Yeah, I think you nailed it.
I wrote this morning that I thought this was Nebraska’s tournament but I didn’t see Louisville playing that well.
Pitt vs Louisville - Volleyball Game Thread
- Thread starter zookeeper2000
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I wrote this morning that I thought this was Nebraska’s tournament but I didn’t see Louisville playing that well.
People from all over the country had the same chance to buy tickets to the games tonight as the locals did. And the same chance that the basketball fans do.
How exactly did the seniors choke? What game were you watching?
Louisville's middles, Cresse and Kong, combined for 25 swings, 16 kills and 2 errors. .560 hitting percentage.
I’ve said this all year: This team needed a 4th outside hitter. Fisher either didn’t trust Bayliss or he didn’t give her enough time on the court to earn that job.
Robins, who usually is their third OH had a bad game or was injured and only had 5 kills. But their 4th hitter, Diaz-Maldonado had 14 kills. Same as DeBeer and Luper. VVG had 8 and Bayliss had 1. Out hit 19-9 by their 3rd and 4th. Their MBs also were much better than ours tonight.
With all of that, we should have swept them. And when we lost Set 3, we quit. You can’t sugar coat that.
Robins, who usually is their third OH had a bad game or was injured and only had 5 kills. But their 4th hitter, Diaz-Maldonado had 14 kills. Same as DeBeer and Luper. VVG had 8 and Bayliss had 1. Out hit 19-9 by their 3rd and 4th. Their MBs also were much better than ours tonight.
With all of that, we should have swept them. And when we lost Set 3, we quit. You can’t sugar coat that.
Who the hell are you? You new here? I’ve been with this team every step of the way.
We didn’t choke. Our wonderful ladies couldn’t overcome the logo they represent.
Yup there’s nothing to claim as any kind of moral victory with this. I watched a team that just flat out stopped trying.
We should have swept them. But credit louisville on those set points. Sometimes the other team just does great things.
Louisville’s coach found time with all of this going on to grab 2 players from the portal. They have to replace 6 seniors.
Through this entire run the announcers kept talking about the 5-6 seam. Teams kept serving to this area against Pitt and it kept working. Pitt seemed to just serve it straight to players on the opposing team.
Is this skill or strategy? We certainly couldn’t take advantage of it in either case.
It absolutely wasn’t the biggest issue tonight, but it was still there.
Fisher is obviously a good coach, but it seemed like he got “out schemed” throughout this tournament and the talent disparity carried them team for the most part.
H2P
Is this skill or strategy? We certainly couldn’t take advantage of it in either case.
It absolutely wasn’t the biggest issue tonight, but it was still there.
Fisher is obviously a good coach, but it seemed like he got “out schemed” throughout this tournament and the talent disparity carried them team for the most part.
H2P
Come on, man. The basketball tournament is on another level. Thats not a good comparison
Home town venue helps, but that certainly was not why Pitt lost (note - looked like Nebraska traveled very well + Pitt and PSU had their respective fans).
Bottom line - as has been said many times, it's tough to be a team 3 times in a row, especially one as good as Louisville.
-Louisville played really well throughout and raised their play, especially their block and back row defense.
-Pitt's block was inconsequential.
-Louisville's serving game was far better; ironically, Pitt's best serve was Babcock, who I believe only had one serving error, but I think held serve once. Very little serve pressure from anyone else. A real liability when you're deep (Final Four) in the tournament.
The scoreboard reads 3 to 1 in games, but if Pitt could have closed games 2 and 3, they win 3 - 0.
But as I used to say in my coaching days, "a miss is a mile."
Bottom line - as has been said many times, it's tough to be a team 3 times in a row, especially one as good as Louisville.
-Louisville played really well throughout and raised their play, especially their block and back row defense.
-Pitt's block was inconsequential.
-Louisville's serving game was far better; ironically, Pitt's best serve was Babcock, who I believe only had one serving error, but I think held serve once. Very little serve pressure from anyone else. A real liability when you're deep (Final Four) in the tournament.
The scoreboard reads 3 to 1 in games, but if Pitt could have closed games 2 and 3, they win 3 - 0.
But as I used to say in my coaching days, "a miss is a mile."
Klika wasn't great, but Fairbanks didn't choke. She was running all over the place trying to set out of system because the team couldn't pass the serves.
It was a bigger problem against Oregon but it’s been a bit of an issue. The 5-6 seam is sometimes a weak spot because you have an outside in receive and they have to cover that seam based on the seam call. Receiving seams is a very difficult skill to master.
I spent the last two year after losing in the semi talking about needing a Libero like Scott and a service game that gets the other team out of system.
And it was evident again today. Every year ends with the same feelings.
Klika has 21 digs. She was pretty good.
Bayless is worse at receiving serve that VVG, so I think that's why she didn't play as much. I feel like Jones just hit a freshman wall-she really didn't do much for the past month. It was a fun season, but a disappointing way to end it. As always, H2P
But that doesn't change the fact that every person in the country, hell, in most of the world, had the same chance to but tickets to the game that the people who lived in Louisville did.
