Volleyball

19,726 Views | 113 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by rpr52121
Wicked Good Ag
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Encouraged by the play during the Florida match. While passing issues are still prevailing topic of conversation when the other team passes poorly as well we can compete with the top teams in the country. However we cannot expect poor passing from our opponents all the time

Prior to the fourth set meltdown I thought our defense to offense transition was a bit better and we hung with them toe to toe for three close sets. If we can get better at passing collectively I think we could do well the second half of conference play

A very winnable match here Sunday followed by a tough three game stretch which will determine our season IMO.
mullokmotx
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AG
Our RPI Monday was a respectable 39 and we have 14 games to play. I assume we need to have a .500 record to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Wicked Good Ag
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I dont know if we will get to .500 if the next four games we are not 3-1

LSU hurt us
Wicked Good Ag
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RPI futures have moved us from 10-15 to 12-13 for the season after a solid performance playing #1 Florida close at Florida and winning in a sweep against Miss State. The match lost against an winnable opponent in Texas State due to Hurricane Harvey could cause us issues in making the postseason. The season to be boils down to the next four matches. With matches against top ten Kentucky on the road and much improved Auburn and Arkansas at home we likely have to go 3-1 to have a shot at being .500 for the season and eligible for post season which with a .500 record would normally not get anyone in but our SOS is #1 in the country

Encouraged by the last week but the passing still has to improve along with out of system play which is a by product of the less than ideal passing
JoeOlson
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AG
It did look like we were serving more aggressively than usual against Florida. (Obviously Hans hybrid is really effective) so that helped keep them off the net.

One thing I've noticed is that we haven't done a great job of getting our middles going off of one foot - we can be effective in the middle; but, it's turning into a rather predictable offense. We've had success on the pipe, but I think we're missing a lot behind the setter (also the RS play/injuries have not helped us). I haven't been able to watch all of the matches, but from the 5-6 I've seen ... seems to be a common theme.
Mark Fairchild
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AG
We need NEW blood in women's volleyball at Texas A&M. . Lorrie C Is just not keeping up with women's vollleyball. We are falling behind and we need a change!
Gig'em, Ole Army Class of '70
Mark Fairchild
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AG
Match against Kentucky is abismal!
Gig'em, Ole Army Class of '70
Wicked Good Ag
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I only watched the two sets but it was bad. Uninspired play with passing issues that continue to make this team average at best in the SEC. I was expecting this to be a loss but how we played in the first three sets on the road against #1 Florida made me think we had turn the corner. This match doesn't make it to be the case. We are likely not making the NCAA as we will not have a .500 overall record unless we go on a hot streak. I said in another thread we needed to win 3 of the next four

After tonight's performance that will be likely a 1-3 skid unless we right the ship even though these matches are at home. The pieces are there but the lacking of first contact ball control and inability to hit much out of system will not put us anywhere near the top 25
Ben Puig 97
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aggiepe
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HOW DID WE REACH HERE?
Weren't we one of of the better teams, if not the best team in SEC when we joined the SEC. If I recalled we won the SEC title in our first year in the SEC? Now we are struggling to be in the top half of the SEC. Something is wrong somewhere
JoeOlson
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AG
I'm sure that there are plenty more reasons, but off the top of my head:
  • Aiple retiring (good for her btw given the injury). Camille has done very well for a freshman setter, but it can be really limiting
  • 1st contact S/R seems to be consistently poor. McGee and Hans are routinely put into low percentage situations against a double or even a triple block. Ideally, we would have a strong 6 rotation OH that help w/ that first contact. Hans has progressed tremendously, but I think I remember that she was a middle in HS and is really learning the position
  • We are athletic, but we are not nearly at the same physical level as Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin, Stanford, Penn State, etc. Part of the reason that we have been successful in the past is that we have solid first contact, play good defense and run a quick and unpredictable offense.
  • The way that we are forced to play is much more like Texas w/ high sets to the pins and that puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your hitters. We have solid players, but solid system players vs world class athletes.
  • We have not been able to consistently find our middles on anything other than a 1 or an a. Until we have better 1st contact and can run our middles off of 1 foot behind the setter (or even a B/31), we are going to continue to struggle to give them high percentage opportunities.

