1. Coming from a somewhat small volleyball town, were there any specific  steps you took to get noticed by coaches and recruiters?

The first step you have to take is deciding whether or not you are actually serious about playing in college. Once you come to that conclusion things begin to make a little bit more sense. Playing club volleyball was probably the biggest thing I did to get myself noticed. I was at tournaments where scouts were: invitationals, regional tournaments, things like that where there are lots of teams and thus lots of scouts. Also, my dad played a huge role in this. He was always on my side when it came to recruiters.

There are a lot of rules regarding when you can and cannot talk to coaches but my Dad was always able to talk to them and tell them about who I was. While there are websites you can use to put your information onto, I chose not to do that. I did email coaches asking for information about their schools, as did my Dad.

2. How did you make your final decision for college? What about Stetson was unique?

My answer to this question isn’t going to be all that helpful. At the end of the day, I basically went with my heart, not my head. On paper, going to Stetson was not necessarily the best choice. I was going to be 3,000 miles away from home, and unable to go home very often due to volleyball and school. I was verbally committed to a school in San Diego when Stetson offered me my scholarship.

While some will say I chased the money I don’t think that was really what I did. Yes, the money helped, but at the end of the day I loved Stetson when I visited. I felt that I had a large role I could play on the team and it just felt right. Stetson is a very small school with good academic programs – things that were important to me. Volleyball was really just the vehicle that got me there.

3. Playing a Division I sport is a major time commitment and can really take over your life. How did you balance between academics and sports?

Time management, time management, time management. You have to use your time effectively in order to accomplish what you have in front of you. VB did consume my life especially in the fall, but you have the time to get things done. You just need to focus, prioritize, and stay on top of your school work.

I am of the opinion that school is much more important than sports. And I always knew that if my grades began to fall I would lose volleyball. Another thing you need to take into consideration is friends (not just teammates). Find activities to do that don’t wear you out all the time and spend time with people who are going to build you up. Also, I learned how to study on a bus. It was probably the best thing [that] I did.

4. What did you miss the most during your time away from home?

I missed my family and friends the most. I used to say that I wasn’t actually home sick for the actual place, but for the people. I did really miss the mountains too. But the people were the main parts.

It was hard to transition at first because my parents were always at every game in high school and club and now they were only able to come to a couple each season. But you adjust quickly.

5. How do you train in the off-season?

Well, we sort of have two off seasons- the spring and the summer. In the spring we practiced and lifted weights four days a week. We worked on more on skills and less on playing and we did much heavier lifting. Our goal in the off season was to get stronger and better in specific areas.

In the summer, we were on our own, though our coach would give us a packet to work on. It was much harder in the summer to stay on top of working out but basically I would run 4-5 days a week and lift 3-4 days a week in order to stay in shape. I didn’t play a lot of volleyball in the summer but I enjoyed my time away from it. I think it helped me find a balance to be able to rest from it.

6. What’s one thing that every middle should know how to do?

I think the most important part about being a middle is being able to put the ball exactly where you want it to do. Placement is the most important in my opinion. My favorite shot as a middle was a tip to my right (the other teams left front) especially if they pull their outside hitter to come block with their middle.

However, you don’t want to be known for always doing something specific because teams will begin to adjust to you after a while.

7. How important are passing and defense for middles?

Middles playing defense…in most cases I would say it is not necessary to master that aspect of the game unless for some reason you are going to play all the way around on your team. However, I think understanding how the back row works will help you understand how big of a role you play as a blocker.

I actually really enjoy passing and defense. Another thing to consider is as you get to be a better defensive player you begin to develop a better sense of court awareness which I think helps you a lot as a player.

8. Has transitioning into coaching provided you with new insights into the game?

My transition to coaching really makes me think about how I do certain things in volleyball. After playing for this long a lot of things just become habitual and automatic, but for my JV players they are not habits or automatic at all.

I have to break skills down for them and think about how I explain everything. Why do we do things thing way, what is the best way to do this. Stuff like that. Its been challenging but very rewarding at the same time.

9. What are your coaching and individual goals, both immediate and long term?

For coaching I want to teach my girls as much about volleyball as I can. I want them to love this sport as much as I do, and I want them to have fun as a team. Winning, especially at the JV level isn’t everything. We are going to work hard at practice, work hard at games and have a lot of fun along the way.

Individually, I am on track to get my masters degree in occupational therapy. When I graduate I want to work with kids who have developmental difficulties.

Coaches often ask me how they can take the opposition’s dominant middle out of the game. My answer is simple: don’t let their setter set the middle. How can teams do this? Strong serving.

Unless you're Lloy Ball, this set is going to the pins.

With the rally scoring system and players getting bigger, stronger, and faster, serving has become a more important part of the game as the first line of offense for the serving team. More often than not, a well-served ball that is poorly passed 8 feet off the net will go out to the wings. Most high school and the majority of college setters will go to the outsides off of a bad pass. This funnels the action away from a dangerous middle hitter and makes it easier for your team to defend.

With strong serves, the team can put up 2 blockers on the other team’s MVP attacker. Will this work all the time for every team? Not necessarily. The other team will sometimes pass a tough serve perfectly to the target and all bets are off. But in terms of managing your odds, you can put yourself in a much better defensive position by starting with a strong serve. The rest will follow from there.

