Gael, I agree with what you say about Nellie Spicer, she is great player in college. Do you follow the NCAA volleyball in USA?
Yes, I do follow NCAA volleyball in the USA. However, I only get to watch I few matches and I get updates about the teams I like through their websites. Only the matches of University of Hawaii and a few NCAA matches like Final Four and the Finals are broadcast here in the Philippines.
her performance in 2006 montreux is nothing but disappointing. she was put in court several times as usa likes that Setter to opposite substitution. it was painful to watch her, knowing what she's capable of. she looked really scared at court that time and hardly made a proper set. her middle sets are too high and her outside sets are not clear because they're too short for the outside hitter to hit but too much on the left side of the middle already.
angie mcginnis and the 6 foot back up opposite (forgot the name) have a lot to improve on. i really doubt if they're even national team material. good thing the opposite is an opposite in the NT not her usual outside hitter position in her collegiate team, her reception is just so bad and she's always being picked on by the opponent servers.
mcginnis has won best setter but i think it is just because there was no real competition for that competition.
or maybe i'm just a little biased because i have been a berg fan ever since. 
Display Moreher performance in 2006 montreux is nothing but disappointing. she was put in court several times as usa likes that Setter to opposite substitution. it was painful to watch her, knowing what she's capable of. she looked really scared at court that time and hardly made a proper set. her middle sets are too high and her outside sets are not clear because they're too short for the outside hitter to hit but too much on the left side of the middle already.
angie mcginnis and the 6 foot back up opposite (forgot the name) have a lot to improve on. i really doubt if they're even national team material. good thing the opposite is an opposite in the NT not her usual outside hitter position in her collegiate team, her reception is just so bad and she's always being picked on by the opponent servers.
mcginnis has won best setter but i think it is just because there was no real competition for that competition.
or maybe i'm just a little biased because i have been a berg fan ever since.
Mcginnis won the best setter of this year's Pan-American Cup,and have made a great performance during the tournament that when USA NT-B come to China.
angie mcginnis and the 6 foot back up opposite (forgot the name) have a lot to improve on. i really doubt if they're even national team material. good thing the opposite is an opposite in the NT not her usual outside hitter position in her collegiate team, her reception is just so bad and she's always being picked on by the opponent servers.
mcginnis has won best setter but i think it is just because there was no real competition for that competition.
or maybe i'm just a little biased because i have been a berg fan ever since.
Cynthia Barbosa is Stanford's 2nd best receiver (ofcourse after the libero) per statistics. I just dont know internationally. 
Mcginnis won the award despite the presence of Dani Lins, Ana Tiemi and the primary setters of PR, DR and Canada (who won the award in 2007).
But i agree with you, Berg is definitely the best out there.
barbosa is always the target of the servers in ncaa matches.
plus, IMO dani lins and ana tiemi aren't that too good either. so it's not much of a competition.
barbosa is always the target of the servers in ncaa matches.
plus, IMO dani lins and ana tiemi aren't that too good either. so it's not much of a competition.
Comparing Berg to any of the setters in this thread is unfair. McGinnis, Dani and Ana Tiemi are several years younger and still very much in developing phases of their careers. Berg is in her prime.
You will be hard pressed to find a coach who wouldn't be thrilled to have McGinnis and Lins in their national team programs. I expect both to shine brightly in the next few years.
Dani Lins's game has improved a lot. She was awarded best setter of the Brazilian Superliga in the last two seasons, I believe she will be Fofão's substitute cause it seems Carol Albuquerque will also retire from Brazil's NT.
I believe Dani Lins has much more potential than both Carol Albuquerque, Marcelle and Fabiola. I believe she can be as good as Lo Bianco or Lindsay Berg in the future. I also like Ana Tiemi, but she will take a bit more to get ready for the international competitions.
Nivea,
In case you don't know it yet, Zé Roberto will continue to be Brazil's coach. I just didn't get your concern about the young players, Brazil's federation is always worried about the generations to come and this year they picked up young and promising players to replace the adult team in the Pan-American Cup. Besides, Zé Roberto already said he is bound to test new players in 2009 and the only tournament where the majority of the Olympic Champions will be on court is the World Grand Prix, because there will be a leg of this tournament in Brazil. There's nothing for you to worry about when it comes to Brazil's team.
It's not like I'm worrying at all -- and no, I'm not really following Brazilian volleyball right now, I have no idea of what's going on (just heard today that they are playing a tournament I didn't even know that existed)...
Anyway, about setters, besides those mentioned I also like Courtney Thompson, she's a bit small but can play very well. McGinnis is also great, but as you said it's not comparable to Berg right now. They need time to develope more their game...
And about Dani Lins, I think she plays really well, but I don't know if it's because I'm hearing her and Tiemi as a promise for the last 4 years, but I think them both should be better than they are by now.
ok. dani lins is ok. she won't be a fofao in three or four years.ana tiemi is too average for the international level.
kamanao was better in her prime than mcginnis.
kamanao was better in her prime than mcginnis.
I LOVE Kanoe Kamana'o. Let me state that for the record. Great setter, great girl. I wish she was still playing. She would be a very good professional setter.
I must disagree with odin on the point above though.
Speaking from experience, Kanoe is more exciting to watch, but McGinnis is much harder to play against. You can count on mistakes from Kanoe (location on quick and back sets, and she could become more predictable than she needed to be). McGinnis doesn't give you much! Angie keeps the opponent under stress the entire match, where as a defense you can often feel comfortable that you are doing the right thing when playing against Kanoe.
I don't know for sure, but I think Piccinini, Lo Bianco, Gioli, Secolo and Cardullo will retire from NT. Aguero may too.
Del Core may return, but it all depends on her health problems.
Yeah, I had figured that. Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE! But I guess they are getting old.... Croce will have to replace Cardullo, how about Lo Bianco, Gioli and Piccinini? They're irreplaceable....!!!!!!!
T^T
Well, at least Barazza's staying.