US NCAA Women's VB

    Quote from akitoakie

    Helo everyone. Can anyone suggest me Kathryn Plummer’s best matches from 2017-2019? Thanks!

    Semi-final and final match of 2019 NCAA Final Four. I remember both matches are available on YouTube NCAA Volleyball channel

    Just finished watching the match between my two favorite programs in NCAA Minnesota and Nebraska in 2016. What a match, with great rally's:cheesy: Both teams had such a great squad!


    Nebraska had one of the best defensive duo possible with Wong-Orantes and Maloney:super: Hunter distributing the game well, the Rolfzen twins playing really sollid, Holman deadly in attack and block and two powerful outside hitters with Foecke and Malloy.


    Minnesota lead by their amazing setter Seliger-Swenson. She can play really fast and her sets to the middles are so good:obey:

    Tapp sisters fierce in attack and together with Lohman forming a big wall and blocking the opponent. Wilhite showing she can be an all-round outside hitter, sollid in both defense and offense. Hart with some powerful kills on position 4. Rosado doing a good job as their libero, is she playing professional and for Puerto Rican NT?


    USA bring up so many great middle blockers! Hope professional league will come and we can see some of them back on court:)


    Oh yeah. What a nice Game and comeback from the Gophers but they never didn't loss the second Set :super: 6 of the both Starting Lineup plays in Germany after her College Time :saint:


    Rosado plays in Puerto Rico last Season and on a Interview with gopherssport she said she will play pro overseas next Season. Hope she find a team. :)

    Seemslike many conferences are going to have next-to-no preseason/ out of conference matches; only 'neighborhood' ones within a finite distance-mileage range (meaning nearly no air travel), It also looks like matches will begin earlier in August: NCAAs ending before Thanksgiving!

  • Ridehard10

    Changed the title of the thread from “US NCAA 2019 Women's VB Season” to “New year, new title: US NCAA 2020 Women's VB Season”.

    Changed our thread title with some optimism that a season will commence, for most conferences, sometime in August with All divisions concluding their championships by the US Thanksgiving holiday. Season starting times will differ wildly it seems, at first. Will do a DI preview of power conferences.

    Since the season will start a bit earlier, will teams even have time to train on campus before it begins?


    Has there been any talks about the audience situation, (no audience, limited audience)?

    Quote from bumpsetspike

    Has there been any talks about the audience situation, (no audience, limited audience)?

    Yeah there has. It'll be up to the various regulations in each State,,,and for each conference...that the member schools will have to enforce on game days. My gut-feeling is that it will be a hodge-podge of differing scenarios. Some institutions will have fans distanced throughout the arenas;


    Some won't; they'll have just college/team/family personnel

    Okay! That's enough of a response that I'll start a Big Ten season preview...in order of their 2019 finish (Wisconsin first; MINN 2nd; NEB third; etc.)...tomorrow;


    This will be on 11 June around 10AM here in Hawaii: that will be ~4 PM EDT (New York); 9P. in the UK; 10P in Germany; et cetera. Will do the top 50% of teams.

    WISCONSIN BADGERS


    First place in the B1G in 2019; made the National Championship final versus Stanford University (defeated 0-3)


    My personal pick to win the Big Ten once again, and make it to the NC title match for the second year in a row;



    RETURNING STARTERS


    Dana Rettke, Middle Blocker, Senior: First Team All-American; Big Ten Player of the Year


    Sydney Hilley, Setter, Senior: First Team AA; B1G Setter of the Year


    Molly Haggerty, Outside Hitter, Redshirt Senior: Second-Team AA


    Grace Loberg, OH, Senior: Honorable Mention AA


    Izzy Ashburn, Defensive Specialist/ Backup S, Sophomore


    Lauren Barnes, Libero/DS, Senior


    Danielle Hart, MB, Redshirt Senior



    KEY DEPARTURES


    Tiffany Clark, L


    Mallory Dixon, S


    ME Dodge, DS


    Madison Duello, OPP



    KEY ADDITIONS


    Deahna Kraft, Grad Transfer, OH


    Devyn Robinson, Freshman, MB


    Jade Demps, Freshman, OH/RS



    BRIEF SYNOPSIS


    As can be seen above, this is a Senior-laden squad which brings back some heavy-duty award winners. Their backcourt, plus Devyn Robinson's growth and placement, will be THE biggest question marks for this team. A wild-card may be the play of the Graduate Transfer, Kraft. She could make their pin hitters most formidable and intimidating. If they win the B1G...which I predict barring MAJOR injuries...they will host a Regional. I fully expect them to make the Final Four and the Championship Final. As far as the other finals-team for me? TBD (do not have a clue right now!). Watch their backcourt for weaknesses. Freshman J. Demps could start as the OPP.



    TOMORROW: NEBRASKA









    NEBRASKA 'HUSKERS


    Tied for second in the Big Ten with Minnesota (17-3); made the Madison Regional Final where they were swept by Wisconsin;


    Underperforming team which, despite their hype, could not recover from the losses of Michaela Foecke and Kenzie Maloney



    RETURNING STARTERS


    Nicklin Hames, Setter, Junior; Honorable Mention All American


    Kenzie Knuckles, Sophomore, Libero


    Madi Kubik, Soph, OH; HM AA


    Callie Schwarzenbach, Junior, MB


    Lauren Stivrins, Middle Blocker, Redshirt Senior; 2nd Team AA


    Jazz Sweet, Opposite, Senior


    Lexi Sun, OH, Senior; Third Team AA



    KEY DEPARTURES (* INDICATES FORMER STARTER)


    Anezka Szabo, OPP: Transferred to Kansas


    *Megan Miller, DS: "" to NW


    Capri Davis, OH/RS: "" to Texas (!)