So as a coach, how much time do you dedicate during practice to serving? I asked this question to many high school and club volleyball coaches and surprisingly, most responded less than 10 minutes. If you want your team to improve its serving, you better be ready to put in more time than this.

Serving should be a primary focus during practices, especially at the high school level. Coaches should dedicate at least 20 to 30 minutes to serving everyday because serving is the team’s first opportunity to score a point. I like to think of serving like shooting free throws. If you execute good technique on a free throw, you sink it. Similarly, if you hit the right spot or serve the other team’s weakest passer, you either score or dramatically increase your team’s chance of getting a point during that possession.

Here’s a serving drill coaches can incorporate during practice to increase serving accuracy for players. I started using this in my practices as well. It comes from Steve Simonsen who is an assistant coach at Indiana University:

1)      Write each players’ name on a chalkboard.

2)      Split them up into 2 groups; Group 1 serves while Group 2 shags balls.

3)      Specify a zone on the court and have group 1 serve for 4 minutes to that zone only.

If Susie serves 11 out of 20 balls to zone 1 in 4 minutes, she records her name and score on the chalkboard along with her teammates. The next day she will try to beat 11 for 20. It’s a great way to track progress in serving zones and for players to seriously work on their serving. The added element of  competition provides an added drive for players to improve their serving game as well.

If your jump serve is not effective, stay down.

A quick note on jump serves. Most high school players love to jump serve. And why shouldn’t they? It’s fun to watch and impressive if done properly. But float serves are far more difficult to pass than a jump serve. So unless you have players with the talent to rip a jump serve with significant speed, top spin, and consistency, teach your players to stand 15-20 feet back from the serve line and serve a mean float or a jump float serve. Have your players practice the float serve until they are comfortable serving a floater that actually floats while consistently hitting its target.

At the end of the day, volleyball is about scoring points. A great serve can lead to aces or well-established blocks, and thus more opportunities for your team to score points. So if you’re not doing so already, focus heavily on developing your players’ abilities to serve the right zones with effectiveness to maximize your chances to score on every play. This will give your team much more flexibility in its strategy and game plan and hopefully lead to many more victories.

Photo by USAV, AnnArbor

10. Dwight Howard (NBA)

Nationality: USA
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 265 lbs
Age: 25 yrs
Team: Orlando Magic

Ideal Position: Middle Blocker
Style: Indoor

To kick off part 2, we head back into the NBA to pick out the starting center for the Magic, Dwight Howard. The “Superman”-though he may not have been the first basketball star to give himself this nickname”- certainly “represents the man of steel” persona well. From his gravity defying dunks to his monster presence on the defensive end, Howard has established himself as a perennial MVP candidate in the NBA. Individual success has been plentiful for Dwight in his career so far. He’s consistently among the league leaders in scoring, blocks, and rebounds, and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award for each of the last three seasons (and is having another stellar statistical season). At this point, he shows no signs of slowing down.

The major knock on Dwight is that he hasn’t been able to translate this dominating play into significant team success. Since their NBA Finals appearance in 2009, the Magic have struggled against elite competition in the playoffs. True that Dwight hasn’t been surrounded with good enough teammates for a championship (it’s one of the reason’s he’s demanded to be traded) but as the team leader, some of the blame has to fall on Dwight’s shoulders.

Dwight’s skill set would make him perfect to play either middle blocker or opposite.  His height and strength will be valuable up front, and with a vertical of nearly 40”, he’ll be that much deadlier. Passing will be a difficult skill for Dwight to pick up on, but expect him to be a defensive monster up at the net. Even without any real training, he’d pound the ball straight down and have it reach somewhere near the ceiling. Unfortunately, Dwight’s history indicates even with all the coaching in the world, he’s probably still going to try to mindlessly pound every ball into oblivion, and this can come back to haunt him. A kill inside the 3m line with massive topspin looks awesome during warm-ups, but it’s also one of the easiest shots to block.

It’s not a knock on Dwight’s dedication to his sport. Over the course of his career, he’s put in countless hours in the gym to improve on his skills as a basketball player. Yet whenever games get tight, he resorts back to trying to overpower opponents with his athleticism which often backfires. Dwight will continue to struggle unless he is able to incorporate more finesse into his game. Honestly, Dwight Howard should be placed a lot higher on this list. No other player has his combination of height, strength, speed, and athletic ability. But at this point in his career, he hasn’t shown enough to convince me that he’ll be much more than a one dimensional player. Of course, none of this will stop Howard from becoming a defensive menace on the volleyball court, and my guess is that most teams will jump at the opportunity to sign him.

9. Gael Monfils (ATP)

Nationality: France
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 177 lbs
Age: 24

Ideal Position: Outside Hitter
Style: Beach

Gael Monfils is truly one of the most unique characters in all of sports. He’s currently ranked number 13 in the world, and when he steps out onto the court, his presence commands the crowd’s full attention. He moves with grace, strikes with power, and has an excellent touch around the net. And to top it off, Monfils possesses more raw athleticism than any other player on the tour. Standing 6’4” and in the prime of his career, Monfils should be dominating every tournament he enters, yet he consistently finds himself losing in the early rounds of the Grand Slam Tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) to opponents he should be beating. He most recently was ousted from the US Open in the second round by Spanish veteran, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and earlier last month he lost at the Australian Open in the third round.

