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Buffs Host Pair Of Ranked Opponents
- Thread starter cmgoods
- Start date
They looked great in sets 3 and 4. Much improved from a few years ago. But how much is taylor simpson and when will the buffs become a ranked team themselves? This is Taylor Simpsons senior year. The coach and team predicted we should expect big things this year. I hope they still can pull it off.
Their talent and experience far outstrips their results. Kritza is on her last legs here.
I was was thinking when we went down 0-2 sets that she was surely done if we slipped back into losing 0-3 even at home. The next 2 sets made me think that Kritza has made progress.
But how do we know if we are still rebuilding and getting better, or if kritza just isn't able to get us to tht next level??? I really want her to do well. I hope she and team surprise us and have a stellar remainder of the pac 12.
The other question.... If they do let Kritza go, is the CU AD willing to pay for a good coach?
But how do we know if we are still rebuilding and getting better, or if kritza just isn't able to get us to tht next level??? I really want her to do well. I hope she and team surprise us and have a stellar remainder of the pac 12.
The other question.... If they do let Kritza go, is the CU AD willing to pay for a good coach?
Thats what hat I had heard too. The 5-1 was working much better.
I was was really hoping for big things this year with this team. Last year was a nice surprise.
We don't look like a team competing to be in the top 4-5 teams in the conference. We look like we are competing for an 8th-12th place finish, in my opinion. With the talent on this team, how can that happen?
I know that the pac 12 is a great volleyball conference. I'm hoping that the team gets to the NCAAs again. If not, I think they will look for a new coach. What do,you all think?
I was was really hoping for big things this year with this team. Last year was a nice surprise.
We don't look like a team competing to be in the top 4-5 teams in the conference. We look like we are competing for an 8th-12th place finish, in my opinion. With the talent on this team, how can that happen?
I know that the pac 12 is a great volleyball conference. I'm hoping that the team gets to the NCAAs again. If not, I think they will look for a new coach. What do,you all think?
They did switch to 5 - 1 with Edelman setting all 6 rotations in set 3 and it really seemed to help. She is a spark out there and her connection with Taylor our of the back row was spot on. Last night was the first time all season we have been close to what was expected to be the primary line-up. Still have Kelsey English on the walking wounded list it appears but fully got Alexis Austin back. I hope they can stick with Edelman.
Problem I saw in set 5 was mostly mental. ASU looked and played like they believed it was their match to win. Buffs looked and played (at least part of the set) like they were afraid they might lose. ASU's top player, Macy Gardner, was in full-on beast mode in set 5.
I agree that the Buffs should have won the first set and then the match, probably in 4. We had way too many hitting errors (10 in all I think) in that first set and still only lost by 2 points. And most of them were pure and simple errors ... hitting net or out.... not being blocked. Normally reliable Taylor started off with a bunch of errors. Too many nerves were showing on the Buffs side of the court early on. I think they would have won that set had they been in the 5 - 1 with Edelman instead of in the 6 - 2. Having Nicole on the court for all 6 rotations seems to help the team with their focus and energy.
Hard to say about how warm Kritza's seat might be at this point since the team has had to deal with so many injures to key players and the depth isn't there. I think she made some good moves last night but maybe should have made them sooner .... examples: going to the 5 - 1; putting Kelsey in to serve since she has one of the best serves on the team and has the confidence of experience.
Problem I saw in set 5 was mostly mental. ASU looked and played like they believed it was their match to win. Buffs looked and played (at least part of the set) like they were afraid they might lose. ASU's top player, Macy Gardner, was in full-on beast mode in set 5.
I agree that the Buffs should have won the first set and then the match, probably in 4. We had way too many hitting errors (10 in all I think) in that first set and still only lost by 2 points. And most of them were pure and simple errors ... hitting net or out.... not being blocked. Normally reliable Taylor started off with a bunch of errors. Too many nerves were showing on the Buffs side of the court early on. I think they would have won that set had they been in the 5 - 1 with Edelman instead of in the 6 - 2. Having Nicole on the court for all 6 rotations seems to help the team with their focus and energy.
Hard to say about how warm Kritza's seat might be at this point since the team has had to deal with so many injures to key players and the depth isn't there. I think she made some good moves last night but maybe should have made them sooner .... examples: going to the 5 - 1; putting Kelsey in to serve since she has one of the best serves on the team and has the confidence of experience.
