2020 (Spring 2021) Season Notes

[Undertow]

Some comments on the first weekend match up and the AVCA poll week 1

The starting line up for the first match did not surprise me to any large degree. It was clear from the Red-White scrimmage that either Meyer or Caffey would be a better offensive option for the 2^nd middle and Caffey probably got the nod with her game experience. Zuhn starting over Sweet was slightly foreshadowed in the same scrimmage where one Lauren Cook-West remarked that Zuhn might have started for Red at opposite if Lexi Sun hadn’t been held out.
As one would expect, there were moments of high level volleyball mixed in with a heaping of errors. A lot of errors. Passing remains THE issue with this version of the Big Red and any improvement of the passing game from Sun or Knuckles certainly wasn’t on display that first night. The service game was touted as a strength, but seemed to be rutted in non-conference form (7 aces, to 10 service errors). Cook doesn’t mind as much if a serve is just long when someone is trying to paint the boundary, but lofting the ball into the net will earn a look of disgust. That happened a few times. Also it’s not good if your serve is so long that is sails past the Monroe County line into Owen County. No bonus points for that. Looking at you Lauren Stivrens.
Caffey showed herself to be a legitimate option on offense with Hames already more comfortable setting her than she ever did in setting Callie the previous two years. Add another weapon to the arsenal. It was also nice to see an opposite hit over the block occasionally. While Zuhn started out with some nerves, eventually she settled in and was effective. At this point in their careers, the ceiling on Zuhn’s game is much higher than Sweet’s. The offense in general started out slow, but did hit over .400 the final two sets.
The defense was a bit spotty, but the Big Red did an incredible job on Indiana’s top outside hitter Breanna Edwards who ended up significantly underwater for the night with just 2 kills and 8 errors on 21 attempts. In the post game interview, Coach Cook indicated that since they had little information on the multiple freshman Steve Aird was trotting out, the staff concentrated on limiting Edwards by trying to match her rotation with the size and length of one Riley Zuhn and disrupting Edward’s game. Mission accomplished. The receiving wasn’t particularly remarkable even though Hames and the Hawaiian girl (whose first name I cannot pronounce), Akana, did have a couple of noteworthy gets. The blocking was also sub par, with only 5 blocks (Indiana outblocked the Huskers 6 to 5) and seemingly less touches. But the defense did hold the Hoosiers to a .140 hitting percentage.
The second night featured a line up change which wasn’t entirely unexpected. In the interview after game one, Coach Cook had indicated that Caffey was slightly injured and was on a pitch count. That was confirmed pre-game the next day with the exact count; 60 jumps. How the medical staff came up with that number—no idea. Of course the exact nature of the injury is a closely guarded secret that even top officials at the Pentagon and Intelligence agencies don’t have authorization for, so it is unknown if this something that is acute and will heal, or if this is a chronic condition that will have to be managed during the season. What was surprising (at least to me), was the change at middle to the eponymous member of the Fightin’ Schwartzenbach’s, one towering Miss Callie. I fully expected Meyer to get her first start.
Callie reminded people as to why she was as two year starter on the defensive end by immediately bolstering the block, which seemingly was infectious, as her teammates joined the party (looking at you again, Lauren Stivrins, but this time with a smile). Part of the improved effort was Callie, and part was that the coaches actually had a game plan for the remainder of those Indiana freshman now the staff had video on them, albeit limited. Edwards had a better night than her first (she could hardly do worse) and led the Hoosiers with 12 kills (she still hit below the Mendoza line), but Indiana as a team hit a paltry .048.
The stat line for serving (4 aces, 7 errors) looks unimpressive, but my impressions were that it was markedly better than the previous night as Indiana was constantly out of system, hence more opportunities to effect a block. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to advanced stats to know if this is true or not. Passing was marginally better and will probably be a constant work in progress throughout the season. Apparently Anika Albrecht and El Syd Townsend have no remaining eligibility and are not walking through the door to help with that aspect of the game. Well, one can at least dream.
Offensively, Callie in the middle is a struggle. To be clear, Hames set both middles low a couple of times, and all they could do was pound it into the net. And while Schwartzenbach reminded us of what a tremendous defensive asset she is, her offensive performance was also a reminder why Coach Cook went out and grabbed a grad transfer at that position. The Huskers hitting percentage dropped from .317 to .228 between the two matches, but Indiana did put on a solid defensive performance in that final set in match two. All four of Nebraska’s big hitters (Kubik, Sun, Stivrins, and Zuhn) had tremendous shots during the course of the third set that were somehow dug by the Hoosier squad. Probably a one off for the young squad, but still quasi-impressive for Aird’s ‘Baby Dragons’ as he refers to them.
Overall a solid, but not dominate, performance by the Big Red over the weekend. It is good that the schedule is laid out like it is (Indiana, Northwestern, Maryland, Rutgers) in the first four weeks, as this edition of Husker volleyball needs some fine tuning.