From a coach’s standpoint, Monfils is both incredible and frustrating to deal with. Athletic specimens like Monfils come around once or twice in a generation but at the same time, it’s very frustrating to watch him come up short time after time simply because of his lack of focus. Monfils is a showman first and a winner second. He often opts to make a spectacular (and much more complicated play) rather than making the more efficient, less flashy move to end the point quickly. His lack of coach-ability would be the only thing to hold him back as a volleyball player, but if he gets on a good team with teammates to push him in the right direction, get ready to be amazed.

With his speed, agility, and hops, Gael Monfils would make an excellent outside hitter. Monfils’ quickness and length would make him a great at keeping balls in play, and his delicate touch at the net would translate well when it comes to passing and digging. The overhead shot in tennis is one of Monfils’ best weapons and also one of his all time favorites, making him ideal to play at the outside spot in volleyball. He’d be a great asset both offensively and defensively.

While Monfils is suited to excel indoors, his laid back attitude would probably be best expressed on the sand in beautiful sunshine (he’ll realize many tournaments are also played in the cold). Beach volleyball will also be a lot easier on his body when he dives after all those loose balls. The spotlight will be welcomed by Monfils’ presence, and beach fans will embrace him quickly.

8. Steve Nash (NBA)

Nationality: Canada
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 178 lbs
Age: 37
Team: Phoenix Suns

Ideal Position: Setter, libero
Style: beach, indoor (only in 6-2)

This next choice might surprise a lot of folks out there. After all, when pondering great physical specimens, Steve Nash is generally not included in the first 100 or so people that first come to mind. Listed at 6’3” (which might be a little exaggerated) and 178 lbs, Nash isn’t exactly built like the average volleyball pro. He isn’t all that fast, possesses no vertical threat, and has been plagued with chronic back problems for a great portion of his career. But even with all these so called “disadvantages”, Nash, at the tender age of 37,  is easily one of the 15 best players in the NBA. Now don’t get me wrong,  Nash is still plenty athletic. He’s extremely well conditioned and his lateral quickness is heavily underrated. But it’s his passing, ball handling, shooting touch, basketball IQ, mental and physical toughness, and leadership that have helped him stay at the top for this long.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Nash would be an excellent setter. His court vision is unrivaled and he’s got the touch to hit teammates from all angles. He also knows how to get creative in tough situations. Part of being a setter is having the ability to create something useful out of a broken play. Not every pass will be perfect, but the setter is responsible for  giving his team a chance to hit a ball. With his quick thinking and brilliant skill, Nash can be trusted to make a good set from any spot on the court. Nash is also a great leader, and his teammates will look to him for guidance during tough moments. He knows how to make his teammates better, and that’s a quality that cannot be taught.

Unfortunately at only 6’3” (and remember, no vertical threat), Nash would become a defensive liability for his team when he rotates into the front row. His coach could avoid this issue by using him in a 4-2 lineup (2 setters and four attackers), but we’d only get to see him on the court for half of the match. That’s why I’d rather see Steve Nash try his luck on the sand. With his discipline, Nash would be able to learn all the different shots to find open space in the court. He won’t need to try and pound on the ball in order to get points. With the right partner, he could really do some damage on tour.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Nationality: Sweden
Height: 6’5”
Weight:  lbs
Age: 29
Team: AC Milan

Ideal Position: Setter/Opposite
Style: Indoor

We head back to Europe for #7, gigantic international soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Perennial douchebaggery aside, he stands as one of the most talented and electrifying athletes out there. The Swedish international has been around for so long and played for so many teams it’s getting hard to keep track of where he’ll end up next. Currently, he’s playing for the AC Milan looking to finish first in Serie A and make a deep run into the UEFA Champion’s League.

But don’t take his frequent relocation as a bad indicator of his skills. Sure, he’s had his fair share of troubles fitting into the long term plans of certain clubs (read: FC Barcelona), but Zlatan’s talent as a footballer cannot be denied. Ibrahimovic is one of the best strikers of this generation. It’s his job to score as many goals as he can, but his all-around game is on par with the top tier players. He generates insane power from both feet, his field vision is exceptional, and handles the ball with a rare finesse at his size and all these skills can translate into volleyball.

It would be easy to play Ibra as an attacker because it’s parallel to the role of a striker. But his ideal position has to be at the setter spot. It’s fair to question a footballer’s ability to use his hands for anything other than appealing for a penalty…or flopping. Still, Ibrahimovic is an elite athlete and he’ll pick up on the skills. He possesses all the intangibles that characterize world class players and being a setter is more than being blessed with a good pair of hands. Setters need quick feet, great vision along with the timing and the touch to feed the ball to a teammate from any angle, and pure creativity. Ibra’s physical strength will also be useful when he’s playing in the front row and has to joust at the net.

Zlatan can also contribute as an attacker. As a world class striker with a keen eye for goal, he already has the instincts of a hitter. He knows how to read defense and put an exclamation point on any play. In volleyball, he would be effective from either side of the net. Therefore, it might be best to use him as both a setter and an opposite in a 6-2 rotation. Having played on the biggest stages of European soccer, Ibrahimovic has become immune to sports related pressure. For years he carried the hopes of his home country when he captained the Swedish team. That’s a burden very few athletes have to deal with, and though Ibrahimovic has never won any major international titles, he’s been phenomenal playing as the front man for his team.

