Posts by flyingdutchman

Quote from Matthias

Stuttgart - Aachen 3:1 (24:26 25:19 26:24 25:16)
http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2017-18/Women/2512.pdf
MVP: Femke Stoltenborg / Kirsten Knip

Aachen played well in 1st and 3rd set but doesn't have the consistency and options to play a full match on the same level as Stuttgart. After a weak 1st set Oude Luttikhuis turned out to be Aachen's strongest hitter Both OPPs were awful and Adams played the worst match since she's in Aachen I guess. Stuttgart played solid but not outstanding, only Daalderop and towards the end McCage were impressive. And I have to say, today Stoltenborg clearly won the Dutch setters' battle.

I totally agree.

I think Oude Luttikkhuis played her best (in all elements) and Adams het worst match for Aachen ever. Aachen's best players during the season (Adams and Bongaerts) had an off-day today.

After the match, the stream continued and I saw Jamie Morrison talking with Erik Reitsma (Aachen's assistent-coach)..so I think all Dutch players were very motivated.

It is indeed a pity Aachen has no options on bench if necessary and in general only 11 players in roster. It's all a matter of money. The only real substitute is Kalinovskaya (MB).

Quote from StefanS

There are several reasons for unfriendly behaviour, you should be aware of: in first season of Stuttgart in first league Alex Waibl was fired due (at least it was claimed for) an interview he gave. And I guess, that both Dresden and Schwerin see Stuttgart as newbies, who threaten their hegemony existing a few years ago... Don't take this too serious therefore.

Wow, so you support Waibl in this case

In my opinion, it is just once more an example of the bad charackter Waibl has shown since he came to Dresden..unfortunately he has affected many Dresden's players...for example Myrthe Schoot's behaviour has changed in a bad way, after she started playing for Dresden under Waibl.

http://www.muensterschezeitung…Fahrplan-des-USC-Muenster

Juliët Lohuis will be in the roster of Dutch NT.

https://www.stuttgarter-zeitun…a7-857f-c7e47b6fab5a.html

Dresden...ohne Worte...Waibl and friends are a shame

Quote from Matthias

I've read the article as well so I know that this argument isn't coming from you, but...Daalderop didn't exactly prove to be "too good for this league" this season Sure, she is a great talent, but she's only turning 20 this year and honestly I don't think she's ready yet to play in a bigger league. I'd rather see her another year in Stuttgart (or another German top team), being a starter and most of all improving her reception.

Could you give me the link of the article?

Quote from Visitor

No good match and a very disappointing performance by the Ladies in Black (except set 1). Wiesbaden really deserved the success.
Lindsay Dowd in no way responsible for the defeat.
Again a very very black day for Nicole Oude Luttikhuis. Is it really helpful for such a young player to stay on court even on such a day?
IMHO Mrs. van Hintum is the only person fully responsible for the defeat. She replaced Oude Luttikhuis two times but by far too late. If she does not trust in the skills of Karolina Pisla, why doesn't she try one of the Opposites to play Outside/Reception. I do not have the impression, that Frauke Neuhaus and Jelena Sunjic are totally unable to receive.

Last question: Why should Wiesbaden not continue in picking at Nicole Oude Luttikhuis in reception?
They would have to be stupid ...

Dowd played at her best, no doubt. But, Bongaerts can make the game faster and is a better blocker and especially server.

About Oude Luttikhuis: I think there is a special deal, like with Daalderop last season; gaining as much as possible time on court, doesn't matter her performance. The polish girl must have felt like in a crazy during the whole season.

I watched simultaneously Wiesbaden - Aachen and Stuttgart-Schwerin.

Wiesbaden deserved the win! Very good serving (Kosova) and defense (Stock).

Oude Luttikhuis in 5th set 4 reception-errors in a row.. She is the key-person for Aachen, also in play-offs. If she plays decent, Aachen (with Bongaerts, hopefully) can beat Wiesbaden. If Wiesbaden succeeds in picking her in reception, Aachen will probably lose. Aachen's biggest weapon, also today, was their block. I think, together with Stuttgart, they are the best blocking team in the Bundesliga.

Stuttgart and Schwerin showed today once again they are by far better than the other teams. It was a really nice match with many rallies!

Quote from Matthias

I'm wondering how bad Karolina Pisla must be if even today she doesn't replace Oude Luttikhuis

Quote from Matthias

I'm wondering how bad Karolina Pisla must be if even today she doesn't replace Oude Luttikhuis

Matthias...come on...according to you, Nicole deserves a call for Dutch NT

In fact, it is a shame...today she was again the opponent's best player...

I really hope she will leave Aachen after this season, the same for Sunjic. They both are simply very weak players.

I think Adams and Bongaerts will leave..they both have a very good season.

Quote from StefanS

No, the difference is, the home team is used to it, the guests are not. Insofar this is an advantage for the home team. That it is not good in general terms is rather clear.

Please enlighten me...in details...how it is possible to take advantage of every homegame having a disadvantage...

In what element of the game you see the advantage?

