|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:16:10 GMT -6
Welcome to 2023 Summit League Volleyball! Although I started this thread a while ago, I'm re-formatting the first post to have the preseason poll... (link to the article:)South Dakota volleyball favored to repeat as Summit League champions2023 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank School .........Points (1st) 2022 Record (SL)
1. South Dakota ........61 (6) ..29-4 (16-2)
2. North Dakota State 54 (2) ..21-12 (13-5)
3. Omaha .................53 (1) ..20-11 (14-4)
4. South Dakota State 39 .......18-15 (11-7)
5. North Dakota .........34 .......12-18 (9-9)
6. Denver .................30 .......19-12 (12-6)
7. Kansas City ...........25 .......10-21 (7-11)
8. St. Thomas ...........16 .........4-26 (2-16)
9. Oral Roberts ..........12 .........9-21 (6-12)
...And the next 5 posts are preseason previews and outlooks for each team (my opinion)...
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:18:35 GMT -6
#1 The University of South Dakota (USD) "Coyotes" (pronounced ki-yotes)Last 5 Years' Results:year | overall | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 21-10 | 13-3 (#2) | Summit Champs/ NCAA Rd 1 | Leanne Williamson
| 2019 | 31-3 | 16-0 (#1) | Summit Semi-final/ NIVC Finals | Leanne Williamson
| 2020 | 15-7 | 12-3 (#2) | Summit Champs/ NCAA Rd 1 | Leanne Williamson
| 2021 | 20-10 | 15-3 (#2) | Summit Champs/ NCAA Rd 1 | Leanne Williamson
| 2022 | 29-4 | 16-2 (#1) | Summit Champs/ NCAA Rd 1 | Leanne Williamson
| 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Leanne Williamson
|
2022 Recap:South Dakota was picked #2 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll behind Denver. They went 11-1 in the non-conference season, with Power-5 wins over Missouri (3-2) and West Virginia (3-1). In conference play the Yotes only recorded two losses, finishing 16-2 and first in the conference. Those two losses both came at the hands of #3 NDSU. In the Conference Tournament they were playing in peak form, beating both Denver and Omaha in straight sets for their fourth Summit Tournament title, third in a row, and the first time they had won both the regular season and the tournament. Unprecedented success in the school's volleyball history. In the NCAA's they finally won a program-first set in the NCAA tournament, followed by another. They ultimately lost to Sweet-16-bound Houston (25-14, 25-19, 18-25, 23-25, 15-11). Besides being the best ever showing for this program in the NCAA tournament, this match was memorable for HM All-American OH Elizabeth Juhnke ending her season and possibly her career in the middle of the 4th set with a painful ACL/Knee injury on a landing. After a long delay the Yotes rallied to win that 4th set, and played well in the final set. Statistically, This 2022 South Dakota squad generally finished between #1 and #3 in most team stats, in the top tier along with Omaha, Denver and NDSU. They led the conference in Hitting percentage (.256) and digs (6.15/set). The only major stat they fell to fourth in was the opponent's service aces (1.49/set). Individually the team was led by: 6'-0" Junior OH, Elizabeth Juhnke (AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Summit POY) 5'-7" 5th Yr L/DS Lolo Weideman (First Team All-conference, Summit DPOY) 6'-3" Junior MB Madison Harms. (First Team All-conference) __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:(LINK)Leaving the team for 2023 are: L/DS Lolo Weideman (Grad) 3-year starter, 2022 DPOYRS Aimee Adams (Grad) 3-year starter OH Elizabeth Juhnke (injured) 4-year starter, 2019 FOY, 2022 POYMB Alexis Moses (Transfer)The Coyotes lose:52% of Kills (Juhnke & Adams were #1 and #3) 51% of Digs (Weideman & Juhnke were #1 and #2)11% of Assists 37% of Aces (Weideman was #1) 31% of Blocks (Juhnke and Adams were #3 and #4) Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Soph Kamryn Farris (#3 Digs, 2.21 D/Set, #3 Aces) Junior Alaina Wolff (#4 Digs, 2.00 D/Set, #2 Aces) Kamryn Farris Key Returning Setters:Senior Brooklyn Schramm (#1 Assists, 10.16 Asst/Set, .39 K/Set, .27 Ace/Serve, 2.16 Dig/Set) Soph Madi Woodin (#2 Assists, 7.41 Asst/Set, 2.05 Dig/Set) Brooklyn Schramm Key Returning Outside Hitters:Senior Evelyn Deiderich (#4 Kills, 2.03 K/Set (#4) Junior Kylen Sealock (#6 Kills, 2.25 K/Set (#3) Evelyn Deiderich Kylen Sealock Key Returning Middle Blockers:5th Year Madison Harms (#1 Blocks, 1.23 B/Set, #2 Kills, 2.41 K/Set) 5th Year Brynn Paumen (#2 Blocks, 0.91 B/Set, #5 Kills, 1.36 K/Set) Brynn Paumen Key Newcomers:Freshman Setter: Avery Van Hook (from Marion, IA, PrepDig #1 Setter/ #3 player Iowa) Avery Van Hook 2023 Outlook:
