Volleyball this weekend

[brahmahorn]

Man oh man.....If TEXAS gets past A&M (easier said than done, two heated rivals) and Nebraska gets past ISU.................I DO NOT WANT TO SEE NU vs TEXAS. I think the Quest center will be louder than a night game at LSU. I think the NU players will back their football team and absolutely crush TEXAS to end their quest on the national title.

 

I hope our girls are ready for the worst. If they get out of there alive....then Penn State will go down to the Horns.

[suh_fan93]

Don't know if anyone caught the match tonight but Texas and Penn St went down to the wire in the 5th and final set. Three national championships in a row the Nittany Lions. Hodge played great (21 kills) for Penn St. but to me the standout was Alyssa D'Errico who had a personal record 22 digs some of which were flat out amazing.

 

Incredible volleyball game tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MUTigerFan]

Especially considering the Texas won the 1st 2 sets. Penn St. with an amazing comeback for another NC.

[knapplc]

That was an incredible Finals. The fans definitely got their money's worth. I was only able to watch the first two games, where Penn State had no answer for Hooker and Fawcett. Not sure what happened, but with PSU it's hard to be surprised. What a solid, solid team.

 

It's time to acknowledge that Penn State of the last three years is the greatest women's VB team ever (that is, if there was still any doubt). Three straight titles, 102 straight matches… wow. Russ Rose (a former Nebraska Asst. Coach under Pettit) is having a great run.

 

I'll never be a Penn State fan, but I have no trouble at all acknowledging greatness when I see it. Congrats, Nittany Lions.

[Husker Runner]

That was an epic match. Destinee Hooker had a dominant performance. She will have some decisions to make soon as to what the next steps are for her. She has stated that she wants to compete in both volleyball and high jump in the 2012 Olympics. Now that would be a feat. I'd love to see her on the volleyball national team, she will need to beef up parts of her game for international play but she is a dynamic offensive player. Megan Hodge may have had a slightly better season (debatable) but Hooker clearly had the better match--Hodge did pass very well though even if her offense was off a bit. It was poetic justice that Hodge hit the last ball to Hooker who misplayed it, passing was the Achilles' heel for Texas all year and sure enough it was the thing that broke down on match point.

 

I was very surprised that Jerritt Elliott never responded to the rotation adjustment Penn State made for S3-5. I thought he should have changed his rotation to get back to the player matchups he had in S1-2. Sometimes adjustments are a cat-mouse game but after getting killed in the first two sets it was unlikely Penn State was going to go back to that rotation.

 

Also, Penn State was very fortunate at the end...I think the refs missed an overlap on match point. PSU had a player out of rotation at the time of the serve.

[huskerswrkhavoc]

That was an epic match. Destinee Hooker had a dominant performance. She will have some decisions to make soon as to what the next steps are for her. She has stated that she wants to compete in both volleyball and high jump in the 2012 Olympics. Now that would be a feat. I'd love to see her on the volleyball national team, she will need to beef up parts of her game for international play but she is a dynamic offensive player. Megan Hodge may have had a slightly better season (debatable) but Hooker clearly had the better match--Hodge did pass very well though even if her offense was off a bit. It was poetic justice that Hodge hit the last ball to Hooker who misplayed it, passing was the Achilles' heel for Texas all year and sure enough it was the thing that broke down on match point.

 

I was very surprised that Jerritt Elliott never responded to the rotation adjustment Penn State made for S3-5. I thought he should have changed his rotation to get back to the player matchups he had in S1-2. Sometimes adjustments are a cat-mouse game but after getting killed in the first two sets it was unlikely Penn State was going to go back to that rotation.

 

Also, Penn State was very fortunate at the end...I think the refs missed an overlap on match point. PSU had a player out of rotation at the time of the serve.

 

 

I didn't get to watch it, had to work.. But i heard from the father that Hooker was absolutely stellar. They're going to miss her. Of course they'll still be stellar, but will def miss her.

[Husker Runner]

LOL, the down ref DID miss a Penn State overlap on match point. Check out this video:

 

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=...226&ref=nf#

 

(This was shot by Katie Slay, one of the top players in the 2010 class...a 6-6 MB who signed with Penn State and will be a freshman next season.)

 

Look at the alignment when Penn State is serving:

 

Front Row:

LF #11 Hodge

MF #6 Glass

RF #7 Wilson

Back Row:

LB #12 D'Errico (libero)

MB #5 Carpenter

RB #14 Quilico (serving)

 

This is rotation 5 for PSU. It should have been the same alignment when the serve went to Texas; the rotation doesn't happen until the team wins the serve back. However, when Texas serves, look at the alignment:

 

Front Row:

LF #11 Hodge

MF #6 Glass

RF #7 Wilson

Back Row:

LB: #9 Brown (sub for Carpenter)

MB: #14 Quilico

RB: #12 D'Errico

 

The front row is correct but the back row is not; they are set up like rotation 6. The down ref should have stopped play immediately after Engle's serve, called the position fault against Penn State, and awarded a point to Texas---which would have made the score 14-14.

 

Maybe the ref was getting retribution for the Big 12 CCG. :-)

[knapplc]

Maybe the ref was getting retribution for the Big 12 CCG. :-)

 

Maybe.

 

I think sometimes refs just get caught up in the moment, too.