Is modern style of playing really effective?

I think the most effective style of playing (as of the moment) are the Asian style of playing, with fast balls and giving the ball more to the MB's and opposite and most of all, that impeccable defense (japan).

However, there's a big but. It will really be a daunting task for the Chinese team to maintain that top form as the rest of the teams also has some Asian Style in them (whether offense or defense). Its like giving them a dose of their own medicine.

Samba Player, I like your observation of China not really having an opposite but instead 3 MB's on court. Its very true.

SORRY i forgot to put in my answer to the question. My answer would be YES (for the 2nd statement). 1st statement is a NO. 3rd statement is YES.

For me the question is not playing modern volleyball or not. Each teams know what their players can do and cannot do. Playing with lots of combinations and quick plays makes the team very dependent on a good reception and a good setter, playing with higher balls requires great attackers.

It would be an evolution to see teams like Japan, China, Brazil and Italy playing with more effective high balls, it would also be an evolution to see the Russian team playing with more combinations and fast plays, it would be an evolution to see the Cuban team playing with just one setter. The question is.... do these team have players who can play this way in an effective manner?

In my opinion, playing modern volleyball or not is way less important than playing well. If a team makes no mistakes, have a strong block and defense system, doesn't waste counter-attacks and have a good serve strategy, it doesn't matter which kind of plays they will use. Generally speaking, the attack strategy has to do with side-out, all the other features will bring the important points teams need to builld up the 2-point advantage they need to win the sets.

I totally disagree... if the teams I mentioned learn to be effective in high balls as they are in other balls, they will be unstoppable. That's my point. Italy is a case in point of what I am saying. After Aguero's arrival, Italy improved a lot, because now if reception doesn't work, Lo Bianco can resort to Aguero's high balls, which are much more effective than any other Italian team's attacker.

i agree with you, the probleme now with brazil is a psychological one!!! they haven't win any important tournament except world grandprix, which is nothing comparing to olympics or world championship. evrytime they lost against, cuba firstlly before 2000 and then against russia since athen game, and now they need to beat them not in the first round but if they'll get to meat each other on final or semifinal.

_____________
now about the modern game, what is facinating me in the women volleyball is that we have a lot of cultyrs and game style, each country developed a game adapted to their physical and techincal abilities
who said cuba system is too old believe me it is still working, it's only because actual players aren't that strong as the old generation but with much experience and time cuba could win a crucial tournament afgain!!

italy and brazil for me have the most beautifull game, brazil with a fastern rythem and playing against italy it's like playing a against a computer because they always try to put 2 blocks or everytime there is a someone who is on the ball. brazil now needs more confidence if they want to win maybe the gold,
in beinjing of course there will be china who plays fast , with the best setter i've ever seen and zhou is doing a famous job, but the china now has something they didn't have before, tall and strong midlle blockers ( ming xu and ruirui could be a bif offens) and the right side china has strong attackers and a great job by the experienced libero, china has the best receiving quality in the world!!!

now let's go to russia, russia always plays when they want that's what said someone who works with the team: when the stars say we will win they will do everything to realize it and that's what happend in 2006, russia now is playing much better then before, sheshenina is trying to e creative on here game, liouba versatility always gives solution to here team, and gamova outside is still unblockable, but i'm not sur if godina will play or artamonova, artamonova this year did a great ligue and she get enough experience at receieving so i' think that she will get in the court which will make a stronger reception. for the midlle blockers, the russian are really rizing the level of their game and merkulova is spiking much better now on her slide attacks .

so this year for sur we will have the most exciting volleyball olympic tournament in history, for me ' teams will battle for the gold, ( russia, china, brazi, italy) but don't forget , cuba, serbia and usa who may creat surprizes.
but in my point of view, if russian stars will be on great shape like on wch06 none could stop them, the stars are coming for their last olympic and i'm sur they will do everything to finish with gold:)

I like the points raised by bluseter, i hope that what he says about the russians will come true...
, I hope the stars will play well and win the Gold since for most of them (GODINA, SOKOLOVA, ARTOMANOVA) this will be their last.

_____________________________________________

Now back to the question: "is modern style of playing really effective?"

First, I think that the question should go like this, Are the modern systems of playing volleyball effective? I classify the modern systems as that of Italy and Brazil. I want to classify the US here but when I think hard about it, it seems that the US really has no distinct system. China can be classified as modern in a sense that it has refined and modified the Asian Style of Play. I think Netherlands too can be also classified as modern. Looking at the podium finishes of the aforementioned teams, I am lead to believe that the modern systems of playing volleyball are effective. But it doesn't mean that because I say that these systems are effective, they are better or superior to the traditional systems such as those of Japan, Cuba and Russia. I think that all the systems are effective in their own right.

What makes the team using a certain system finish in the podium is not solely due to the system but also depends on the coach and the players.

Brazil and Italy relies much on their system of playing that replacing one of their players doesn't affect MUCH their play. Even if their players are not SUPER ATHLETES like those of Russia and Cuba, the individual talents of their players are maximized by the system. However, the psychological aspect of the players and team chemistry will affect how they execute their system in crucial matches. The system is disrupted when there are imbalances in the said factors of the team which in turn will expose how vulnerable the players are without the system. When the system breaks down, the individual talents of the players and also their flaws are unveiled and are easily exploited by their opponents. I think that someone also posted a similar analysis about the Dutch NT having psychological issues which disrupted their system of play.

