Gopher Volleyball 2019

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No disrespect to the Gophers volleyball team -- they're terrific -- but for the first time in several decades, this might not be an utterly irrational question. Which team is better: the U of M's football team or its volleyball team?
 

let'sbeclear said:
No disrespect to the Gophers volleyball team -- they're terrific -- but for the first time in several decades, this might not be an utterly irrational question. Which team is better: the U of M's football team or its volleyball team?
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That is (suddenly) a rational and interesting (albeit difficult) question.

It amounts to asking what is better (or which does the fan prefer) ...

A volleyball team that is consistently excellent over a large number of seasons. But not so excellent that they win a large number of national championships. They do get into Final Fours once in a while, but how long since they won one? (Surely some poster knows the answer.)

Or, a football team that has been consistently mediocre for many years, but that has now (seemingly and hopefully) turned a corner toward excellence. And that, this year anyway, just might win the Big Ten and a bowl game. And that has resurrected football fan spirit to Pav-like levels (or should we say Pav-lovian).

Of course, there’s also the half-ass answer: It depends on where the volleyball team and football team play each other - at TCF Bank Stadium, or at the Pav.
 
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Sweep of Ohio State today makes Thursday’s match huge. Winner is alone in first place.
Benedict Barnes returns to the Pav.
 

beavergopher said:
Sweep of Ohio State today makes Thursday’s match huge. Winner is alone in first place.
Benedict Barnes returns to the Pav.
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Let's just beat Wisconsin. That should be enough.

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I watched the Ohio State match up until it was 22 all in the third then I had to depart for basketball. It was a much better match against the Buckeyes than the five setter at Williams. The Gophers are a resilient group.

I'm looking forward to the first place Thursday night showdown in the PAV.
 



let'sbeclear said:
According to the website CutDownTheNet provided a link to (http://ncaastats.figstats.net/volleyball-rpi.cgi), it looks like the Gophers will be moving up to #6 in the RPI, one spot behind Wisconsin.
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Yes and no - I just realized that website has several flavors of RPI stats depending on what tab you click. The default seems to be "RPI with Bonuses" - the one I quoted before (and with powder blue background). There is also an "Unmodified RPI" (with pink background). The Gophers are #6 on the former (raw RPIPct = 0.6797 currently) and #8 on the latter (raw RPIPct = 0.6602 currently).

My guess is that "RPI with Bonuses" is the web-site owners take on an RPI statistic after running it through some adjustment/bonus model that intends to reflect how the Selection Committee adds pluses and minuses to tweak RPI to reflect other factors. Whereas the "Unmodified RPI" is probably going to match the posted NCAA stats (when adjusted - and that's just the rub - the NCAA stats are not adjusted dynamically, as is this website, a definite advantage.

So to the extent that their "RPI with Bonuses" model might indeed be closer to how the Selection Committee might see things, then good that this puts us in # 6 instead of #8. But who knows how accurate their model is. Plus, there's only a 0.0195 delta between these two raw RPIPcts - showing how little it takes to move up 2 slots.

The key takeaway is that, no matter which (tweaked or untweaked) model you use, Baylor and Texas are close to being a lock on 1st and 2nd places; and the real battle (among near equals, RPI-wise) is for the 3rd and 4th place rankings by the Selection Committee (with the prize being potentially hosting a Sweet Sixteen), probably among the following teams that are so close in raw RPIPct that it's too close to call ...

Pittsburgh (ACC)
Stanford (PAC)
Wisconsin (BIG10)
Minnesota (BIG10)
Florida (SEC)
Nebraska (BIG10)

Of these, only the 3 BIG10 teams hold the keys to their own fate by virtue of playing each other, so that some of these BIG10 teams have to lose a game or two.

It was already noted that Pitt has only a couple games left in which they might be upset (after almost getting upset this weekend). Stanford doesn't seem to have any big challenges left, but on the other hand they won't be getting a big bump in SoS like the Big-Ten teams will. Things are a little tighter atop the SEC, so we might look to see who Florida plays.

Bottom line, Gophers need to beat Wiscy and Nebraska, and take care of business with its other remaining B1G foes.
 
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CutDownTheNet said:
Yes and no - I just realized that website has several flavors of RPI stats depending on what tab you click. The default seems to be "RPI with Bonuses" - the one I quoted before (and with powder blue background). There is also an "Unmodified RPI" (with pink background). The Gophers are #6 on the former (raw RPIPct = 0.6797 currently) and #8 on the latter (raw RPIPct = 0.6602 currently).

My guess is that "RPI with Bonuses" is the web-site owners take on an RPI statistic after running it through some adjustment/bonus model that intends to reflect how the Selection Committee adds pluses and minuses to tweak RPI to reflect other factors. Whereas the "Unmodified RPI" is probably going to match the posted NCAA stats (when adjusted - and that's just the rub - the NCAA stats are not adjusted dynamically, as is this website, a definite advantage.

So to the extent that their "RPI with Bonuses" model might indeed be closer to how the Selection Committee might see things, then good that this puts us in # 6 instead of #8. But who knows how accurate their model is. Plus, there's only a 0.0195 delta between these two raw RPIPcts - showing how little it takes to move up 2 slots.