In other B1G action, Penn State and Michigan was postponed (cancelled?) due to COVID fears first in Ann Arbor and later in the week in Cultist Valley. Maryland took Ohio State to 5 sets both matches, but the Buckenidiots prevailed over the Terrapins each time. Illinois won twice at Iowa by 3 to 1 margins each match, but the PowerHawks put up a stiffer challenge than expected. And the Golden Rodents dispatched of Sparty 3-0, 3-0, although two sets went deuce and one even went over.

Wisconsin destroyed what I thought would be a competitive Boilermaker team and served notice on the rest of the B1G and the nation. The Ferocious Weasels appear to be ahead of schedule compared to their start last year where they lost four non-conference matches. To be sure, as John Baylor likes to opine, “You don’t want to peak in August.” Or in this case January. And it isn’t too far back in the memory hole that a Minnesota squad started out the 2018 B1G slate in similar fashion including a beatdown of, at the time, a no. 5 Badger squad in straights by an average score of 25 – 18. That Golden Rodent team started out hot, but ended up not making the finals in their own regional, and was probably the 3^rd or 4^th best team in the B1G by the end of the year.
But a peripheral glance of Wisconsin (and I literally mean peripheral, as I had my TV on BTN with the Wisconsin-Purdue in the background as I was streaming the Nebraska match) indicates that this particular version may have some staying power. Rettke looked her usual dominate self and during one brief interlude I caught Haggerty executing a perfect cut shot from the left side landing 6 inches from the right side boundary and 2 feet from the net (Purdue defenders didn’t have a chance). But the so called question marks had monster games. Devyn Robinson got the start at opposite and merely had 16 kills on 27 attempts with no errors for a pedestrian .563 hitting percentage in two games. Meanwhile the Wisconsin defense suffocated the Boilers to a meager .113 over the weekend.
One theme for the 2019 Husker team was ‘29029’ indicating to scale the summit of Mount Everest, you have to climb that final 29 feet, something they failed to do the previous year by losing to the Color Cardinal in set 5 of the NCAA finals by 3 points (the difference between the Foecke Era at Nebraska and the Plummer Era at Stanford). This season there is a different summit to climb. It is early, but scaling Mount Rettke may prove to be a more arduous challenge.

The week one AVCA poll is as follows:

1	Wisconsin (49)	1486
2	Texas (8)	1444
3	Stanford (1)	1315
4	Kentucky (1)	1291
5	Nebraska (1)	1268
6	Baylor	1210
7	Minnesota	1169
8	Utah	1076
9	Penn State	1017
10	Florida	904
11	Washington	849
12	Louisville	747
13	Purdue	706
14	Creighton	680
15	Notre Dame	653
16	BYU	594
17	Missouri	521
18	Georgia Tech	452
19	UCLA	427
20	Pittsburgh	365
21	Michigan	259
22	San Diego	233
23	Hawai'i	179
24	Western Kentucky	138
25	Marquette	105

