Mother nature was definitely smiling down on me today, because a much-needed snow day cancelled classes! I was exhausted after a 30-24, 30-17, 30-20 thrashing of Lasell College last night.
I finally broke out of my hitting slump, hitting for a 15-2-24 (.524) clip. I think the biggest obstacle I've been battling has been my sleep. For about 2 weeks, I found myself waking up every hour, tossing and turning, and feeling exhausted for the rest of the day. Monday morning I woke up after a DEEP sleep, and felt the difference immediately. Had probably the most crisp practice I've had all season, then after another deep sleep I went into the match yesterday feeling great. Hopefully I can continue to get my Z's!
Back to the match: Lasell is normally a middle-tier team, but I had watched them in pre-season a bit as I coach the women's team, and felt that they were going to be the best squad the school's produced since I've been around. After they started 2-0 with an "upset" win over MIT, I found myself very focused on not taking them too lightly. Add that to the fact that the girls' team I coached would be watching, and it was an exciting environment to play in!
Unfortunately, some off-the-court issues forced their starting setter to sit, which I found disappointing as I was VERY impressed with his play the few times I saw him. On top of that, our serving came out on FIRE, with 13 aces as a team. Personally, I found my jump serve, ripping 5 aces of my own, running off 11 points in a row in the second game. Lately, I've been pretty conservative with serving, but once I started getting a higher toss, my consistency has improved and I think I should be good to go for the rest of the season. Even when we weren't getting aces, we were keeping them completely out of system, and that being the case, took advantage of a lot of downball/freeball opportunities.
I felt that this was a good match for the team as a whole. Our energy was strong virtually the entire match. Everyone was diving and playing scrappy defense. It would have been easy to let up a little bit, but we finally seemed to have that never-say-die mentality, no matter how deflated the other team got, or how far we pulled away on the scoreboard. I hope we continue to play like that the rest of the season, because if we do that, I honestly think there's no reason we can't win the rest of our matches.
Watching film, it seemed like I was swinging with more of a purpose. I was reading the block much better, and although I wasn't swinging as hard, I was hitting my spots, pretty much only mis-hitting one ball. Hopefully I'm able to continue doing that!
Anyways, we have practice tomorrow/Friday, and then the big game at Elms. They're doing the memorial for Coach Dave that day... I'm not sure how I feel about that. Lots of emotions flying around that day, that's for sure. It's been almost 6 months, and it still feels as if it was just yesterday that everything went down... It should be an interesting match. I hear Elms' big hitter just got cleared to play, so it should be a tough one!
Time to go to bed, I have a feeling class isn't getting cancelled tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Division III Analysis: Take 1!
With the day off and not too much going on in the dorm, it's time to spend way too much time reviewing the first two weeks of season! Without further adieu...
FIRST TIER: THE FRONT-RUNNERS.
(Two weeks into the season, these are the three teams I feel stand out above the rest.)
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE:
Recent sweep of MIT/5-game victory at Vassar shows they're still the team to beat. Virtually all the tools return from last season. Strong setter in Shoemaker, Big middles in Palumbo/Sipe, Ribeiro/Nally on the outside and Fredrickson on the Opp, as well as a strong Libero... There are not many weaknesses to exploit on this team. I expect them to drop a match or two during the season as it's difficult to go undefeated, but they certainly have earned the right to be named the team to beat this season, as they go for back-to-back championships.
UC-SANTA CRUZ:
Owners of arguably the toughest schedule in Division III, this west-coast team will always be in the picture when discussing who could win it all. Although they lose 2008 National POY Brian Shires, All-American Austin Einhorn (he was a sophomore last year, now he's not on the roster... anyone have any information on this?), and Brice Dahlmeier to transferring to Cal, they return All-American Brad Sullivan, and seem to have two strong hitters in Max McDaniel in the middle and Justin Lam at the pin (outside I believe - he had 28 kills in a recent 5-set loss to Pacific, pretty impressive!). I've heard good things abotu Davidson, a 6-9 freshman middle, but the box scores indicate he's not getting too many reps at this time, although you should definitely keep an eye out for him.
Although they'll most likely be transitioning a bit from the players they lost, expect them to be more seasoned come playoff time than most due to the schedule they play. I would be surprised if they didn't get the At-Large bid for the Molten's.
STEVENS COLLEGE:
Currently 5-0 with two convincing wins against NYU and a sweep of Nazareth, Stevens looks to be establishing themselves as the team to beat in the NECVA this season. With the three-headed monster of seniors Cranford/Bocchichio/Trinsey, as well as Grobeis having a year under his belt as their setter, it seems like they've hit their stride early on this season. I wouldn't be shocked to see them 9-0 going into their biggest statement games of the season in my mind, Home at Vassar on February 7th, and at Juniata on February 12th. Be sure to keep your eye on this team!
SECOND TIER: ALWAYS A THREAT.
(Although these teams may not be in the same boat as the first three, any of them could beat any other team at any time.)
JUNIATA:
I'm sure the EIVA posters will feel that they deserve to be in the first tier, but I feel at 1-1 with no D-III matches under their belt, it's fair to put them in the "they can beat everyone, but they haven't done anything this season to put them above the rest" category. They lost a HUGE player in Fritz, as well as another starter in Bock, but the majority of the players return, and you know seniors Werle/Powers will want to go out on top. Wanner seems to be the go-to guy in the first few matches. With 4 matches versus the teams mentioned above, they have quite a few opportunities to make their case to win their 5th National Championship in 6 years.
VASSAR:
They're 0-2, but look at the two losses: They played their first match of the year at Newbury (their 4th match, 2 of the previous ones being against nationally-ranked teams, so they were a bit more prepared), on the road, down 20-14 in game 3 after losing the first two sets, and they still claw back to force a game 5, and a 5-game loss against Springfield with the score being 15-17. They are the best 0-2 team you'll find.
Losing Giunta hurts at the libero position, but Leserman has filled in somewhat nicely. Still, it hurts losing him as a hitter, and although Tully/Miccuci are two strong hitters, Fredrickson looked a bit shaky in the first match, and their passing (although still VERY strong, they take almost every ball with their hands unless it's an absolute bomb) isn't where it was last year, making their offense just a bit more predictable.
They have Penn running the show, whom I feel is the best coach you'll find in Division III. He will get every bit of potential out of them, and although they may start slower than last year, expect them to finish strong.
RIVIER:
In my opinion, the best recruiting class of 2009. They needed an opposite and an outside, which is exactly what they picked up. Only 1 Senior (Wright), but a plethora of veterans in Juniors Hansen (setter), Ferreira (Middle), and O'Neill (Libero). Add high-flying sophomore Andreozzi and transfer (apparently formerly from New Haven?) Austin Soucy, with freshman Corwin on the Opposite, and you have one nasty line-up. Only 1 5-set loss to Carthage to blemish their 7-1 record, this team will turn a few heads down the road if they haven't already done so by beating Ramapo at Ramapo in 4, as well as dismantling Philly Bible in 3. On top of that, Coach Kolek is one of the most under-rated coaches in Division III, and he will be sure like Penn to make sure his team continues to move forward.
RAMAPO:
Already in the Molten's due to hosting, this team still has a shot at winning the NECVA tournament to further justify being awarded the tournament. They lost a great opposite in Whitford, but Donahue is still a great hitter, their defense is some of the best in Division III, and they are as deep as any other team you'll find. They're 4-1, surviving a tough start to their schedule (4-set loss to Rivier, 5-set wins over Newbury/Hunter, sweep of PBU). Not the toughest schedule, but a good back-to-back against Vassar on February 28th and Stevens on March 4th will be a good gauge to see where they're at towards the end of the season.
NEWBURY:
5-1 with a 5-set loss to Ramapo with 2 of the lost sets being decided by 2 points is a decent start to the season, especially with wins over teams like Vassar/Hunter. Lots of talent, led by setter Matt Talamantes and middle Mark Thomas, this team still is a diamond in the rough. A bit inconsistent, but rising to the occasion when necessary (such as coming back from an 0-2 defecit to defeat Emmanuel this weekend), this team has the talent to go far: Whether they will or not remains to be seen.
NAZARETH:
They lost a lot of talent to graduation, but with All-American Leahy running the shoe, Petzoldt/Gimello on the sides, a strong libero and others filling in nicely, they seem to be off to a decent start, with losses to St. Francis (apparently a surprise team for the year) and Stevens. With wins against Hunter/NYU, they seem to be heading in the right direction, although there is still work to be done. Keep your eyes on their matches on Feb. 13-14 against trio of UC-Santa Cruz/EMU/Carthage.
THIRD TIER: NOBODY BELIEVED IN US!
(Stolen from Bill Simmons of ESPN: These teams are talented, but are not going to get the attention they probably deserve, which puts the "Nobody Believed in Us!" chip on their shoulder. Newbury definitely used that last season.)