In the past, Zlatan has been criticized for his leadership on the pitch, but it’s really his willingness that’s come into question, and not his actual capability. He’s single-handedly been able to will his teams to victory at various points in his career. This leadership is an important responsibility for a setter. It pays off to have a setter that can captain the team’s proverbial ship. Zlatan would be his own biggest obstacle to his ability to lead. If his heart isn’t in it, then his team may be affected by that, but when he brings his “A” game, things could get really exciting.

Zlatan has very few weaknesses as an athlete that could hold him back in terms of what a volleyball player needs to do. Add his athletic prowess, brains, and a decent coach, he will develop the technique and skills to be a great volleyball player.

6. Rafael Nadal (ATP)

Nationality: Spain
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 188 lbs
Age: 25 yrs

Ideal Position: DS, Opposite
Style: Beach

In modern tennis, Roger Federer is generally the first big name that comes to mind (though Novak Djokovic has stolen all the thunder in the last one year). After all, he’s won more Grand Slam titles than any other man with 16 majors and he is considered by experts to be the greatest of all time. Yet in the midst of all of this, one man has consistently made life on the tour miserable for Federer, and his name is Rafael Nadal.  Nadal has dominated the head to head matchup against Federer, with 7 of those wins coming in the final of a Grand Slam, having most recently defeated him in the Australian Open semi-final last month. In total, he’s won 10 grand slams, an Olympic gold medal, and in a few years, Rafael could very well make his own case for the honor of “greatest player ever”.

While his serving and ground strokes currently rank among the world’s best, Nadal first made a name for himself with his incredible defense. He covers the court with a combination of speed and finesse unlike any other tennis player that we’ve seen. His movement allows him to track down any ball, and he is able to transition from defense to offense with ease. It’s this kind of play that propelled him to the world’s number one ranking in 2008 and yet again in 2010. Nadal defeats his opponents by overpowering them, both physically and mentally. He plays with the ultimate focus to complement his raw athleticism.

We can easily toss Nadal into the back row and as a libero or a D-S. However, Rafa is capable of bringing so more to the game of volleyball. At only 6’1”, it’ll be difficult for him to battle against the towering competition in indoor volleyball which is why Nadal would be best suited for sand. His lack of height will still put him at a significant disadvantage (beach players are giants too), but with only one blocker and more space to work with, he’ll find plenty of ways to score. Roll shots, cut shots, dinks, and wipes, Nadal will have them all. He’ll score from angles that are seemingly impossible, causing opponents to merely shake their heads and smile. Also, Nadal is one of the best players on tour when it comes to adapting to difficult weather conditions. He’ll have no problem adjusting to the tricky winds that often blow through the beach volleyball courts.

Rafa is naturally right handed, but if he chooses to play with his left hand (like he does in tennis), things could get really interesting. To see if he could generate the kind of spin with his jump serve that is similar to what he does on the ATP tour would also be very cool.

Apart from his height, the only potential setback for Nadal is his injury history. Over the course of his tennis career, Nadal has been plagued with various knee injuries that have kept him out of several major tournaments, and before the recent rise of Novak Djokovic, these injuries have pretty much been the only hindrance to his reign over the tennis world. Moving around and diving on the sand will probably be easier on his body than sliding on the hard courts at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but volleyball players are by no means immune to serious knee injuries.

In our universe of crossover athletes, Nadal will find a way to dominate. As a physical and mental maestro, he will make life miserable for his opponents. And even if the rules of volleyball don’t allow him to pull off insane plays like this, expect Rafa to rise to greatness as a volleyball player. Just give him plenty of time to get his serve in play (Nadal is notorious for his slow pace between points), and always make sure that there’s someone to hand him a towel…after every single point.

That’s the end of part 2 of our “Other Athletes” profiles. Be Sure to check back soon for part 3 and the conclusion of this series where we reveal the top five of the list.

Photo by Soletron, LIFE, Presswire, Serie A, AFP

It’s more difficult to statistically evaluate setters than outsides or middles. Good passing or hitting can significantly boost a setter’s assist stats, while poor passing and hitting will significantly hurt them. Is failure to score on a play because of a bad pass, set, or just good defense?

A good blocking team, for instance, might have fewer assists simply due to fewer opportunities. On the other hand, a poor blocking team can lead to inconsistent passes to make the setter’s job more difficult. Box scores don’t track the quality of passes or how often a setter is in or out of system. Nevertheless, a good setter is more likely to convert a bad pass into an assist but a box score can’t tell you what happened. Weaker opponents can also balloon assists per set and vice versa. To account for this, I’ve filtered out certain programs playing against relatively weaker competition.

Freshman Setters (Min. 8.0 assists/set, 40 sets)

1. Mary Pollmiller 5-10 (Tennessee) 59 sets, 11.76 a/set, .894 team-set%, 11 BHE, 6/29 SA/SE, 2.19 digs/set, 0.20 blocks/set, 0.54 kills/set, .206 hit%

Top opponents (a/set): Dayton (11.60), Illinois (12.25), Florida (11.80)

2. Lexi Dannemiller 5-11 (Michigan) 54 sets, 11.59 a/set, .859 team-set%, 11 BHE, 15/28 SA/SE, 2.69 digs/set, 0.20 blocks/set, 0.63 kills/set, .228 hit%

Top opponents (a/set): Florida State (12.34), Dayton (13.34), Purdue (8.00), Nebraska (11.00)

3. Micha Hancock 5-11 (PSU) 50 sets, 9.64 a/set, .798 team-set%, 8 BHE, 38/27 SA/SE, 2.22 digs/set, 0.31 blocks/set, 0.54 kills/set, .308 hit%