If you wanted to buy tickets to these games, then when the NCAA put them on sale you could have easily purchased them.
Yes. You can join Alliance 412, that’s Pitt’s NIL initiative. You can designate that your funds go to volleyball. Alliance412.com
Early in the match I posted that Emily came to play. But my perception is she got outplayed by her positional counterpart in the last set. But maybe the stats show something different. Just my perception.
I had the same perception as you-that she was outplayed. She's an average libero, but Pitt needed an above average libero to help cover their hitters who are in the backrow to hit, in spite of their below average defense. Pitt's block is usually good enough to help with the back row defense, but it wasn't tonight.
I don’t know if others mentioned this but this tourney, other than advancing one more game, really felt like the 2009 Men’s Basketball tournament for me. That team was so good that year, but by the time the tournament came, really they were just hanging on (and I think Pitt fans being honest with themselves know we wouldn’t have beaten UNC even if we got by Nova)
A little of the same thing here. Yes, Kentucky was a sweep, but outside of the last set in that one, really nothing at the Pete was pretty.
Why did this happen again? I honestly don’t know. Certainly having a very good Libero versus elite Liberos hurt us a bit. But it was 4 games of pretty miserable serve and pass, and constantly being out of system. It’s very hard to basically play for months and months just to get to something, and I just thought we looked a bit tired at times, certainly tight quite a bit.
No shame though, fabulous season and careers for these seniors. Very special group.
Hope Fisher can find a setter, libero, and another OH in the portal.
A little of the same thing here. Yes, Kentucky was a sweep, but outside of the last set in that one, really nothing at the Pete was pretty.
Why did this happen again? I honestly don’t know. Certainly having a very good Libero versus elite Liberos hurt us a bit. But it was 4 games of pretty miserable serve and pass, and constantly being out of system. It’s very hard to basically play for months and months just to get to something, and I just thought we looked a bit tired at times, certainly tight quite a bit.
No shame though, fabulous season and careers for these seniors. Very special group.
Hope Fisher can find a setter, libero, and another OH in the portal.
Elena Scott is a first team all-American. She’s elite.
It’s more about the style. Pitt is so aggressive that it would leave any defensive player on an island.
Louisville made an adjustment where they were running gaps with their middles and the timing was on. It’s a very difficult play. When you do that, it freezes Pitt’s middle because you can’t leave it undefended. That made Pitt late to outside sets because it is a confusing look when it’s run effectively. Pitt isn’t the strongest blocking team but that adjustment was devastating.
Elena Scott has been killing us for 4 years. She’s fun to watch. It’s also been fun watching us beat her. Until now.
It’s not easy to find an Elena Scott. But Louisville’s edge at that position is vast. If only it was less vast.
The 2009 men’s basketball team is a good comp. I spent that night chugging liquor in bouquet gardens. If I was still at an age where 1) I could be in bouquet gardens without it being creepy and 2) I could still chug liquor, I’d be doing that again after this loss.
Well if you were active on these Vball boards you’d know that I’m not knocking our ladies.
Great year! Tough finish! Great players! Great Coach! Thanks ladies for all the excitement you provided over this year! Looking forward to next year! PITT PROUD!
Thoughts from someone who doesn't watch volleyball and doesn't know much about it:
- I thought Pitt looked very good early. Was worried about Louisville and the home crowd but Pitt came out and looked like the much better team. Looked like they might sweep them after going up big early in the 2nd set. I was thinking this team is for real.
- Not sure what happened after that. I realize this isnt exactly analysis, but Louisville definitely seemed like the better team.
- Does Olivia Babcock get enough swings? Is that what they call it? Shouldn't it be like basketball where your best shooter gets most of the shots?
- What do the teams talk about for the 3 seconds when they huddle after every rally? That confuses me because when the ball is right near the line, I cant tell if it was in or out as both teams appear to celebrate and the announcers dont always say.
- Pitt will get one as long as Fisher stays here.
- I thought Pitt looked very good early. Was worried about Louisville and the home crowd but Pitt came out and looked like the much better team. Looked like they might sweep them after going up big early in the 2nd set. I was thinking this team is for real.
- Not sure what happened after that. I realize this isnt exactly analysis, but Louisville definitely seemed like the better team.
- Does Olivia Babcock get enough swings? Is that what they call it? Shouldn't it be like basketball where your best shooter gets most of the shots?
- What do the teams talk about for the 3 seconds when they huddle after every rally? That confuses me because when the ball is right near the line, I cant tell if it was in or out as both teams appear to celebrate and the announcers dont always say.
- Pitt will get one as long as Fisher stays here.
I think it was pretty clear Fairbanks wasn't 100% for most of the tourney. It was super clear in set 4 where she was letting second balls drop that she never usually would. Fairbanks is a pitt legend who should have her number retired, but it maybe a benefit to have a setter be fully healthy for our run next year. Onwards and upwards