NYU:
How does a 1-5 team make this list? By having those 5 losses against: St. Francis, George Mason, Stevens, and Nazareth. They have some work to do in order to bounce back, and their schedule doesn't look as if it will get any easier. They have a bomber on the outside in Wintermeyer though, and Hodgson can have some big games. Time will tell whether they belong on this list, or were put here more on reputation.
BARUCH:
This team is going to be interesting to say the least. BIG transfers in Pablo Oliviera and Erik Kowalski (Random Tangent: What the heck happened to make these two leave?? Hunter would be incredible this year if these two were still there. Wish I had the backstory on this). Add Senior Levent to the mix, and they'll be a force to reckon with all season. Plenty of tests this season to see whether they can gel or just be one of those coulda-been teams we see all too often. I predict plenty of upset victories, as well as many disappointing losses.
CARTHAGE:
Always hard to gauge a team that is non-East Coast, but they seem to be capable of doing some damage, providing Rivier with their only loss of the season in a 5-set thriller. They seem to be working out the kinks still with losses to Endicott/Baruch, but with one of the toughest schedules you'll find, they should be able to pull some quality wins when they fly out to the east coast on Feb. 13-14 (matches against Stevens/Medaille/Vassar), as well as when they host a tournament for spring break (PBU, UC-Santa Cruz, NYU, Nazareth).
EASTERN MENNONITE:
GREAT middles in Reesor/Coto, one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, and a tough home gym to play in. Strong 5-set win against Mount Olive, as well as a 5-setter against Emmanuel, and they look to build on their semi-final appearance in the NECVA tournament last year. Keep your eye on their progress in up and coming matches against PBU, as well as the Nazareth tournament in 3 weeks, which will be the first time they go up against the top teams.
HUNTER:
Did I mention I'm still sad they didn't keep Oliviera/Kowalski? Would have been a fun team to watch... Despite that, they are still a scrappy team with triple-double machines Ripoll/Jakubiak blasting away as well as running hands in a complex 6-3 offense. Stevens handled them pretty easily, but they've taken games from Nazareth/NYU/Newbury/Ramapo. When they're on fire, they can play with the best. In the big picture? Their lack of height hurts, as well as gaping holes in the block. Still, be ready for them to always flirt with the bottom of the AVCA top 15, as well as pulling some upset wins in the process.
MEDAILLE:
I'm still not sold on this team, but with wins over Baruch (although I hear they didn't have their full roster), Endicott, and MSOE, they at least need to be mentioned. Led by Ryan Murdie, a versatile middle that can play all the way around, they'll have plenty of matches to earn this when they play Nazareth/Hunter/EMU/Stevens/Vassar.
FOURTH TIER: WE COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER...
(Probably gonna take heat for this group, because this consists of teams that probably feel they belong in the third tier, although FROM MY OWN PERSPECTIVE they're probably just below it. They'll give every team a game, and they'll have their share of upsets, but in the big picture, they probably won't get much of a shot at the Molten's this year. MY OPINION. NOT FACT. With this being one of the most exciting years Division III has probably ever seen, there are plenty of teams that can fight for the top. You disagree? Spend a few hours of your own constructing one of these.)
EMMANUEL:
After playing them yesterday, I can tell you this team has the capability of doing some damage. They pulled 2 sets out from under us before we got our act together and started rising to the occasion. That was without their starting setter. They've also taken EMU/New Paltz to 5. A bit weak in the middle, but they've got a big opposite putting up a strong block, as well as a strong outside attack with Abram/Townsend able to hit from all positions. Lots of talent, probably have the most potential to bump up to the third tier, and they'll have a chance to do so with matches against Rivier/Ramapo/Hunter/Baruch in the next 3 weeks.
PHILADELPHIA BIBLE UNIVERSITY:
They had a great run last year, surprising a lot of teams. However, they still seem to only have 2 strong hitters, and they won't catch teams off-guard like last year. I'm sure Brubaker will continue to blast 5-6 kills a game, but once teams start keying on him, they'll have to turn to others if they expect to beat any of the teams listed above.
ENDICOTT:
Big win against Carthage, but losses against MSOE/Baruch/Medaille can spoil that somewhat... Great All-Americans in Coleman/Witofsky, and apparently they have a 6-7 opposite that is a roofing machine, but will they be able to hang with the top teams? We shall see.
Side note: Remember Clay Ostrander? Transferred to Pacific from Endicott, doesn't get too much time playing there. It would have been his senior year... Imagine if he had stayed! Could have boosted this team to 2nd-tier easy.
LASELL:
Definite Darkhorse to keep your eyes on this year... great start with a 4-set win over MIT. I've seen them during pre-season, and their starters look pretty good. Freshman setter runs a great offense, can bang on the outside as well. I think they'll be close to the third tier, and perhaps they'll get a chance to prove me wrong this Tuesday :).
MSOE:
Wish I had more information on this team. Tell them to update their site. My school doesn't have a gym, but even we've updated our page for the 2009 season. Just for that, I'm not writing a recap for them.
SUNY NEW PALTZ:
Wins over Emmanuel/MIT, Loss to Hunter. Talent is there, but they're going to have their work cut out for them in order to crack the top 15.
FIFTH TIER: UP AND COMING?
MIT:
Malcolm Bean is still not playing, so that could change their luck. Still, wins over a crippled Elms/Lesley combined with losses to New Paltz/Lasell leaves a bit to be desired. Don't count them out quite yet though...
ELMS:
Disappointing start. Despard's transferring to play basketball elsewhere had more repercussions than anyone probably expected. Two of the side hitters have been battling knee injuries, and they still are having issues getting their blue chipper eligible to play. Will they re-group to meet all the preseason hype? Time will tell.
NJCU:
Decent recruiting class, still probably needs some work, but could turn some heads this season. Keep your eye on them.
Time for real homework. Boooo...
FIRST TIER: THE FRONT-RUNNERS.
(Two weeks into the season, these are the three teams I feel stand out above the rest.)
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE:
Recent sweep of MIT/5-game victory at Vassar shows they're still the team to beat. Virtually all the tools return from last season. Strong setter in Shoemaker, Big middles in Palumbo/Sipe, Ribeiro/Nally on the outside and Fredrickson on the Opp, as well as a strong Libero... There are not many weaknesses to exploit on this team. I expect them to drop a match or two during the season as it's difficult to go undefeated, but they certainly have earned the right to be named the team to beat this season, as they go for back-to-back championships.
UC-SANTA CRUZ:
Owners of arguably the toughest schedule in Division III, this west-coast team will always be in the picture when discussing who could win it all. Although they lose 2008 National POY Brian Shires, All-American Austin Einhorn (he was a sophomore last year, now he's not on the roster... anyone have any information on this?), and Brice Dahlmeier to transferring to Cal, they return All-American Brad Sullivan, and seem to have two strong hitters in Max McDaniel in the middle and Justin Lam at the pin (outside I believe - he had 28 kills in a recent 5-set loss to Pacific, pretty impressive!). I've heard good things abotu Davidson, a 6-9 freshman middle, but the box scores indicate he's not getting too many reps at this time, although you should definitely keep an eye out for him.
Although they'll most likely be transitioning a bit from the players they lost, expect them to be more seasoned come playoff time than most due to the schedule they play. I would be surprised if they didn't get the At-Large bid for the Molten's.
STEVENS COLLEGE:
Currently 5-0 with two convincing wins against NYU and a sweep of Nazareth, Stevens looks to be establishing themselves as the team to beat in the NECVA this season. With the three-headed monster of seniors Cranford/Bocchichio/Trinsey, as well as Grobeis having a year under his belt as their setter, it seems like they've hit their stride early on this season. I wouldn't be shocked to see them 9-0 going into their biggest statement games of the season in my mind, Home at Vassar on February 7th, and at Juniata on February 12th. Be sure to keep your eye on this team!
SECOND TIER: ALWAYS A THREAT.
(Although these teams may not be in the same boat as the first three, any of them could beat any other team at any time.)
JUNIATA:
I'm sure the EIVA posters will feel that they deserve to be in the first tier, but I feel at 1-1 with no D-III matches under their belt, it's fair to put them in the "they can beat everyone, but they haven't done anything this season to put them above the rest" category. They lost a HUGE player in Fritz, as well as another starter in Bock, but the majority of the players return, and you know seniors Werle/Powers will want to go out on top. Wanner seems to be the go-to guy in the first few matches. With 4 matches versus the teams mentioned above, they have quite a few opportunities to make their case to win their 5th National Championship in 6 years.
VASSAR:
They're 0-2, but look at the two losses: They played their first match of the year at Newbury (their 4th match, 2 of the previous ones being against nationally-ranked teams, so they were a bit more prepared), on the road, down 20-14 in game 3 after losing the first two sets, and they still claw back to force a game 5, and a 5-game loss against Springfield with the score being 15-17. They are the best 0-2 team you'll find.