Top opponents: Oregon (3.34), USC (9.00), Stanford (11.25), Texas (10.40), Nebraska (10.60), Minnesota (9.67)

4. Deedra Foss 5-9 (RS/Colorado State) 46 sets, 10.83 a/set, .904 team-set%, 9 BHE, 16/13 SA/SE, 2.07 digs/set, 0.32 blocks/set, 0.54 kills/set, .302 hit%

Top opponents (a/set): Oklahoma (10.67), Nebraska (7.60)

5. Erin Juley 5-10 (LBSU) 53 sets, 9.9 a/set, .749 team-set%, 10 BHE, 8/10 SA/SE, 1.70 digs/set, 0.35 blocks/set, 0.58 kills/set, .231 hit%

Top opponents (a/set): Washington (8.00), UCLA (11.25) , Hawaii (9.20), Ohio State (12.50)

* Blocks/set are calculated with BS=1 and BA=.5.

Mary Pollmiller and Lexi Dannemiller were named Freshman Player of the Week in the SEC and Big 10, respectively. Pollmiller is ranked first mainly for having the highest assists per set (11.76), with Dannemiller just behind her (11.59). I placed Micha Hancock at #3, because of her overall statistics, especially for her ace/serve error ratio (38/27) and hitting percentage (.308).

Note that she didn’t start at the setter position at the beginning of the year and this partly explains her assists per set (9.64) and it doesn’t help that her team has faced the strongest oppositions. But any of the three just mentioned could be #1. Runner-ups are Deedra Foss, a redshirt freshman, who set CSU to a home upset over Nebraska earlier in the year, and Erin Juley.

Outside Hitter Update

Emily Wilson (Missouri) had a strong weekend at home against Texas A&M and Kansas State, with a combined 30 kills and 7 errors, on 80 attacks, with a .288 hitting percentage, over 9 sets. She also had 4 solo blocks and 6 block assists.

Haley Eckerman (Texas) had 41 kills, 7 errors, on 102 attacks, with a .255 hitting percentage, over 10 sets, on the road against Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Summer Ross (Washington) had a very efficient weekend at home against Oregon and Oregon State, with a combined 11 kills and 1 error, on 30 attacks, for a .333 hitting percentage, over six sets. She also had 16 digs and 10 blocking assists.

Middle Blocker/Hitter Update

Hannah Schraer (Southern Cal) had 14 kills, 3 errors, on 26 attacks, for a .423 hitting percentage, over 6 sets, on the road at Colorado and Utah.

Katie Dutchman (Northwestern) had 20 kills, 6 errors, on 42 attacks, for a .333 hitting percentage, over 7 sets, at home against Purdue and Indiana.

Photo by CSURams, goPSUsports

Last week I reviewed some of the freshmen outside hitters who’ve been making an impact for their teams. This week, I’ll be looking at middle blockers, while updating on the progress of outside hitters.

Middle Blockers (MB/MH – Min. 25 sets, .250 hit%)

1. Arica Nassar 6-1 (Oregon State): 55 sets, 132 kills, 2.40 k/set, .341 hit%, 8/15 SA/SE, 0.74 blocks/set, 0.53 digs/set, 3.28 pts/set

2. Samantha Cash 6-3 (Pepperdine): 54 sets, 110 kills, 2.46 k/set, .299 hit%, 0/1 SA/SE, 0.58 blocks/set, 0.30 digs/set, 2.62 pts/set

3. Hannah Schraer 6-3 (USC): 39 sets, 64 kills, 1.64 k/set, .379 hit%, 0/7 SA/SE, 0.36 blocks/set, 0.21 digs/set, 2.00 pts/set

4. Emani Sims 5-11 (Miami, FL/RS): 40 sets, 64 kills, 1.60 k/set, .327 hit%, 0/0 SA/SE, 0.56 blocks/set, 0.20 digs/set, 2.16 pts/set

5. Shealyn Kolosky 6-3 (Tennessee): 52 sets, 83 kills, 1.60 k/set, .335 hit%, 7/25 SA/SE, 0.35 blocks/set, 0.27 digs/set, 2.09 pts/set

6. Kierra Jones 6-1 (Purdue): 35 sets, 47 kills, 1.34 k/set, .310 hit%, 0/0 SA/SE, 0.13 blocks/set, 0.17 digs/set, 1.76 pts/set

7. Alma Serna 6-3 (LBSU): 46 sets, 58 kills, 1.26 k/set, .257 hit%, 0/1 SA/SE, 0.71 blocks/set, 0.20 digs/set, 1.97 pts/set

8. Katie Dutchman 6-0 (Northwestern/RS): 44 sets, 89 kills, 2.02 k/set, .252 hit%, 21/23 SA/SE, 0.72 blocks/set, 0.50 digs/set, 3.22 pts/set

Middle blockers are always busy blocking and hitting (or looking like it). Among the players listed, the top blockers per set are: Nassar (0.78), Dutchman (0.72), Serna (0.71), and Cash (0.58), and Sims (.056), while the top hitters are Schraer (.379), Nassar (.341), Kolosky (.335), Sims (.327), and Jones (.310). Generally, higher hitting percentages are to be expected from middle blockers/hitters than outside hitters, in that they’re more likely to face single (or sometimes none) than double blocks.