The key takeaway is that, no matter which (tweaked or untweaked) model you use, Baylor and Texas are close to being a lock on 1st and 2nd places; and the real battle (among near equals, RPI-wise) is for the 3rd and 4th place rankings by the Selection Committee (with the prize being potentially hosting a Sweet Sixteen), probably among the following teams that are so close in raw RPIPct that it's too close to call ...

Pittsburgh (ACC)
Stanford (PAC)
Wisconsin (BIG10)
Minnesota (BIG10)
Florida (SEC)
Nebraska (BIG10)

Of these, only the 3 BIG10 teams hold the keys to their own fate by virtue of playing each other, so that some of these BIG10 teams have to lose a game or two.

It was already noted that Pitt has only a couple games left in which they might be upset (after almost getting upset this weekend). Stanford doesn't seem to have any big challenges left, but on the other hand they won't be getting a big bump in SoS like the Big-Ten teams will. Things are a little tighter atop the SEC, so we might look to see who Florida plays.

Bottom line, Gophers need to beat Wiscy and Nebraska, and take care of business with its other remaining B1G foes.
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Yes, I was using the "RPI with Bonuses" tab on that website, because the RPI explanation on that website includes this:

"For the Division 1 Volleyball RPI, an adjustment is made based on a team's good wins, bad losses, and out of conference scheduling.

Double bonus for wins against RPI teams 1-25
Single bonus for wins against RPI teams 26-50
Single penalty for losses between 285 and 309
Double penalty for losses against RPI teams 310 and above
Double bonus for 50% or more of out-of-conference games against RPI teams 1-75
Double penalty for 50% or more of out-of-conference games against RPI teams 260 and above​

"These bonuses are added to the unmodified RPI score of a team, and then teams are reranked using the adjusted RPI value. The adjusted RPI is what is used for consideration for the NCAA tournament by the NCAA committee."

And that site still shows the Gophs at #6, .0001 ahead of Florida, though the official RPI rankings, posted by Ignatius above, shows Florida at #6 and the Gophs at #7. The discrepancy may well be that the official RPI rankings have Florida at 20-3, and the unofficial site still has Florida at 19-3.
 
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It's official.
 


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So what are the chances tomorrow vs. Wisconsin? Can Minnesota win this border battle?
 

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Hrothgar said:
So what are the chances tomorrow vs. Wisconsin? Can Minnesota win this border battle?
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Now that we seem to be more settled in the 6-2, our serve receive can stay consistently accurate, and we play even 50% better on tip coverage, I have no doubt that our hitters will be terminal enough to carry us to a 4-set or 5-set win. Furthermore, if we can get them out-of-system with strong serves, we'll be gucci. Rettke will get her 20-25 kills - that's just expected at this point with our blocking rn.

On Wisconsin's side, if Haggerty and Loberg step up on the offensive end, we'll be in trouble like we were a few weeks ago. And knowing her former teammates, I'm sure Barnes has aided Wisconsin as to how to read and engage with our hitters. Miyabe, our secret weapon, and who has emerged as a crafty hitter in recent weeks, could be a wrench in the Badger playbook. She's a better blocking option than having McMenimen up there during those rotations, and her defense and awareness are much more consistent than other hitters imo.
 

https://gophersports.com/news/2019/11/13/volleyball-gophers-welcome-four-to-2020-roster.aspx

The 2020 class:
"Cami Appiani can pass and defend with the best of them, and she's got a great arm," McCutcheon said. "Her ball control and her ability to generate points from the service line is truly unique."

"Taylor Landfair is a special talent," McCutcheon said. "She's got length, she's physical and she can play the whole game. It's a rare combination of skills, but it's these factors combined with her work ethic and her constant drive to improve that really set her apart."

"There are very few setters that have the length and skill of Melani Shaffmaster," McCutcheon said. "She can flat out dish the rock, but she can also play the whole game at a really high level. Her serve and defense are solid and she'll bring an offensive and blocking presence at the net that we've never had from a setter."

"Jenna Wenaas brings strength and skill to the outside hitting position," McCutcheon said. "She absolutely knows how to work, learn and compete. She is phenomenal at the net, she hits with a ton of heat and range, and she's developed a great all-around game to compliment that.
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dlw4gophers said:
Not sure how it can’t be. #1 and #3 recruit. Plus a top 20 player and a libero that is top 100.
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There were some volleyball writers that were touting it as the nation's best class even before Wenaas committed. Adding her just further solidified it for a lot of them.

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They are going to be fun to watch. Hugh nailed down a great class.
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
https://gophersports.com/news/2019/11/13/volleyball-gophers-welcome-four-to-2020-roster.aspx

The 2020 class:
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Three of the four are Under Armour First Team All-Americans. But the article at Gophersports.com says this about Shaffmaster "She comes to Minnesota as Prep Volleyball's No. 16 recruit on the Senior Aces list." I thought she was in the top three in the country. Did something happen? [Oops. My mistake. That might have been Wenaas who was in the top three.]
 
