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TexasDPT

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Posts posted by TexasDPT

  1. 4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

    Man, Swindle or Carlson is a hard one.  I really hope we don't bench Swindle.  She's a much better flat-footed setter and her blocking, attacking and serving is so good.  

    We don't win the title without her.  Just throwing her aside hurts.

    Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out in the fall. I just hope they don't run a true 6-2...maybe use it situationally though.

  2. Hot takes after watching all the spring matches:

    I can see Averi being the starting setter in the fall, which I didn't think initially. Her setting tempo and location just puts all the hitters in a better position to attack—that was clearly evident from the end-line view of the court in the IG feed against UTSA. 

    Ella provides the better block and setter attack option, but her location was inconsistent...maybe because she's gone back to jump-setting? If so, she should set flat-footed b/c she locates the ball so much better. 

    Madi and Jenna will start at OH.  Madi needs to continue to work on her serve-receive and ball control (especially if she wants to succeed at the next level), but her attack window allows her to crush any ball. Jenna's offense was better with Averi's sets, and her all-around game looks good. She may be playing all 6 rotations unless one of the DS's (Reese or Brennan) learn to play middle-back effectively.

    OH Depth chart after Madi and Jenna is:  Helmers > Miller >>> Byrd.

    It was nice to finally see Helmers on the court after not playing for 1.5 years (concussion, opted out of playing her Sr high school season, and then shoulder surgery). 

    I know she has been injured for a while, but Byrd's offense is a fraction of what she showed last spring. It looks like she has focused so much on trying to develop her ball control that she has forgotten how to attack. IMO, she should be training at Opp, especially considering the OHs coming in for 2025. 

    I was worried about the MB position, but Singletary and Ames played really well this spring. Both are offensive weapons...just need to continue to get better at reading the setter (especially Mari) which will come with time and playing experience. Nya's knee surgery was last summer - hopefully she's not having any serious lingering effects from it and its all precautionary. It may be imperative to cross-train Byrd at MB if so. 

    For Opp, I think either Devin or Reagan could start. Just like Jenna, both looked so much better hitting off of Averi. Reagan is better offensively, but Devin brings in a solid blocking presence. I just don't see Tomkinson logging any meaningful minutes. She and Miller would probably start at a mid-level program.

    Lauenstein could be the dark horse for either pin position in the fall. We just don't know the extent of her injury. 

    Halter and Akana have their positions locked up; just need Akana to get healthy.

    Next up, European trip. Hopefully we get some good videos posted from their matches. They use a different ball over there, so passing/ball control is going to be an adventure for them but will make them better.

    • Hook 'Em 4
    • Like 2
  3. Blocking from the middle position is going to be a weakness when they start playing teams with better hitters/offense. There's a reason why they were consistently incorporating triple blocks during the match. 

    Bad Jenna started off the match, but Good Jenna showed up pretty quickly once she settled down. I thought she looked all-worldly with Carlson's fast-tempo, well-located sets.

    Ella's going to be the starter regardless...her serving and blocking are going to keep her on the floor.

    Rutherford will be better offensively from the right pin, but she needs to improve her blocking. Hopefully, Lauenstein can challenge her b/c I didn't see much from Devin or Auburn. 

    I'm interested to see where Byrd will fit in when she gets healthy. She, Bunton, and Lauenstein may not get playing reps this spring since all 4 matches are back-to-back....But hopefully they will get healthy enough to play during the Europe trip this summer.

    Akana needs to get healthy as well b/c I wasn't impressed with Emerick in the backrow. We've been spoiled for the past 2 years with having 3 elite littles. 

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 2
  4. 3 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

    I think this could be a sign that Swindle is having some type of significant surgery due to the injury she was dealing with. 

     

    Someone on VT posted that Swindle posted on Tiktok that she has been in a boot for 3 months....so probably something more serious.

    Damn, just shows how much of a baller she really is then...

    • Hook 'Em 3
  5. 1 hour ago, Js1 said:

    Gotta assume an OH on the roster is leaving, or maybe Elliot feels Whitney may not be able to start right away after her layoff from volleyball so Rutherford can step in day 1, or someone is moving to MB. 

    Rich get richer 

    Byrd to MB seems more likely at this point. 

    Devin will have to decide if she is willing to fight for a spot. Doubt it though when she can be an immediate starter somewhere else. 

    Still think Wenaas' spot isn't secured.

    Skinner, Swindle, Halter, and Akana are the only for sure starters imo. 

  6. 2 hours ago, Js1 said:

    Interesting discussion on VolleyTalk if Lauenstein's addition will mean an open competition on the right and the left.  10 or so days left for Devin to jump in the portal if she's going to. 

    OH1: Madi - no competition

    OH2: Jenna, Whitney, Jordan Byrd, Devin

    OPP - Whitney, Byrd, Devin, Tomkinson

    It looks like Rutherford disengaged from Texas after we got Whitney and is now interested in aggy. Lednicky + Rutherford is badass, but heed the Wisconsin warning, Morrison - a 6-2 hasn't won a title since 2005 (UW). 

    I’m thinking 

    OH1: Madi - no competition

    OH2: Jenna, Whitney, Byrd, Helmers

    OPP - Whitney, Byrd, Devin, Tomkinson

     

    JE will want to keep 3 ‘Littles’ on the floor, so the OH2 will need to pass when in the front row.

    Wenaas may have the inside track bc we really don’t know how the others can pass…but it will also depend how terminal the other OHs can be. I was really impressed that Jenna upped her play in the last 3 matches, but I’d still like to see a more consistent and terminal hitter there to help take pressure off Madi.