What an entertaining match with a tough ending last night. As was mentioned in the press conference, a few loose points in the 1st two sets were probably the underlying cause of the loss, with 5th sets always seeming to be “crap shoots”. (The play I can still particularly remember in this context is, late in the 1st set, something broke down on one play between our pass, set and attack and our hitter hit the antenna on her kill attempt after ASU had to send over a free ball.)
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Since I had some time on my hands while watching the football game (OH DAMN- SO CLOSE AGAIN), thought I’d also chime in on the volleyball coaching discussion, especially since everyone posting so far has seemed to be negative. In short, looking at it in (hopefully) a dispassionate way, I don’t understand, at least in terms of recent history and compared to other CU teams and coaches, how Coach Kritza would somehow be the CU coach that many see as being on the “hot seat”. (I wonder how much of it is due to the exciting constant momentum changing nature of volleyball?)
Appreciate other’s input, and apologize in advance on how wordy this is.
Note- I’m only going to be comparing volleyball to team sports, and will leave out football- since that’s a different animal which is already beaten to death in its forum, and lacrosse, since it’s a start-up program. Also, want to state I don’t know ANY of CU’s coaches, so their personalities (or whatever) don’t enter into my opinion. And, since I’m comparing volleyball to other sports below, I want to emphasize I’m VERY happy with all our coaches right now, and think they’re doing great jobs.
Regarding volleyball:
1) In the Pac 12, CU has improved each year from 2 to 4 to 9 wins. The 1st 3 years of Coach Kritza’s tenure (including the last two of CU’s Big 12 run) were obviously tough ones as far as wins and losses. If I remember correctly, this is pretty easily explained by the fact the players she inherited were probably shorter on talent needed to compete in a major conference than any other sport at CU by quite a bit (probably even compared to what Coach MacIntyre faced in football), and then had multiple players transfer out. Soccer and both basketballs had quite a few people already on their rosters for the new coaches who ended up being major contributors and stars in later years with their new coaches. Volleyball had Kerra Schroeder (who may have committed under the prior coach but still came to CU after the coaching change), and maybe one or two others (defensive specialists) who ended up helping out.
2) I was trying to think back over the last 5-6 years, and I think a strong argument could be made that last season the volleyball team had probably close to if not THE BEST seasons for any team sport at CU over the last 5-6 years (I’d say no worse than 3rd). So, I don’t understand how one can say- “hey coach, you had one of if not the best season of any sport at our school for years, but we still think you’re vulnerable after this year.” My belief of the quality of the season is based on:
a. The number of wins in the Pac 12 (based on how much better volleyball is in the Pac 12 compared to all the other team sports CU is involved in)***,
***I was curious, and looked at the average final RPI for the four Pac 12 team sports CU is involved in last year (excluded football and lacrosse), and volleyball’s was the toughest by quite a bit. The average final RPI’s for all Pac 12 teams at the end of last year were as follows: Volleyball- 40, Soccer- 59, Men’s Basketball- 78, Women’s Basketball- 87
b. The fact they had 2-3 QUALITY wins in conference. (what other CU teams have beaten one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the country (in Washington, #1 when they faced them, #4 in the final NCAA pole) as well as two other teams ranked in the top 25, at least when they played them?),
c. And then they equated themselves better than could have been expected (especially as probably one of the last teams selected) in the NCAA tourney by upsetting #25 Iowa State and then losing a tough 5 setter to #10 Minnesota on their home court.
I guess that’s one question for people’s expectations- I think we always need to keep relative strength of conference in mind when evaluating teams and their coaches. Do others’ agree?
3) So, how do the Buffs (and all teams in all sports) improve, and what's considered one of the coach's main responsibilities/ basis of evaluation?
Most people usually point to recruiting. On that front, using recruiting rankings***, volleyball has, starting with the 2012 freshman class, had 3-1/2 top 40 recruits become Buffs based on prepvolleyball.com’s (PV) rankings (PV seems to be the main ranking service for volleyball). (The Buffs are Ms.’s. Austin (2012 #26 per PV, top 25 per ESPN), Edelman (2012 #38 per PV, top 25 per ESPN), G. Simpson (2014 #15 per PV), and ½ credit for T. Simpson (#10 PV in 2011) since she transferred in as a junior.) What other CU sports have recruited close to that many highly ranked athletes? (I don’t have a subscription to know who, but per a volleyball blog, Buffs volleyball also has PV's #87 ranked HS senior coming in 2015.)
