th set. This wasn't a 15-7 whitewash, but 15-10 is still pretty one sided. 

At least the secondary sets from Akana and Halter weren't the disasters they were against the Gophers.

Also, floor defense from both Akana and Halter continues to be a team strength. 

It feels to me like Elliott needs to pick a setter. I don't think he's going to, though. I am thoroughly on Team Swindle, but that's not because I think she's the best of the two. I just have an emotional investment in her after last season, and I really like having her offense and block when she's on the front row. Carlson got abused by Hanson against Minnesota and now she got abused by Lopez. It's a problem. 

But the offense looks horrid to start the season for the second year in a row. 

We don't have the ridiculous advantage in the middle we had last year to make up some of the deficiencies, although I like the long term upside of both Singletary and Ames. Singletary in particular looks like a beast at times.

On paper this team should be way better than it is right now. 

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So, by set, who was setting the most? Particularly those last 3 sets? I didn't see the match yet. For me the bottom line is who the setter is when we're losing and who the setter is when we're winning. Full disclosure, I'm Team Ella too. 

Edited by wood
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On 9/7/2024 at 6:39 PM, Js1 said:

Leaving Wenaas in to receive serve is disgusting and borderline abusive

11-8 Miami 

Quote

Sorry, Carlson cannot set Madi at all. wtf 

Which way is she missing? In/out/up/down/off/tight, or just all over the place? I thought she seemed to be setting Madi too tight fairly regularly vs Minny. And yeah, I've been saying since last year that Jenna should only play back row when absolutely necessary.

Edited by wood
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