Losing Giunta hurts at the libero position, but Leserman has filled in somewhat nicely. Still, it hurts losing him as a hitter, and although Tully/Miccuci are two strong hitters, Fredrickson looked a bit shaky in the first match, and their passing (although still VERY strong, they take almost every ball with their hands unless it's an absolute bomb) isn't where it was last year, making their offense just a bit more predictable.
They have Penn running the show, whom I feel is the best coach you'll find in Division III. He will get every bit of potential out of them, and although they may start slower than last year, expect them to finish strong.
RIVIER:
In my opinion, the best recruiting class of 2009. They needed an opposite and an outside, which is exactly what they picked up. Only 1 Senior (Wright), but a plethora of veterans in Juniors Hansen (setter), Ferreira (Middle), and O'Neill (Libero). Add high-flying sophomore Andreozzi and transfer (apparently formerly from New Haven?) Austin Soucy, with freshman Corwin on the Opposite, and you have one nasty line-up. Only 1 5-set loss to Carthage to blemish their 7-1 record, this team will turn a few heads down the road if they haven't already done so by beating Ramapo at Ramapo in 4, as well as dismantling Philly Bible in 3. On top of that, Coach Kolek is one of the most under-rated coaches in Division III, and he will be sure like Penn to make sure his team continues to move forward.
RAMAPO:
Already in the Molten's due to hosting, this team still has a shot at winning the NECVA tournament to further justify being awarded the tournament. They lost a great opposite in Whitford, but Donahue is still a great hitter, their defense is some of the best in Division III, and they are as deep as any other team you'll find. They're 4-1, surviving a tough start to their schedule (4-set loss to Rivier, 5-set wins over Newbury/Hunter, sweep of PBU). Not the toughest schedule, but a good back-to-back against Vassar on February 28th and Stevens on March 4th will be a good gauge to see where they're at towards the end of the season.
NEWBURY:
5-1 with a 5-set loss to Ramapo with 2 of the lost sets being decided by 2 points is a decent start to the season, especially with wins over teams like Vassar/Hunter. Lots of talent, led by setter Matt Talamantes and middle Mark Thomas, this team still is a diamond in the rough. A bit inconsistent, but rising to the occasion when necessary (such as coming back from an 0-2 defecit to defeat Emmanuel this weekend), this team has the talent to go far: Whether they will or not remains to be seen.
NAZARETH:
They lost a lot of talent to graduation, but with All-American Leahy running the shoe, Petzoldt/Gimello on the sides, a strong libero and others filling in nicely, they seem to be off to a decent start, with losses to St. Francis (apparently a surprise team for the year) and Stevens. With wins against Hunter/NYU, they seem to be heading in the right direction, although there is still work to be done. Keep your eyes on their matches on Feb. 13-14 against trio of UC-Santa Cruz/EMU/Carthage.
THIRD TIER: NOBODY BELIEVED IN US!
(Stolen from Bill Simmons of ESPN: These teams are talented, but are not going to get the attention they probably deserve, which puts the "Nobody Believed in Us!" chip on their shoulder. Newbury definitely used that last season.)
NYU:
How does a 1-5 team make this list? By having those 5 losses against: St. Francis, George Mason, Stevens, and Nazareth. They have some work to do in order to bounce back, and their schedule doesn't look as if it will get any easier. They have a bomber on the outside in Wintermeyer though, and Hodgson can have some big games. Time will tell whether they belong on this list, or were put here more on reputation.
BARUCH:
This team is going to be interesting to say the least. BIG transfers in Pablo Oliviera and Erik Kowalski (Random Tangent: What the heck happened to make these two leave?? Hunter would be incredible this year if these two were still there. Wish I had the backstory on this). Add Senior Levent to the mix, and they'll be a force to reckon with all season. Plenty of tests this season to see whether they can gel or just be one of those coulda-been teams we see all too often. I predict plenty of upset victories, as well as many disappointing losses.
CARTHAGE:
Always hard to gauge a team that is non-East Coast, but they seem to be capable of doing some damage, providing Rivier with their only loss of the season in a 5-set thriller. They seem to be working out the kinks still with losses to Endicott/Baruch, but with one of the toughest schedules you'll find, they should be able to pull some quality wins when they fly out to the east coast on Feb. 13-14 (matches against Stevens/Medaille/Vassar), as well as when they host a tournament for spring break (PBU, UC-Santa Cruz, NYU, Nazareth).
EASTERN MENNONITE:
GREAT middles in Reesor/Coto, one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, and a tough home gym to play in. Strong 5-set win against Mount Olive, as well as a 5-setter against Emmanuel, and they look to build on their semi-final appearance in the NECVA tournament last year. Keep your eye on their progress in up and coming matches against PBU, as well as the Nazareth tournament in 3 weeks, which will be the first time they go up against the top teams.
HUNTER:
Did I mention I'm still sad they didn't keep Oliviera/Kowalski? Would have been a fun team to watch... Despite that, they are still a scrappy team with triple-double machines Ripoll/Jakubiak blasting away as well as running hands in a complex 6-3 offense. Stevens handled them pretty easily, but they've taken games from Nazareth/NYU/Newbury/Ramapo. When they're on fire, they can play with the best. In the big picture? Their lack of height hurts, as well as gaping holes in the block. Still, be ready for them to always flirt with the bottom of the AVCA top 15, as well as pulling some upset wins in the process.
MEDAILLE:
I'm still not sold on this team, but with wins over Baruch (although I hear they didn't have their full roster), Endicott, and MSOE, they at least need to be mentioned. Led by Ryan Murdie, a versatile middle that can play all the way around, they'll have plenty of matches to earn this when they play Nazareth/Hunter/EMU/Stevens/Vassar.
FOURTH TIER: WE COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER...
(Probably gonna take heat for this group, because this consists of teams that probably feel they belong in the third tier, although FROM MY OWN PERSPECTIVE they're probably just below it. They'll give every team a game, and they'll have their share of upsets, but in the big picture, they probably won't get much of a shot at the Molten's this year. MY OPINION. NOT FACT. With this being one of the most exciting years Division III has probably ever seen, there are plenty of teams that can fight for the top. You disagree? Spend a few hours of your own constructing one of these.)
EMMANUEL:
After playing them yesterday, I can tell you this team has the capability of doing some damage. They pulled 2 sets out from under us before we got our act together and started rising to the occasion. That was without their starting setter. They've also taken EMU/New Paltz to 5. A bit weak in the middle, but they've got a big opposite putting up a strong block, as well as a strong outside attack with Abram/Townsend able to hit from all positions. Lots of talent, probably have the most potential to bump up to the third tier, and they'll have a chance to do so with matches against Rivier/Ramapo/Hunter/Baruch in the next 3 weeks.
PHILADELPHIA BIBLE UNIVERSITY:
They had a great run last year, surprising a lot of teams. However, they still seem to only have 2 strong hitters, and they won't catch teams off-guard like last year. I'm sure Brubaker will continue to blast 5-6 kills a game, but once teams start keying on him, they'll have to turn to others if they expect to beat any of the teams listed above.
ENDICOTT:
Big win against Carthage, but losses against MSOE/Baruch/Medaille can spoil that somewhat... Great All-Americans in Coleman/Witofsky, and apparently they have a 6-7 opposite that is a roofing machine, but will they be able to hang with the top teams? We shall see.
Side note: Remember Clay Ostrander? Transferred to Pacific from Endicott, doesn't get too much time playing there. It would have been his senior year... Imagine if he had stayed! Could have boosted this team to 2nd-tier easy.
LASELL:
Definite Darkhorse to keep your eyes on this year... great start with a 4-set win over MIT. I've seen them during pre-season, and their starters look pretty good. Freshman setter runs a great offense, can bang on the outside as well. I think they'll be close to the third tier, and perhaps they'll get a chance to prove me wrong this Tuesday :).
MSOE:
Wish I had more information on this team. Tell them to update their site. My school doesn't have a gym, but even we've updated our page for the 2009 season. Just for that, I'm not writing a recap for them.
SUNY NEW PALTZ:
Wins over Emmanuel/MIT, Loss to Hunter. Talent is there, but they're going to have their work cut out for them in order to crack the top 15.
FIFTH TIER: UP AND COMING?
MIT:
Malcolm Bean is still not playing, so that could change their luck. Still, wins over a crippled Elms/Lesley combined with losses to New Paltz/Lasell leaves a bit to be desired. Don't count them out quite yet though...
ELMS:
Disappointing start. Despard's transferring to play basketball elsewhere had more repercussions than anyone probably expected. Two of the side hitters have been battling knee injuries, and they still are having issues getting their blue chipper eligible to play. Will they re-group to meet all the preseason hype? Time will tell.
NJCU:
Decent recruiting class, still probably needs some work, but could turn some heads this season. Keep your eye on them.
