WVB - The official end of the dynasty last night.

[PSU73]

The dynasty DID end a few years ago. It was an incredible stretch of success that is matched and exceeded perhaps only by the success of UConn’s WBB.

The problem is the PSU dynasty itself did more than any thing else over the last ten years to elevate this sport (at all levels) and help produce the competitiveness that is out there now in college’s WVB. It’s not so much that PSU has fallen very far, it’s that so many other programs have really raised their levels of play.....and PSU is partially responsible for helping them do that.

Will PSU or any other team EVER have a similar run of success anywhere close to the run that PSU had? Not in my lifetime. But I 100% believe PSU will continue to be among the sport’s very elite programs and compete for the National Championship on a regular basis.

Well said. Others may still beg to differ but this is the reality of it, and as others have stated too, it gives great acknowledgment to the PSU program's impact on the sport. [Stanford deserves a nod as well for giving everyone the high bar to reach for.] Will any team in this game every win 6 in 8 years again? I think that will long last as the feat that will be toughest to match.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

oh woe and doom!

 

[dcf4psu]

My first ever post that went into a 2nd page. I watched the post game news conference for both coaches. I didn't realize the Nebraska setter is a senior and finished her career 7-0 against Penn State. That's a remarkable achievement especially considering Penn State was 33-0 against everyone else this year. Penn State was "forced" to use two setters this year because for the make-up of the roster. Coach Rose looked disappointed and also pointed out the senior class "were not able to close the deal as they did when freshman."

I mentioned in another post that was ongoing during the match that Ali Frantti, the national freshman of the year in 2014, was killing them. Her final hitting %: .049. We will never know what happened over her time here but for whatever reason she digressed in a dramatic way. Nebraska went after her throughout the match.

 

[drblue1977]

My first ever post that went into a 2nd page. I watched the post game news conference for both coaches. I didn't realize the Nebraska setter is a senior and finished her career 7-0 against Penn State. That's a remarkable achievement especially considering Penn State was 33-0 against everyone else this year. Penn State was "forced" to use two setters this year because for the make-up of the roster. Coach Rose looked disappointed and also pointed out the senior class "were not able to close the deal as they did when freshman."

I mentioned in another post that was ongoing during the match that Ali Frantti, the national freshman of the year in 2014, was killing them. Her final hitting %: .049. We will never know what happened over her time here but for whatever reason she digressed in a dramatic way. Nebraska went after her throughout the match.

Does anyone have the stats where it lists the percentage of plays that each player is on the court? It seems to me that HW makes random appearances and plays great while Ali is in almost every play and ...........struggled. Maybe HW is limited due to some physical issue like..........creeky knees. IDK.

 

[NitneLiun]

Nebraska had a better team. PSU was really outplayed but managed to steal two sets I thought. And if it weren't for a freak collision at match point, they might well have stolen the match.

But Nebraska was better and deserved to win. They play fantastic D, they are super cohesive. Hunter is a terrific, creative setter and Nebraska has more offensive producers than PSU has. You have to tip your hat to Cook -- he is a fantastic coach to get such a young team playing like that a season after they lost so much talent. Seems to me Nebraska and Penn State are probably the best programs in the country at player development.

It was so surprising to see Penn State play with a lack of confidence and leadership at times. Lee, Washington, Kendall White and Detering are fearless warriors but you need 6-7 players like that, not 4. Some of PSU's key players have always been a little psychologically fragile it seems to me and can struggle in big situations. I don't think it's anybody's fault -- that is just the way it worked out with some of these players.

Anyway the PSU dynasty was an amazing thing and it will probably never happen again because there are so many more top tier programs than there were 15 years ago -- and a lot more great players. During the dynasty years PSU and Stanford at times seemed to have, just on their rosters alone, half of the all-Americans in the country. That will never be the case again. Teams like Minnesota and Wisconsin and Florida (and for that matter MSU and Washington and USC) are recruiting and coaching on such a high level now.

Anyway no reason for gloom. This was a final four team and PSU was a match point away from playing in a championship game that I think they would have almost certainly won.

You could worry about PSU being a program in transition because Rose can't coach forever.

But look -- PSU is bringing in probably the nation's best recruiting class next year, two superb middles, and the returning group includes some really terrific players like White and Nia Reed and of course Gorrell. It's widely expected that Rose will sign an all-American caliber transfer to provide another pin hitter that PSU needs. But other than that position they're in good shape. If the freshman are ready to play -- as they usually are in this sport -- PSU will just reload next year like Nebraska reloaded this year.