On the other hand, the traditional systems rely more on their athletes - their physicality, athleticism and skill. The Cuban system won't work with sub par athletes and that also applies to the Russians. Thus if the Russian and Cuban Stars will retire, I think it will be years ( although I am not hoping nor wishing for it) when another generation of physical athletes will rise up and these teams will be dominant again.

The coaching also matters in the system. I think Barbolini is a good case point. Barbolini's ability to tweak their system of play to adjust to crucial situations is a strength of the Italians.

I think that there are a lot more factors but these are the main factors that matters the most for a system to be effective and also to dominate.

Sorry for the long post

Quote from samba player

Come on Celso, Brazil doesn't need to be effective in high balls. Now I answer to my question. Brazil's modern game is almost perfect as for now. They won most of the matches in those last years. But lost the most important ones. They don't need high balls, but a psychologist. I mean it's a psychological problem, because with that kind of playing they have, they should have won more competitions.

I hope you are right Sambaplayer, cause if this were the problem, it is solved.

There's is a psychologist working for the Women's Team since the beginning of this year. It was the same psychologist who's been working with the junior teams who won the World Championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Her work was basically helping players to feel more confident individually and help the team to be focused during the entire match to avoid the notorious black-outs the team has suffered lately in crucial matches.

of coarse psychology is important but when players doesn't have a probleme on their minde that doesn't mean that they can make evrything.
the other important point, is the physical and technical abilities and experience , for exemple look at athen 1/2 final brazil russia, brazil had a stronger colectif game, but tow players in russia made the difference with their skills , and physical superiortiy but also with a celan game, while brazil started making mistakes russia was puting the ball on game and pushed brazil to mistakes!! so experience point is important ona team. if we see actual teams who are strong,
italy most of its players have enough experience, piccinin plays on top volleyball since 97,gioli too, aguero since96, add to that a culture of game that developed italian now, if u see all categories of their national tema they play the same way, so they don't have probleme for bank players.

brazil is strong, with its colectif game, the key for now is their reception and also FOFAO with here experience she can make the difference, but what about the spikers!!!! remember mary in athen, where she scored alot and did a lot of mistakes at the end, jaqueline and sheila in WCH played so wel but on crucial moments made big mistakes!!!!! this is a psycological probleme but it is due to a lack of exêrience , when a player has enough experience he or she can control here game and here choices during crucial point. BRAZIL it's also a nation that pays with a rythme, if they can put their rythem on match they will win, but if the opponent face them witha different and stronger rythem they will lost. also on a crucial times, there is not a player i mean real experie,ced player that can can make decision, of course all brazilain players are stars but they've been playing since 2003 , comparing to russia or italy!!!!from 96 for some players !!!
in the other side, russia has, 3 strong and experienced outside players that now have enough experience to manage with every cituation.

u can understand that only by looking at their faces, wen some younger make mistakes or on crucial moments, they become white and stressed, but on russian players u would never see that !! ( because of their temperament but also experience).

about game i really think that maybe after few years, some nations will have to change their game,russia for exemple since caprarar arrived they changed their deffensif placement, and they ry to play fast sometimes, but balls are still high because outside hitters are used to that, but for the next generation i don't think that there will be aa new gamova or a player sokolova, so the russia will for sure try to play quiqckly because they'll not have players that make as eazier difference as now.

only cuba will continue playing that way for more time, because it's their cultuer and as some one said, u can never ask a cuban not to spike:)

but for me the most atractif game when it's well played is the chinease one, speed, powerfull with some chinease tuches, the rajecories of their reception is a model, the setting quality is just impresive and now their attackers are strong outside and tall in the midlle.

i will add more later

Of course not, that is obvious!

I was just saying that IF this were the problem it was solved.

When it comes to the semifinal match of the Athens OG between Brazil and Russia I have a completely different point of view. In my opinion, Brazil lost due to unforced mistakes. Brazil put Russia's team under pressure the whole match and they lost when they stopped doing this and started to commit mistakes.

that is what i've said my friend, brazil started making mistakes but russian didn't make unforced errors on crucial points, so that made the difference nomatter if brazil was really stronger that wasn't enoough to win.

about the world championship final it was litlle bit different, both of team played verry wel, brazil started verry fast but russians camback into match, sokolova, godina and gamova were on a great shape and nomatter if brazil took an important advantage on the fifth set, but another time their unforced errors made them lost the match but in the other side when brazil was leading, russian played better specially liouba on serving she was looking after mary and also the conflit zone between here and jaqueline, just when sheila made a ball out i knew that they will lost, because it's a kind of same senario as usual, brazil play great but at the end they cannot secure their crucial points.
i also admir brazilian setter because without here fofao i don't think that we could see such a big team

I didn't know what would happen in that match cause I don't have a crystal ball. I am pretty sure the situation would be different if Paula were at the top of her form in 2006, though.

Fofão is great but I don't think when she leaves the team it will be the end of the world. We have good setters, all they need is experience and international rhtythm of playing.