    With Ella’s more consistent setting, the Opp who can kill the ball in/out of system and with better blocking skills will get the start.

    If everyone comes back healthy, we’ll definitely have more options on the pins. I think it will be important for the pins to be terminal since we’ll probably see a significant drop off in offense and defense production from our young middles. 
     

    Will JE go for a grad transfer MB? Or will he move Byrd to MB to add depth? Same with DS…does he go for a transfer or does he rely on one of his 2 incoming freshmen DS’s? Hopefully one of them can replicate Halter’s freshman season…

     

  7. 8 hours ago, Js1 said:

    I know our season isn't over (and hopefully is not until Sunday), but we can start some portal talk

    • Baylor looks to be getting turbofucked - Setter Averi Carlson (2022 Big 12 FOY, 2022 TX and National Gatorade POY) is in the portal. Some talk Texas may be looking at her, because you always need a backup setter. OPP Riley Simpson is in the portal too and rumor that DS Alexis Decosta is also gone (#5 recruit in her class)
    • Kentucky OH Reagan Rutherford is also in the portal - very juicy option for Texas.  She's on the smaller side (6 feet) but she hit over .300 the last 2 seasons. She is from Missouri City
    • Cursty is also following Kentucky MB Jordyn Williams - 6'2 RS SO MB, #8 in her class.  She only played in 12 matches this year, hit .331 and 39 blocks in 39 sets. 

    If I'm Elliot, my portal needs are:

    • OPP/OH if Devin leaves.  The biggest offseason coup Elliot could make is keeping her. I'm not optimistic - she looks miserable on the sideline during matches. 
    • Backup setter
    • Potentially a fourth MB for depth

    MB - We have Singletary, who has played this year, Bunton, who took a redshirt and Ames coming in at MB.  Texas prefers to redshirt their MBs, but we can't go into the season with only 2 active MBs if Ames is going to RS.  Ames could probably start day 1 though. She's good.
    L/DS - Halter is a lock at libero.  Akana at DS. We bring in two L/DS recruits - Reese Emerick and Brennan Ramirez.   Emerick is really good, so she could start day 1 as a DS with Barnes departing.
    OH - Skinner is a lock.  Then you have Byrd, Wenaas and Helmers. I mean, the hope is that Byrd supplants Wenaas.  She was #22 in her class, 2-time Gatorade Florida POY and is big at 6'4.  Jenna is Jenna - will another offseason in the Texas system help her? Idk.  I feel for her, but man, she is hard to watch sometimes. 
    OPP - Molly is gone, to play beach somewhere else, so Devin would probably be your day 1 starter if she stays.  If she goes, Texas is going to have to go into the portal.  We also have Tomkinson here too.
    S - Swindle, duh.  But then it's Crownover and no one.  Texas may be looking for a backup here. 

    There is a projected lineup where we could go with 6'2 Skinner, 6'4 Devin, 6'4 Byrd, 6'4 Singletary, 6'4 Ames, 6'3 Swindle. Obviously Madi will play all 6 rotations, but you probably need someone else to as well (Byrd or Devin). Or we go out and get a 6 rotation OH. Jenna can play all the way around, but do we want to see her on the court for 3 more rotations? 

    Hell no!

    It is what it is at this point, but I don't want to Wenaas in the starting line-up next year. Jenna is who I thought she would be when she transferred in...she has skill but can never put it all together and play consistently at a high level. Next season, I hope Byrd displaces Jenna on the left pin.

    I'm in the camp that believes Devin is gone. She's going through the motions of being a good teammate on the sideline but she's completely checked out. 

    If we're going to hit the portal, I'd honestly like to see Reagan Rutherford transfer in and start at Opposite.  She may be on the shorter side at 6'0, but she has hops and is a terminal hitter on the right pin as a lefty. She was putting up 3.47 Kills/set and averaging 0.9 blocks/set (better than Molly's numbers) before getting injured this season. She can also potentially play 6-rotations since she was trained at Kentucky to play back-row defense, be in the passing lanes for a couple of rotations, and attack from the back-row. Plus, she can actually hit out-of-system high balls from the right pin which can help take some pressure off the left pins and make the offense less predictable. 

    Averi Carlson would be nice to have as another quality scholarship setter on the squad and to give Ella some competition.  But even without her, there will be 3 setters next year (Ella and walk-ons Marina Crownover and Rella Binney). But yeah, if Ella goes down for an extended period of time, we would be screwed. 

    I think we are set at MB with Mari, Nya, and Ayden...it'll be a young group (unless we get an experienced grad transfer MB), so that's why we need terminal pin hitters next season so that the MBs can focus on blocking, since we'll probably see a significant drop-off in that part of our game. 

    The team goes on their European summer trip next year after a semester of spring training. It'll be a good time for the team to get extra quality practice reps, and hopefully, we'll see an overall improvement in each player's skills. 

    • Hook 'Em 2
  8. After watching that match, our biggest weaknesses compared to those two teams are the 3 rotation OH, right-side hitter, floor defense, and setter. 
     

    Jenna/Devin just aren’t consistent terminal hitters. 
     

    Molly needs a perfect, fast-tempo set to be effective. 
     

    Their overall floor defense is light years ahead of ours. They are more organized, where we fall into moments looking like they are playing next to each other for the first time. 
     

    And for how much Ella has improved, her set location and overall bettering-the-ball skills is still not there yet. 
     

    Still a lot of matches to improve, but realistically a regional final may be this team’s highest potential…hopefully I’m wrong. 

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