One of the great things about being retired is that I can spend the better part of a weekday kicking back and watching volleyball. In particular, I was watching the new players to see what they looked like. Beach and indoor volleyball are very different so it's hard to make direct comparisons, but one can make observations about the overall level of athleticism and basic ball handling skills of the players.
Of the five freshman the most impressive by far from an athletic standpoint is Andi Jackson. She is tall, has lots of lean muscle mass, jumps high, hits hard, and has impressive quickness and lateral movement. She seemed very comfortable with her digging and passing, which is impressive for a girl projected to be a middle blocker. She also served fairly well, though she did have a couple that went into the net. I see no reason why she couldn't be a pin hitter if she wanted to go that route. I think the sky is the limit with this girl.
Harper Murray and Caroline Jurevicius also looked good. They are both fairly tall and quick and have pretty good ball skills.
Choboy did well at what she is good at, which is digging and passing. She struggled to cover the court and she can't make plays at the net due to her lack of size. That is a big problem in beach, where you kind of have to do everything well to be competitive, but I see no reason why Choboy shouldn't be a very good libero or defensive specialist in the fall.
In my opinion, the one who struggled the most was Bergen Reilly. She did not look comfortable and seemed to struggle with receiving a serve and making a decent pass. Just like with Choboy, I think beach volleyball is not a good sport to showcase her setting skills for indoor competition. What was a little concerning to me was her apparent lack of quickness and lateral movement. That lack may not be as concerning for someone playing setter, as compared to someone playing libero and/or defensive specialist, but all things being equal it is better to be more athletic than not. We'll see how she looks in the fall.
And that leaves me with one final newcomer, Merrit Beason. That girl is a very, very good athlete and volleyball player. She was teamed up with Murray, and I mentioned that Murray looked good, but Beason looked better. Beason is taller and quicker than Murray. Beason covers a lot of court and passed and served quite well. I can easily see Beason being a 6-rotation player, which she was at Florida. I was very impressed with Beason.
I hope at least some of you watched the matches yesterday. If so, please add your thoughts/comments.
Of the five freshman the most impressive by far from an athletic standpoint is Andi Jackson. She is tall, has lots of lean muscle mass, jumps high, hits hard, and has impressive quickness and lateral movement. She seemed very comfortable with her digging and passing, which is impressive for a girl projected to be a middle blocker. She also served fairly well, though she did have a couple that went into the net. I see no reason why she couldn't be a pin hitter if she wanted to go that route. I think the sky is the limit with this girl.
Harper Murray and Caroline Jurevicius also looked good. They are both fairly tall and quick and have pretty good ball skills.
Choboy did well at what she is good at, which is digging and passing. She struggled to cover the court and she can't make plays at the net due to her lack of size. That is a big problem in beach, where you kind of have to do everything well to be competitive, but I see no reason why Choboy shouldn't be a very good libero or defensive specialist in the fall.
In my opinion, the one who struggled the most was Bergen Reilly. She did not look comfortable and seemed to struggle with receiving a serve and making a decent pass. Just like with Choboy, I think beach volleyball is not a good sport to showcase her setting skills for indoor competition. What was a little concerning to me was her apparent lack of quickness and lateral movement. That lack may not be as concerning for someone playing setter, as compared to someone playing libero and/or defensive specialist, but all things being equal it is better to be more athletic than not. We'll see how she looks in the fall.
And that leaves me with one final newcomer, Merrit Beason. That girl is a very, very good athlete and volleyball player. She was teamed up with Murray, and I mentioned that Murray looked good, but Beason looked better. Beason is taller and quicker than Murray. Beason covers a lot of court and passed and served quite well. I can easily see Beason being a 6-rotation player, which she was at Florida. I was very impressed with Beason.
I hope at least some of you watched the matches yesterday. If so, please add your thoughts/comments.
