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NU v. Creighton--9/6/18

Outstanding! Thanks for the play-by-play, Cton!

I just got home from karaoke. Thanks to Ackos for keeping us going until Csker got home. You were great! I don't know if I would have had a heart attack, if I were home and listening to the whole 5 matches!! Whew! Is CU that good, or are we having growing pains? Anyway, great win for the gals!!

Nice job to you both! :)
 
I just got home from karaoke. Thanks to Ackos for keeping us going until Csker got home. You were great! I don't know if I would have had a heart attack, if I were home and listening to the whole 5 matches!! Whew! Is CU that good, or are we having growing pains? Anyway, great win for the gals!!

Nice job to you both! :)
During the first two sets, it was a combination of CU doing everything right, and us doing everything wrong. After the break, we were a different team, and CU started tightening up a bit.
 



During the first two sets, it was a combination of CU doing everything right, and us doing everything wrong. After the break, we were a different team, and CU started tightening up a bit.
Thanks for the answer as I was going to ask the same question. This is a pretty young team as well, they will likely do nothing but get better as they progress.
 
In a night where the single game regular season NCAA volleyball attendance record gets shattered, we were treated to a sampling of what this year’s version of Husker Volleyball can provide: the team getting off to yet another laborious start (the bad), a brief trip into the nether regions where it seems no one is capable of passing the ball (the ugly), to a memorable come-from-behind five set victory (the good) or as @Ackos so adeptly described it…”Wow….just wow.”

Congratulations to Nebraska Volleyball Fan, and not just Husker Fan. For over 14,000 (14,022) people to come out on a week night is a testament to the passion that people have for volleyball in the state.

As for Creighton, Little Sister must be particularly aggrieved.

Little Sister: veteran laden team with 2 senior outside hitters being the core, battle tested in multiple NCAA tournaments, playing at home in an NCAA tournament type atmosphere, number 12 crushing everything in sight (I was surprised she is only 6’ 4”; she played most the match like she was 50 feet tall AND breathing fire), and a 2-0 lead with the team brimming with confidence.

Big Sister: starting four freshman who are playing their first road match EVER as collegians in front of 14,000 plus hostiles (okay….8000 hostiles and 6000 friendlies), down 2-0 and very much out of sorts and questioning itself.

Then after a 5 minute interlude, Little Sister sees Big Sister inexorably take the glass slipper away yet again. If not this year, when……….

To say the Husker’s start was ‘laborious’ is overstating a bit. The reality was that although they weren’t particularly sharp, they were keeping up in the 1st set until some passing errors toward the end gave Creighton the advantage. Surprisingly, the 1st set was the only one that had multiple ties AND multiple lead changes.

Then the notorious 2nd set befell the team, much like what occurred in the 2nd set against Santa Clara. At one point, you’re watching a volleyball match, and in the next instance, you’re in the twilight zone where (seemingly) passing is verboten and the penance for a proper pass is being “wished into a cornfield” by little Anthony Fremont. This is the 2nd time in as many matches when the team has displayed AWFUL, as in really bad, volleyball for several successive points, essentially forfeiting the set to the opponent. Fortunately for the Huskers, after the 2nd set, there is an item called “the intermission.”

I’m not sure what Coach Cook does during “the intermission”, but I AM convinced that he is a WITCH. Whatever magic he spun in those five minutes paid off in spades. Then again, maybe he just said “GET IT TO FOECKE” and walked away.

Foecke was somewhat passive in the first two sets, trying to let Sweet and Davis get into the flow of the match in my opinion. But she took over from set 3 on and everyone else just fed off of her. Even Maloney, whose performance up to that 3rd set had been mediocre at best, started playing like an All-Conference (dare I say All American?) libero for the final 3 sets.

Sweet continued her strong performances from the last two matches of the Ameritas Challenge. I was curious how she would respond to a step up in competition and she delivered. She is back to being a consistent offensive force and threat. However, the ‘six-rotational player’ experiment seems like it is still weeks, if not a year, away. Capri Davis played surprisingly well for essentially the whole match. She nearly had as many swings as Foecke, although with somewhat less efficiency. I did think that Hames fed her too much in that 1st set. Slaughter did not even sniff the court. Not sure how that rotation gets decided but who am I to argue against a top flight volleyball coach……..who has won 4 National Championships…..who also happens to be a Witch……..