The good news is that I like the young players on the team. Volleyball is a really tough sport to recruit if you're close to a powerhouse like Texas. Volleyball is not a rural sport - the club culture is based in cities (Dallas, Austin, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, SF, LA, Denver, Indy, Minneapolis, etc) and that has made it tougher for us to draw kids when we're directly competitive with UT. Like it or not, Elliot has built a powerhouse; and, with recruiting the way it is, many of their kids are identified in middle school and have grown up watching UT make the NCAA tournament every year and compete for a national championship.

While the Corbellis have been around for a long time, they absolutely know what they are doing. The frustrating thing is that A&M is so much more invested in their volleyball camps than I've seen at other schools that have even more success recruiting. John is out there helping everybody and investing time on almost all of the courts. I've coached D1 camps where they can barely get a 2nd assistant to show up ... really hope we can get something positive going for the program over the next year.
Wicked Good Ag
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Texas A&M has usually gotten a top 30 recruit each year and have found a few diamonds in the rough to do well. But those teams in the past a solid passing. This team collectively does not. Hans has struggled lately in this respect and McGee was never a passer but has taken some reps the past few matches. Middle connection with a new setter can take time and Blake was never a slide attack middle. Sullivan was and Babers over time became one as well. Blake is trying to make the adjustment to hitting behind the setter much like Babers but no chance this year to do that year with first contact as poor as it has been

This team has the pieces to compete and the way they played against Penn State and Florida other than the final set shows they have it but then for every match like that we have a match like last night. Reasor not playing much this year is also a drawback Conner, Davis and Patterson were all top 100 players last year and will help in the future but we have got to find better passing next year when Nettles has to be replaced and a second outside who can hit OOS balls
mullokmotx
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AG
Just a terrible first set. To finish above .500 we need to go 8-4 the rest of the way which is certainly achievable.
Wicked Good Ag
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aggiepe said:

HOW DID WE REACH HERE?
Weren't we one of of the better teams, if not the best team in SEC when we joined the SEC. If I recalled we won the SEC title in our first year in the SEC? Now we are struggling to be in the top half of the SEC. Something is wrong somewhere


Kentucky and Florida have been really good but we had a magical run two years ago to win the SEC. IF passing were solid I would say we are still the third best team in conference this year behind 2 top ten teams but with the passing we could finish as low as 6th-7th. We are still better than Tenn,SC, the Mississippi schools, Georgia and Alabama

The mid range teams such as Missouri LSU Auburn and Arkansas are the teams we have to beat and so far we are 0-2 against that group. Losing too many of these matches will not get us to .500 with our SOS being #1
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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AG
Has anyone ever seen a 11-0 start ? EVER !
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
Artimus Gordon
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I watched the Missouri game which we lost at home 3-1. And this was after winning the first game and losing the last 3. I just didn't see much talent on that team. All looked extremely average and nobody stood out above the rest. It's like the program has fallen off the end of the table. Righting the ship this year looks to be an impossible task. Somebody is doing a horrible job in the recruiting game.
Wicked Good Ag
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I don't think we are We have gotten a top 30 recruit each year for three years in a row with Aiple Blake then Hans add in a project player that the Corbellis develop (Babers, McGee ) then problem is they have to click on the fourth or fifth player and get a solid transfer every once in a while. The three freshman we got this year were all in the top 100 but not down the list as before

The program doesn't generate much appeal from a fan perspective but the Corbellis have done more with less. A volleyball only facility would be nice, better marketing to get people to come to the games but ball control has fallen off from what we normally are known for and that is the problem along with untimely injuries and lack of depth at key positions. I think our biggest concern in the immediate future will actually be replacing Nettles at Libero

This team has no room for error for the rest of the season and has a large homestand to right the ship but it may not be enough

You lost two previous All American players and we don't have the recruiting of a top 10 program to replace. And honestly all the top 10 programs have solid fan bases which we are lacking

I am disappointed this season from the standpoint that is seems passing poorly is contagious and effects the whole team at the same time in spurts and even if one is doing well the top programs can avoid serving that player and have many other options at any one time to pick on.

