THE critical sports question for PSU

[PSU&Trout]

Only 52 days before the opening of the season , so who is going to be the new setter in the post Micah era! !

 

[fairgambit]

Only 52 days before the opening of the season , so who is going to be the new setter in the post Micah era! !

Well, ok, that's important and all, but what about the names on the uniforms?

 

[tboyer]

I would think that decision will not be made until preseason practice is well underway. May not be made until after the season starts.

PSU has two very good setter prospects, Bryanna Weiskircher, who redshirted last year, and Wilmarie Rivera, a former setter for the Puerto Rican national team who is a true freshman.

Weiskircher was one of the nation's top setter prospects out of HS -- has good size. Rivera is a good server and I believe left-handed which is an asset to a setter.

95% chance it will be one of those two, but stranger things have happened. Megan Courtney, who can play any position, would be an amazing setter with her athletic ability. Courtney is of course a great front-line player so they wouldn't ask her to do it -- esp in her senior year -- unless they were not happy with the other options.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

I would think that decision will not be made until preseason practice is well underway. May not be made until after the season starts.

PSU has two very good setter prospects, Bryanna Weiskircher, who redshirted last year, and Wilmarie Rivera, a former setter for the Puerto Rican national team who is a true freshman.

Weiskircher was one of the nation's top setter prospects out of HS -- has good size. Rivera is a good server and I believe left-handed which is an asset to a setter.

95% chance it will be one of those two, but stranger things have happened. Megan Courtney, who can play any position, would be an amazing setter with her athletic ability. Courtney is of course a great front-line player so they wouldn't ask her to do it -- esp in her senior year -- unless they were not happy with the other options.

Hey Tom. Why is being left handed advantageous to being a setter? Is it because of serving, or playing the position?

 

[MrDibbs]

The setter typically is positioned between the middle of the net and the right side of the court near the net, facing to the left side of the court. If the setter is "front row" (able to legally attack a ball when above the top of the net), hitting with the left hand is more natural than hitting with the right - don't have to turn the entire body to get a hard swing.

Micah Hancock was very effective with this attack on the second touch - because she's left handed. She also had the ability to make it appear that she was actually setting the ball and quickly attacking herself. The blockers either commit somebody to the setter and potentially leave the hitters "one-on-one" or give the setter that kill opportunity.

At this point, I see Russ exploring all options. The suggested replacements are young and have a lot of years left with the program. This is the most important position on the floor IMO. A lot goes into the decisions that setters make and going from high school to Division 1 is quite a leap

 

[tboyer]

Yes, good answer Mr Dibbs, being lefthanded gives a setter a split second advantage when attacking on the 2nd touch. Hancock was the best in college VB at this and it was really an underrated part of her game. PSU's hitters had much better opportunities because the opposing middles had to respect Hancock on the 2nd touch -- so it made them a little bit later setting up the block on the PSU outsides -- especially if the set was hard and fast as it often was between Hancock and Courtney.

Being left handed can also be an advantage for a jump-server, as it was for Hancock. When a lefty hits the ball, the spin is the opposite direction from the ball the receivers are used to seeing. I.e. Hancock's serves would tail away to the right where a right-handed jump server would tail away to the other direction.

Teams without a lefty server really couldn't adequately prepare for Hancock and it made for some lopsided matches even deep in the NCAA tournament -- like UW in 2014 and BYU last year.

Not to suggest Rivera is at all like Hancock. She's a completely different kind of player. She's listed on the roster at 5-8 which is not great size for a setter. At that size, when she's in the front line, PSU will have to deploy help blocking or other teams will just hit over her. Hancock was 5-11 and a good leaper so she could hold her own blocking. Weiskircher is listed at 6 feet which is I think Lauren Carlini's height. Tall is good in a setter because a setter has to play some front row.

 

[excattyguy]

Yes, good answer Mr Dibbs, being lefthanded gives a setter a split second advantage when attacking on the 2nd touch. Hancock was the best in college VB at this and it was really an underrated part of her game. PSU's hitters had much better opportunities because the opposing middles had to respect Hancock on the 2nd touch -- so it made them a little bit later setting up the block on the PSU outsides -- especially if the set was hard and fast as it often was between Hancock and Courtney.

Being left handed can also be an advantage for a jump-server, as it was for Hancock. When a lefty hits the ball, the spin is the opposite direction from the ball the receivers are used to seeing. I.e. Hancock's serves would tail away to the right where a right-handed jump server would tail away to the other direction.

Teams without a lefty server really couldn't adequately prepare for Hancock and it made for some lopsided matches even deep in the NCAA tournament -- like UW in 2014 and BYU last year.

Not to suggest Rivera is at all like Hancock. She's a completely different kind of player. She's listed on the roster at 5-8 which is not great size for a setter. At that size, when she's in the front line, PSU will have to deploy help blocking or other teams will just hit over her. Hancock was 5-11 and a good leaper so she could hold her own blocking. Weiskircher is listed at 6 feet which is I think Lauren Carlini's height. Tall is good in a setter because a setter has to play some front row.

 

[excattyguy]

possible new DS for 2016 Allison Farrell from Illinois link -- look under the 2016 list

http://greatlakescenter.com/spvb-girls-program/recruiting/committed/

 

[PSUSignore]

Any possibility we move to a 6-2 offense? I'm not sure what coach Rose's thoughts are on that. Personally I'm not a huge fan since setter-hitter chemistry and timing is so critical, but if by chance our incoming setters are either both great, or both marginal, a 6-2 might be an option. I don't think I've ever seen us run a 6-2 in the past though.

 

[NoVa Lion]

Any possibility we move to a 6-2 offense? I'm not sure what coach Rose's thoughts are on that. Personally I'm not a huge fan since setter-hitter chemistry and timing is so critical, but if by chance our incoming setters are either both great, or both marginal, a 6-2 might be an option. I don't think I've ever seen us run a 6-2 in the past though.

I remember that was considered when we had Glass, who was (may still be) the HS national all time leader in kills and there was another setter in the same class whose name escapes me. However, Glass turned out to be so good as a setter that never happened and the other girl transferred. IMHO, Rose prefers to go with one setter for the very reasons you mention.

 

[tboyer]

Any possibility we move to a 6-2 offense? I'm not sure what coach Rose's thoughts are on that. Personally I'm not a huge fan since setter-hitter chemistry and timing is so critical, but if by chance our incoming setters are either both great, or both marginal, a 6-2 might be an option. I don't think I've ever seen us run a 6-2 in the past though.

One of them is going to win the job and then that will be that. When you have hitters like PSU has, you would never take one of them off the floor to make room for a second setter. The only way I could even faintly conceive if a 6-2 is if Megan Courtney were the 2nd setter.