(VB) Ongoing Volleyball Thread

It's hard for me to know how to feel about it.

On one hand, they just experienced a severe emotional and tactical shock 10 days ago. It's obvious that they're still struggling with it.

On the other, critical/plentiful service errors (especially coming out of timeouts) and consistently mediocre service reception are pretty typical for UF volleyball under Mary Wise.

Sorry, that's just how I see it.

 

Lastly, and this is just me, but the jump serves from these 5’9 girls is beyond me. In a perfect world I can see it but flat footed ones can give a variety of spins or floats to challenge the SR. Jumping just adds one more movement to master. I don’t like the risk return. As always, JMFO

 

Can’t really argue your points, especially with my last point on having the back row specialists jump serving. Why with our final 5 pts we didn’t get on Martin’s back rather than Sofia’s is a head scratcher. We have weapons and getting Essix back will allow Dixon/AC to hit OH. Back row communication on SR needs to get better. Yada yada. We didn’t make defensive adjustments for their #9 who hurt us. They deserved the win frankly

 

They were better tonight. UF nerds to figure it out and soon.

 

Went to the Chalk Talk by Dave Boos. There were some interesting insights:
After a question about SE, he said if you think the purpose of a service is to get over the net, you would be wrong. He said the purpose of the service is to put pressure on the SR. You want to make the best service possible, and you live with the SEs.
I understand what he is saying, but in the last 5 points of the 5th set, it seems to be critical to get it over the net.
Also, he told us #9 would be trouble, and he was so right. She is on the Right side and stays out wide, even OOB. Then she comes at the net at an angle and places it in places we don't usually see. I did not see that as much as he indicated, but she was a handful.
They ran a 6-2, which we have struggled with this season-see USF.
Muff is still a work in progress, but she improves with each match. My main complaint is she does not feed Martin enough.
Go Gators!

 

Then that’s the bed they’ve made, service wise. I still don’t think the jump serves with short players is better than staying feet on the court-you’re more accurate and still can create a serve with movement and pace. Jmo. The game has really morphed into a fan friendly version of the sport.

 

And especially the ones that are thrown 20 feet in the air before hitting the serve. Doesn't seem like a consistent method of serving to me.

 

Just get it in play and try hard to win the point. Seems simple enough.

 

Any comments from CMW about last night's match?

 

Well, now I feel that I understand the year-after-year serving issues, and SR passing accuracy issues, that have been constants for UF volleyball.

For the past, 20 years, I taught complete beginners to fly military helicopters. And I lived to tell the tale. I know what I'm talking about in the area of performance instruction (which is a fancy way of saying: coaching). And I know: no matter the sport or skill, trainees/players usually don't perform at the highest level they were trained. They usually perform at the lowest level that their coach/trainer accepts.

By his own admission, UF coaches accept repeated MAJOR service errors (blasts 15+ feet over the end line, and laser beams to or below the middle of the net) as the cost of doing business. (I think the acceptable tolerence should be much smaller. And, I think they should have much higher expectations in service reception, too.) Admittedly, they've won a lot of matches, so who am I to question what they accept?

But I'm also a fan; so I will ask the question: are the current levels and magnitude of service errors and SR passing inaccuracy REALLY the best these players can do? Are they truly the cost of doing business, or just what UF volleyball is OK with paying?

 

Passing issues are nothing new for anyone. Even the national teams runs in system at 48%. The key is can you run out of system and how efficient can you be when you aren’t seeing that perfect 3 pass but operating on a 1.5 or 1. Prime example last point of the match against the aggies you see them scrambling on a 1 pass but convert at the pin out of system. The elite teams will always make out of system plays look routine and for the most part UF does a good job but at some point someone has to be that go to regardless as to where they are on the court and find the floor. Right now you just aren’t seeing that hopefully the setter will make that connection and find that timing. If you are wondering what constitutes in system and out of system? It’s when the setter in the home position inside the 10 ft just right of middle (1) and right side (can be called several things red ,8 black depends on who’s teaching). That position is the perfect position allowing the setter to run a full offense from pin to pin , slide 1 tempo zero tempo, bic, pipe , gap x plays..you name it! Out of system is when that setter libero or whoever is picking up second ball to make the set from anywhere
on the court. This is where your attacking options go down and the set now coming over the shoulder of hitter changes the timing and the hitters vision. Having said this those teams that can convert more on out of system and scramble very well are going to give you fits.