Nassar is rated #1 due to being first in blocks/set (0.74) and points/set (3.28), as well second in kills/set (2.40) and hitting percentage (.341), of those listed. Cash at #2 is first in kills/set (2.46), third in points/set (2.62), but only fourth in hitting percentage (.299) and blocks/set (0.58). Schraer, Kolosky, and Jones have strong hitting numbers, but weaker blocking numbers, while Serna and Dutchman have strong blocking numbers, but weaker hitting numbers.

Sims has had a balanced season so far statistically, being neither strong nor weak in both categories. As the only redshirt freshman in the group, Sims has advantage in experience. At 5’11”, she also shows that you don’t need to be over six feet to be a middle blocker at the college level.

As was the case with the outside hitters last week, the list is a rough statistical comparison – I’ve made no attempts to compare the strength of opposition these athletes have faced. Nassar’s Oregon State, for instance, is a weaker team (losing to South Dakota and Gonzaga) that has generally played even weaker competition (Wyoming, Seattle, etc.).

They have yet to play any of the stronger Pac-12 teams and struggled in a four-set loss at home to Arizona, in which Nassar under performed her averages in kills/set and hitting percentage. As she is confronted by stronger Pac-12 teams, her current statistical advantage will undoubtedly be eroded. But as a freshman, she should also show gains in skills and experience.

Last week, Cash had the most impressive single performance with 16 kills and .542 in four sets, although admittedly not against the strongest opposition, Gonzaga. Schraer had 9 kills and hit .633 in three sets vs. California, but followed that with 4 kills and a .000 vs. Stanford. Nassar had 9 kills and hit .467 at Colorado.

Outside Hitter Update

Krista Vansant (UW) had strong performances at Arizona State and Arizona, with a combined 23 kills, while hitting .400, in six sets. Jane Croson (UH) at Idaho and Utah State had a combined 33 kills, but also 24 hitting errors, dropping her hitting average to only .086, in eight sets.

Two freshmen outside hitters who should have been mentioned last week, but weren’t are Emily Wilson (Missouri) and Liz McMahon (Illinois). Wilson has 183 kills (2.86/set), while hitting .285, with 0.40 blocks/set.

McMahon has 67 kills (1.63 k/set), while hitting .307, with 0.50 blocks/set. I was originally under the impression that McMahon, who is 6-6, was a middle blocker, but she is playing RS for the Illini.

Next week, I’ll be looking at setters, liberos, and defensive specialists.

Photo by OSUBeavers, GazetteTimes, FightingIllini.

After triumphing over Italy and emerging from the European Championships last week with some highly coveted gold medals, the Serbian National Team was treated to a grand celebration upon their return to their home country. It was a chance for the fans of Belgrade to show their support for some home grown athletes not named Novak Djokovic (seriously, that dude’s been really hogging the spotlight for his country this year). And what a party it was. Around 10,000 loyal Serbians showed up near city hall in Belgrade to whoop, holler, and sing praises for their championship squad.

From The FIVB:

Serbia earned their berth to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup 2011, due to take place in Japan for November 20 to December 4, earlier this month as they beat Italy in the finals of the biennial tournament.

A press conference was first held at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, where Ivan Slobodan Milosevic, secretary general of the Volleyball Federation of Serbia, Aleksandar Boricic, president of the Volleyball Federation of Serbia and 1st executive vice-president of the CEV and Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports spoke with the media.

After the press conference, the side travelled on an open-top bus to the town hall and to greet their fans, who travelled in throngs to see the squad.

With their place in the FIVB world cup now clinched set, the Serbian National Team can definitely relax a little bit. Of course, they shouldn’t want to get too comfortable, as they’ll still be looking to improve their form come November. By no means did they dominate that final match against the Italians. Sure, they played as the better team overall, but with just a few different bounces of the ball, that match could have swung in an entirely different direction. Still, as of right now, Serbia should be feared as one of the top contenders heading into the World Cup. But now the target on their collective back is just that much bigger, which means everyone (even the non-European contenders) will be gunning for them that much harder.

So keep on partying for now, Serbia, but be ready to buckle down and get serious once more at the World Cup in Japan.

The latest AVCA rankings, also known as the “Pac 12 (and a few other teams for the heck of it) rankings”, have shuffled the top ten teams (previous week’s ranking in parentheses):

#1 Illinois (3)

#2 UCLA (7)

#3 Washington (4)

#4 California (1)

#5 Southern California (12)

#6 Stanford (2)

#7 Nebraska (10)

#8 Texas (8)

#9 Penn State (5)

#10 Minnesota (9)

Dropping out of this elite listing, to #13, is Florida, which lost in five games to unranked then but now #23 Tennessee. And still just on the outside looking in are #11 Hawaii and #12 Purdue (undefeated and a 3-0 winner over then #18 Michigan), both of whom still have a strong case for being on the inside looking out.

[Note: These are the new rankings for 9/26/2011. All rankings cited below are rankings from the 9/19/2011 poll.]

Upsets of the Week

It was another calm week in terms of upsets, unless you count Herman Cain in Florida or my mood after the Illinois-Minnesota match. Southern Cal’s rise in the rankings was fueled by their wins over #1 California and #2 Stanford, both at home, but these were mild upsets at best. The Trojans, if you recall, were the pick of many for 2011’s team to beat.

The aforementioned Gator loss to the Volunteers, because it was in Gainesville, is our Upset of the Week. This match was also long on entertainment and suspense, going to 18-16 in that fifth game.

