Jelena Novakovic 6' 2" RS from Serbia has committed to PSU. Dykstra and Canulli have left the team.
WVB News
- Thread starter Colorado Man
- Start date
Dykstra's leaving is strange, she just transferred to PSU from UCLA a year ago. Wonder if she's homesick.
Was Canulli ever on the team?
I read this on Volley Talk last night. Sort of a shocker.
On the plus side, Novakovic appears to be a high end left handed outside hitter/opposite.
She won several most valuable player awards at various events.
On the other side, we are now short at the libero/DS positions with girls who were recruited for the position, as I would have thought both Dykstra and Canulli would have played lots of important minutes this year.
There are the Pearce sisters and I think an incoming frosh, Kendall White. Most of the others were walk ons.
All could be serving specialists, but I have some concerns about their ability to dig and pass.
Courtney and Franti will probably spend a lot of time on the floor as six rotation players.
Don't know if Rivera can play DS if Weiskirchner wins the setter job.
Don't know if she ever signed her LOI. A transfer from WVU from Texas is also an incoming DS.
I don't think it is so strange. She didn't play a single set last year as I recall so she probably didn't expect to get any playing time.
It was her first year with the program. She had alot of talented players in front of her. Do you assume that every first year player that doesn't play or plays very little will NEVER get playing time??
PSU (and most of the top VB programs) reserve most of their scholarship for front line players and libero/DSs are very often non-scholarship players. Non-scholarship players have no contractural ties to PSU -- they can come and go as they like.
If you come to PSU to play a sport but you don't win a starting position, that out of state tuition is REALLY expensive.
Anyway I have no knowledge of these situations and not have heard any rumors. All we know is that Canulli decided not to come to PSU, and that Dykstra decided not to return.
There are still LOTS of very talented players competing for the Libero and DS spots. Pierce sisters, who played well in pressure situations late last year, have to be considered favorites but with Russ Rose no one ever gets handed a spot. They fight it out in practice and the player who, in the staff's eyes, has the best chance of perfoming gets the job.
Besides the Pierces, other DSs on the roster include Carly Muller, Broerman, Caraway, Taylor Krause and freshman Keeton Holcomb.
Also worth keeping in mind that PSU will lose DSs less than a lot of teams because Courtney and Frantti are both good back row players (Courtney is amazing in the back row -- moves like a DS but has front line size).
Plus, DSs' main job is often as serving subs for the front row players who dont play in back row rotations. So a lot of these women will play if they can serve well under pressure (as the Pierces can).
I think given the high level of depth and talent, the competition for libero is going to be super fierce, and whoever is chosen will do really well because they will be facing the best front line in women's volleyball every single day in practice.
If you come to PSU to play a sport but you don't win a starting position, that out of state tuition is REALLY expensive.
Anyway I have no knowledge of these situations and not have heard any rumors. All we know is that Canulli decided not to come to PSU, and that Dykstra decided not to return.
There are still LOTS of very talented players competing for the Libero and DS spots. Pierce sisters, who played well in pressure situations late last year, have to be considered favorites but with Russ Rose no one ever gets handed a spot. They fight it out in practice and the player who, in the staff's eyes, has the best chance of perfoming gets the job.
Besides the Pierces, other DSs on the roster include Carly Muller, Broerman, Caraway, Taylor Krause and freshman Keeton Holcomb.
Also worth keeping in mind that PSU will lose DSs less than a lot of teams because Courtney and Frantti are both good back row players (Courtney is amazing in the back row -- moves like a DS but has front line size).
Plus, DSs' main job is often as serving subs for the front row players who dont play in back row rotations. So a lot of these women will play if they can serve well under pressure (as the Pierces can).
I think given the high level of depth and talent, the competition for libero is going to be super fierce, and whoever is chosen will do really well because they will be facing the best front line in women's volleyball every single day in practice.
She was a SECOND year player since she redshirted at UCLA the year before. Meanwhile Lainey Pierce was a first year player that played a lot last year.
She was a SECOND year player since she redshirted at UCLA the year before. One of those talented players ahead of her was Lainey Pierce who WAS a first year player that played a lot last year. NEVER is your word, not mine.
I didn't think Dykstra would be around very long. She probably thought she had a clear shot at the L spot once Gonzalez and Fuller left. It's pretty clear now that others are ahead of her. As for Canulli, it seemed that there were rumors about her having second thoughts almost from day one.
I'm pretty comfortable with the Pierce sisters and other DS's who are in the program. It will be hard to replace Dom and Lacey, we have some pretty decent talent at the L/DS positions.
I'm pretty comfortable with the Pierce sisters and other DS's who are in the program. It will be hard to replace Dom and Lacey, we have some pretty decent talent at the L/DS positions.