We will know everything we need to know but Oct 22nd honestly

Wicked Good Ag
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Much needed victory against a up and coming Auburn team. This is one of four I have seen in schedule that in the coming weeks would define our season.

Auburn missed too many serves and Aggies didn't stop when behind in set three. Played a balance scoring attack as the sets were distributed well.

Passing still not where it needs to be but if we can have one match where everything clicks we could take a match we aren't expected to win

I think what Amy Nettles said in the post game presser that I have below is exactly why each game that is winnable we have to win and not lose a match that should already be in the win column on paper. They haven't won the critical points late in the games to come back or to close out the sets like they did the past couple of years

SENIOR LIBERO AMY NETTLES

On coming back in the third set
"I looked at the score and it was 18-22. We've kind of had trouble most of the season coming back and finishing those games. In the past, we've done really well in that situation but this year it's been a little different. I looked at the score and I said, 'Alright, let's see what we're made of. Let's show people we can finish.' We slowly started coming back, one point at a time. Each person knew they had a job to do and what their focus was, and we took care of it."
Wicked Good Ag
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For TAMU the chance of the post season while not officially done is realistically done. Sad to see the seniors end this way. Injuries and too much bitten off schedule wise along with uninspired play for a long period of time now has made the post season virtually impossible.

I know people associated to the program don't want to hear this but time to let the freshman play for rest of season. Reasor's injuries are not fully healed obviously and production from the outside has been erratic at best. McGee hit zero and Hans hit like .180 but was subpar in first two sets. Inverse of Friday when she hit negative and McGee had a good match. Let Sanders hit outside more and rotate Patterson, Blake, Douglas and Davis in to play middle and RS for development.

I know you play to win but at this stage development is more important. Also maybe run a modified 6-2 and get some setting reps for Slocum as a back up in case of injury. That would also allow some more RS development. Limit Hans' attack numbers for the rest of the year.

We have to find a replacement for Amy Nettles at libero and based upon the roster that would be Amy Howser but that would only be for a year.

I know we don't have a Top 100 Senior Ace this year but we need a OH who can hit OOS and a potential libero come next fall. I think the drop off of production from Nettles to next year might be a huge drop off.

The transfer from Houston who will be eligible next season might be able to fill a spot but the year of development with the middles and setter will be important so might as well start ASAP

I will still be rooting for these girls to take it to the opponent across the net, but want to see some development for the future





hsvag
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Ole Miss game, first chance to see the girls live this year. I'll have to say it was depressing, it is like they have fallen off the cliff. Service receive is brutal, and although I couldn't tell exactly what they were trying to do on offense, the sub par passing prevented it. Ole Miss was able to anticipate and get their block set up on most plays, so the setter and hitters improvised a lot. We apply very little pressure with our serves. The oxygen seemed to go out of the crowd as the match went on. Unfortunate.
Skull Session
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team looks slow and painfully uncoordinated. It looks more like a division II program.
sharpdressedman
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For the last 15 years LC has made a coaching career out of doing just enough to not get fired by ADs who don't care about volleyball. The program will remain parked until a new coach revitalizes it. JMO.
Wicked Good Ag
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hsvag said:

Ole Miss game, first chance to see the girls live this year. I'll have to say it was depressing, it is like they have fallen off the cliff. Service receive is brutal, and although I couldn't tell exactly what they were trying to do on offense, the sub par passing prevented it. Ole Miss was able to anticipate and get their block set up on most plays, so the setter and hitters improvised a lot. We apply very little pressure with our serves. The oxygen seemed to go out of the crowd as the match went on. Unfortunate.

I agree that the passing has been the problem for this team the past year. As for serving we have solid serves from Nettles and especially Hans and when Conner gets into a groove along with when allow Sanders to back line it can make for a solid serving group but all of those things have to come together in the same match for us to be "elite effective" from the serving line without missing a bunch of serves.