The Middles were limited in their offensive production, largely because of poor passing in the first two sets and then it became “Foecke Time.” Stivrins, however, continues to amaze. Not only can she serve like a pro, she was digging and passing like a libero (albeit a 6’ 4” libero).

As for the defensive specialists, as I indicated earlier, Maloney had her best 3 sets of the year. Reminded me of how she played in the NCAAs last year. Miller was once again solid. Her only problem is when the team catches the “Passing Plague,” she is infected fairly quickly. We need to infuse her with some Townsend or Albrecht blood to build up a resistance. Densburger remains inconsistent and remains a disappointment. She can look like Sydney Townsend in glimpses, but other times she looks like a rookie. She may be a world beater in practice, but unless she can improve her game performance, why sub her in when Stivrins rotates to the back row and gets done serving.

Hames should be graded on a curve since the passing is often less than optimum and can sometimes just be brutal. She gets plenti-o-mileage in chasing down errant passes and trying to make them salvageable sets.

The 2nd outside hitter position is sorting itself out. When Ms. Sun is cleared to play and gets some gametime under her belt, that issue should be complete. Serving is improving game to game and is starting to put consistent pressure on opponents. Blocking was a non-factor until the 3rd set, but the team did come back and almost match the Blue Jays in blocks.

Passing remains the weakness in this team compared to last year. Unfortunately Townsend and Albrecht aren’t “walking through that door.” The saving grace is that we have Kayla Barnsworth on the side of the good guys.

Finally, I still haven’t heard of any update on the status of Brooke Smith. She is still listed on the roster so that is an indication to me they are still appealing her status. I think Cook would employ subbing Hames out more often when she rotates to the front row, if Smith were available. It would have helped to have Szabo out there on the block when Kloth was going off, but Kurkova is too raw to leave in for extended periods.

Next is Iowa State which has a record of 5-2 and is receiving votes. They lost to Oregon State in five in the opening weekend, then lost to a ranked Utah team last Saturday. They HAVE beaten Northern Iowa in straight sets. The Cyclones play Creighton tonight in Omaha, Wichita State tomorrow (also in Omaha), before traveling down I-80 to face the Huskers on Sunday.
 



In a night where the single game regular season NCAA volleyball attendance record gets shattered, we were treated to a sampling of what this year’s version of Husker Volleyball can provide: the team getting off to yet another laborious start (the bad), a brief trip into the nether regions where it seems no one is capable of passing the ball (the ugly), to a memorable come-from-behind five set victory (the good) or as @Ackos so adeptly described it…”Wow….just wow.”

Congratulations to Nebraska Volleyball Fan, and not just Husker Fan. For over 14,000 (14,022) people to come out on a week night is a testament to the passion that people have for volleyball in the state.

As for Creighton, Little Sister must be particularly aggrieved.

Little Sister: veteran laden team with 2 senior outside hitters being the core, battle tested in multiple NCAA tournaments, playing at home in an NCAA tournament type atmosphere, number 12 crushing everything in sight (I was surprised she is only 6’ 4”; she played most the match like she was 50 feet tall AND breathing fire), and a 2-0 lead with the team brimming with confidence.

Big Sister: starting four freshman who are playing their first road match EVER as collegians in front of 14,000 plus hostiles (okay….8000 hostiles and 6000 friendlies), down 2-0 and very much out of sorts and questioning itself.

Then after a 5 minute interlude, Little Sister sees Big Sister inexorably take the glass slipper away yet again. If not this year, when……….

To say the Husker’s start was ‘laborious’ is overstating a bit. The reality was that although they weren’t particularly sharp, they were keeping up in the 1st set until some passing errors toward the end gave Creighton the advantage. Surprisingly, the 1st set was the only one that had multiple ties AND multiple lead changes.

Then the notorious 2nd set befell the team, much like what occurred in the 2nd set against Santa Clara. At one point, you’re watching a volleyball match, and in the next instance, you’re in the twilight zone where (seemingly) passing is verboten and the penance for a proper pass is being “wished into a cornfield” by little Anthony Fremont. This is the 2nd time in as many matches when the team has displayed AWFUL, as in really bad, volleyball for several successive points, essentially forfeiting the set to the opponent. Fortunately for the Huskers, after the 2nd set, there is an item called “the intermission.”

I’m not sure what Coach Cook does during “the intermission”, but I AM convinced that he is a WITCH. Whatever magic he spun in those five minutes paid off in spades. Then again, maybe he just said “GET IT TO FOECKE” and walked away.