 

Thank you for the definitin of in-system - although I believe most here know it, and understand as well the limitations of being out-of-system.

Statistics often don't tell a complete story, i.e. National team is 48% in-system. I would ask these three questions for claification:

1) How inaccurate (defined in horizontal feet, as well as vertical descent angle to the setter) must a pass to the setter be before it is defined as putting the setter out-of-system? (For this critera, I would also define any pass as out-of-system which requires the setter to execute a bump-set.)

2) Knowing the first answer: What percentage of the time does UF play in-system upon service reception (i.e. not including run of play)? My impression is: UF is out-of-system from service reception much more than they should be, and generally more than their opponents.)

3) Then: What answer to question #2 is acceptable to the coaches?

Then, I'd ask they same questions about service errors: criteria, percentage, acceptable level.

 

The college passing is based off a 3 point scale.(scale can vary) 1 being outside of the 3 meter line 2 being inside the 3 meter line and having 3 option of attack a 3 point pass is where all options are available. So it’s not much a how off the mark you are from home but what options do you have from the pass. I haven’t ran the stats on UF passing to know what percentage they are at if it’s below a 2.5 or above.
Serving is going to vary based on coach prime example karch with the women’s national team is a float server guy he hates the top spin serve and prefers the movement of the ball being the serve tough part of the game and he feels there is less margin of error. I personally like to attack and I attack lines to the point where I make my servers practice painting the corners and lines for a good portion of practice. Each coach is different in their philosophy. Now there are times in a match where serving tough may be just moving the player enough to change the angel of pass or causing that slight hesitation between 2 passers. But I do agree late in
matches conservative serves are important unless you are playing lights out sideout volleyball can hurt you

 

I have seen a lot more nerds on campus than back in the day . Good point

 

Thanks for your input. My mantra coaching was serves in, first pass gives S at least 3 options, third contact over the net without it being a sacrificial offering.
For anyone….why are we not seeing Kira Hutson? I’m sure she’s dinged. I really don’t follow NCAA VB anymore ( it’s true) because I was a proponent of side out scoring-real volleyball imo. Rally scoring is for filling seats. Jmo

 

+1 for side-out scoring!

 

They lost the match because of service errors (giveaway points) at too many critical junctures in the match, PLUS Sofia Victoria just making too many attack errors. I hate to point out individuals, but Martin hit .263, Fitzpatrick .256, Okammor .250, Muff .333 and Dixon .250. Victoria had the most attacks for Florida, meaning they set her up the most, with 43, and yet she only had 14 kills to 10 errors for a .093 hitting percentage. That was the difference in the match. With her experience, she simply has to play better than that for the Gators to win. Without Stuckey, the margin for error is smaller than it was and the stars have to play up to their potential for Florida to win against quality teams.

 

I grew up the same way earn each point. Back when I played on the bud light tour it was full size courts no let serves, if your hands were marginal don’t even think about using them and true sideout scoring. I’m a purist myself. The game is definitely quicker and playing above the net is the new game. We didn’t have liberos when I played I college that should tell you my age lmao

 

So, just for giggles, I went back and scored the TA&M match for serving and serve reception using the 3-point methodology mentioned above: with the baseline that a service error places zero pressure on serve reception. It's a small sample size but...

I found no correlation between between serves that resulted in an Ace or the opponent being out of system (OoS), and victory in the set. (I might go back and look at it again, for correlation between OoS-serves and individual points.)

To be fair, there was also no consistent correlation between service errors and defeat in the set.

Going back to Coach Boos at the Chalk Talk, I'd be interested to know if he's got any data that indicates otherwise.