@ Evansville and SIU Weekend

[1972Shocker]

This team is starting to remind me of last year's men's BB team.

[1972Shocker]

I wasn't able to listen to the radio boadcast of the SIU math but see the Shocks took carry of business in a 25, 17, 13 sweep. Did anyone listen and if so did Lambo have any comments about the Evansville match?

Evansville did give MSU a battle but the Bears did prevail in four sets 25-17, 13-25, 25-16, 28-26. BTW, Evansville is only 2-7 in MVC play.

Unfortunately, the Shocks have dug themselves a very deep hole at 6-3 at the halfway point of the MVC season. Even if they go 9-0 in the second half they could still be looking at a #3 seed in the MVC Tournament.

At this point we need to go at least 8-1 in the second half to build our resume for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

I would love to win the MVC Tournament but that is one area where we have not done very well under Lambo and you don't want to have to depend on that to get into the dance.

[SpanglerFan316]

I agree but I think the team has dug itself too deep a hole to get an at-large bid. I guess this is a good year to be gone from the area.

Where is the team failing? My guess from comments is in the backrow but I don't actually know. Will we be better next year with CF as our full time setter and with new faces among the "littles"?

What can I expect next year? Dominance at the net from Elizabeth, Emily, Sam, etc.? Great digs from the littles? What?

[WuDrWu]

Our middle production is better than I've ever seen it, and that's even with MEH (imho) struggling a little to connect as well as I think we could. This strong production should, in my less than knowledgeable opinion, make it easier for our outside hitters to score, yet we seem to find that more difficult than in past years. Certainly having a Sarah Lungren or an Emily Stockman to go to is different than who we have now, but it's not that much different especially when we are so much stronger in the middle.

No doubt the biggest difference is in the serve and receive game. I think against Evansville we had 2 aces and 7-9 service errors while UE had around 10 aces and maybe 1 or 2 service errors. You just can't lose that aspect of the match by those numbers, ESPECIALLY when you shouldn't. We are far more talented, experienced and better coached to allow that to happen.

When this team has served aggressively to their potential, they are capable of beating almost any team in the country. They gave Hawaii all they wanted and the Wahine have a couple of All Americas and will be a popular choice, if not a favorite playing at home, to make it to the Final 4. They also should have closed out UNI, on the road, and their only loss was to a top 6 Minnesota team.

This team, for whatever reason, seems to walk that very fine line between confidence and arrogance with their abilities. I am not so certain they have destroyed their at large possibilities, although there is no doubt they are severely damaged.

An 8-1 finish, with a final appearance against UNI, I THINK, would get them into the tourney. 9-0 would almost have to dictate their inclusion, regardless of the tourney. That being said, there is little that we've seen, so far, that would make the average fan think that kind of consistency is likely to occur.

[1972Shocker]

I think we still have a shot at an at-large bid. Evansville was a bad loss, but none of our other losses were bad losses IMHO. We have nice wins over Oklahoma, Colorado State and San Francisco out of conference. Last year the Valley got 4 teams into the dance. I don't expect that again, but 3 teams is a definite possibility if the Shocks and MSU can avoid losses to anyone outside of UNI or to each other.

We will not have to wait long to see if the Shocks can finish he second half strong. We have MSU this Friday in Springfield (a 6:00 pm start BTW) followed the next weekend at home against Bradley and UNI, followed by a road trip to Creighton and Drake.

Sam Sanders had a bad weekend at Evansville and SIU. Her attack line was 10-10-32 = .000 hitting percentage. Mike Kennedy said there was an upper respiratory bug hitting team (and he said he had it also) and IIRC he mentioned Sam specifically as suffering from this. Hopefully, this won't be an issue by the time Friday gets here.

Sam Sanders does remind me a little bit of Amanda Backes in that they both were tremendously athletic and both run a little hot and cold with their perfomances. OTOH Sam is just getting started as this is her first year of significant court time during matches. Hard to say how much of this past weekend may have been due to her being under the weather.


As far as next year goes, I think we are set to replace Hooper and Waldo adequately. Not sure about Camri. Audrey Biggs would appear to be the prime candidate for that at this point, but I certainly would not expect Audrey to be nearly as productive as Camri has been. With Emily, Sam, Elizabeth and Ashley though we have plenty of weapons so we just need Audrey to be enough of a threat to keep teams somewhat honest. How the littles play next year will also be a key factor in how we do and to what extent that will happen may be our biggest question mark.

[1972Shocker]

there is little that we've seen, so far, that would make the average fan think that kind of consistency is likely to occur.

That's the fact Jack. We might squeeze into the tournament as an at-large if we go 7-2 with our losses to MSU and UNI and MSU and UNI go 8-1 and 9-0 (either way) and we meet either MSU or UNI in the tournament finals which means we would have to beat one of these two teams enroute to the finals. That could be good enough.

In any case, the Shocks have put themselves in a tough position.

[WuDrWu]

As far as next year goes, I think we are set to replace Hooper and Waldo adequately. Not sure about Camri. Audrey Biggs would appear to be the prime candidate for that at this point, but I certainly would not expect Audrey to be nearly as productive as Camri has been. With Emily, Sam, Elizabeth and Ashley though we have plenty of weapons so we just need Audrey to be enough of a threat to keep teams somewhat honest. How the littles play next year will also be a key factor in how we do and to what extent that will happen may be our biggest question mark.

While I cannot be specific, I am under the impression that next season will bring an influx of talent not seen before under this regime. Whether or not that translates into a better team or not, time will only tell.


'72, check PM.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

That's the fact Jack. We might squeeze into the tournament as an at-large if we go 7-2 with our losses to MSU and UNI and MSU and UNI go 8-1 and 9-0 (either way) and we meet either MSU or UNI in the tournament finals which means we would have to beat one of these two teams enroute to the finals. That could be good enough.

In any case, the Shocks have put themselves in a tough position.

I too agree with where the talent level is going, the question is can it be focused. Can it be used to it's potential?