Quote from StefanS

The both most interesting matches today are supposed to be: Wiesbaden vs. Vilsbiburg and Dresden vs. Aachen. The first one is difficult to predict, despite Wiesbaden is the favourite at home; the second has an interesting tone, because Aachens head coach Saskia van Hintum aggressively pushed to get points out of the Margon hall. IMHO this is highly unlikely, because the home advantage of Dresden is alway huge (compare the matches there with the ones on the road against the two main opponents Stuttgart and Schwerin for example) and Aachen is still having an unfair advantage at home because of the not rule-conforming hall (especially ceiling too low), which will vanish in the playoffs, when they will again play in Maaseik in Belgium in the CL compatible home hall of Nolikos men's team.

You are joking, right?

Aachen has every practice and homematch big disadvantage of the low ceiling!!!
Can you imagine any player who prefers to play volleyball with a low ceiling???

Quote from Matthias

I think Nicole Oude Luttikhuis, even though she's still very unstable, is a bigger prospect on international level than Marrit Jasper. The most Jasper can become is serve/reception substitute.

For MB position I think Juliet Lohuis deserves the call.

Oude Luttikhuis....I don't know...she played many horrible games this season..

About Jasper: indeed, she is only suited for backcourt.

Lohuis got MVP today, but I don't know much about her season so far..

I watched this weekend both Suhl-Aachen (Saturday) and Münster-Stuttgart (today). Jamie Morrisson attended both matches..watching many Dutch players on court.

My gues for 2018 wide-roster:

Setters: Dijkema (Firenze), Stoltenborg (Stuttgart), Bongaerts (Aachen), ?

Opposites: Sloetjes (Vakifbank), Plak (Novara), ?

OHs: Daalderop (Stuttgart), Balkestein-Grothues (Casalmaggiore), Pietersen (Modena), Buijs (Nilufer), Jasper (Dresden) ?

MB: De Kruijf (Conegliano), Beliën (Bursa), Polder (Aachen), Stoeten (Aachen), Koolhaas(Bucaresti), ?

L: Schoot (Dresden), Knip (Aachen), ?

I expect some girls of Dutch Youth Team, to take the ?-spots.

The most important thing will be Judith Pietersen's return, after finishing her studies. Presumably it means, Jasper will not be in the roster for the big tournaments..

I have never seen a match before, like Aachen-Schwerin yesterday...WOW !!!

I'm curious wether McKenzie Adams will get an invitation for the wide roster of USA NT...

Of course, she plays only for a small club in German League.. but at least in Bundesliga, I see no better OH.

On the other hand, I hope she will not get so much attention, because I want to see her in Aachen again next season

By the way, Aachen's block was again impressive, yesterday. Polder and Stoeten are doing really well

Aachen should have won 0-3...they were leading 11-20 in 2nd set...

Bongaerts and Adams have a great connection.

Oude Luttikhuis is a disaster. She is by far Aachen's worst player every match..The polish girl really deserves to start, but until now van Hintum prefers Oude Luttikhuis

Maret Balkestein- Grothues officially in Pomi

As an Aachen-fan, I feel of course very proud of our players performing so well ...

Bongaerts and Polder are the biggest surprises, in my opinion. Last season Polder was nowhere...and now she has become a very athletic and strong player, both in attack and block. She reminds me of Yvon Beliën, who played for Aachen in the past.
Bongaerts turnes out to be a great server and she is solid in other elements.

Adams is indeed a very complete player, who fits really well in Aachen's very fast game. Last summer she had already many offers, but because she feels so well in Aachen, she extended her contact. She is very good friends with Kirsten Knip and 2nd setter Lindsay Dowd.

Knip is playing a decent season so far, last year she was terrible, but I think she still can play better. She didn't reach the level of some matches she played in Dutch NT.

These 4 players are Aachen's core...in my opinion they should play every match. The others are decent, but with many ups and downs. Especially Oude Luttikhuis has a horrible season so far..I expected more from her, but she is still really struggling both in reception and attack.

In general: I think Aachen could end at 4th place this season, before play-offs...against top 3 their problem is the lack of a scoring-machine who can also score high balls...

ongrats VB

It was a great match !!!!

WOW !!!! What a fight between the two best players in the world

ZHU < --- > BOSKOVIC !!!!

Congrats to both teams for a great fight!!

Münster without Bathen is a big loss, so I think Münster deserves credits.

On the other side: Aachen should already have won 3rd set...17-23 up...OMG...

3rd set, and almost 4th as well, are symptomatic for Aachen's roster...they have NO go to-player in difficult moments (like Daalderop last year).

Knip, Bongaerts, Adams and Polder should play always IMO...all the others are very inconsistent...

Quote from Matthias

What a heartbreak Münster was leading 11:7 in tie-break and then couldn't score a single point anymore Hindriksen insisted on setting Lena Vedder who had the smallest blocker against her but still couldn't score, and the two balls she finally set to Bathen were first blocked and then out
No doubt Stuttgart was technically the better team and objectively deserved to win, but I'm really sad that Münster wasn't rewarded for the amazing fight they put up.

Indeed...11-7 --- > 11-15...as Teun Buijs always says: this can happen only in women's volleyball

Very good fight by Münster...

I'm glad to see Nika on court again after her injury.

I'm wondering when Stuttgart's new opposite will be on court for the first time...still injured