(***Probably because I’m an old f**t, I’m not a big believer in high school recruit ratings meaning much anyway, but agree with many they’re the only (premature) way to pass judgment on recruiting until we see how players end up performing over a few recruiting cycles.)
Regarding this season, I’d say it’s definitely been hard to gauge because of the apparent “walking wounded” nature of most of the injuries to many of the most key players (with 3 of the top 5-6 out at various times, and a couple others currently out who would probably be contributors to some extent), and the unexpected (to me) positive substantive contributions by ALL the freshmen. I think the fact the Buffs are easily competing with top 20 teams, and we’re pissed when we lose to them, is a testament of how good this team is, and how much better they can be given how little time the various players have had to play together in both games and practice due to the injuries and youth.
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On another related topic, as an often nervous fan, wanted to mention Pac 12 volleyball is looking even scarier this year than last year (where as I wrote above had an awesome average RPI of 40), especially for the middle and lower teams that the Buffs will typically have to beat to have a decent season and a possible/ probable NCAA tournament bid. (Stanford, Washington and USC have been the ones consistently at the top level of the Pac for MANY years, although surprisingly it looks like it may be a rare off year for USC (as usual, due to injury, along with the graduation of one of the best defensive players in the country).) UCLA and Oregon, schools that in certain years get to or exceed the big 3, both already have two wins each against top 25 clubs and are well inside the top 25. Even Oregon State, who dragged down the conference RPI last year while going 0-20 in conference, is looking VERY solid, with wins over teams that typically are solid in other conferences (such as Pacific, Long Beach State, Michigan), and are 2-1 start in the Pac. In short, the old cliché of there being no easy matches in conference is definitely looking to be true in the Pac for volleyball this year. (Another example of this, per one of the volleyball blogs, one of the most respected college rating services is called Pablo's. Per that ranking, going into this week's game the WORSE Pac 12 team was Washington State, ranked #44 in the country. Yikes! (CU was Pablo's #30 team by the way.))
On the bright side, I found somebody else post something in one the main volleyball forum that CU’s strength of schedule this year after non-conference ended might come in at around #10 in the country (once all the Pac 12 games are factored in, and I believe assume our non-conference foes beat who they're guessed to beat). Therefore, assuming his/ her analysis is somewhat accurate, IF we win enough, we shouldn’t have strength of schedule issues with our RPI- it’ll just be about winning enough games. Regarding winning and getting into the tournament, one thing the Buffs will need to do, no matter how many/ if they get any big wins this year, is go at least 9-11 in conference, as they won’t have an overall winning record if they don’t. (I believe an overall winning record is one of the requirements for qualifying to the tournament.)
Anyway, apologize again for the wordiness, and Go Buffs!
___________________________________
Since I had some time on my hands while watching the football game (OH DAMN- SO CLOSE AGAIN), thought I’d also chime in on the volleyball coaching discussion, especially since everyone posting so far has seemed to be negative. In short, looking at it in (hopefully) a dispassionate way, I don’t understand, at least in terms of recent history and compared to other CU teams and coaches, how Coach Kritza would somehow be the CU coach that many see as being on the “hot seat”. (I wonder how much of it is due to the exciting constant momentum changing nature of volleyball?)
Appreciate other’s input, and apologize in advance on how wordy this is.
Note- I’m only going to be comparing volleyball to team sports, and will leave out football- since that’s a different animal which is already beaten to death in its forum, and lacrosse, since it’s a start-up program. Also, want to state I don’t know ANY of CU’s coaches, so their personalities (or whatever) don’t enter into my opinion. And, since I’m comparing volleyball to other sports below, I want to emphasize I’m VERY happy with all our coaches right now, and think they’re doing great jobs.
Regarding volleyball:
1) In the Pac 12, CU has improved each year from 2 to 4 to 9 wins. The 1st 3 years of Coach Kritza’s tenure (including the last two of CU’s Big 12 run) were obviously tough ones as far as wins and losses. If I remember correctly, this is pretty easily explained by the fact the players she inherited were probably shorter on talent needed to compete in a major conference than any other sport at CU by quite a bit (probably even compared to what Coach MacIntyre faced in football), and then had multiple players transfer out. Soccer and both basketballs had quite a few people already on their rosters for the new coaches who ended up being major contributors and stars in later years with their new coaches. Volleyball had Kerra Schroeder (who may have committed under the prior coach but still came to CU after the coaching change), and maybe one or two others (defensive specialists) who ended up helping out.