C'mon, tboyer. I know you are an astute NCAA and PSU Volleyball fan. Don't you think you are being just a bit too optimistic about the next two or three years and the returning players. White is the only one who I think still has a lot of upside potential. Gorrell and Grant just are consistent enough and definitely are not five or six rotation players. I also seriously doubt that Russ will get an "All-American caliber" transfer. AA don't typically transfer. He might get a serviceable transfer who can play the net rotations.

The truth is that we could be starting as many as five freshmen next season. Who knows if they will be great or complete busts? Most likely they will be somewhere in between, collectively.

 

[psu1969a]

I believe we saw the passing of the baton last night. It marked the end of the PSU WVB dynasty and quite possibly the beginning of a run for a very talented and young Nebraska team. A team that showed the heart of a lion in that 4th set when it looked like it was starting to get away from them.

2018 will mark the first time in I'm guessing over ten years that the WVB team will have no players competing who have won a national championship. The seniors last night were the caboose. The dynasty is over.

I am glad to hear that the PSU reign is over and all hail the new Queen whomever that is? It is not Nebraska; a bad serve in the 4th set cost PSU the match. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

[NitneLiun]

Does anyone have the stats where it lists the percentage of plays that each player is on the court? It seems to me that HW makes random appearances and plays great while Ali is in almost every play and ...........struggled. Maybe HW is limited due to some physical issue like..........creeky knees. IDK.

Haleigh didn't make random appearances. She was the starting MB. She subs out a lot because she isn't a six-rotation player. Most of them aren't.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I am glad to hear that the PSU reign is over and all hail the new Queen whomever that is? It is not Nebraska; a bad serve in the 4th set cost PSU the match. Nothing more and nothing less.

Actually a lot of bad serves throughout the evening helped cost PSU the match.

The reign / dynesty ended three years ago, primarily due to Nebraska’s seven straight wins vs PSU. Honestly, with the loss of Lee & Washington, do you realistically see PSU in the final four next December? If that happens, Rose s/b the unanimous COTY!

As far as a new Queen, I see nothing anywhere approaching PSU’s string of championships. Any school winning even simple back-to-back titles may take many many years to occur what with the increasing competitive balance that now exists in both the Big 10(14) and the rest of the country.

 

[PSUSignore]

Does anyone have the stats where it lists the percentage of plays that each player is on the court? It seems to me that HW makes random appearances and plays great while Ali is in almost every play and ...........struggled. Maybe HW is limited due to some physical issue like..........creeky knees. IDK.

Volleyball positions are extremely specialized when playing at high levels. Players are on the court for what they do best and then typically are rotated out or not asked to do as much depending on where they are in the rotation. It is very, very common for players to rotate out when in the back row, particularly middle blockers who tend to be weaker passers and diggers in general. Haleigh Washington's appearances aren't random, she's on the court for 4 rotations - 3 in the front row and 1 in the back row because the coaches like her serve. 6 rotation players are a nice luxury, not many players can excel at every position on the court.

Analyzing volleyball in the way Andrew Callahan looks at football snap counts won't tell you much. It's the same for just about every team out there.

 

[MrDibbs]

I was disappointed with the match's outcome mostly because PSU had a higher than normal number of seniors on the roster - this was their last hurrah.

As somebody pointed out above, Russ Rose played his seniors - probably because they were the best (and most consistent) players on the team. It is to his credit that he got some underclassmen into the fray, but you cannot call their playing time significant. I fear that next year will be very difficult because the front lines will not be battle tested and there will be a new setter(s) as both Bryana and Abby graduate. Fortunately, the back row will have some experience, but without a meaningful block, that experience will not matter very much.

In past years, there was always a possibility of graduating seniors playing overseas and maybe even making the national team. Other than Simone and Hayleigh, I don't see any of that.

My final thought on volleyball - I don't think that there is another women's collegiate sport that is a "competitive" as volleyball is today. Basketball is a two or three team race - every year. I don't follow soccer or softball that much so I really can't judge. Whoever wins the match tonight between NU and UF has a lot to brag about.

 

[NitneLiun]

I fear that next year will be very difficult because the front lines will not be battle tested and there will be a new setter(s) as both Bryana and Abby graduate.

Bryanna will be a 5th year senior next year and has indicated that she intends to return to the team. The only loss we are likely to have besides the seniors is Michaela Putnicki. She is apparently transferring after this semester. She seems to be homesick for Colorado.