Time for real homework. Boooo...
The Dangers of Early Success.
com·pla·cen·cy
n.
1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.
2. An instance of contented self-satisfaction.
The word comes to mind when thinking about the way our team has played recently. We come out of this weekend 5-1, but there is cause for concern after giving Emmanuel (and giving is the proper term the way we played/carried ourselves) a 2-0 lead.
Sometimes I feel we have too much physical talent for our own good, and that's not as an egotistical remark. Emmanuel is a strong team, with a couple veteran hitters on the outside, and a nice addition to the bench (Costas, the only 4-time All-American First-teamer in NCAA Men's Volleyball history). After dropping the first two sets to this team, it's like we literally flipped the switch, and the match wasn't very close from that point on. Kudos to Emmanuel for how they played though, in game 5 their bench was literally screaming across the net at us, a great sign for a young team is when they're not intimidated by what looks like a much stronger team on paper. I feel other teams will not be so lucky later on down the road to overcome a 2-set deficit against this team.
It was nice upsetting Vassar in 5, but in reality we were up 20-14 in the third set and should have closed it out at that point. My own philosophy is that the best teams are the ones that play the same regardless of what the scoreboard says or who is on the other side of the net. 6 matches into the season, a positive I see about our team is that we rise to the occasion when the stakes are high. The thing that I feel needs changing if we want the national championship is to begin playing with a consistent sense of urgency/aggression every play. We have gotten a bit complacent, and that's a dangerous thing, especially this early in the season.
Hopefully the Emmanuel game will be a wake-up call. We head to Newton to face a 2-0 Lasell team that picked up a lot of talent this year, and they're definitely going to be hungry. A little side bonus will be playing in front of the team I helped coach this fall, so hopefully we put on a good show!
Individually, I can't say I'm pleased with how I've been playing recently. Way too many hitting errors, not getting around the block enough. Simple as that. Serve receive feels great, and although my serve was a bit shaky to start the season I think I'm finally starting to get back into my groove. I really need to start picking it up on the attacking front. There are games I'll blast 4-5 kills in a row, and others where I hit for a negative percentage.
Last season was definitely a different atmosphere for me as a hitter. I was playing opposite for the second year in a row, so there was some experience. We had Erik and Mark as the 1-2 punch, so teams tended to fall asleep defending me on the right side. I had countless solo blocks, and I feel that was what helped me hit for a higher percentage. Now? Erik's gone, I'm on the outside, and blocks seem to be much less surprised when I'm getting the ball. It's early, and I have no doubt that I'll adjust, but it sure would be nice to do it sooner rather than later.
As for the season as a whole, it definitely has an exciting feel to it. Everyone is beating everyone else, and unlike previous years there are no clear-cut favorites. Even Springfield got taken to 5 by Vassar just like we did! Meanwhile, Ramapo beats us, but Rivier beats Ramapo, but Carthage beats Rivier, although Carthage lost to Baruch/Endicott... you get the point. To be honest, the one team that seems to have been playing consistently well is Stevens... it'll be interesting to see how they play against the Juniata/Springfield/Vassar's. I wish we had them on the schedule this year, but I suppose we'll have to wait til NECVA's.
I plan on writing a bit of a D-III Recap/Personal Ranking today, I'll post it on here when it's complete.
n.
1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.
2. An instance of contented self-satisfaction.
The word comes to mind when thinking about the way our team has played recently. We come out of this weekend 5-1, but there is cause for concern after giving Emmanuel (and giving is the proper term the way we played/carried ourselves) a 2-0 lead.
Sometimes I feel we have too much physical talent for our own good, and that's not as an egotistical remark. Emmanuel is a strong team, with a couple veteran hitters on the outside, and a nice addition to the bench (Costas, the only 4-time All-American First-teamer in NCAA Men's Volleyball history). After dropping the first two sets to this team, it's like we literally flipped the switch, and the match wasn't very close from that point on. Kudos to Emmanuel for how they played though, in game 5 their bench was literally screaming across the net at us, a great sign for a young team is when they're not intimidated by what looks like a much stronger team on paper. I feel other teams will not be so lucky later on down the road to overcome a 2-set deficit against this team.
It was nice upsetting Vassar in 5, but in reality we were up 20-14 in the third set and should have closed it out at that point. My own philosophy is that the best teams are the ones that play the same regardless of what the scoreboard says or who is on the other side of the net. 6 matches into the season, a positive I see about our team is that we rise to the occasion when the stakes are high. The thing that I feel needs changing if we want the national championship is to begin playing with a consistent sense of urgency/aggression every play. We have gotten a bit complacent, and that's a dangerous thing, especially this early in the season.
Hopefully the Emmanuel game will be a wake-up call. We head to Newton to face a 2-0 Lasell team that picked up a lot of talent this year, and they're definitely going to be hungry. A little side bonus will be playing in front of the team I helped coach this fall, so hopefully we put on a good show!
Individually, I can't say I'm pleased with how I've been playing recently. Way too many hitting errors, not getting around the block enough. Simple as that. Serve receive feels great, and although my serve was a bit shaky to start the season I think I'm finally starting to get back into my groove. I really need to start picking it up on the attacking front. There are games I'll blast 4-5 kills in a row, and others where I hit for a negative percentage.
Last season was definitely a different atmosphere for me as a hitter. I was playing opposite for the second year in a row, so there was some experience. We had Erik and Mark as the 1-2 punch, so teams tended to fall asleep defending me on the right side. I had countless solo blocks, and I feel that was what helped me hit for a higher percentage. Now? Erik's gone, I'm on the outside, and blocks seem to be much less surprised when I'm getting the ball. It's early, and I have no doubt that I'll adjust, but it sure would be nice to do it sooner rather than later.
As for the season as a whole, it definitely has an exciting feel to it. Everyone is beating everyone else, and unlike previous years there are no clear-cut favorites. Even Springfield got taken to 5 by Vassar just like we did! Meanwhile, Ramapo beats us, but Rivier beats Ramapo, but Carthage beats Rivier, although Carthage lost to Baruch/Endicott... you get the point. To be honest, the one team that seems to have been playing consistently well is Stevens... it'll be interesting to see how they play against the Juniata/Springfield/Vassar's. I wish we had them on the schedule this year, but I suppose we'll have to wait til NECVA's.
I plan on writing a bit of a D-III Recap/Personal Ranking today, I'll post it on here when it's complete.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Peaks, Valleys, Success!
Thank the powers that be that 2 of my classes were cancelled today, because I can't remember a time I was this drained. The last 48 hours have been an absolute rollercoaster physically, mentally, and emotionally. Luckily, the end result was pretty good, so I can't complain about it!
Last night Vassar came to our gym to open up their season. Despite the narrow loss to Ramapo, everyone had a good feeling about the match tonight. I didn't feel like there was too much nervousness, we had prepared, and knew their offense much better now that we've actually had a couple matches against them.
Vassar is ranked 3rd in the nation, and since joining the conference had gone unbeaten in 21 matches against fellow NECVA teams. They made it to the national championship last year, to be defeated by Springfield College. Although they lost 3 players, they returned two First-Team All-Americans, and we knew we had to play some good ball in order to get the W.
Luckily MLK Jr. Day meant no classes, so after returning home at 3 am Sunday night, I woke up at noon to head to brunch. ate, came back, rested a bit, then went to the gym with the work study van to get some extra treatment before the game. Stim'd the thumb, which has been doing alright, but still isn't 100%, heated/stretched the lower back, and began stretching for the match with the team after.
Vassar is coached by 2008 D-III Coach of the Year Jonathan Penn. The minute they walk in the gym, everything they do is with a purpose. I would be lying if I said I didn't glance over during my own warmup from time to time to watch them go through each drill like a well-oiled machine. The discipline they show in everything they do is quite professional, and definitely is something I hope to accomplish with teams I coach later on in my life.
National Anthem, starting lineups, shake hands, and time to get to work. Game 1 starts with us going back and forth, with Vassar gradually pulling away to a 14-10 lead. We continue to sideout, but aren't making up points. It gets to 24-20 (I believe it may have actually gotten to 26-20), and we start going to work, with a couple huge blocks getting us fired up. The game goes back and forth, and I get lined up on the right-side for match point, where Max drew the middle and I had a wide-open cross-court shot to finish the game. 33-31 Newbury!
Game 2 starts out the same way, with both teams trading points, not looking to give up an inch. The momentum shifts our way when James Beck goes back to the service line and hits his stride. When he gets hot, he's one of the top jump servers in the nation, and tonight his ball simply had a different sound to it when he blasted it. Off-the-net passes led to Vassar struggling to hit in their system which depends on good serve-receive, and we cruise to a 30-21 victory, putting us one game away from the sweep.