Foecke was somewhat passive in the first two sets, trying to let Sweet and Davis get into the flow of the match in my opinion. But she took over from set 3 on and everyone else just fed off of her. Even Maloney, whose performance up to that 3rd set had been mediocre at best, started playing like an All-Conference (dare I say All American?) libero for the final 3 sets.

Sweet continued her strong performances from the last two matches of the Ameritas Challenge. I was curious how she would respond to a step up in competition and she delivered. She is back to being a consistent offensive force and threat. However, the ‘six-rotational player’ experiment seems like it is still weeks, if not a year, away. Capri Davis played surprisingly well for essentially the whole match. She nearly had as many swings as Foecke, although with somewhat less efficiency. I did think that Hames fed her too much in that 1st set. Slaughter did not even sniff the court. Not sure how that rotation gets decided but who am I to argue against a top flight volleyball coach……..who has won 4 National Championships…..who also happens to be a Witch……..

The Middles were limited in their offensive production, largely because of poor passing in the first two sets and then it became “Foecke Time.” Stivrins, however, continues to amaze. Not only can she serve like a pro, she was digging and passing like a libero (albeit a 6’ 4” libero).

As for the defensive specialists, as I indicated earlier, Maloney had her best 3 sets of the year. Reminded me of how she played in the NCAAs last year. Miller was once again solid. Her only problem is when the team catches the “Passing Plague,” she is infected fairly quickly. We need to infuse her with some Townsend or Albrecht blood to build up a resistance. Densburger remains inconsistent and remains a disappointment. She can look like Sydney Townsend in glimpses, but other times she looks like a rookie. She may be a world beater in practice, but unless she can improve her game performance, why sub her in when Stivrins rotates to the back row and gets done serving.

Hames should be graded on a curve since the passing is often less than optimum and can sometimes just be brutal. She gets plenti-o-mileage in chasing down errant passes and trying to make them salvageable sets.

The 2nd outside hitter position is sorting itself out. When Ms. Sun is cleared to play and gets some gametime under her belt, that issue should be complete. Serving is improving game to game and is starting to put consistent pressure on opponents. Blocking was a non-factor until the 3rd set, but the team did come back and almost match the Blue Jays in blocks.

Passing remains the weakness in this team compared to last year. Unfortunately Townsend and Albrecht aren’t “walking through that door.” The saving grace is that we have Kayla Barnsworth on the side of the good guys.

Finally, I still haven’t heard of any update on the status of Brooke Smith. She is still listed on the roster so that is an indication to me they are still appealing her status. I think Cook would employ subbing Hames out more often when she rotates to the front row, if Smith were available. It would have helped to have Szabo out there on the block when Kloth was going off, but Kurkova is too raw to leave in for extended periods.

Next is Iowa State which has a record of 5-2 and is receiving votes. They lost to Oregon State in five in the opening weekend, then lost to a ranked Utah team last Saturday. They HAVE beaten Northern Iowa in straight sets. The Cyclones play Creighton tonight in Omaha, Wichita State tomorrow (also in Omaha), before traveling down I-80 to face the Huskers on Sunday.

.No doubt he just said 'cmon guys, this is Creighton".
 
In a night where the single game regular season NCAA volleyball attendance record gets shattered, we were treated to a sampling of what this year’s version of Husker Volleyball can provide: the team getting off to yet another laborious start (the bad), a brief trip into the nether regions where it seems no one is capable of passing the ball (the ugly), to a memorable come-from-behind five set victory (the good) or as @Ackos so adeptly described it…”Wow….just wow.”

Congratulations to Nebraska Volleyball Fan, and not just Husker Fan. For over 14,000 (14,022) people to come out on a week night is a testament to the passion that people have for volleyball in the state.

As for Creighton, Little Sister must be particularly aggrieved.

Little Sister: veteran laden team with 2 senior outside hitters being the core, battle tested in multiple NCAA tournaments, playing at home in an NCAA tournament type atmosphere, number 12 crushing everything in sight (I was surprised she is only 6’ 4”; she played most the match like she was 50 feet tall AND breathing fire), and a 2-0 lead with the team brimming with confidence.

Big Sister: starting four freshman who are playing their first road match EVER as collegians in front of 14,000 plus hostiles (okay….8000 hostiles and 6000 friendlies), down 2-0 and very much out of sorts and questioning itself.