Nebraska remained at no. 5 which is not too surprising. The remainder of the B1G teams didn’t budge from last week except for Michigan. Michigan actually moved up three spots to 21 by not playing. And Purdue remained at 13 despite being shelled by the Badgers.
Across the country the big upset was Arizona State beating No. 7 Washington in straights on the first night before succumbing to the Huskies the next night 3 to 1. And both matches were played in Seattle. The Huskies dropped to 11.  Marquette also was upset as they split their series with Illinois State at Milwaukee, winning Friday in straight sets, but losing on Saturday in five. Utah (who was picked to win the PAC-12, Stanford was picked 3^rd) looked impressive in their curbstomping of Arizona (picked to finish 10^th in the league) by sweeps in both matches and jumped over Penn State in the rankings. Hawaii is still ranked even though the Big West isn’t playing volleyball at all this spring. Penn State and Stanford weren’t penalized by postponing / cancelling their matches and it appears both teams will postpone / cancel a second set of matches this weekend. The mens and womens Stanford basketball teams are playing, but they are being housed off campus and out of Santa Clara County to avoid the COVID restrictions. The same provisions are NOT being afforded the volleyball team and it is not clear if the Color Cardinal volleyball unit is even practicing. The SEC didn’t play but are scheduled to start this weekend with the knowledge that Auburn has opted out of the remainder of the season. The ACC hasn’t even put out a spring schedule on their website. The Big 12 has a bizarre ‘schedule’ lined up for spring. The only conference games they are playing are ones that were postponed in the fall and it appears that teams are scrambling to find non-conference opponents. Baylor had no postponements and may end up playing only 3 or 4 games in the spring prior to the NCAA tournament. Texas has a similar problem but do have 2 games to make up with TCU. Rice and North Texas from Conference USA seem to be likely opponents and possibly some teams from the American (Wichita State, Memphis). Still an odd way by the Big 12 to construct the volleyball schedule.

Next up is the Northwestern Mildcats, however this version may not be so mild. Admittedly the opponent was Rutgers, but the Kittens handled their business and handled it easily. And they did so without Tia Robinson who didn’t play (don’t know if it was injury or COVID related, or if she was relegated to the bench). They return outside Thomas‑Ailara who led the team in kills both nights and totaled 29 in all. Abryanna Cannon replaced Robinson and had an efficient 19 kills while hitting .472 cumulative. And for those keeping score at home, one Megan Miller, now a starting libero, had 4 services aces and zero errors in the two matches.
Northwestern is shaping up to be a tougher out than the Hoosiers. Don’t be surprised if one or both matches go 4 games. But the Fightin’ Schwartzenbachs should still prevail and push their record to 4 and 0.

[okaive]

Callie definitely needs work on Offense as she has needed her whole Husker Career. It seems that she is either afraid of hitting the ball or afraid that she is talking the hit away from someone else. The only aggressive side of Callie is her blocking that which her confidence is sky high in that aspect.  

 

As you mentioned, NW dismantled, what seemed, a dysfunctional Rutgers  but NW looked to be well communicated and in sync with each other. I believe Huskers are going to have their hands full next weekend. Especially if they don't fix those errors. 

[Mavric]

 

[Mavric]

 

[knapplc]

 

[Mavric]

Not so much having to do with this season but...

 

 

[Mavric]

In other news, water is wet...

 

 

[Mavric]

 

[hskrfan4life]

Are we thinking we will be able to reschedule Wisconsin?

[Mavric]

5 hours ago, hskrfan4life said:

Are we thinking we will be able to reschedule Wisconsin?

 

[Mavric]

 

[Mavric]

 

[Mavric]

 

[Mavric]

On 1/14/2021 at 11:53 AM, knapplc said:

 

 

Observed without comment - no Nicole Drewnick. 

 

 

[knapplc]

19 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

 

 

That makes complete sense. She's not going to start and would barely get minutes. If Orr is lightning in a bottle like everyone thinks, she may take the starting gig from Hames, which means Hames transfers or switches to DS - because Hames is one of the best defenders on the team.  Drewnick then can't switch to DS and hope for playing time because we will be CROWDED there this fall.