Wednesday checkin, Top 25 scores

Did some more looking around on the Big West and Cal Poly sites and am still not finding an indication of a telecast. This snip from the Cal Poly release about tomorrow’s match doesn’t sound too hopeful. Am hoping this is an “oops” and that there will be video somewhere.

http://gopoly.com/sports/wvball/2015-16/releases/20151116t8iv30

“FOLLOW THE MUSTANGS THIS WEEK: Live stats will be available for Thursday’s match with the Rainbow Wahine, while Hawai’i will also provide a live audio play-by-play feed. Tiff Wells has the call [link provided].”

Cindy, can you update all on Annie Mitchem’s rehab status. Wondering if she will beat the NCAA start date clock. Thanks in advance.

UC Davis Coach discusses his serve strategy against Hawaii:
http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/111715aab.html

You’re playing a game, whether it’s Little League or Game 7 of the Word Series. It’s impossible to do well unless you’re having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there’s pressure. But I just look at it as fun.

Derek Jeter

“LESGIRLS…”!?! AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Other coaches know the weak points of UH and the players. However not many.

The teams in the NCAA will be a lot better than those in the Big West. They definitely will be targeting and attacking the front row right where Higgins will be blocking. They will also target serving the ball to Olevao.

Shoji will stay with this line up and not alter his strategy until he falls behind. Against the better teams in the tournament he will find it not easy to come back and win. Hopefully this will not play out as such.

It is evident that every block or block assist made with Kendra in the front that may account for 1 point a match. A swing of 2 points.

Every serve and or dig received and passed by a more talented skilled back row player may lead to 1 point a match. A swing of 2 points.

So if Kendra blocking stats are 2 to 3 more than Higgins a match and a defensive specialist serve reception and digging amounts to another 2 to 3 more chances, taking a 50% success ratio equates to a 2-3 point swing minimum.

Thus taking a 3 point swing a hypothetical score can be UH 21 opponent 15. Or not having that 3 point swing the score would be 18 all. Bottom line the best capable player needs to play in that position because the close matches may give UH the edge with those 2 players that will substitute those positions.

Starting the original starters initially and make the other team think that is what they’ll have success with. Soon as the other team believe they can have some success with that strategy change up the positions with Kendra and Claire. Confusing and making the opponent think otherwise on their game plan can have some positive affects for UH while those positions are strengthen during those particular rotations with the so call subs.

There was someone on VT that kept talking about Dave holding back KK for the regionals. And they kept saying it over and over again. It was funny. Not sure if Dave is holding anything back at this point. This is the time in the season where you lay it all on the table.

But…KK definitely did get a significantly less playing time than she has been recently. I do believe that she needs to be up front at the net as much as possible. Not just for a play or two and not just when they are in the 20’s. She can be a game changer and we will need her to win some games in the post season…there is no doubt about that. I think Mitchem, KK and Clare will be our X factors in the preseason and will really help determine how far we go.

Tony have been there all year. In fact, I’ve seen more of Tony then of Tommy.
Tony have been there for almost all of the home games. Tommy probably have other teams to take care of(women’s basketball, softball, men vball, etc…) so he let Tony do most of the drills.

My two cents for players that seem to fall back to their old habits. Repetition to “erase” old habits and tendencies, and the mental game follows. Maybe a bit like golf. If you haven’t done enough reps to ingrain stuff into your swing, when under pressure, for some reason, your mind and body sometimes reverts back to your old habits. Guess I am a strong believer in repetition. And if you are confident in what you are doing, generally you use the pressure to motivate yourself. As to above comments, maybe Shoji should take some chances or be willing to make some changes. Or we might have deja vu all over again.

21. hahaha, it looks like it. Nikki and Casey are hunching over a bit, but Jeff Hall is not and he’s 6’6″.