Then after a 5 minute interlude, Little Sister sees Big Sister inexorably take the glass slipper away yet again. If not this year, when……….

To say the Husker’s start was ‘laborious’ is overstating a bit. The reality was that although they weren’t particularly sharp, they were keeping up in the 1st set until some passing errors toward the end gave Creighton the advantage. Surprisingly, the 1st set was the only one that had multiple ties AND multiple lead changes.

Then the notorious 2nd set befell the team, much like what occurred in the 2nd set against Santa Clara. At one point, you’re watching a volleyball match, and in the next instance, you’re in the twilight zone where (seemingly) passing is verboten and the penance for a proper pass is being “wished into a cornfield” by little Anthony Fremont. This is the 2nd time in as many matches when the team has displayed AWFUL, as in really bad, volleyball for several successive points, essentially forfeiting the set to the opponent. Fortunately for the Huskers, after the 2nd set, there is an item called “the intermission.”

I’m not sure what Coach Cook does during “the intermission”, but I AM convinced that he is a WITCH. Whatever magic he spun in those five minutes paid off in spades. Then again, maybe he just said “GET IT TO FOECKE” and walked away.

Foecke was somewhat passive in the first two sets, trying to let Sweet and Davis get into the flow of the match in my opinion. But she took over from set 3 on and everyone else just fed off of her. Even Maloney, whose performance up to that 3rd set had been mediocre at best, started playing like an All-Conference (dare I say All American?) libero for the final 3 sets.

Sweet continued her strong performances from the last two matches of the Ameritas Challenge. I was curious how she would respond to a step up in competition and she delivered. She is back to being a consistent offensive force and threat. However, the ‘six-rotational player’ experiment seems like it is still weeks, if not a year, away. Capri Davis played surprisingly well for essentially the whole match. She nearly had as many swings as Foecke, although with somewhat less efficiency. I did think that Hames fed her too much in that 1st set. Slaughter did not even sniff the court. Not sure how that rotation gets decided but who am I to argue against a top flight volleyball coach……..who has won 4 National Championships…..who also happens to be a Witch……..

The Middles were limited in their offensive production, largely because of poor passing in the first two sets and then it became “Foecke Time.” Stivrins, however, continues to amaze. Not only can she serve like a pro, she was digging and passing like a libero (albeit a 6’ 4” libero).

As for the defensive specialists, as I indicated earlier, Maloney had her best 3 sets of the year. Reminded me of how she played in the NCAAs last year. Miller was once again solid. Her only problem is when the team catches the “Passing Plague,” she is infected fairly quickly. We need to infuse her with some Townsend or Albrecht blood to build up a resistance. Densburger remains inconsistent and remains a disappointment. She can look like Sydney Townsend in glimpses, but other times she looks like a rookie. She may be a world beater in practice, but unless she can improve her game performance, why sub her in when Stivrins rotates to the back row and gets done serving.

Hames should be graded on a curve since the passing is often less than optimum and can sometimes just be brutal. She gets plenti-o-mileage in chasing down errant passes and trying to make them salvageable sets.

The 2nd outside hitter position is sorting itself out. When Ms. Sun is cleared to play and gets some gametime under her belt, that issue should be complete. Serving is improving game to game and is starting to put consistent pressure on opponents. Blocking was a non-factor until the 3rd set, but the team did come back and almost match the Blue Jays in blocks.

Passing remains the weakness in this team compared to last year. Unfortunately Townsend and Albrecht aren’t “walking through that door.” The saving grace is that we have Kayla Barnsworth on the side of the good guys.

Finally, I still haven’t heard of any update on the status of Brooke Smith. She is still listed on the roster so that is an indication to me they are still appealing her status. I think Cook would employ subbing Hames out more often when she rotates to the front row, if Smith were available. It would have helped to have Szabo out there on the block when Kloth was going off, but Kurkova is too raw to leave in for extended periods.

Next is Iowa State which has a record of 5-2 and is receiving votes. They lost to Oregon State in five in the opening weekend, then lost to a ranked Utah team last Saturday. They HAVE beaten Northern Iowa in straight sets. The Cyclones play Creighton tonight in Omaha, Wichita State tomorrow (also in Omaha), before traveling down I-80 to face the Huskers on Sunday.

Thanks for the info on everything! :) But, Coach Cook is a Warlock..........not a witch! ;)

GBR
 

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