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rankings

let'sbeclear said:
Three of the four are Under Armour First Team All-Americans. But the article at Gophersports.com says this about Shaffmaster "She comes to Minnesota as Prep Volleyball's No. 16 recruit on the Senior Aces list." I thought she was in the top three in the country. Did something happen? [Oops. My mistake. That might have been Wenaas who was in the top three.]
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Landfair is #1, Wenaas is #3, Shaffmaster has been around # 15 for the last year. If you look up different ranking, you will find players in different numerical order. This is a good indication that Hugh will have a lot of talent to work with. Now it is up to the staff to develop it.
 

Well, that was a letdown. [emoji26]

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Ewert86PC said:
Well, that was a letdown. [emoji26]

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Congrats to the Badgers. They're simply a better team.

Frankly, I'm surprised the ladies kept it this close. Thought they played about as well as they're capable of and were pretty gritty, keeping a lot of points alive simply through excellent hustle.

But in the end, they just didn't make enough plays when they had the chance.

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MRJ said:
Congrats to the Badgers. They're simply a better team.

Frankly, I'm surprised the ladies kept it this close. Thought they played about as well as they're capable of and were pretty gritty, keeping a lot of points alive simply through excellent hustle.

But in the end, they just didn't make enough plays when they had the chance.

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A couple of telling stats:

1. Wisconsin made 21 hitting errors to the Gophers 16, and 13 service errors to the Gophers 4. With blocks being equal at 10 each, and digs ever so slightly favoring Wisconsin (76-73), one would think a difference of 14 in hitting and serving errors would be enough to win the match. The major discrepancy in favor of Wisconsin seemed to be the number of attacks -- 196-169 -- and that's probably what decided this match.

2. The last three matches Samedy has hit -.067, .130, and .130, with 4, 6, and 5 kills, respectively. Have teams figured out a way to take her out of the match -- at least offensively?

The crowd for this match was as fired up as I've ever heard a Gopher volleyball crowd from the very first point of the first set. And yet Wisconsin came out that set and hit an incredible .487, with 23 kills on 39 attempts. The Gophers also played well that first set, hitting .324, with only 2 attack errors, but Wisconsin came out clearly prepared to play in front of a very loud road crowd. Congratulations to the Badgers.
 

let'sbeclear said:
A couple of telling stats:

1. Wisconsin made 21 hitting errors to the Gophers 16, and 13 service errors to the Gophers 4. With blocks being equal at 10 each, and digs ever so slightly favoring Wisconsin (76-73), one would think a difference of 14 in hitting and serving errors would be enough to win the match. The major discrepancy in favor of Wisconsin seemed to be the number of attacks -- 196-169 -- and that's probably what decided this match.

2. The last three matches Samedy has hit -.067, .130, and .130, with 4, 6, and 5 kills, respectively. Have teams figured out a way to take her out of the match -- at least offensively?

The crowd for this match was as fired up as I've ever heard a Gopher volleyball crowd from the very first point of the first set. And yet Wisconsin came out that set and hit an incredible .487, with 23 kills on 39 attempts. The Gophers also played well that first set, hitting .324, with only 2 attack errors, but Wisconsin came out clearly prepared to play in front of a very loud road crowd. Congratulations to the Badgers.
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I think the Samedy issue is the setting. The passing/placement of the setter/setter ability isn't getting her decent sets. If I recall, some of her kills last night were assists from someone other than the setter at the moment.
 

curiouskg said:
I think the Samedy issue is the setting. The passing/placement of the setter/setter ability isn't getting her decent sets. If I recall, some of her kills last night were assists from someone other than the setter at the moment.
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Other Gopher hitters are getting their attacks in, though. Last night, for example, Hart had 41, Rollins, 40, Miyabe, 28, and Samedy, 23.
 

Miyabe has taken away the back-row attacks that Samedy was getting, though I'm not sure how many that really was or how effective they were. Samedy had a really good thing going with Miller. That hard cut shot she (Samedy) had from the right side with Miller's awesome backsetting, was almost impossible to block.

The new dynamics I think have just changed all that, and perhaps Samedy doesn't have the same chemistry.


That said, I like the new rotation. It seemed everyone was contributing pretty well. Hart is just so athletic and powerful, Rollins gets kills, Pittman was on fire at times, and Miyabe is putting the ball down pretty effectively. I like the double-sub ... they just run out of subs in these "overtime" sets. That's the risk. Once they run out, and get Kilkelly stuck in the front, it's pretty much over.



All that said ... I'll say these two things:

1) what a match. Both sides were playing with passion and urgency that you usually see in the playoffs. That was like a playoff match. Wisconsin hadn't won in Mnpls since 2014, and who knows the last time they swept the Gophers in a season, and the Gophers were trying to prevent that.

2) what a match. 22-25, 25-23, 28-30, 27-29. Tough to get much closer than that. So it's not like we got blown out.



Also:
- Rettke did not singlehandedly beat us, this time. She got her kills in, but she didn't overwhelm us. We had nice block touches on her, particularly latter in the match.
- Serve receive ... Wisconsin simply out played us there.
 

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