Spoiler alert: USA v Russia
U.S. rallies for 22-25, 21025 25-19, 25-19, 15-13 win for the bronze.
Team apparently had to walk several blocks in the pouring rain to get to the arena after their bus didn’t have the right credentials to get past security
Priddy off the bench started off 15 of 20, finished with 18 points.
COMMENTS
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What a comeback, saw some highlights on the Olympics website.
23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-13
Cindy,
I’m curious about Hawaiis setting. Is it really unknown if Higgins will start?
I can’t see any other senior setter that shoji would sit.
Shoji always goes with the starter, in this case Higgins, until they lose a set. My question is who will replace Higgins? Berg may have the final say here (and my guess is Iosia.)
Watched the match this morning, and got to give kudos to both USA and Russian teams. Reid Priddy came in to re-ignite the USA team and Christensen made some super athletic plays in 5th. Anderson was money in the end. Just great volleyball to watch.
Comparing Higgins and Iosia strictly by what I saw at the scrimmage very little separates the two of them. Iosia’s serves are just as consistence with more velocity, Higgins’ floor defense is ahead and both set locations and set selections are about equal. Shoji will start Higgins.
Kendra was playing the left outside hitter position with twice on the left and once on the right.
Wow, sounds like Iosia is the real deal. Agree that Dave always goes with his seniors but Higgins will have a freshman breathing down on her. With Greeley not taking rep in the front row, it is clear her recovery may be slower than hoped for. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Koelsch, who was a solid OP/setter in HS, can step in as a hitter. Kendra is very athletic and she deserves to be playing.
Greeley was playing the left hitter position for the 2nd team, but her swings were clearly not up to speed. I would say probably in the 60 to 70% range. It is highly unlikely that she would be ready to go at full speed hitting in the 3 week preseason tournaments. Her backrow play will be missed until she’s ready to swing at full speed. Maybe until then, she can come in to serve and play backrow only.
Thanks for the clarification. I think you’re right about what is likely. Worst case scenario, Greeley takes a redshirt year. So, if we compare Kirsten Sibley and Kendra Koelsch right now at OH positions, who is more advance in your opinion?
hollycow, thanks for the insight. Kalei was showing good pop last year, compared to her freshman year. Hopefully she can get back to that by the end of the season.
Will be interesting to see how Shoji reacts when he gets back. There has to have been significant improvement since he last saw the girls play.
Higgins will start, no doubt about it. Shoji would shut down any thoughts of Kendra or Norene
Oh boy Doreen Ionia has sweet hands. Her sets/ back sets are effortless. You cannot hear the ball and ball is not spinning in the air….Experience in a college level gives Higgins a slight edge..By “pure” athleticism and Olympics caliber the nod goes to Iosia…Regardless, Iosia or Higgins are gamers. Koelsch looks good at outside hitter to provide depth. Koelsch may be #3 setting but has the #1 block of all setters. We have some awesome depth in the backrow with the returnees and freshmen…Not much of any drop off from any of them…The team will be in the Final 4 if the team (Mitchem’s, Greenly, Castillo, and Nikki)
get and stay healthy….Looking forward to Friday healthy or unhealthy…we have alot of talent to at least battle with mix lineups
Man, when the injury bug rains, it pours. Hopefully everyone comes back fully healthy by conference and peak for the tournament. We need everyone healthy.
I’m surprised at how long KG’s shoulder is taking to heal. I got my labrum repaired and within 4 months, I was at full strength and lifting heavy weights over head with crossfit. If she got her surgery in February/March, she should be up to speed by now. Unless there were more complications than initially thought. Well, hopefully she can return soon. We will miss her and Annie for sure.
I always thought it took a good year to regain mobility and strength. In either case, hoping Greeley takes the smart course and takes a cautious approach to recovery. Wahines don’t need to win in preseason. We just need to win the BW Conference title and then go all out in postseason.
13. Are u kidding? They need to win in pre season if they want a decent draw in the ncaa tournament!
It used to take over a year, but with medical advancing and a shoulder surgery to repair your labrum is very un-invasive as it used to be. I have two round tiny scars from mine. If your doctor is good and you follow the proper rehab, within 4 months you should be back to full strength. I don’t know KG position, so I can’t speak for her case.