    KEY ADDITIONS


    Kayla Caffey, MB, R-Junior (transferred from Missouri)


    Annika Evans, S, Freshman


    Abby Johnson, MB/OPP, Freshman


    Kalynn Meyer, MB, Freshman



    BRIEF SYNOPSIS


    I don't like this team: neither the squad on-paper, nor their culture or coach. John Cook has lost four players to transfers: one a victim and litigant in a sexual harassment case; one a former starter (and standout performer in the 2018 Final Four) at DS; one a supposed International "savior" from Europe; and another defensive specialist. Team loyalties seem to be fraying; Coach Cook likes to "churn" the roster constantly: this can lead to a deficit in continuity and chemistry. Three players substantially regressed from 2018 to 2019: Hames, Stivrins and Schwarzenbach (Megan Miller did, too; she's out of there). Kubik performed well until the postseason (not too uncommon for a Frosh); same with Sun (again!). Knuckles improved and contributed throughout the campaign. Sweet seemed to have hit her proverbial ceiling. The incoming recruits are not THAT highly ranked (compared to the 2021 group). I see more recidivism for them in 2020. Predict they will finish fourth in the B1G/ finish no higher than Regional Semis.






    MINNESOTA GOPHERS


    Tied for second in the B1G in 2019 (17-3). After many injuries made it to Final Four, where they were beaten in the National Semifinal by Stanford (0-3)


    A lot of moving pieces for the team. Kylie Miller graduated after a sole injury-plagued season for MINN. A Frosh might be the setter. And Airi Miyabe?



    RETURNING STARTERS


    Regan Pittman, Redshirt Senior, Middle Blocker: First Team All-American


    Adanna Rollins, Junior, Outside Hitter (her return has been questioned recently; no definitive status available)


    Stephanie Samedy, Senior, RS: Second Team AA


    Airi Miyabe, Senior, RS/OH


    CC McGraw, Junior, Libero: HM AA


    Rachel Kilkelly, Soph., DS/L



    KEY DEPARTURES (* INDICATES FORMER STARTER)


    * Taylor Morgan, MB


    * Kylie Miller, S


    * Alexis Hart, OH; Second-Team AA


    Lauren Litzau, L/DS



    KEY ADDITIONS


    Hunter Atherton, Grad Transfer, S (from UNC)


    Jenna Wenaas, Freshman, OH


    Taylor Landfair, Frosh, OH


    Cami Appiani, Frosh, DS/L


    Melani Shaffmaster, Frosh, S


    Katie Myers, R-Junior, MB (From Maryland)



    BRIEF SYNOPSIS


    Whew: a ton of talent moving on; the NCAA's top recruiting class...plus, two standout transfers...moving in! Setter will obviously be A HUGE unknown.

    Would they revert to a 6-2 offense, as they did when Miller was out with a concussion (twice) in 2019? Or will they put the setting duties in the hands of a true Freshman, Shaffmaster? Will Stephanie Samedy regain her FIRST TEAM AA status...as she was her first two years...or will they utilize Miyabe more (most likely in the aforementioned 6-2 offense). Not many Freshman can take over a Final Four squad's offense. YET, with 1st Team AA MB Regan Pittman, Samedy, McGraw and Company...along with Landfair (#1 recruit), Wenaas (another top recruit) and the two highly rated transfers, this could be a powerful "sleeper team" that others just might underestimate. Hugh McCutcheon runs a fast offense: see if these new guys can adapt.









    Some comments on the Minnesota team:

    First of all, I would be really surprised if Rollins won't return:what: Her freshman season was definitely better than sophomore season. But let's not forget she was targeted in serve receive most of the time and had to cover half of the court when Hart was in. Considering this fact, I don't think she did a bad job...

    I'm really curious if they will play 5-1 or 6-2:/I see some pros and cons for both. I think Samady proved she is good enough and really important at the offensive side of the game for Minnesota, so she should be on court all the time. On the other hand Miyabe is too good to be wasted on the bench, so 6-2 could be an option to give her playing time and you always have a strong block at the net. Also I was thinking maybe she could take over the roll of Hart and play at the left side of the court, so you can have Miyabe and Samedy on court at the same time. A major drawback to 6-2 would be that Pittman isn't able to do the slide attack and I think that's one of their strongest weapons. I think it will all depend on the setter and if the Freshman could handle the pressure in a 5-1...

    Excited to see them play again. It looks like they didn't lose much quality and made some good transfers! Hope they can reach the final 4 again!:)

    Quote from Let's go orange

    First of all, I would be really surprised if Rollins won't return:what: Her freshman season was definitely better than sophomore season. But let's not forget she was targeted in serve receive most of the time and had to cover half of the court when Hart was in. Considering this fact, I don't think she did a bad job...

    That "thing" about Rollins still being on the roster and 'her returning' in 2020 came from (probably) some overreactions in a Minnesota site on another forum;


    The deal/rumor-mill concerning THAT is borne of the racial-unrest situation around the world right now: with the Minneapolis-St Paul area being its epicenter.

    I heard a rumor awhile back that Melanie Parra (MEX) will be playing for Texas, is it true?


    She was only 16 at the 2018 World Championship, but made a name for herself then. Definitely a rising talent to keep an eye on.