Taylor POW, Hawaii down to 8 in poll, up to 27 RPI
Have an appointment at 9 so likely will not be back in time to update today’s RPI and AVCA poll.
If someone would be kind enough to post when it comes out, I’d appreciate it. Thanks
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Wahine’s RPI now at 27. I did not see an update on the AVCA poll.
Hawaii dropped 1 spot to 8th in AVCA. Nebraska jumped 2 places this week (from 8th to 6th).
Wahine @ #8 got leapfrogged again by Nebraska
Things just got real interesting for Hawaii. If they can finish in the top 25 (top 20 is a lock IMO), I think they can squeak in with a seed based on their national ranking, record, winning streak and conference title.
Main thing is … win these next three games. They weren’t punished by playing a low RPI team. These road games will help UH’s RPI overall.
Wow, just looked at game stats as i did not watch the game. TMO had 7 return errors in 21 opportunities? Greeley had 1 re in 16 opportunities. Why did Dave keep TMO in the backrow if she was having such problems. Were the serving from the opponents that good? I was hoping that TMO had solved her early season problems, but have they returned? You can’t win NCAA playoff games with performances like that.
4# Granato came in for her in eventually. When TMO was in the back row, the UC Davis servers had a plan to go after her. They’d stack their blockers at the net and the server would get close to the back line and lined up behind the blockers so the middle back for Hawaii (Tai) couldn’t see the serve well or get much of a read on it until it floated low over the net. It bothered Tai, the others not so much.
3. UH really needs LBSU to get into the top 50 RPI so that it gets the bonuses for the two season wins. That will help UH’s RPI rank. LBSU at 54 and plays Riverside and Fullerton (not good) before finishing with Pacific and Denver, who has a great record. Hope they win out and team above them lose.
#4;,.Agree with you but this has been an ongoing weakness during the entire career here. Granato is a great fix in the backrow but she will need to grow 2″-3″ to elevate over the bigger blocks in the front that is becoming a norm in today’s game for an OH. Aa an example, Stanford recruited a 6’6″ Setter /OH. The taller girls just can get over the block more often than not. (unless our little shorter athletes start to tool the hands and not power it all the time) .Granato is a super athlete but size and very good athleticism prevails come postseason time. With that said, anything can happen regardless of that if an athlete has a heart of a lion.
#4. Come to think of it, most of TMO’s receive errors came in the second set, when most of the Davis servers kept the UC Davis band as their background, with their mostly white band shirts on. Also, when Tai leaned or half-stepped to get a better look at the server, the blockers at the net would follow her lean or half-step to keep the server obscured.
Nikki Taylor earns Big West Player of the week honors
Sometimes it looks like Savannah is over compensating for TMO in the backrow because they have ran into each other a few times.
Congratulations Nikki!!
Nikki is certainly shoe in for 1st team All American, right?
Actually, having watched USC, Washington, UCLA, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska because VB coverage is so good now. Just saying but..I think Hawaii would be somewhere between the AVCA and RPI in actual ranking. Seems like the top teams shuttle in a lot of players at their OH positions.. a luxury Hawaii doesn’t have or has developed. I also marvel at what Wisky has with Carlini (size and soft hands); what a game changer!
I’m hoping this team makes it past the second round…. :o)
Different game of course, but back in the day of playing infield I learned the worst technique for fielding was to get too low, too wide, or too much ‘locked’ into a body position. Some have a tendency to look like they equate ‘ready’ to receive with all three of the above. Best ready position for most fielders is to be relaxed, knees comfortably bent and spaced, shoulders square to the direction of the ball, and body leaning forward and feet slightly and lightly in motion toward the likely direction the ball may come off the bat (knowing your pitcher and the hitter tendencies, you can anticipate), or in volleyball moving toward the direction of the serve. If expecting a float serve, there’s no reason to be crouched low, like a catcher in anticipation of a 95 mph heater in the general direction of vital body parts. If you are far enough back, expecting a modest velocity, some modest motion toward the ball before it gets half-way means quicker reaction to it as you get a read on it, with your feet in a better position to complete a play. When digging in transition, our passers usually look fine; their feet are moving and they can look twice the athletes.
That TMO registered seven reception errors – three spaced evenly in S1 and four clustered early in S4 – is an indication of the coaching staff’s sloweness in adjusting. The coaches should have made the backrow substitution earlier in the match because TMO (bless her heart) was struggling with passing as well.
It is frustrating to see UA All-American McKenna relegated to cheerleading.
In the post-season, there is no margin for slow adjustments. I suggest that they not wait until the post-season to start adjusting more timely; that is, if the last three games matter…
I’m glad that TMO was competitive at the net.