2) I was trying to think back over the last 5-6 years, and I think a strong argument could be made that last season the volleyball team had probably close to if not THE BEST seasons for any team sport at CU over the last 5-6 years (I’d say no worse than 3rd). So, I don’t understand how one can say- “hey coach, you had one of if not the best season of any sport at our school for years, but we still think you’re vulnerable after this year.” My belief of the quality of the season is based on:
a. The number of wins in the Pac 12 (based on how much better volleyball is in the Pac 12 compared to all the other team sports CU is involved in)***,
***I was curious, and looked at the average final RPI for the four Pac 12 team sports CU is involved in last year (excluded football and lacrosse), and volleyball’s was the toughest by quite a bit. The average final RPI’s for all Pac 12 teams at the end of last year were as follows: Volleyball- 40, Soccer- 59, Men’s Basketball- 78, Women’s Basketball- 87
b. The fact they had 2-3 QUALITY wins in conference. (what other CU teams have beaten one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the country (in Washington, #1 when they faced them, #4 in the final NCAA pole) as well as two other teams ranked in the top 25, at least when they played them?),
c. And then they equated themselves better than could have been expected (especially as probably one of the last teams selected) in the NCAA tourney by upsetting #25 Iowa State and then losing a tough 5 setter to #10 Minnesota on their home court.
I guess that’s one question for people’s expectations- I think we always need to keep relative strength of conference in mind when evaluating teams and their coaches. Do others’ agree?
3) So, how do the Buffs (and all teams in all sports) improve, and what's considered one of the coach's main responsibilities/ basis of evaluation?
Most people usually point to recruiting. On that front, using recruiting rankings***, volleyball has, starting with the 2012 freshman class, had 3-1/2 top 40 recruits become Buffs based on prepvolleyball.com’s (PV) rankings (PV seems to be the main ranking service for volleyball). (The Buffs are Ms.’s. Austin (2012 #26 per PV, top 25 per ESPN), Edelman (2012 #38 per PV, top 25 per ESPN), G. Simpson (2014 #15 per PV), and ½ credit for T. Simpson (#10 PV in 2011) since she transferred in as a junior.) What other CU sports have recruited close to that many highly ranked athletes? (I don’t have a subscription to know who, but per a volleyball blog, Buffs volleyball also has PV's #87 ranked HS senior coming in 2015.)
(***Probably because I’m an old f**t, I’m not a big believer in high school recruit ratings meaning much anyway, but agree with many they’re the only (premature) way to pass judgment on recruiting until we see how players end up performing over a few recruiting cycles.)
Regarding this season, I’d say it’s definitely been hard to gauge because of the apparent “walking wounded” nature of most of the injuries to many of the most key players (with 3 of the top 5-6 out at various times, and a couple others currently out who would probably be contributors to some extent), and the unexpected (to me) positive substantive contributions by ALL the freshmen. I think the fact the Buffs are easily competing with top 20 teams, and we’re pissed when we lose to them, is a testament of how good this team is, and how much better they can be given how little time the various players have had to play together in both games and practice due to the injuries and youth.
_______________________________________________________
On another related topic, as an often nervous fan, wanted to mention Pac 12 volleyball is looking even scarier this year than last year (where as I wrote above had an awesome average RPI of 40), especially for the middle and lower teams that the Buffs will typically have to beat to have a decent season and a possible/ probable NCAA tournament bid. (Stanford, Washington and USC have been the ones consistently at the top level of the Pac for MANY years, although surprisingly it looks like it may be a rare off year for USC (as usual, due to injury, along with the graduation of one of the best defensive players in the country).) UCLA and Oregon, schools that in certain years get to or exceed the big 3, both already have two wins each against top 25 clubs and are well inside the top 25. Even Oregon State, who dragged down the conference RPI last year while going 0-20 in conference, is looking VERY solid, with wins over teams that typically are solid in other conferences (such as Pacific, Long Beach State, Michigan), and are 2-1 start in the Pac. In short, the old cliché of there being no easy matches in conference is definitely looking to be true in the Pac for volleyball this year. (Another example of this, per one of the volleyball blogs, one of the most respected college rating services is called Pablo's. Per that ranking, going into this week's game the WORSE Pac 12 team was Washington State, ranked #44 in the country. Yikes! (CU was Pablo's #30 team by the way.))