Tennessee @ Florida 9/25/2011

Box score

In West Coast Conference play, #16 San Diego was beaten by unranked San Francisco on the Dons’ home court 18-25, 21-25, 20-25; and in Big West Conference action,  #21 Long Beach State dropped a five-game home match to rival UCSB.

Top 25 Losses

In addition to the matches mentioned above, #3 Illinois unlaunched a wicked serve attack to defeat #9 Minnesota, in Minneapolis, in five; #7 UCLA, like USC, also beat California and Stanford at home; and #10 Nebraska, playing their first Big Ten conference match, defeated #5 Penn State (in five after the Lions came back from an 0-2 deficit) in Wednesday’s Big Ten opener in Lincoln, and then dropped #24 Ohio State (in four), also at home, on Saturday.

Speaking of Illinois

The Illini’s #1 ranking this week is the first in the program’s history. The team is now 13-0 on the season, including four fifth game wins along the way. Coming up: Purdue this week at home, and then the Ohio State/Penn State road trip.

Matches This Week

Among the more interesting matches to follow this week are:

Texas @ Oklahoma 9/28

Oregon @ Washington 9/30

Minnesota @ Ohio State 9/30

Wichita State @ Northern Iowa 9/30

Duke @ Florida State 9/30

Purdue @ Illinois 10/1

Nebraska @ Michigan 10/1

Minnesota @ Penn State 10/1

Texas @ Iowa State 10/2

Duke @ Miami-FL 10/2

Shameless Plug of the Week

The shameless plug is for the website RichKern.com.  This site, run by former Navy Seal and convicted (and still incarcerated) felon, Ron Kern, is a virtual treasure chest of volleyball jewels and other interesting baubles. I urge you to check it out and consider becoming a premium subscription member. You have game scores, rosters, links to websites, the Pablo rankings, and this wonderful graphic for Top 30 Head-to-Head Results.

It is always heartwarming to see someone turn his life around, like Ron is trying to do now.

[Disclaimer: Ron will deny he was ever a Navy Seal or a convicted (and incarcerated) felon. He will even claim that his name is not “Ron.”  I stand by my information (until he slaps me with a lawsuit).]

Photo by FightingIllini, USC Trojans

Northwestern usually battles Minnesota tough and Sunday was no exception.  A Sunday afternoon match kept the attendance down to around 2,300 and the atmopshere was decidedly different than Friday’s energetic atmosphere.

After falling behind early, Northwestern rallied to tie the score at six.  Then proceeded to run off 9 straight points during which time Minnesota used both their time-outs.  Northwestern closed out the set winning 25-12, a set that saw them with 13 kills and only one error.

Minnesota chose to change their line-up for the second match as they inserted freshman Kelli McNeil as their setter and Katherine Harms into the OPP position.  It was McNeil’s first extensive action of the year and it showed as she had difficulty connecting with her hitters at times, especially the middles.  The set remained tight throughout when a controversial play occurred with the score tied at 22.  Minnesota’s Ashley Witteman ripped a shot down the line which was dug by Northwestern but the ball rocketed across the court and was headed out of play.

However, the up official had blown the whistle as he thought the ball hit the court.  After a conference with the R2, the signal was given to replay the point.  Instead of Minnesota going up 23-22 on a thunderous kill, they were forced to try again.  Minnesota went on to win the replayed point and the set 25-23 to tie the match at one set apiece going into intermission.

Minnesota came out of the intermission and, for the most part, controlled the remainder of the match wining set three 25-22 and the fourth set 25-17 as they took the match 3-1.  McNeil settled into her setter role and Harms came up big with some key kills late in the match.

A big reason why McNeil was inserted at setter was for her blocking ability.  And while she was only credited with one block in the three sets she played, she got hands on a number of other balls which helped cause 24 Northwestern attack errors over the next three sets.

Northwestern was able to keep the match close due their blocking as they finished with 18 blocks for the afternoon led by Katheryn Chrystal with 10 blocks and Hanna Crippen with 9.

Both sides played solid backrow defense, digging hard hit attacks and keeping balls alive.  Northwestern finished with 83 digs for the match and were led in that department by libero Julie Chin with 20 digs and DS Alex Ayers who finished with 19.  Minnesota’s DS Steffi Sooter recorded a career high 23 digs for the amtch and libero Jessica Granquist had 18.

The floor defense by both teams led to some long, exciting rallies.  And a match that was exciting and emotionally draining for players, coaches, and fans alike.

For Minnesota, questions abound.  Is this the start of the Kelli McNeil era at setter?  Or, do the Gophers go back to Mia Tabberson?  And the OPP position is also in flux.  Katherine Harms had started much of the season in that spot before losing her postion, first to McNeil and then to Brianna Haugen this past weekend.

With a road trip this weekend to Ohio State and Penn State, those are unsettling questions for Minnesota fans.  And, I’m sure, the Minnesota coaching staff.

It was a buzzing atmosphere at Minnesota’s Sports Pavilion on Friday night when Minnesota hosted Illinois with over 3,500 fans in attendance.  The student section was raucous and the band loud and energetic.  There were a number of reasons for this – Illinois was ranked #3 in the country and Minnesota #9, and it was the first time since Labor Day weekend that the Gophers were playing at home, and former head coach (for both Minnesota AND Illinois) Dr. Mike Hebert would be recognized at the break as part of this year’s M Club Hall of Fame class.