Skull session: we aren't unathletic at all, the team can run the offense it is designed for various reasons but mainly passing which makes our offense look slow because we have to send it high to the outside and we are extremely predictable. This is one reason McGee has been off this season compared to other seasons past. She is most effective hitting into a seam which can only be there when the pass is in system and the opponent's middle is held not set up in tandem to block on the outside. This is accomplished by running a slide which Sullivan was outstanding at and Babers grew to be towards the end. Blake wasn't a off one foot player like Joe Olsen alluded to in a previous post but has to opportunities this year to be that person or progress towards that with the passing this season has been minimal. Add in a freshman setter running around to get errant passes who can score herself when in system and on the front row like Sawatsky was a few years prior having to not run an offense but set up the outside from various points on the court day in day out.

As for sharpdressedman I disagree completely. I think the Corbelli's have done more with less the past few years. We play in a sterile arena. They find diamonds in the rough, Babers, McGee etc. coupled with top 100 players like Aiple and Hans and Blake as well. The issue has been that while top programs stockpile talent we have to make our talent cohesive and fit together within the system developed and almost always this is predicated on first contact passing. While we have had issues in the past seasons in certain matches we have always progressed through the season in terms of passing. This year we have regressed match after match which is the frustrating part. Add in the injuries sustained before the season and during we had to overcome poor first contact without having our offense to run like it is supposed to. Now if you want to talk about depth of the program that is another issue. But we have been co champs or champs of the SEC in the past few years. I think we could have gone to the Sweet 16 a couple of times maybe even elite 8 with a favorable bracket but unless we host we get regulated to Austin where the 2nd best team in the past decade plus resides.

I like what I have seen out of the freshman we have at times and other they have looked like wide eyed freshman. To move forward we will have to make it a priority to get 2 defensive players some scholarship money like a 2+2 system and find another terminal outside who can pass. One of our best teams years ago had three players at the pins who could pass plus a libero and the RS hit back row. Ole Miss RS was very good from the back row and one of the reasons we were beaten. That effectiveness from the D set (back row behind the setter) is what a 5-1 could look like in a great offense. That is why Ole Miss didn't run a 6-2 system and ran a modified 5-1 system with two setters a la what Florida has done this year as well

We have to go 7-2 with 2 top 5 teams coming to Aggieland. I said we needed to go 3-1 in the last 4 matches and we went 1-3. I don't see us the way we are playing to win 7 but if we do and one of those is against either Florida or Kentucky it would give us a signature win, a.500+ record and the #1 SOS in the country enough to make it to the NCAAs possibly but I just don't see it happening and would rather change the lineup around and maybe get more touches from the freshman. IMHO we should move Blake to RS and let the three middles (freshman Patterson and Davis and sophomore Douglas get a lot of court time). I would put Sanders at the outside and see what she does. Also I would look for a transfer DS/Libero next year




coloradoag69
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AG
Tough year all around. I know it happens to most programs, but it is really hard to watch after years of having decent to pretty good teams.

Many of the previous posters who sound like they know what they are saying point out that we just don't have enough talent. As the footballers often say, it's not the X's and the O's, it's the Jimmies and the Joes. That seems to be a constant problem for us. I know tu is a perennial powerhouse, but is there no way to get even a couple of those outstanding recruits? We've had a solid program for lots of years; shouldn't that be enough to bring some of those top girls to A&M?

I'm more frustrated than anything. It seems that aside from women's cross country - which is dependent on how the track coaches recruit - the women's volleyball team is the least successful in terms of success in the tournament. Although they have made the tournament a number of years in a row, they seldom get out of the first weekend. Granted, a lot of that has to do with being close to tu, and in a convenient first weekend opponent since we aren't in the same conference anymore.
Artimus Gordon
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I think it is time for the Corebellis to turn in the keys to the program at the end of the season. They have let the program slide to the bottom of the SEC. This team started bad and has gotten progressively worse as the season continues. That shows that there is not enough talent to even field a halfway competitive team. It is time for a change in this program.
Gap
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I have never seen a team fall apart to close so many sets as this Aggie team. It is actually quite amazing how many times it has occurred. Why does it happen so often to this team?
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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AG
McGee four errors the last 6 points - Bad serve, rest kills out !
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
Skull Session
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I was looking to see if they were getting any help in recruiting this year and it shows that we got three girls that go 6'4, 6'3, and 6'2". Which is good because the current team has trouble blocking a beach ball. I am not sure if they will help with the passing issues, though.