Game 3 starts out with us coming out hot, starting with a 6-1 lead. We continue to play strong, trading sideouts, pushing to a 20-14 lead. This is where things get a little sloppy... we slowly start giving them points here and there, letting them chip away, and eventually end up tied at 28. Vassar is NOT a team you can count out until the final point has been scored, and we're still working on that killer instinct, stepping on throats, finishing the team off and not letting them back in. My dad gave me a quote when I was coaching a team that had the same problem which I found kind of funny: "it takes a good team to knock someone down, it takes a champion to kick them when they're down". We had Vassar down, but didn't finish them, and it proved to be costly.
Game 4 starts with Vassar taking a quick 3 point lead, but we push back to tie it around 11. However, we get stuck in a rotation and they just starting running that lead up. We simply couldn't put a whole play together. They aced us a few times, but other times the passes were there and the hitters simply didn't finish. We finally sideout, push a couple points, but the damage was done, and we were going the distance after a 30-18 shellacking.
Coach gets us in the huddle and asks us what we're thinking, and pretty much everyone was pissed off that we had let them back in. However, we had been here before, and knew that it did us no good to dwell on it, and to just play in the present, play hard, and secure the win. The game starts off with Mark absolutely destroying a 1 ball, followed by Tully ripping a cross-shot on the outside to tie it at 1. The game goes back and forth, and at 7-all, Vassar smashes a kill, only to have the point go to us due to the hitter going under the net.
We get a couple points, and put the game at 11-8, only to have Vassar come back and tie it at 11. We get a couple HUGE blocks, and at 14-12, Beck serves a bomb that gets shot to the net by the passer, which the setter tries to play but ends up shanking it out of bounds due to the difficulty of the bounce. 15-12 Newbury!
It was an absolutely incredible match. A mixture of emotions regarding it flood my head. On one end, there's disappointment that we didn't close the match out in three. On the other hand, we could have played MUCH better, and despite that, we still upset the 3rd ranked team in the nation. The end result is what matters, and that being said, I'm glad we did what it took to finish with the win. Everyone pulled their weight in one way or another, and when we fire on all cylinders, we're a tough team to play.
Not too much time to bask in it, because we have matches Saturday against Mount Ida and Emmanuel. Emmanuel can definitely be a force when they're on, so we'll need to play strong from the get-go to make sure they don't catch us on our heels. Practice today from 3-5, I need to grab food, so I'll update later.
Last night Vassar came to our gym to open up their season. Despite the narrow loss to Ramapo, everyone had a good feeling about the match tonight. I didn't feel like there was too much nervousness, we had prepared, and knew their offense much better now that we've actually had a couple matches against them.
Vassar is ranked 3rd in the nation, and since joining the conference had gone unbeaten in 21 matches against fellow NECVA teams. They made it to the national championship last year, to be defeated by Springfield College. Although they lost 3 players, they returned two First-Team All-Americans, and we knew we had to play some good ball in order to get the W.
Luckily MLK Jr. Day meant no classes, so after returning home at 3 am Sunday night, I woke up at noon to head to brunch. ate, came back, rested a bit, then went to the gym with the work study van to get some extra treatment before the game. Stim'd the thumb, which has been doing alright, but still isn't 100%, heated/stretched the lower back, and began stretching for the match with the team after.
Vassar is coached by 2008 D-III Coach of the Year Jonathan Penn. The minute they walk in the gym, everything they do is with a purpose. I would be lying if I said I didn't glance over during my own warmup from time to time to watch them go through each drill like a well-oiled machine. The discipline they show in everything they do is quite professional, and definitely is something I hope to accomplish with teams I coach later on in my life.
National Anthem, starting lineups, shake hands, and time to get to work. Game 1 starts with us going back and forth, with Vassar gradually pulling away to a 14-10 lead. We continue to sideout, but aren't making up points. It gets to 24-20 (I believe it may have actually gotten to 26-20), and we start going to work, with a couple huge blocks getting us fired up. The game goes back and forth, and I get lined up on the right-side for match point, where Max drew the middle and I had a wide-open cross-court shot to finish the game. 33-31 Newbury!
Game 2 starts out the same way, with both teams trading points, not looking to give up an inch. The momentum shifts our way when James Beck goes back to the service line and hits his stride. When he gets hot, he's one of the top jump servers in the nation, and tonight his ball simply had a different sound to it when he blasted it. Off-the-net passes led to Vassar struggling to hit in their system which depends on good serve-receive, and we cruise to a 30-21 victory, putting us one game away from the sweep.
Game 3 starts out with us coming out hot, starting with a 6-1 lead. We continue to play strong, trading sideouts, pushing to a 20-14 lead. This is where things get a little sloppy... we slowly start giving them points here and there, letting them chip away, and eventually end up tied at 28. Vassar is NOT a team you can count out until the final point has been scored, and we're still working on that killer instinct, stepping on throats, finishing the team off and not letting them back in. My dad gave me a quote when I was coaching a team that had the same problem which I found kind of funny: "it takes a good team to knock someone down, it takes a champion to kick them when they're down". We had Vassar down, but didn't finish them, and it proved to be costly.
Game 4 starts with Vassar taking a quick 3 point lead, but we push back to tie it around 11. However, we get stuck in a rotation and they just starting running that lead up. We simply couldn't put a whole play together. They aced us a few times, but other times the passes were there and the hitters simply didn't finish. We finally sideout, push a couple points, but the damage was done, and we were going the distance after a 30-18 shellacking.
Coach gets us in the huddle and asks us what we're thinking, and pretty much everyone was pissed off that we had let them back in. However, we had been here before, and knew that it did us no good to dwell on it, and to just play in the present, play hard, and secure the win. The game starts off with Mark absolutely destroying a 1 ball, followed by Tully ripping a cross-shot on the outside to tie it at 1. The game goes back and forth, and at 7-all, Vassar smashes a kill, only to have the point go to us due to the hitter going under the net.
We get a couple points, and put the game at 11-8, only to have Vassar come back and tie it at 11. We get a couple HUGE blocks, and at 14-12, Beck serves a bomb that gets shot to the net by the passer, which the setter tries to play but ends up shanking it out of bounds due to the difficulty of the bounce. 15-12 Newbury!
It was an absolutely incredible match. A mixture of emotions regarding it flood my head. On one end, there's disappointment that we didn't close the match out in three. On the other hand, we could have played MUCH better, and despite that, we still upset the 3rd ranked team in the nation. The end result is what matters, and that being said, I'm glad we did what it took to finish with the win. Everyone pulled their weight in one way or another, and when we fire on all cylinders, we're a tough team to play.
Not too much time to bask in it, because we have matches Saturday against Mount Ida and Emmanuel. Emmanuel can definitely be a force when they're on, so we'll need to play strong from the get-go to make sure they don't catch us on our heels. Practice today from 3-5, I need to grab food, so I'll update later.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tri-Match Recap, Buzz in the Air
After a VERY long wait, we had our tri-match at Ramapo College yesterday, and it was some very action-packed ball! We started by getting picked up at 6:30 in the morning by our coach, who took us back to campus where a Crystal Transport Bus awaited our arrival. It's a good thing we ended up taking it, because the weather was so bad that I honestly don't know if we would have made the trip otherwise (to give you an idea, we arrived back home at 3 am. Our matches were scheduled for 1 and 3 pm).
The tri-match consisted of 9th in the nation Ramapo (home team), Hunter, who was ranked 15th, and ourselves, currently ranked 10th. We arrived at the gym midway through the second game between Ramapo/Hunter. It ended up being a pretty good match, with Ramapo taking it in 5. Hunter is a very scrappy team, and they run a hybrid 6-3 offense I've never seen before, but man are they fun to watch. It's a shame 2 of their studs transferred to Baruch, because otherwise I feel they'd be a legitimate competitor for the top of NECVAs otherwise.
We ended up playing Hunter after this, and beat them in 4 close games. We probably could have swept them, just a few mistakes here and there that they capitalized ended up being the difference in game 3. They have some phenominal defense in the backrow, but their middles really struggle with closing the block, so we had a field day exploiting solo blocks. I think Hunter will be a tough team all season, but there are a few things that I believe the top teams will continue to exploit, and they'll probably float between 10th and 15th nationally all season.
The match vs. Ramapo was after this, and it was a battle. The first game we came out flat and lost 30-24, the second game we came out hot and won 30-23, lost a barnburner 31-33 in the third, won a 30-28 game 4 that we should have put away much earlier, and lost 15-13 in game 5. Absolute heartbreaker, and I was disappointed afterwards thinking about how a lot of plays I could have done differently would have made the difference, but you can't dwell on what went wrong, just gotta keep moving forward. I look forward to seeing Ramapo in the NECVAS later on this season!
