VB - SMU Tonight 7:00 PM

[PittMBA]

What Babcock is doing, playing six rotations as an opposite, is other worldly. My daughter and I sort of chuckled that she could make playing the position seem cool since most kids hate playing opposite. It would be stunning not to see her eventually be a dominate force in international play.

I think what makes Pitt look really dangerous is that the hitting errors are starting to level out. Olivia and Val have really settled down.

I think what made me shake my head at the most was how the "doubles rule" is benefiting Pitt. There were some pretty wild sets on both sides last night (SMU's setter is really good) and the lack of double calls just makes Pitt so much more difficult to stop.

Good call on the new doubles rule - I agree Pitt is really taking advantage. Every player on the floor is setting - and as noted before - it barely needs to be a competent set for Babcock and Stafford to get a great swing on it —

 

[PittMBA]

"SMUs coach seemed frustrated and at a loss — I think she was taken a back just how dominant Pitt is — like SMU seemed to be doing a lot of good things — but weren’t competitive".

In the 3rd set Pitt went up 16 - 8 and then ran off 9 of the last 10 points to win 25 - 9. I sit mid court on the team side of the Fitz so I can see the coaches and players really well. I trained my gaze on the SMU coach at that point until the match ended. She was completely motionless, didn't say a word, and seemingly stared into space. It was like she was in a trance. I have seen this a few other times as a match is ending and Pitt is dominating....but nothing like this.

I'm not sure what to expect on Saturday from SMU....but one thing is clear. It is now midseason and Pitt has been consistently winning each set by an average 25 - 15 score. They did it again against a very good SMU team which had not been beaten this soundly in any other set or match this season. Will the Pitt juggernaut continue to roll on Saturday? I can barely wait to find out. That's all.

lol on the coaches blank stare .. we sit opposite court side and my daughter was convinced the coach was staring at us .. it was like a disillusioned trance

 

[Franb]

What Babcock is doing, playing six rotations as an opposite, is other worldly. My daughter and I sort of chuckled that she could make playing the position seem cool since most kids hate playing opposite. It would be stunning not to see her eventually be a dominate force in international play.

I think what makes Pitt look really dangerous is that the hitting errors are starting to level out. Olivia and Val have really settled down.

I think what made me shake my head at the most was how the "doubles rule" is benefiting Pitt. There were some pretty wild sets on both sides last night (SMU's setter is really good) and the lack of double calls just makes Pitt so much more difficult to stop.

For the benefit of a newcomer to the sport, what is the new “doubles rule?”

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Imo the players should act as if the old doubles rules are still in places. These gals have been avoiding using their hands on the second contact for their entire lives, and a lot of them are more accurate bumping balls instead of trying to set them with their hands.

Just my take.

 

[121rum]

Read through the gamethread on Volleytalk. It made me lol. Someone put it best. Love the fact that Pitt VB has haters now.

Wow, they do not like VVG on there

 

[pittdan77]

For the benefit of a newcomer to the sport, what is the new “doubles rule?”

Apologies. A "double" is a double contact. Usually with your hands. In volleyball, the rule has always been that you can only make one, single contact with the ball when you play it. There are some variations on how that's been called over the years. For instance, when receiving a ball from across the net (first touch), if the ball hits your arms and bounces off of your chest, a while back they started to call that a single contact because it was continuous. Wasn't always the case. There was a time that any time you played a ball with your hands on a serve, it was pretty much always a double.

Starting this season, they removed that call from how the setter handles the ball (second contact). That has always been where you see that double contact called the most. I liken it to holding in football. It isn't always the easiest call to make and it can be an absolute killer call when there's an exciting play happening. They have given more and more leeway on that call for years and they decided to just eliminate it unless you are sending it over the net (third contact) or it's just blatantly intentional. The result has been some wild looking sets from weird angles that are keeping the ball in play. They did this in order to make the game more exciting. I initially hated the change but I've completely changed my mind and am eager to see the rule change at the HS and club level. Again, it's not a bad rule but the application of it is objectively inconsistent, at best, and can easily swing the game against a team that has an inexperienced setter.

Setting has always been something of an art. Need really soft hands and outstanding aim to make perfect sets. It's really tough to do that when you're out of position or having to make balls travel in directions opposite of how your body is moving. For Pitt, this means it's easier to get the ball to a position where a player can attack it even when the first pass isn't perfect or you're all over the court during a long rally. Now, aim and strength is more important which Fairbanks has. It's allowing Pitt to be more attack oriented which is really good for what Fisher tries to do.

 

[pittdan77]

Wow, they do not like VVG on there

What is the rub against her?

 

[Ski11585]

What is the rub against her?

You name it they complain about it.

She complains. Her swing is funky. Her celebrations after aces are lame. Pretty much everything.

 

[HOF Coach]

You name it they complain about it.

She complains. Her swing is funky. Her celebrations after aces are lame. Pretty much everything.

She wins...

 

[pittdan77]

You name it they complain about it.

She complains. Her swing is funky. Her celebrations after aces are lame. Pretty much everything.

Well, she just gets things done and it is pretty ugly. Whatever.

 

[chrisran24]

You name it they complain about it.

She complains. Her swing is funky. Her celebrations after aces are lame. Pretty much everything.

And they complain that she's old. I think she's just they are looking for someone to dislike on Pitt and its hard to find much else. There are some on there that call Fairbanks overrated too - again I think they are looking for things to dislike about Pitt to feel better about their own teams

 

[Franb]

Apologies. A "double" is a double contact. Usually with your hands. In volleyball, the rule has always been that you can only make one, single contact with the ball when you play it. There are some variations on how that's been called over the years. For instance, when receiving a ball from across the net (first touch), if the ball hits your arms and bounces off of your chest, a while back they started to call that a single contact because it was continuous. Wasn't always the case. There was a time that any time you played a ball with your hands on a serve, it was pretty much always a double.

Starting this season, they removed that call from how the setter handles the ball (second contact). That has always been where you see that double contact called the most. I liken it to holding in football. It isn't always the easiest call to make and it can be an absolute killer call when there's an exciting play happening. They have given more and more leeway on that call for years and they decided to just eliminate it unless you are sending it over the net (third contact) or it's just blatantly intentional. The result has been some wild looking sets from weird angles that are keeping the ball in play. They did this in order to make the game more exciting. I initially hated the change but I've completely changed my mind and am eager to see the rule change at the HS and club level. Again, it's not a bad rule but the application of it is objectively inconsistent, at best, and can easily swing the game against a team that has an inexperienced setter.

Setting has always been something of an art. Need really soft hands and outstanding aim to make perfect sets. It's really tough to do that when you're out of position or having to make balls travel in directions opposite of how your body is moving. For Pitt, this means it's easier to get the ball to a position where a player can attack it even when the first pass isn't perfect or you're all over the court during a long rally. Now, aim and strength is more important which Fairbanks has. It's allowing Pitt to be more attack oriented which is really good for what Fisher tries to do.

Thanks for the very thorough explanation! I remember a play last night, when the SMU player received a ball and it appeared to hit her hands and then bounce up off some part of her forehead. I thought it was a clear double touch, but nothing was called. Now I know why.

 

[vantheman1976]

And they complain that she's old. I think she's just they are looking for someone to dislike on Pitt and its hard to find much else. There are some on there that call Fairbanks overrated too - again I think they are looking for things to dislike about Pitt to feel better about their own teams

VVG is only 17.....c'mon!