#15 I thought that group of 4 early came in the second set, but guess my attention was split with another game I was trying to watch. They did adjust eventually and subbed in the freshman Granato, who also came in for Greely at one point I think. Greely had her struggles in the front row. Basically, UC Davis had stretches where they played well and smart, and Hawaii didn’t match them, but they did catch them. Conference foes second time around will usually tighten things up. It’s difficult to run over teams that know you well. Generally you have to wear them down and make adjustments on the fly, which Hawaii did. They tried to let Tai work her way out of it, but when it became clear it wasn’t happening, they adjusted. I don’t have a problem with Shoji’s patience against conference foes that he’s got the upper hand against in a longer match. If you pull the hook out too quick on your starters, that can backfire too, both on and off the court.
No sense getting frustrated over the coaching staff’s slow response to effect game-time changes. It’s always been like this.
thanks for all the help.
appreciate the analysis about the serve-receive. It did look like it was hard to make out the ball on serve with the Davis band in white. Kahakai and Manu-Olevao have had communications during the season.
As for Taylor as an AA wouldn’t say a shoo-in.All depends on the regional selection committee. She has to be first team Big West. Hawaii in the same region as Pac-12 north teams such as Stanford and UW.
15. Gran1to was a great high school player, as were all the Wahine. Someone has to sit.
16 if you want to know when Manu-Oevao got aced, play-by-play available on the boxscore link.
http://www.hawaiiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&id=19543
I took a look at the voting and noticed that one voter (Melissa Shelton/W&M coach) voted Hawaii 10 last week and mysteriously dropped Hawaii out of her votes this week. If voters don’t take their responsibility seriously, then the AVCA poll will be a bigger joke than it already is.
I think a better sub in the back row for Tai would be Clare-M. We don’t need another back-row hitter, we need a good passer and defensive player and I think she has shown she is the best we have back there. This would allow Tai to concentrate on what she is really good at, elevating and hitting in the front row.
The AVCA poll is a joke you’re right. The other alternative to a poll is to keep winning. I’m glad the blog is here for all the information and for all of you to express your coaching knowledge in the blog. I’m also glad that coaches coach and not read the blogs.
Congrats Nikki! We will be cheering you and the team on in Irvine!
playing the what if game is fun, so what if Hawaii was in the pac-12, what would be their record be like against the stronger conference competition? obviously their RPI would be much higher than now. Also would they even make the NCAA’s tourney? and if they did I believe the stronger competition would make them go even deeper in the tourney. What if when Iosia comes in next year, she turns out to be the better setter, She seems to get rave reviews from coach shoji, would he start her over the other two returnees? I think with the pieces Hawaii has returning, next season is possibly their year to challenge for the NC. good fun yeah the what if game! oh by the way, as I said long time ago (in the season) CMA is terrific! go bows
#20 Was thinking the exact same thing while re-watching the match last night. I believe UCLA routinely plays two backcourt players – DS Rachel Inouye and Libero Taylor Formico) in their backcourt at the same time. My best recollection of the match was that TMO only hit just 2-3 pipe sets for the match. And McKenna hit only 1 pipe set while in the match for Tai. How critical is the availability of the pipe set option to the offensive scheme?
For adjusting to UCD’s defenses, congratulations, Nikki!
20…Excellent point!
19. and 21. Melissa Shelton is THE joke!
Haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere, but Hawaii with 3 matches left and with an outrages thought of 3 loses (no bachi) they have still clinched the automatic bid for the NCAAs, with the head to head BW ruling for ties.
Congratulations to Nikki for being selected POW for the 4th time this season. Glad to see that you are back to form in time to close out an undefeated conference season and ready for the NCAAs.
Tongo, as you already know getting a good pass is the most important part of the game. If we can pass well enough so that we have the option to set the middle or the outsides, we won’t need a back court pipe option.
30. It was mentioned that being set 2-3 times for the pipe for the match (not mentioning how many times being successful) the seven aces against that player completely negates the reason for that offensive part of the game plan. Sub that player out for a DS.
Perhaps having Savannah and Clare-Marie together will strengthen the communication in the back row. Even before this weekend, the Wahine in the back row haven’t communicated as well as they should be for such a late stage in the season. I believe that Savannah is trying to help out TMO, but we really don’t need an injury to Savannah.
29. they’ve only clinched a share of the BWC title because they still have to beat Cal Poly to have that head-to-head tiebreaker.
They win tonight and they have the title.
Anderson for Manu-Olevao doesn’t make sense. Hawaii libero-outs one middle (when Kahakai serves) then brings in a DS for the other middle. With Kahakai replacing the DS after serve rotation done.
As good as Magill was at the end serving when Hawaii was out of subs vs. Long Beach State, you don’t want her playing back row for any length of time. If you saw how UH had to ‘hide her’ in the passing scheme, it was obvious. She sets a nice ball though.
Yes, Manu-Olevao had a bad game. The key will be to see how she responds tonight.
In response to the question would UH make the NCAA tourney if they were in the Pac-12.
IMHO If Hawaii were in that conference they would be getting Pac-12 money, which would help recruiting and preseason scheduling, they would gain the prestige of playing in the Pac-12 and it would only add to what Hawaii has built out here against mounting odds.
new link up for Tuesday
http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=34341