On the bright side, I found somebody else post something in one the main volleyball forum that CU’s strength of schedule this year after non-conference ended might come in at around #10 in the country (once all the Pac 12 games are factored in, and I believe assume our non-conference foes beat who they're guessed to beat). Therefore, assuming his/ her analysis is somewhat accurate, IF we win enough, we shouldn’t have strength of schedule issues with our RPI- it’ll just be about winning enough games. Regarding winning and getting into the tournament, one thing the Buffs will need to do, no matter how many/ if they get any big wins this year, is go at least 9-11 in conference, as they won’t have an overall winning record if they don’t. (I believe an overall winning record is one of the requirements for qualifying to the tournament.)
Anyway, apologize again for the wordiness, and Go Buffs!
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Kritza is on the hot seat for a number of reasons.
First, let's remember that this used to be a damn good volleyball program. It's not something Kritza built. She tore something down that had stagnated with the promise of taking it to a new level out the other end.
Last season, she was coaching to keep her job. There were still huge failures to match plan opponents such as the loss at Wyoming, but the giant-killing upsets and the win in the NCAA tournament (after getting a bid that was very bubbly) was enough to bring her back this season.
Now we have regressed in what was supposed to be a season that built on last year and was better.
To draw a parallel... if Bzdelik hadn't left for Wake Forest, how long would we have been willing to keep him around if he'd gutted things like he did and then never rose above the Ricardo Patton level when he came out the other end? That's pretty much where Kritza is right now.
First, let's remember that this used to be a damn good volleyball program. It's not something Kritza built. She tore something down that had stagnated with the promise of taking it to a new level out the other end.
Last season, she was coaching to keep her job. There were still huge failures to match plan opponents such as the loss at Wyoming, but the giant-killing upsets and the win in the NCAA tournament (after getting a bid that was very bubbly) was enough to bring her back this season.
Now we have regressed in what was supposed to be a season that built on last year and was better.
To draw a parallel... if Bzdelik hadn't left for Wake Forest, how long would we have been willing to keep him around if he'd gutted things like he did and then never rose above the Ricardo Patton level when he came out the other end? That's pretty much where Kritza is right now.
I like both of your posts.
Aztec Buffs, great post and a lot to read but all great great points. I think it does say a lot that we are excited about the season and that we have high expectations. The fact that we are taking a top 25 program to 5 sets is a big turnaround. So it does say a lot about Kritza that we are here. And yes, injuries are a factor to some extent.
I do have to say I agree with Buffnik that we have regresssed. Before the season, there was an article about how the Simpson sisters were all playing together. And in that article, they talked about exceeding last years's success. I think the season so far is a big letdown and disappointment. We were in the "others receiving votes" I'm the Top 25 before the season began. With Taylor Simpson back for a senior year and more solid recruits added, I was ready to see us move up again this year. Instead, we lost to teams that aren't even PAC 12 caliber and the results don't match the expectations.
The rest of the PAC 12 schedule will either show a team that IS ready to rise up, or a season in which we are just sooo close but find ourselves near the bottom of the PaC 12.
Aztec Buffs, great post and a lot to read but all great great points. I think it does say a lot that we are excited about the season and that we have high expectations. The fact that we are taking a top 25 program to 5 sets is a big turnaround. So it does say a lot about Kritza that we are here. And yes, injuries are a factor to some extent.
I do have to say I agree with Buffnik that we have regresssed. Before the season, there was an article about how the Simpson sisters were all playing together. And in that article, they talked about exceeding last years's success. I think the season so far is a big letdown and disappointment. We were in the "others receiving votes" I'm the Top 25 before the season began. With Taylor Simpson back for a senior year and more solid recruits added, I was ready to see us move up again this year. Instead, we lost to teams that aren't even PAC 12 caliber and the results don't match the expectations.
The rest of the PAC 12 schedule will either show a team that IS ready to rise up, or a season in which we are just sooo close but find ourselves near the bottom of the PaC 12.