Despite the loss, we had what I felt was the best team dinner I've ever had as an athlete. Lots of team bonding, lots of laughing, and just an overall morale builder. We didn't get back til late, but everyone slept in, and the excitement for the Vassar match tonight is just incredible. I can't remember the last time (if ever) the players were this excited for a match, perhaps the home opener against Rivier 2 years ago when they were ranked 7th in the nation (which we won!). The crowd is always electrifying at Hellenic College (where our home games are, I believe we're the only NCAA men's volleyball team without a gym..), and I know we'll be feeding off of it. This is Vassar's first match of the season, so we'll see if they're still working out the kinks for replacing the graduates, or if their hitting their stride already.
I will post more details about this weekend/Vassar match later tonight! Wish us luck!
The tri-match consisted of 9th in the nation Ramapo (home team), Hunter, who was ranked 15th, and ourselves, currently ranked 10th. We arrived at the gym midway through the second game between Ramapo/Hunter. It ended up being a pretty good match, with Ramapo taking it in 5. Hunter is a very scrappy team, and they run a hybrid 6-3 offense I've never seen before, but man are they fun to watch. It's a shame 2 of their studs transferred to Baruch, because otherwise I feel they'd be a legitimate competitor for the top of NECVAs otherwise.
We ended up playing Hunter after this, and beat them in 4 close games. We probably could have swept them, just a few mistakes here and there that they capitalized ended up being the difference in game 3. They have some phenominal defense in the backrow, but their middles really struggle with closing the block, so we had a field day exploiting solo blocks. I think Hunter will be a tough team all season, but there are a few things that I believe the top teams will continue to exploit, and they'll probably float between 10th and 15th nationally all season.
The match vs. Ramapo was after this, and it was a battle. The first game we came out flat and lost 30-24, the second game we came out hot and won 30-23, lost a barnburner 31-33 in the third, won a 30-28 game 4 that we should have put away much earlier, and lost 15-13 in game 5. Absolute heartbreaker, and I was disappointed afterwards thinking about how a lot of plays I could have done differently would have made the difference, but you can't dwell on what went wrong, just gotta keep moving forward. I look forward to seeing Ramapo in the NECVAS later on this season!
Despite the loss, we had what I felt was the best team dinner I've ever had as an athlete. Lots of team bonding, lots of laughing, and just an overall morale builder. We didn't get back til late, but everyone slept in, and the excitement for the Vassar match tonight is just incredible. I can't remember the last time (if ever) the players were this excited for a match, perhaps the home opener against Rivier 2 years ago when they were ranked 7th in the nation (which we won!). The crowd is always electrifying at Hellenic College (where our home games are, I believe we're the only NCAA men's volleyball team without a gym..), and I know we'll be feeding off of it. This is Vassar's first match of the season, so we'll see if they're still working out the kinks for replacing the graduates, or if their hitting their stride already.
I will post more details about this weekend/Vassar match later tonight! Wish us luck!
Friday, January 16, 2009
An Ugly Win is Better Than a Pretty Loss.
It's probably a good thing I didn't write this right after we got back from the match, because the over-analytical Bryan would have certainly written a novel nit-picking all of the little things that in the big picture aren't that bad. With so much anticipation for this match, and how energetic we were at the BU tournament, it was a bit of a disappointment regarding how we played tonight. However, we did what needed to be done, and although there are some kinks that need to be worked out, we came out with a 30-27, 30-18, 30-28 win.
As a team, we played very well overall, hitting .360 as a team. On a positive note, we served very aggressively, and although we only had one block the entire match, I believe that it was because we had them so out of system that they really didn't set many balls that were on the net. On the negative side, we missed A LOT of serves, and probably won't be able to get away with that once we play better competition.
Serve receive was hot and cold, and I believe part of it was simply not practicing with this line-up much before the match. We even had 2 out-of-rotations, and I don't believe we did that all of last season. Hopefully that doesn't become a habit. Our offense was pretty fast-paced, but the defense still leaves a bit to be desired.
Overall, I'd say it was a good warm-up match, although I hate that term normally. I think it was good to kill any egos we had left, and hopefully now we're ready to be a little more focused so we're ready for the tri-match Sunday.
Individually, I didn't feel too great about how I played on the court, but it could have been much worse. 4 assists (as an outside, I'll take it!), 10 digs, and 12 kills on 26 attempts. However, the 6 hitting errors are going to aggravate me, as .231 is not a percentage I intend to be content with. We ran a lot of different plays though, so I think it was just me struggling with the timing. It will get better with time, and as long as we win, I could care less what the individual box score is.
Anyways, we have game film tomorrow, then practice Saturday, and the big tri-match Sunday. It's going to be a great test to see where we're at, definitely looking forward to it! Time for sleep, I'll update tomorrow.
As a team, we played very well overall, hitting .360 as a team. On a positive note, we served very aggressively, and although we only had one block the entire match, I believe that it was because we had them so out of system that they really didn't set many balls that were on the net. On the negative side, we missed A LOT of serves, and probably won't be able to get away with that once we play better competition.
Serve receive was hot and cold, and I believe part of it was simply not practicing with this line-up much before the match. We even had 2 out-of-rotations, and I don't believe we did that all of last season. Hopefully that doesn't become a habit. Our offense was pretty fast-paced, but the defense still leaves a bit to be desired.
Overall, I'd say it was a good warm-up match, although I hate that term normally. I think it was good to kill any egos we had left, and hopefully now we're ready to be a little more focused so we're ready for the tri-match Sunday.
Individually, I didn't feel too great about how I played on the court, but it could have been much worse. 4 assists (as an outside, I'll take it!), 10 digs, and 12 kills on 26 attempts. However, the 6 hitting errors are going to aggravate me, as .231 is not a percentage I intend to be content with. We ran a lot of different plays though, so I think it was just me struggling with the timing. It will get better with time, and as long as we win, I could care less what the individual box score is.
Anyways, we have game film tomorrow, then practice Saturday, and the big tri-match Sunday. It's going to be a great test to see where we're at, definitely looking forward to it! Time for sleep, I'll update tomorrow.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Season-Opener Tonight!
With our first game tonight, it's a wonder I was able to go through all three of my classes and pay any attention to the tasks at hand. However, I seemed to do alright. With all my academic duties over and done with, I'm now able to begin re-focusing on getting prepared for our away game at Johnson & Wales.
After a decent practice yesterday which we went over a couple new plays, I went home, did some light stretching, talked to a few people back at home, and did some reading before slipping into bed around 12:30. Woke up at 8 am, did some laundry, prepared my bag (camera, tripod, socks, shoes, ipod, ib profun, roller stick, calf stretcher, you name it, it's probably in my bag), and listened to some music while doing visualization.
Visualization has really helped me since I began using it. The book "Mind Gym" by Gary Mack really peaked my interest in doing it, and since starting to do it, I've found myself much less anxious when the first whistle blows, as I'm much more mentally prepared to do my job. I highly suggest any athlete try spending 5-10 minutes before they go to sleep visualizing themselves performing successfully, detailing everything as much as possible.
Once we get in the van, I'll most likely throw my Ipod on, and read the first half of the trip. When we get within 20 minutes, I'll start to do some more visualization. Some players like to be more social before games, but I like to have a bit of self-reflection, leaving the interaction for the van ride back, hopefully celebrating a victory. Once we arrive, I get dressed, do some pre-game stretches I prefer on my own, then get ready to do the team stretches. By the time the game's ready to start, I'm ready to battle.
Johnson & Wales is what I'd describe as a "middle-tier" team. We've had some close games with them, but I believe we've won every set we've played against them since the time I've been at Newbury. They have some size, as well as an outside with a cannon of a shoulder, but I believe our advantage in the depth department will prove to be too much for them. Still, you can't underestimate any opponent, as it's all about who plays better for the 3-5 games you're on the court, not necessarily who looks better on paper.
The guys are fired up. We've worked extremely hard all pre-season, and look forward to seeing the benefit once we hit the court tonight. I'm sure I'll be on tonight with a brief recap. Wish us luck!
After a decent practice yesterday which we went over a couple new plays, I went home, did some light stretching, talked to a few people back at home, and did some reading before slipping into bed around 12:30. Woke up at 8 am, did some laundry, prepared my bag (camera, tripod, socks, shoes, ipod, ib profun, roller stick, calf stretcher, you name it, it's probably in my bag), and listened to some music while doing visualization.
Visualization has really helped me since I began using it. The book "Mind Gym" by Gary Mack really peaked my interest in doing it, and since starting to do it, I've found myself much less anxious when the first whistle blows, as I'm much more mentally prepared to do my job. I highly suggest any athlete try spending 5-10 minutes before they go to sleep visualizing themselves performing successfully, detailing everything as much as possible.
Once we get in the van, I'll most likely throw my Ipod on, and read the first half of the trip. When we get within 20 minutes, I'll start to do some more visualization. Some players like to be more social before games, but I like to have a bit of self-reflection, leaving the interaction for the van ride back, hopefully celebrating a victory. Once we arrive, I get dressed, do some pre-game stretches I prefer on my own, then get ready to do the team stretches. By the time the game's ready to start, I'm ready to battle.