And the Gophers came out flying.  They took a commanding lead over the Illini early and played nearly flawless volleyball.  With Minnesota leading 24-18 in the first, Minnesota had yet to commit a hitting error.  But then came two points which may have changed the match when Minnesota OH Ashley Wittman was stuffed blocked for two straight points.  While the Gophers won the next point to win the set 25-20, the tide seemed to have turned.  Illinois started to control the match and Minnesota was making hitting errors and getting blocked over the next two sets as Illinois took a two sets to one lead.  Minnesota pulled back to tie the match at two sets a piece to force a fifth set.

Illinois took a 4-1 lead in the set when they committed a service error.  However, Minnesota was ruled to have been out of rotation on the serve receive resulting in a point for Illinois.  Minnesota was able to close to within three points at 13-10 but the climb proved to be too much as Illinois won the last two points to win the set, 15-10, and the match, 3-2.

Illinois’ Michelle Bartsch (23 kills) and Colleen Ward (16 kills) led the way for the Illini while MB Erin Johnson (11 kills) added crucial offense late in the match.  Illinois also had 16 blocks on the night as Minnesota’s attack, after the first set, struggled to find points.

Minnesota’s Ashley Wittman had 18 kills on the night but also 13 errors, many on blocks by Illinois.  OH Hailey Cowles contributed 16 kills and MB Tori Dixon chipped in 13 kills but only hit .182.

The difference in the match was offensive efficiency.  In the two sets Minnesota won, they had only 5 errors against 34 kills.   However, in the three sets they lost, the Gophers had 27 errors against 29 kills.

Illinois only hit .201 for the evening but were more consistent.  They only hit over .200 in one set (the first which, ironically they lost) but were able to keep the ball in play until they were able to score the point with either a kill or a Minnesota error.

Photo by FightingIllini

Mark Knudsen is the head coach of boys’ volleyball at Valencia High School (CA). Knudsen has led Valencia to 4 CIF-Southern Section Division II Championships and a National Championship in 2008 (rivals.com). Under his leadership from 2002 to present, Valencia has yet to lose a league game and boasts an unprecedented league record of 102-0.

Prior to joining Valencia, Knudsen was the assistant coach for UCLA Men’s volleyball program under Al Scates, where he helped lead the Bruins to 4 NCAA titles. As a player, Knudsen was the California and National Champion for Beach Men’s AAA in 1990 and for Beach Coed Doubles Open division in 1991.

Knudsen is a 4-time CIF-SS Coach of the Year (2003, 2004, 2006, and 2008), and this season, he is looking to lead Valencia to its 10th straight league title. Let’s take a look at what his thoughts are on the program at Valencia, as well as some of his coaching philosophies and tips for players looking to improve their games.

1) The Boys’ program at Valencia has been very strong for nearly a decade. Do a lot of players come into the program developed or do you often need to teach the basics to bring them up to the level you want them to be playing at?

We get a good mix of experienced and inexperienced athletes at Valencia.  There are more and more young players playing club before starting high school. But in addition to that, we tend to get some of the best overall athletes who are drawn to our program due to our program’s success over the years.

3) Do you teach players to pass overhead or underhand in serve-receive?

I prefer to have players work on the forearm pass, while passing overhead for free balls and lob serves.  Often [times], serves come so fast that forearm passing gives players greater range and accuracy.  Overhead passes for a hard, fast serve tend to be high and less accurate which hinders our ability to run a fast offense.

I think doing lots of reps against the wall is a very simple but effective way to improve arm swing as well as hand-ball contact, wrist snap, and hand-eye coordination.

5) What type of blocking style do you advocate? Swing or stand and jump?

There is a time and place for swing blocking, but I think the times are rare, and the places even rarer.  Most players who start volleyball young learn to swing block to gain a few inches in vertical reach.  But at the varsity level, swing blocking should be abandoned because the costs far outweigh the limited benefit of a extra inches of reach.  The costs include failure to square up and seal the net, failure to close the seam, and failure to execute a solid, predictable block behind which other players can play defense.

We teach our players to stay square while moving along the net.  Get to the hitter as early as possible so there is time to make last second adjustments with the feet, go straight up, and press over with minimal lateral arm movement.  This allows for: 1) the blocker to seal the net better, 2) second and third blockers to seal the seams better, and 3) defenders to line up and be ready to dig.

I encourage to players to be very vocal on the court.  I’ll often participate in drills and try to model loud, enthusiastic communication at all times.  It’s important for all players to be aggressively calling balls in or out, calling out the opponents’ blockers and defenders locations, calling for sets, etc.  Aggressive communication leads to more aggressive play.

I’ve seen outstanding setters who are very tall, and outstanding setters who are among the smallest players on the court.  Size definitely helps with blocking and getting to more digs and passes, but possibly the most important thing is for the setter to be intelligent and able to stay composed at all times.

As a coach, I look to my setters to make the smart play. I’ll often give them information on the opponents’ blockers, or which of our players is hitting a particular set well at the time, but rarely will I tell him who to set.  He needs to know that I have confidence in him to run the offense, and the rest of the team also needs to know that I trust in him so that when the ball is in play, they know they can look to each other to make the play and win the rally.

Our goals are always the same.  We set out to win our league and win our Division Championship.  I expect our successful program that we’ve worked so hard to build will continue to produce teams of the highest quality and athletes of the highest character.