It was actually Pii Aiu who tanked the volleyball program. It was at or near the bottom of the Big 12 when we were still in it. When Kritzka came in, the only player with talent was Kerra Schroeder, so she has built the team from the ground to what it was last season and now this season. After Aiu's firing, many players left. I think Kritzka actually works her players and don't think Aiu did from comment made in the media guides from those years. I came to CU because of the laid back attitude of the coaches. No intensity does not equate to wins. Yet he got them up to beat Nebraska twice in Boulder when there was no way on paper they should have won.
I think the Pac 12 is a better conference this season than last season. I also think the 5-1 worked much better Friday than the 6-2 that was played in the first two sets. It was way too many errors that beat them in Set 1.
The Friday night home upsets got them in to the NCAA tournament, but they proved they belonged by beating Iowa State and taking Minnesota to 5 sets on their home court. I was in Minneapolis. We had few fans. Iowa State had a bus load of fans, the band and cheerleaders. We had a recording of the fight song. I'm sure the CU fans could not even be heard over the ISU fans. It was even worse in the next match playing against Minnesota. But they proved they belonged in the tourney.
We shall see what they do today. I do think Kritzka's job is on the line even though she has made progress. She has talent, even though some of it is injured. What would this team be without Taylor Simpson?
Taylor Simpson is an absolute star. I think she is the catalyst that helped get this team to where we can actually talk about the NCAA and be disappointed in a loss to a ranked team at home in 5 sets (and by 2 darn points!!!)
Does anyone know who we are recruiting? We need a good OH to replace her.
I also want to say- I don't know the Simpson family but I think each of the Simpsons has a great deal of class. Great leadership and attitude. Proud that these players are all Buffs!
Does anyone know who we are recruiting? We need a good OH to replace her.
I also want to say- I don't know the Simpson family but I think each of the Simpsons has a great deal of class. Great leadership and attitude. Proud that these players are all Buffs!
I don't have much formal or definitive on recruiting. (Unfortunately, volleyball is the one sport I'm aware of that CU has for which a paysite (richkern.com) seems to be the go-to source for knowing who has committed where.)
Through prowling Google (volleyball clubs are a good source, since helping get kids scholorships is one of their "businesses"), I've found a couple players who seem to have VERBALLY committed to CU- Taylor Joachim, a 6'4" rightside hitter from Michigan, and Brianna Karsseboom, who was if I remember correctly a 5'10" or 5'11" outside hitter from the East Bay of Northern California. (Of course, everything's verbal at this point, so who knows who will end up in Boulder or not. I believe early signing day is only a month or so away, so we'll probably know relatively soon.)
Not that I have a lot of faith in rating services anyway, especially in the "olympic sports", but for what it's worth Volleyball then has another pay site (I don't pay for), prepvolleyball.com, that is the main place to go for top 100 senior lists and so forth . From my prowling of the main volleyball forum (http://volleytalk.proboards.com/board/5/women-girls-volleyball-forum), I did find one thread where prepvolleyball.com allowed for the committed college to be listed but not the player for the top 100 senior list. In that thread,y the #87 ranked senior recruit (maybe one of the two I mention above?) was showing as going to Colorado.
Edit- I did want to add that usually CU (and many other teams- WA, USC, UCLA, etc.) has only had one dominant hitter. Although having two dominant hitters like this year is great, assuming the Buffs can get enough offensive production from other positions next year, we should be OK with Alexis Austin leading the offense scoring-wise. We will of course also have to find ways to replace T. Simpson's defense, although Ms. Austin is looking pretty solid this year in that also. (In general, college sports are tough, with many of the answers to the future in all sports always having to include some high schoolers we don't even know of yet.)
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Nice to get 2 OH. And today I thought the Buffs looked impressive. Kudos to Kritza for having them focused and ready. Austin is a great player and will be great next year. The 1-2 punch with Taylor and Alexis is nice.
Thanks for for the info! I didn't know that most teams had just one good OH. Joslyn Hayes was having a good year but have we seen much of her lately? She seemed to have some passion for the game, which was nice too.
Thanks for for the info! I didn't know that most teams had just one good OH. Joslyn Hayes was having a good year but have we seen much of her lately? She seemed to have some passion for the game, which was nice too.
