Comments on: Week 2, practice 2

By: Hot

Hot — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 01:54:37 +0000

Cindy, if your post regarding Hartong’s passing was a response to mine, I’d just like to reiterate that I meant in international competition. Great that she has improved, but she tends to struggle even against college teams, what more in international play? Kim Willoughby was a better passer, but on the NT, they used her mostly as a non-passing opposite and occasionally as a left-side sub (I am aware there were matches where she received serves).

By: Cindy Luis

Cindy Luis — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 00:03:30 +0000

IMHO Adopho has played herself into being a volleyball player, not a basketball player who is playing volleyball. She has added quickness to her lateral movement. I not just relying on athletic ability but improving her volleyball IQ.

By: kimo browner

kimo browner — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 20:32:04 +0000

Thanks Cindy for being on top of your job.
You mentioned Adolpho has “improved” her quickness. Any improvement would help her. Many times court “quickness” comes with improving Court IQ. Same in any sport. Perhaps, Kalei is on a steep learning curve and anticipating where she needs to be rather than actually gaining foot speed. She is in her third year. If your observations are correct–she may have the type of breakout season we have all been waiting to see….thanks again and Go Wahine.

By: Cindy Luis

Cindy Luis — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:46:20 +0000

33. Lots of players on the USA radar. Many veterans did not return for the first year of the quad (the four year period leading up to the next Olympics). They know that there is plenty of time to return for their chance to make the national team.
Disagree about Hartong’s passing. She has greatly improved and is 1 of 2 in the current Wahine passing scheme. The other is Longo. Shoji is looking for a third, which will take pressure off Hartong so she isn’t doing so much Serve-Receive then having to set up for an attack.

By: Hot

Hot — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 04:07:27 +0000

28. Yes, Hill was impressive in the earlier matches. As for Hartong, I think she is in the radar, but to be honest, not sure her passing could hold up in international competition.

29. Natalie Hagglund is a great defender, not that impressive a passer. Sadly, Nicole Davis is still the best option for Team USA. Just like most of the liberos on Team USA’s program, she is not the most precise passer, but she’s a great defender.

By: Cindy Luis

Cindy Luis — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 02:38:30 +0000

thanks for getting to that FBF. I don’t usually keep up on transfers. think VT has a thread up.

By: vballfreak808

vballfreak808 — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 02:15:03 +0000

29. Taylor Formico transferred from UCSB to Oregon. I believe she is with the team but she is not able to play due to academics (That is what I remember) but she was on the roster but I guess since she cannot play this season they took her off.

By: volleyball fan

volleyball fan — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 01:04:00 +0000

Thanks, Cindy for letting me know how to find the video broadcast. I got to watch the match between USA and Brazil, the only one that USA lost so far. They got ahead in each of the three sets they lost, but then skidded big time toward the end. What they need to practice on the most is consistency. Well, it’s a young team. As for the critical remarks on Kim Hill and Tamari Miyasharo, those were valid as for the Brazil match. I’m sure that Tamari played much better against Japan as they had shorter girls and she could dig them up more easily. There was a great shot of her in the USA Volleyball website photo gallery where she made a flying dig. I was so impressed.

I’d like to see the USA team try out more liberos next year.like Natalie Hagglund, the star libero from USC who’ll graduate then. She was a two-time first-team All-American.

I have one curious question, though, wonder if anyone can answer. What happened to UCSB’s star libero from last year, Taylor Formica? She’s no longer there and I can’t find her new team on Google. Anyone who knows, please inform.

By: Warriorfan

Warriorfan — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 22:39:00 +0000

I just am not impressed by her every time I’ve seen her, but I guess she played well in earlier matches??
I disagree that Kanani is playing it smart now, she might make rosters for tournaments in the upcoming years but thats when Larson and Tom and Hodge will all be back as well, playing time and chances to prove herself might be hard to come by. This year would have been perfect, with Richards and Hill being the two she would have had to beat out for serious playing time.

By: Cubicle1126

Cubicle1126 — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 21:51:42 +0000

WF — i don’t get why ur so down on Hill. a great many players making these rosters won’t make the ultimate olympic roster. someone posted on VT that of the 18-20 or so players named to the WPG roster back in ’09, only about 4-5 ended up making the ’12 olympic roster. part of the goal of these tournaments is to establish and add depth to the national team program, which hill — and a great many players — are certainly adding to.

i’d love to see hartong and kanani on the national team some day. i think kanani is actually playing it smart. the way to get international experience is through the pro leagues. focusing on that will do her well, and those seasons are long and tough, and wearing on the body. here’s hoping karch finds a place for her on the national team at some point.