VB: Pitt @ USC - 9/11/24 Match Info
- Thread starter HOF Coach
- Start date
Looking forward to this match. Thus far, I don't think the ladies have been challenged. I expect them to be in control against USC (but you never know). I think the first real challenge is next Wednesday.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
This is an important trip. Chance to entertain some recruits maybe but also to prove they can go out their again and win.
Pitt is only D1 program to not have lost a set this season.
Great homecoming for Babcock, Fairbanks, Stafford, and Griffin in front of their family and friends. The team settled in and hit their stride after the 1st set.....excellent match against a good USC team on the road. Next up.......
at
Pepperdine
Sep 13 (Fri)
Malibu, CA
9:30 PM
ESPN+
Check out the stylish, old-school cardigan that Dan Fisher has on...
Great 'W'...given the cross-country trip, playing a top 20 opponent in its arena, in front of a national audience. I couldn't help but notice that the starters seemed a bit tight early on (no smiles, but focused/intense facial looks) until they settled in. I'm sure having experienced leadership (Fairbanks, VVG, Klicka) makes a big difference in these circumstances.
A few salient observations:
-While the pin hitters are OUTSTANDING, Fairbanks was superb last night. She makes such a difference in that she makes everyone around her better. Analogous to a great distributor in hoops.
-While Pitt won the serve-receive game, I still think it will need to improve when playing elite (1-10 ranked teams). It appears that a few of the servers get some really good movement on their serves, but other than Babcock, you don't see a lot of really deep/high pace stuff.
-Anyone else notice - while Sunderland is a legend, every time Meyer came in to serve for Klicka, in all 3 sets, he never picked up the substitution and kept referring to Klicka.
-In the very limited time I watched Kelley play last season, it looked like she frequently (to borrow an expression from other sports), "short-arms" her attempted kills. Last night, she definitely looked like she was going after the ball and swinging freely,
-MBs --- my imagination or did last's year blocking tandem of Monks and Nwokolo look more effective than what I saw last night? Yes, it's very very early on in the season and yesterday was a single game sample. But most of the (successful) blocks seemed to come from Babcock, Stafford, and Fairbanks. I'm sure that Kelley and Jones will only get better.
***I know there will be a great crowd at the Pete next week. Is it possible that they might sell the place out? If so, what a statement.
A few salient observations:
-While the pin hitters are OUTSTANDING, Fairbanks was superb last night. She makes such a difference in that she makes everyone around her better. Analogous to a great distributor in hoops.
-While Pitt won the serve-receive game, I still think it will need to improve when playing elite (1-10 ranked teams). It appears that a few of the servers get some really good movement on their serves, but other than Babcock, you don't see a lot of really deep/high pace stuff.
-Anyone else notice - while Sunderland is a legend, every time Meyer came in to serve for Klicka, in all 3 sets, he never picked up the substitution and kept referring to Klicka.
-In the very limited time I watched Kelley play last season, it looked like she frequently (to borrow an expression from other sports), "short-arms" her attempted kills. Last night, she definitely looked like she was going after the ball and swinging freely,
-MBs --- my imagination or did last's year blocking tandem of Monks and Nwokolo look more effective than what I saw last night? Yes, it's very very early on in the season and yesterday was a single game sample. But most of the (successful) blocks seemed to come from Babcock, Stafford, and Fairbanks. I'm sure that Kelley and Jones will only get better.
***I know there will be a great crowd at the Pete next week. Is it possible that they might sell the place out? If so, what a statement.
Noticed the same thing with Sunderland - never picked up that Dinn was subbing to serve.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
As a team, they had eight blocks, which is pretty good. Generally, if your outsides are getting the actual block in a double or triple, it means they were defending the line really well. Unfortunately, I did not get to watch as my daughter's team decided we needed five sets last night. USC had a lot of hitting errors according to the stat sheet. That could be an indication that the blocks that were being set were still effective as the attackers were struggling to go through, over, or around them. Jones was involved in seven blocks so something was working. That's just the stat sheet view of things.
I did notice that Val didn't have the most effective evening.
How wild is it that your opposite leads the team in kills last night and is second overall? Such a balanced attack.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
There aren't enough tall lefties to go around but it is a unique skill to be that effective as an opposite.
There is a lot of joking around about opposites in the VB world but it's not easy to attack from that side as a righty. Mostly back sets that aren't nearly as accurate. Waiting forever for the ball to cross your face. Sometimes there's traffic when you're setting up for your approach because you're in bounds. Definitely a special talent.
One of the huge benefits is having a top setter like Fairbanks too - you put an average D1 setter out there and Liv wouldn’t get as many good opportunities as she does.
Yes....Gomez didn't have the greatest of nights. That roundhouse wind up of hers can be problematical with the better teams she will face. Nevertheless....she usually comes up with some timely big plays.
On another note....offensively USC was pretty one dimensional....namely Batenhorst. In the 1st set...she kept USC in the game with 8 kills. But on the night....she just had only 7 more kills in sets 2 and 3 and hit just .171 for the match. Pitt wore her down and you could see it in sets 2 and 3.
Last edited:
pittdan77
Athletic Director
I was thinking that as I typed it out but "imperfect" setting is something that opposites definitely need to learn how to deal with. Once heard a club coach tell a group of 15's and 16's that setting gets better as you advance from middle school to high school to club and beyond, but you always have to know how to hit a ball that isn't perfect.
But yeah, Liv has a huge advantage with Fairbanks out there.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
I noticed that about them in the tournament last year. There are several teams that have that problem. Louisville and Penn State come to mind (although I think PSU might be more balanced this year). That's why having Babcock as a weapon is so important. Keeps the other teams defense guessing.
I actually think Louisville is going to be pretty balanced this year in terms of hitting options. Luper and DeBeer are both going to hit a lot but they are running the 6-2 now with Robbins and Maldonado Diaz on the right. All 4 of them are averaging over 2 kps. The biggest issue for them is I’m not sure how ready that freshman setter is, and even bigger is DeBeer has just not looked good at all so far. If she turns it on, which we know she can, they’ll be tough
Louisville plays @Creighton on Sunday. That’s going to be an awesome match. I may give that the main TV screen and have nfl on a secondary screen with the Steelers in the late window.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
It's probably not worth running a 6-2 if you're giving up 45 kills and only getting five blocks in three sets against Penn State. I'm guessing Louisville is spreading it around because DeBeer is getting shut down by other teams. She's just not the same player. Not good for your team when your leading scorer is hitting 0.140.
Similar threads