#14 For me, all the alluding to what should be or what maybe could be becomes moot at this point of the season. The starters and designated role players have been cast. With only 2 matches left in next 4 days, a lineup changes is unlikely. Listening to Shoji’s post match comments, his only focus is whether the starting and role players are properly executing their assignments and responsibilities. For me, my money is on the coach – no other mid-major programs is anywhere close to his level of success, and only a handful of major programs are more successful.

Watched Minnesota-Maryland and watching Wisky-Illinois now… All beatable for sure. Wahine need to stay focused on the goal!

Michigan a 3-1 winner over Penn State today in WVB.

#11 My guess is that it will likely appear when it is closer to match time.

29…we are entitled to agree to disagree agreeably.. Our Hall of Fame coach has not produced a National Championship in 28 years..
These could be the signs of the times!

I like that photo of the team, but would like it more if it included Annie.
Natasha sure does look taller, maybe she grew . Wouldn’t be surprised if she is listed at 6′ 6 next year.

34 mahalo on Annie

#32. Yep, everyone has their own opinions and no one has a superior status in terms of credibility. However, Hawaii not having a national championship for 28 years is very understandable. Since 2006 a major change has occurred in NCAA Division I sports, the onset of the BCS system in football. The major football bowls are drawn from five major conferences, the Big Five. The amount of television money that goes to the Big Five schools is obscene. Ever since, the non-Big Five schools, the mid-majors and lesser ones are a considerable disadvantage when it comes to all sports, including women’s volleyball. All the mid-major coaches talk of this all the time. The only schools that usually can compete are schools with a national following, usually religious schools like BYU and and Notre Dame. In this world, money does talk and BCS schools has a huge advantage in that regard. Yes, mid-major schools can still win national championships in certain sports, but this is getting rarer and rarer as the season passes. However, Hawaii is one school, because of its tradition and being one of two moneymaking schools in volleyball that still has a shot at a national championship. You can thank Dave Shoji and its loyal fans for that. Hawaii is unique and Hawaii fans should be grateful rather than taking constant cheap shots at the coach and program.

Re: 37. Wanted to clarify my statements on BCS. The term is no longer used since 2013, the computerized ranking systems having being replaced by a four team play-off. However, the same principle holds. The four (plus one) is still drawn primarily from the Big Five conferences and they still monopolize all the major bowls (the huge money-making ones). When Hawaii made the Sugar Bowl, not only Hawaii benefitted by a huge payout, but other members of the conference did too.

Re the team photo, Natasha is on her ballerina tippy toes, you can see it in the full picture. The picture was composed nicely with downward sloping rows. To make it work she needed to elevate just a bit.
Re Annie, I’m sure at some point there will be another full team photo with her in it. With luck, it will happen deep in the playoffs.

38. LanaiBoy, well said. So many things have changed since Dave’s last National Championship (and he’s said it so many times too), that it is harder and harder for a school like Hawaii to compete in a national arena where money talks.

However, even with my short time back home, I’ve noticed that the wahine have a better chance than previous years. They now have the ability to block bigger opponents. That was something that wiped them out the last few years; the inability to block the bigger teams. Let’s hope they’ve earned the recognition of the leading blocking team in the country and pass and serve the heck outa their NCAA opponents! But first, they’ve got to take out Cal Poly and UCSB. GO BOWS!

TMO is still a LIABILITY in the backrow (shakes head), and the attack from the left side has to be a force.

Hawaii has nevert been dominated in the first round Derek, sorry get your facts straight.