Re Ms. Hayes, unfortunately I saw her on the bench this week (and maybe even the 1st conference game the Wednesday before last) in a (dreaded) medical "boot", so assume she suffered an ankle or foot injury.?. (I've seen many athletes wearing them but I have no idea what exact injuries these Boots are helping. Ms. Hayes boot went maybe 1/3 to 1/2 up the calf, so assume maybe ankle?) I'm not 100% sure, but if my feeble memory is correct, at least the boot she was wearing this week may have been lighter than the one last week, so hopefully she's well on her way back to 100%.
CUSoccerfan
Member
Maybe two more weeks, we'll have Joslyn Hayes back. She went out just as Alexis Austin came back, so we've never seen the team at full strength. Kelsey English is still walking wounded, she comes in mostly to serve.
#87 in the senior ranking on prepvb is Taylor Joachim. She & Karsseboom are the only 2 verbals I know of. I'm thinking we also should be getting a middle blocker since English and Hargis are seniors, leaving only Cuff & Pfefferle but I have not heard anything on this front. Maybe they move Hayes back to the middle? And definitely could use another DS or 2 .... but the DS players are 99.9% walk-ons so they would not be recognized in any of the material out there
Bebe:
Good call on the middle blocker need. I hadn't gone searching lately to find any new volleyball recruits, so did this morning. It looks like CU may have a verbal commitment from north of the border, Aiden Lea, a 6'5" or 6'6" middle from Kelowna, British Columbia. Assuming this is true- welcome to the Buffs (and to the other young women we've noted)!
(Source for this is http://volleytalk.proboards.com/thread/49514/updated-list-canadians-committed-ncaa?page=1 )
I had no knowledge of Anna Pfefferle coming to CU until I somehow ended up sitting beside her in Minneapolis at the NCAA tourney. She was wearing a CU shirt as were some others around her, so I sat down as I had arrived late. She said she had come to the match with her friends. Near the end of the match, she made her way to the other side of the arena where it appeared the families of the teams were.
Good catch on Aiden Lea. I spend time on volleytalk but somehow that goodie had escaped me.
I don't know how true that is. It seems like those schools usually have a couple.
IMO the good teams have at least 2 dominant hitters and the top teams have at least three dominant hitters. Right now, when healthy, the Buffs have two. Earlier this season they only had one because of Austin's injuries. Now if Ortiz-Ruiz could be more consistent, maybe they could get that third pin hitter.
Thinking about it some more, I'm now thinking that (As usual) you're right. (Do you have any stock tips for me? I could use the money.)
Sorry to 90sBuff for my original answer.
I'll explain why I answered as I did originally, and how it was wrong, by using one of the teams I referenced in my original answer- Washington. Washington definitely had last year and have this year A DOMINANT hitter, defending Pac 12 and National Player of the Year Krista Vansant. She's definitely dominant in that last year she had 42% more kills and 22% more kill attempts than WA's #2 star (Kaleigh Nelson). However, why I now agree/ admit my answer was substantively wrong is because even Washington's "lowly" "second fiddle" Ms. Nelson was a 1st Team Pac 12 selection, and would I assume be the "dominant" player on probably 99.5% of the college teams in America. So, although Washington does have A dominant hitter/ player, they have two (or hell probably even more) players who are good enough to be THE dominant players on most college teams in the USA.
Sorry again for my original answer.
Ah, thanks for the challenge.
The twitter name made it tough, but looks like it could be a 2015 recruit, Naghede Abu from the Inland Empire of Southern California. It looks like she's a 6'3" or 6'4" middle blocker. A couple things I've found so far (if I picked the right person).
1) The 1st webpage I found said she has a 48" verticle. If that is true, wow. (I seem to remember that was the jump height for old Nugget great David Thompson, and was considered a "freakish" talent he had that helped make him so good.)
2) I found some forum entry from last year congratulating her on committing to UCLA. Since they usually can recruit pretty well (although they had a rare off year on the court last year), I'd think that would be a good indication she is talented and/ or has good potential.
anyway- welcome to Ms. Abu!!
Edit- well at least I think I picked the right person. Found the following tweet from her club:
Rancho Valley VBC @RanchoValleyVBC · 20h 20 hours ago
CONGRATULATIONS - Naghede Abu is going to be a Buff. She chose University of Colorado @CUBuffsVB So happy for you.
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