13,14 you both are right. But in the end Greely needs to play went she is ready.
8. Just from the scrimmage it’s difficult to make a judgement to who’s ahead at the leftside hitter position. The coaches felt Sibley was ahead so she started with the first team. Sibley has a lot of experience playing the left side thru high school and club play, whereas Koelsch was switching at setter and the right side before coming to UH. When Shoji gets back he’ll figure out and make the decisions who will start to maximize the best chance to win.
Shoji desires his OHs to be 6 rotation because the middles already take up 12 substitutions. If Sibley can play back-row I’d go with her; else Koelsch. (Either can be used to back-up Granato who typically loses her hops by the 3rd set.)
An alternative strategy is to allow Mags and/or Castillo to play 6 rotation (both can hit from the 3 meter line.) The downside is it would keep the libero and/or DS out of the game.
blunite, what would make you think maglio is even capable of playing backrow? beach and indoors are 2 totally different ends of the spectrum. in beach she primarily played along the net so didn’t get a lot of experience playing defense, aside from blocking. also, she’s never played 6 rotations in HS nor in college and you think it’s just that easy for her to jump into?
gosh, people’s expectations of these young girls are so ridiculous. already setting the bar so high especially for girls who have yet to start for na wahine in the past.
po’okela, totally agree about your Maglio comment. Someone who has great beach skills does not always translate directly to indoor and vice versa. The skill set compliment each other and is great for cross training, but the movement is totally different.
Couple of comments
Greeley isn’t going to redshirt
Maglio is very capable of playing back row. It would give them another dimension if she were set from 3 meters. but they have so many good DSs that likely she won’t play back row.
Sibley could be a six-rotation player, has back-row skills.
Comments about the scrimmage are very insightful and valid but remember it was just a scrimmage and they were playing each other. Iosia said that it was hard with players switching sides to find a rhythm
As many of you have said, knowing how Shoji is, Higgins will start on Friday. He will have input from the entire staff, not just Berg, when it comes to the setter. He also said the best one will play.
Given Greeley’s lack of pop at the moment … she also was told not to go 100 percent on her swings on Saturday … Koelsch would be a good sub in certain situations. Someone said she was used more on the left. It seemed that she was more on the right when playing on the opposite team of Taylor.
Maglio actually HAS played 6 rotations in high school.
the reality is that, if maglio is playing MB this year (as is likely the case), then if she plays back row, it will be for half a rotation a couple times a set, if she’s allowed to serve. it doesn’t seem likely that she would be left all 3 rotations in the back row. it would negate the libero position. no matter how good maglio is in the backrow, i seriously doubt that she would be at kahakai’s level back there, in terms of passing and floor defense.
if maglio is capable of hitting out of the back row, then i’d love to see it. b/c she’s never done it in a game time situation, and if it’s effective, then it would add an interesting dimension to the offense.
it’s still worth exercising some restraint about her back row play. even if she has played back row in high school (or even in practice), it’s still a far cry from playing it at the D1 level in a game time situation. if she can do it, great! it just means the team has some options. but at this stage, it might not be their first option …
I find it funny how a certain poster pops their head out once in a while just to complain about other posters opinions.
Cindy — will SA be doing a special preview section again for volleyball this year?
(sorry, if this has been answered already, and i just missed it …)
well the comments being made were pretty ridiculous, felt I needed to “pop” in for a bit… now back to my like… which doesn’t consist of blogging 24/7.
Just asking?
I think liberos cannot hit from backrow but can the DS’s hit from there?
tarai — yes, a DS player who subs in for the back row can also hit/attack out of the back row.
i don’t see posters’ comments as “complaining” … it’s good when we try to keep each other in check. difference of opinions make the board more interesting… imho …
LOL. Like Meat Loaf in his Bat Out of Hell record, we are “All Revved Up With No Place To Go”. The blog is heating up and we are all ready to.
thanks Cubicle1126
23. Maglio is the top MB. The discussion was that they might consider using her at OPP next year.
25. yes, unfortunately due to other specials running in the paper, the volleyball preview doesn’t come out until Friday, day of first match.
http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=38775
new thread up for Monday