Johnson & Wales is what I'd describe as a "middle-tier" team. We've had some close games with them, but I believe we've won every set we've played against them since the time I've been at Newbury. They have some size, as well as an outside with a cannon of a shoulder, but I believe our advantage in the depth department will prove to be too much for them. Still, you can't underestimate any opponent, as it's all about who plays better for the 3-5 games you're on the court, not necessarily who looks better on paper.
The guys are fired up. We've worked extremely hard all pre-season, and look forward to seeing the benefit once we hit the court tonight. I'm sure I'll be on tonight with a brief recap. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Last Double Session, Quick Rant, Other Random Thoughts.
Well, yesterday concluded our double sessions, and I'm sad to see them go. The week preceding spring classes is a brief glimpse into my dream, playing volleyball 4 hours a day, talking volleyball for probably another 4, eating, sleeping, rinse, repeat. Although I'm sure my body will enjoy having a bit more rest, I feel that the team has grown exponentially in the last week. It seems like we're really hitting our stride, and hopefully that will show in the next week.
My thumb is becoming a frustration, as after a week it still gives me some problems. I did a lighter tape job for this practice, and was pleased with a bit more solid contact with my hitting (previously, the amount of tape forced for an uneven platform when attacking, which led to more difficulty in hitting my target areas so to speak). However, I find myself extremely hesitant to serve receive with my hands, which is aggravating as I normally attempt to take the majority of my serves with my hands. The Electro-stim we've been doing on it seems to help, and I've iced it mercilessly, so hopefully come Thursday's game I'll be good to go.
Quick rant: I was watching ESPN yesterday, and there was a discussion involving the Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. One notable name that came up was Mark McGwire, who fell VERY short of the required 75 percent to be inducted (I believe he recieved 26 percent). Joe Morgan, a Hall of Famer himself as well as an ESPN analyst, said that although he expected the first few years to be difficult for Big Mac, he's surprised that he's still being blackballed getting into Cooperstown, citing that "he DID help bring the game back on its feet (after the strike).
This infuriated me. Where is the integrity? Look, I can tell you every little detail of what I was doing with McGwire hit his 62nd home run, a line drive shot down the left-field line. I was just as interested in the home run race as anyone, and I'm not exactly a huge baseball fan. But with all the controversy, as well as the famous "I'm not here to talk about the past" line, how can a player claim that McGwire cheating is overshadowed by helping baseball become popular again?
You may argue "Well, it isn't positive that McGwire cheated". I'm going to shut that down right now. When asked by the grand jury if he had taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs, McGwire said "I'm not here to talk about the past."
Picture yourself in a relationship with someone. You hear a rumor about them being unfaithful. If you point blank asked them if they cheated on you, and their answer was "I'm not here to talk about the past", what would you do?
Give me a break. I have no sympathy for the MLB, the fact that the union became greedy and forced a strike does not justify cheating in order to put up monster numbers to get the fans interested again. As someone who's interested in the league as a business I understand Morgan's perspective, as a fan and an athlete who thinks integrity of sports need to be respected, I think McGwire is right where he belongs: Away from Cooperstown.
That's it for now. Practice from 5-7, rumor has it there will be a lot of conditioning. Time for a quick power nap!
P.S.: I've gotten a couple people to agree to interviews, including a former Olympian. That being the case, I'm constructing the questions as we speak. If you're a reader and have anything you'd like to know from a player of that caliber, let me know and I'll be sure to include it!
My thumb is becoming a frustration, as after a week it still gives me some problems. I did a lighter tape job for this practice, and was pleased with a bit more solid contact with my hitting (previously, the amount of tape forced for an uneven platform when attacking, which led to more difficulty in hitting my target areas so to speak). However, I find myself extremely hesitant to serve receive with my hands, which is aggravating as I normally attempt to take the majority of my serves with my hands. The Electro-stim we've been doing on it seems to help, and I've iced it mercilessly, so hopefully come Thursday's game I'll be good to go.
Quick rant: I was watching ESPN yesterday, and there was a discussion involving the Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. One notable name that came up was Mark McGwire, who fell VERY short of the required 75 percent to be inducted (I believe he recieved 26 percent). Joe Morgan, a Hall of Famer himself as well as an ESPN analyst, said that although he expected the first few years to be difficult for Big Mac, he's surprised that he's still being blackballed getting into Cooperstown, citing that "he DID help bring the game back on its feet (after the strike).
This infuriated me. Where is the integrity? Look, I can tell you every little detail of what I was doing with McGwire hit his 62nd home run, a line drive shot down the left-field line. I was just as interested in the home run race as anyone, and I'm not exactly a huge baseball fan. But with all the controversy, as well as the famous "I'm not here to talk about the past" line, how can a player claim that McGwire cheating is overshadowed by helping baseball become popular again?
You may argue "Well, it isn't positive that McGwire cheated". I'm going to shut that down right now. When asked by the grand jury if he had taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs, McGwire said "I'm not here to talk about the past."
Picture yourself in a relationship with someone. You hear a rumor about them being unfaithful. If you point blank asked them if they cheated on you, and their answer was "I'm not here to talk about the past", what would you do?
Give me a break. I have no sympathy for the MLB, the fact that the union became greedy and forced a strike does not justify cheating in order to put up monster numbers to get the fans interested again. As someone who's interested in the league as a business I understand Morgan's perspective, as a fan and an athlete who thinks integrity of sports need to be respected, I think McGwire is right where he belongs: Away from Cooperstown.
That's it for now. Practice from 5-7, rumor has it there will be a lot of conditioning. Time for a quick power nap!
P.S.: I've gotten a couple people to agree to interviews, including a former Olympian. That being the case, I'm constructing the questions as we speak. If you're a reader and have anything you'd like to know from a player of that caliber, let me know and I'll be sure to include it!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Game Film
One of my sports idols growing up was Tony Gwynn. Although never physically in the best shape, Tony Gwynn was a baseball player with one of the sweetest swings you've ever seen. When being interviewed on ESPN Radio shortly after his Hall of Fame induction a few years back, he credited his technique to constant breakdown of his mechanics, including feeling that he was one of the first people to truly utilize game film to the fullest of its potential.
Bob Vilsoet is the head coach at Harper College, and I was lucky enough to have played USAV with him for two years before coming to Newbury. He brought his camera to a few of our tournaments, and this was the first experience I had with game film, and I've never looked back. He would constantly rewind and pause frame by frame, breaking down every little detail, showing me aspects of the game I had never really thought of before.
Fast forward to today, and I've recorded almost every collegiate match I've played in the last two years. I feel that a lot of my improvement has came from the ability to look at past performances and see exactly what I'm doing. Whether its after a good game and watching what to keep doing, or after a weaker perfomance where I have to see what exactly went wrong, I feel that game film is one of the most under-utilized tools athletes have to better themselves. It never ceases to amaze me how many people have never seen themselves play.
Why don't coaches use game film more? I suppose it's not for everyone. I've watched film with a lot of people and all they want to do is watch it like a highlight film, not focusing on any room for improvement, although that too does have its benefits. Sometimes when I'm in a slump, I'll watch some film from a good match, as I feel it's a good confidence builder.
Anyways, no real direction with this blog post. Just discussed game film with someone today and it was still fresh in my mind. If you play and haven't ever had the chance to see yourself play, find someone with a camera and give it a shot!
Last double session tomorrow. Feeling somewhat sore still, going to stretch and head to bed.
Bob Vilsoet is the head coach at Harper College, and I was lucky enough to have played USAV with him for two years before coming to Newbury. He brought his camera to a few of our tournaments, and this was the first experience I had with game film, and I've never looked back. He would constantly rewind and pause frame by frame, breaking down every little detail, showing me aspects of the game I had never really thought of before.
Fast forward to today, and I've recorded almost every collegiate match I've played in the last two years. I feel that a lot of my improvement has came from the ability to look at past performances and see exactly what I'm doing. Whether its after a good game and watching what to keep doing, or after a weaker perfomance where I have to see what exactly went wrong, I feel that game film is one of the most under-utilized tools athletes have to better themselves. It never ceases to amaze me how many people have never seen themselves play.
Why don't coaches use game film more? I suppose it's not for everyone. I've watched film with a lot of people and all they want to do is watch it like a highlight film, not focusing on any room for improvement, although that too does have its benefits. Sometimes when I'm in a slump, I'll watch some film from a good match, as I feel it's a good confidence builder.
Anyways, no real direction with this blog post. Just discussed game film with someone today and it was still fresh in my mind. If you play and haven't ever had the chance to see yourself play, find someone with a camera and give it a shot!
Last double session tomorrow. Feeling somewhat sore still, going to stretch and head to bed.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Rollercoaster of a Practice.