Heck one of the signees didn't even play on the her schools team this year. Have no idea what that was about. Needless to say it doesn't look like we are going to get much help next year.
natvet
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AG
Not sure I agree with blocking being the problem. We average 2.3 block/set vs opponent 2.4 block/set. Considering who we have played, that is a pretty good stat. I do agree passing is a problem as well as our inability to finish.
Skull Session
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A&M skunked again 0-3 by Florida. They just don't have any talent on this team. It is going to be A two or three year rebuild for a new coach. What a shame!
HiddenAg2
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It really is time to move on from the Corbelli's. This will be her worst season at A&M in a conference that really isn't very good.
Wicked Good Ag
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While I am extremely disappointed in the season I don't think it is any reason to remove the Corbellis from the program.

I think they bit off more than they could chew in terms of the schedule. We have the #1 SOS in the nation while playing three freshman in the 7 man rotation for most of the season. Key injuries have derailed this season with the medical retirement of Stephanie Aiple and Ashlie Reasor being unavailable for most of the season. Those are two HS All Americans and three year starters along with graduation of Babers a college All American we knew it would be a drop off. Add in McGee out with a concussion for a period of time.
That said passing should have been better this year BY FAR with libero and two DS players returning but it has gotten worse much worse in fact. Each of our passers have had great moments but collectively it is the worst I have seen out of a Corbelli team in the past 15 years. Add to it a freshman setter trying to run the offense with bad passing who was likely going to either redshirt or be a occasional backup this season while learning the offense.

The freshman are talented but inexperienced and are adjusting to the college speed. But the connection between ALL the middles including Blake is not very good at all. So the problem is we are one dimensional in terms of our attacking and the production out of the outside position has been under .200 which is not good at all because the block can key on them most of the time. Then when we are in system the connection with the middle is not even the level of most solid high school programs much less college level.

I have been one of those people who has pointed out faults for years but we have been top 3 in the SEC since we arrived sans this year. I would love to see what we can do to right the ship next season before making a move in a coaching staff who has been very good for the program. They get more out of the talent they recruit typically but NOT this year which is disappointing. If you want to ask why they don't get the top kids from Texas I don't have the answer for that other than I can point to a couple. Look at the level of interest in terms of attendance over the past four years when we were a top 25 program playing in a sterile environment of Reed Arena. Add to it that if you are not seeded you will be sent to Top 3 program Texas each year for a second round matchup. Until that geography changes our fate is somewhat sealed even if we are a top 25 program unless everything goes our way

I hope that even in this lean year the seniors Nettles, Reasor, Litwin and McGee end their career at home with a win and remember the previous years rather than this one.
Wicked Good Ag
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HiddenAg2 said:

It really is time to move on from the Corbelli's. This will be her worst season at A&M in a conference that really isn't very good.
While we can discuss the Corbelli's future and debate to which I am open to discussion the SEC is the third rated conference in the NCAA behind the power of the BIG 10 and PAC 12

The conference was like 5th or 6th a few years ago so the conference has gotten much stronger
Wicked Good Ag
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Skull Session said:

I was looking to see if they were getting any help in recruiting this year and it shows that we got three girls that go 6'4, 6'3, and 6'2". Which is good because the current team has trouble blocking a beach ball. I am not sure if they will help with the passing issues, though.

Heck one of the signees didn't even play on the her schools team this year. Have no idea what that was about. Needless to say it doesn't look like we are going to get much help next year.
Blocking is not our problem at all. Many players don't play HS ball lately to rest after a club season. One of the top recruits in the mation didn't play at Southlake Carrol this season under a top 5 program and one of the best high school coaches in the state. She is playing for Texas next year. It happens all the time lately.
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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AG
Playing the NCAA's top schedule hurt our team psychologically in my opinion.


Realizing they weren't up to beating that caliber opponent had to affect their outlook .
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
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