47,48. To follow up on warriorfan’s comment, it would be helpful to cite facts rather than let frustration with the past get the best of you. Since the 2009 final four season, UH’s finishes are as follows (year, opponent, sets for UH/against UH, round of match):

2010, at Washington, 0-3, 2R
2011, USC, 2-3, 3R
2012, at Washington, 2-3, 2R
2013, BYU, 0-3, 2R
2014, at Washington, 1-3, 2R

During this period, Hawaii has not lost before the second round. In 2010 and 2013, UH was truly dominated (last year, besides the second set, UH played poorly against Washington). In 2011, UH lost to a top 5 USC team in a loaded regional. And in 2012, UH had a swing to win it in 4 at Washington to fall in 5. The results in 2011 and 2012 could have easily gone UH’s way with a change in a point or two. Not exactly the level of domination suggested by your post. Moreover, this year UH has the height to compete with the Big10/Pac12 powers, and is the top blocking team in the nation (I can’t recall UH ever being #1 in blocks/set, even in a weaker conference like the WAC or Big West). And if you watched the UH-Florida 5-set match, it was Florida who appeared to wear down, not UH (and Florida has the height and firepower you mentioned). Last year, UH was 2-4 in 5-set matches, this year, 2-0. Clearly the team is finishing better. Based on all this, I think this year can be very different than the last two years. The only caveat is that as a probable unseeded team, UH could be put up against a top 5 team, and while UH will be competitive, it is difficult to say which team will win.

45, 50. Also, players are getting taller and taller. A lot more players 6’5″ and above getting high school honors.

Since the UC Davis match was Sunday, that match’s stats were already added to Monday’s RPI.

Thus, for the Bows, it’s 1 down (Irvine) and 2 to go to affect next week’s last publicly released RPI before Selection Sunday. So now is the time to leave it all on the court. Now is the time to get the beast going. Now is the time to GIVE BLOOD.

(As for some, stop hating on the setters. It is what it is. Neither is a Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, so don’t expect the set to be in the “sweet spot” all or even most of the time. Hitters just have to keep bettering the ball for the UH to go deep in the NCAA Championship and return Na Wahine back to the national volleyball conversation.)

GO BOWS!

#11 and #30 … hoping we get pleasantly surprised Thursday with a working video link. I checked the Cal Poly coverage of the upcoming match again and there’s no change — still just a mention of stats and audio.

58. Go to the Home Page of bigwest.org, scroll down to Schedule for November, 16-22, 2015.

At the bottom is WVB, #8 Hawaii at Cal Poly, 7:00 PM

Also shown at the far right: BigWestTV
LiveStats
Listen-UH
@CalPolyVolley
@HawaiiWVB

Hope this helps.

Dave has assembled a really, really good coaching staff and team. Why are people criticizing him so harshly?

#32 continued

The pinheads from the NCAA sit in their headquarters in backassward Indiana coming up with ways to impede the non power conference schools in their athletic pursuits, all the while raking in the big bucks from the networks. The NCAA is a MONOPOLY, and a corrupt one at that. They need to be included as a defendant front and center in that lawsuit.

#55, 57. There will be at least 4 teams in contention next year. LBS adds 4, all over 6′, including a setter and a 6′-4″ MB from CHINA!. UCSB will add Megan Rice to Ruddins who was hurt often this year. Irvine will be improved as well, as Van Widden will be a soph. and also add talent. Then their is Cal Poly, who will have a veteran roster. Key for UH is how much Nikki, Maglio & Greeley can improve in the off-season, and finding a left-side with TMO’s graduation. Many of the developmental recruits coach gets make their biggest leaps between their soph. and jr. years (Maglio & Greeley). Hopefully, competition between Castillo, Granato and Sibley will find a gem.

The Q for the BW is will they “play up” with better talent and improve everyone’s RPI.

60, thanks, but the link on that page from the Big West site still errors out for me. I found an alternate path by way of the season schedule on the UH site to a page on the Cal Poly site. The TV link was added since yesterday morning. I bookmarked the following in hopes it works this afternoon. 🙂

http://www.bigwest.org/story.asp?story_id=16070

Hawaii will go as far as their passing (or lack thereof) takes them. TMO in serve receive simply reveals a lack of confidence in Granato’s passing. Almost all the recruits interviewed said that they wanted to come to UH for awhile. So the media (or lack thereof) has a great influence on Hawaii getting mainland recruits, tall or otherwise. Considering coach’s penchant for being sentimental, Iosia will probably red-shirt.