After a relaxing day off, which consisted of watching television and icing the thumb, we got back to work on the court with a 3-hour practice session. Unfortunately, it was scheduled for about 45 minutes after we had eaten brunch, and being a bit of a glutton I probably ate too much.
We begin with some conditioning, and although Coach usually challenges us, she really upped the tempo today. I was able to do all the drills efficiently, but it was an effort to hold everything down, and I felt like a zombie the first 1/2 hour after we finished conditioning and got to volleyball drills.
Luckily, I eventually got over this, and after a long hitting-lines session (which I believe led to me finally learning how to hit a 1 ball efficiently, although I don't see myself trying to move to middle anytime soon regardless), we did a pretty cool scrimmage drill that involved 4 quarters which ends when one team hits 120 points, with only one brief waterbreak for halftime.
After starting somewhat casually, my team jumps out to a 30 point lead. After we gave up about a 7 point run, I found myself getting a bit more amped, calling for the ball, putting about 7-8 straight kills away. It was just like I felt when I caught fire during the playoffs of the BU tournament.
I feel that it's both a strong/weak point of my game. On a positive note, I love playing with my back against the wall, and feel that I play at my highest level when all the chips are on the table. On the other end, it's frustrating not to be able to bring that fire in all situations. I realize that it's unrealistic to play your best at all times, but I still don't like the lack of consistency. You watch the professionals, and they seem to always play the same game everytime they step on the court... That's what I want to build towards.
All that being said, it was a very strong practice overall for the team. We're all anxiously approaching our first match against Johnson & Wales on Thursday, and although odds are heavily in our favor, we remain focused on playing our best possible game and making sure we take care of things on our side of the court. One more day off tomorrow, then a long string of practices/games to follow. Looking forward to it! I'm sure I'll post tomorrow on some random thoughts going through my head.
We begin with some conditioning, and although Coach usually challenges us, she really upped the tempo today. I was able to do all the drills efficiently, but it was an effort to hold everything down, and I felt like a zombie the first 1/2 hour after we finished conditioning and got to volleyball drills.
Luckily, I eventually got over this, and after a long hitting-lines session (which I believe led to me finally learning how to hit a 1 ball efficiently, although I don't see myself trying to move to middle anytime soon regardless), we did a pretty cool scrimmage drill that involved 4 quarters which ends when one team hits 120 points, with only one brief waterbreak for halftime.
After starting somewhat casually, my team jumps out to a 30 point lead. After we gave up about a 7 point run, I found myself getting a bit more amped, calling for the ball, putting about 7-8 straight kills away. It was just like I felt when I caught fire during the playoffs of the BU tournament.
I feel that it's both a strong/weak point of my game. On a positive note, I love playing with my back against the wall, and feel that I play at my highest level when all the chips are on the table. On the other end, it's frustrating not to be able to bring that fire in all situations. I realize that it's unrealistic to play your best at all times, but I still don't like the lack of consistency. You watch the professionals, and they seem to always play the same game everytime they step on the court... That's what I want to build towards.
All that being said, it was a very strong practice overall for the team. We're all anxiously approaching our first match against Johnson & Wales on Thursday, and although odds are heavily in our favor, we remain focused on playing our best possible game and making sure we take care of things on our side of the court. One more day off tomorrow, then a long string of practices/games to follow. Looking forward to it! I'm sure I'll post tomorrow on some random thoughts going through my head.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Season has begun!
The irony about "breaks" when you go to school a thousand miles away from home is that you end up feeling more tired when you come back than you did when you left! It was great being home for three weeks catching up with friends and family, but trying to see everyone, play volleyball to keep the rust away, and driving 15 1/2 hours through the night to get back for our first practice certainly took its toll.
Although I was exhausted by the time we rolled into campus, I was excited for our first practice of the season! Unfortunately, it only consisted of seven of us due to flight delays/other external factors, but we made the best of it, and it was good to get on the court again with the guys that did show up. Serve receive felt decent, hitting was consistent, and the jump serve went pretty well. Definitely room for improvement in all categories, but after catching up on sleep and getting my body back to a usual routine, I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride. A small setback with a pretty badly jammed thumb on my hitting hand on Tuesday, but with lots of icing and tape, I'll be good to go come our first match.
We finally have an assistant coach, and he seems to be fitting in nicely. The head coach for the women's team at Coast Guard, he brings a lot of strong conditioning drills, and I feel that practices have sharpened up since his arrival. Kind of quiet, but starting to open up little by little. I think he'll benefit us this season.
The conditioning this week has been rigorous. Today was our first off day after 3 double-sessions in a row, and it was much needed. I can't remember the last time I was this sore, although I'm pleased with how good I feel physically when I'm on the court. I'm interested to see if this is going to continue all season though, as I can't imagine doing four months of this in a row!
So far the transition to outside has been great. Although I miss the blocking duties of playing opposite, I am REALLY enjoying middle back. I feel like I'm settling in nicely, and am excited to have more opportunities to get touches in the backrow, as right-back seems to get the least amount of action. Hitting this week has been a bit shaky due to the amount of tape on my thumb affecting my contact, but come Monday I should be fine without the tape-job, and will be back to normal in no time.
I've been talking ball with a couple friends back at home, and an interesting discussion that's been coming up is in regards to when to make your decision on where to put the ball as an attacker. I'm starting to wonder if I need to consider adjusting my personal method.
Although the sports are different, I always liked John Wooden's philosophy of making the opponent adapt to you instead of you adapting to them. I realize that as a hitter, you need to be aware of where the block is, but after figuring out where it is, I'm going to hit the shot which I can get the highest, strongest contact at. This is probably why the majority of my kills end up as tools off the block. The strength of this is I feel I'm able to make my decision much quicker than my friends (all who say they wait almost until contact point before committing to their shot). Obviously if it's a trap-set I'm going to adjust, but for the most part I stick to my method of making my decision probably by my second step of my approach. Any feedback on other people's thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
Now that I'm back on campus, I'll be writing on a more regular basis once again. I'm thinking about having monthly interviews with other players, whether it be other collegiate players, professionals, or even Olympians. After messaging some people I know and seeing the results, I'll decide whether or not that's realistic.
Back to watching the Celtics/Cavaliers game. Practice from 1-4 tomorrow, I'll update afterwards.
Although I was exhausted by the time we rolled into campus, I was excited for our first practice of the season! Unfortunately, it only consisted of seven of us due to flight delays/other external factors, but we made the best of it, and it was good to get on the court again with the guys that did show up. Serve receive felt decent, hitting was consistent, and the jump serve went pretty well. Definitely room for improvement in all categories, but after catching up on sleep and getting my body back to a usual routine, I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride. A small setback with a pretty badly jammed thumb on my hitting hand on Tuesday, but with lots of icing and tape, I'll be good to go come our first match.
We finally have an assistant coach, and he seems to be fitting in nicely. The head coach for the women's team at Coast Guard, he brings a lot of strong conditioning drills, and I feel that practices have sharpened up since his arrival. Kind of quiet, but starting to open up little by little. I think he'll benefit us this season.
The conditioning this week has been rigorous. Today was our first off day after 3 double-sessions in a row, and it was much needed. I can't remember the last time I was this sore, although I'm pleased with how good I feel physically when I'm on the court. I'm interested to see if this is going to continue all season though, as I can't imagine doing four months of this in a row!
So far the transition to outside has been great. Although I miss the blocking duties of playing opposite, I am REALLY enjoying middle back. I feel like I'm settling in nicely, and am excited to have more opportunities to get touches in the backrow, as right-back seems to get the least amount of action. Hitting this week has been a bit shaky due to the amount of tape on my thumb affecting my contact, but come Monday I should be fine without the tape-job, and will be back to normal in no time.
I've been talking ball with a couple friends back at home, and an interesting discussion that's been coming up is in regards to when to make your decision on where to put the ball as an attacker. I'm starting to wonder if I need to consider adjusting my personal method.
Although the sports are different, I always liked John Wooden's philosophy of making the opponent adapt to you instead of you adapting to them. I realize that as a hitter, you need to be aware of where the block is, but after figuring out where it is, I'm going to hit the shot which I can get the highest, strongest contact at. This is probably why the majority of my kills end up as tools off the block. The strength of this is I feel I'm able to make my decision much quicker than my friends (all who say they wait almost until contact point before committing to their shot). Obviously if it's a trap-set I'm going to adjust, but for the most part I stick to my method of making my decision probably by my second step of my approach. Any feedback on other people's thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
Now that I'm back on campus, I'll be writing on a more regular basis once again. I'm thinking about having monthly interviews with other players, whether it be other collegiate players, professionals, or even Olympians. After messaging some people I know and seeing the results, I'll decide whether or not that's realistic.
Back to watching the Celtics/Cavaliers game. Practice from 1-4 tomorrow, I'll update afterwards.
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