When you look at the losses of POY Juhnke and DPOY Weideman, along with the #2 OH in Adams, ... there are some big shoes to fill. But when I look at the amount of experience returning in the back row, and the "twin towers of 6-3 Harms and 6-3 Paumen in the Middle, there are a lot of pieces left from that 2022 championship team. The focus now will be on who can emerge in those Outside Hitter spots. Last year I was sure we would see 6-0 Sophomore Kylen Sealock take the backup spot behind Juhnke, but a foot injury kept her off the floor for the first half of the season.... Enter 5-8 Dynamo, Evelyn Deiderich, doing surprisingly well for being so undersized. Lots of other hitters in the wings, ready to get the opportunity to increase their role, too. Who will pick up the slack left by future Coyote Hall-of-Fame legend, Juhnke? That answer may go a long way to determining how well this 2023 Coyote team does. Whoever it is, they will be surrounded by experienced and competent teammates. Harms and Paumen should provide that 3rd offensive option needed to take pressure off of the hitters, too. With three Setters now on the roster with the addition of Freshman Avery Van Hook from Marion, IA (PrepDig #1 Setter/ #3 player Iowa), I wonder if Coach Williamson might consider using a 2-setter system? Either way, I'm going with the Yotes to win it all again.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:18:46 GMT -6
#2 The University of Nebraska - Omaha (Omaha) "Mavericks"Last 5 Years' Results:year | overall | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 17-12 | 12-4 (#3) | Summit Quart-final
| Rose Shires | 2019 | 19-14 | 10-6 (#4)
| Summit Final | Matt Buttermore
| 2020 | 13-6 | 12-4 (#4) | Summit Semi-final | Matt Buttermore
| 2021 | 20-10 | 16-2 (#1) | Summit Final
| Matt Buttermore
| 2022 | 20-11 | 14-4 (#2) | Summit Final | Matt Buttermore | 2023 |
|
|
| Matt Buttermore
|
2022 Recap:Omaha was picked #3 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll behind Denver and USD. They went 5-5 in the non-conference season, with a brutal schedule. Being swept by South Carolina early might have been the worst loss, but by the end of the non-con, they had a couple of narrow losses to ranked Creighton (2-3) and Kansas (1-3). In conference play the Mavs only recorded four losses, finishing 14-4 and second place in the conference. Most of the wins were in dominant fashion, only dropping 5 total sets in 14 wins. The losses were mostly in 5-set road losses to South Dakota, South Dakota State and NDSU. They went 8-1 in Baxter Arena in conference play, only losing to USD. In the Conference Tournament they beat North Dakota 3-1 in the semi-final, but lost at home in the championship to USD in a sweep. That marks the third appearance in the Summit finals in Matt Buttermore's four seasons at Omaha. In the NIVC they dropped a match to University of the Pacific in four sets. Statistically, The 2022 Omaha squad was probably the best offensive Summit team, and 3rd or 4th best defensively. Omaha finished first in Points (18/set), Kills (14/set), Assists (13/set) and Service Aces (1.6/set). They also had a great serve-receive, finishing 2nd in opponent service aces (allowed 1.2/set). Defensively they finished in the upper-half of the conference, generally. Their worst team stat was opponent's blocking. They allowed 2.1 Blocks a set, which is an interesting stat, given their offensive output. Individually the team was led by: 5'-11" Soph OH, Shayla McCormick (First-team All-Conference) 6'-2" Junior MB McKenna Ruch (First Team All-conference) 6'-0" Junior OH Marriah Buss (HM All-Conference) 5'-11" Senior Setter, Sami Clarkson (HM All-Conference) 6'-1" Freshman OH Kali Jurgensmeier (Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman Team) __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: S Sami Clarkson (Grad) ........4-year starter, 2021 Setter of the Year, 4-year all-summit L/DS Jaiden Centeno (Grad) 1.5-year starter, Summit HM 2021 OH Marriah Buss (Grad) .........2-year starter, Summit HM 2021-22 MB Mariah Murdie (Grad)The Mavericks lose:27% of Kills (Buss was #2) 75% of Assists (Clarkson & Centeno were #1 and #3)36% of Aces (Clarkson & Centeno were #2 and #3) 42% of Digs (Centeno & Clarkson were #1 and #4) 27% of Blocks (Murdie was #4) Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Junior Brilee Wieseler (#3 Digs, 2.19 D/Set) Brilee Wieseler Key Returning Setters:Senior Olivia Curry (#2 Assists, 4.81 Asst/Set, .27 Ace/Serve, 1.54 Dig/Set) Olivia Curry Key Returning Outside Hitters:Junior Shayla McCormick (#1 Kills, 3.74 K/Set,#4 Assist, #1 Aces, #2 Digs, #3 Blocks) Soph Kali Jurgensmeier (#4 Kills, 2.32 K/Set, #2 Hitting%, #2 Blocks)5th Year Rachel Fairbanks (#5 Kills, #5 Digs) Rachel Fairbanks Key Returning Middle Blockers:Senior McKenna Ruch (#1 Blocks, 1.24 B/Set, #3 Kills, 2.61 K/Set, #1 Hitting % .341)Soph Morgan DeBow (#5 Blocks, 0.77 B/Set) Morgan DeBow Key Newcomers:6'-0" Freshman Setter: Olivia Tukuafu (from Mesa, AZ/ Aspire AAU) 5'-9" Freshman Setter: Ivy Leuck (Omaha, NE/ Skutt Catholic/ Premier AAU) 5'-8" Junior Transfer DS: Erica Fava (Italy/ Western NE CC) - 2x NJCAA First Team All-AmericanOlivia Tukuafu Erica Fava 2023 Outlook:
The Mavs have been knocking on the door for a tournament championship for a few years now, and Coach Buttermore has done a bang-up job in recruiting and roster management IMHO. Is this the year they break through? Well.... from a roster standpoint, they have the opposite problem that South Dakota has. USD: - loses their 4-year starter star outside hitter- loses their #2 hitter, and 2-year starting Libero - keeps their all-conference MB Omaha: - loses their 4-year starting star setter- loses their #2 hitter and 2-year starting Libero - keeps their all-conference MB ... OK, that sounds pretty similar. One might think that Juhnke is the bigger loss, but the Setter is the QB of the offense. I think Clarkson being gone will be far more disruptive. Also, Omaha lacks depth at DS, and South Dakota returns a couple of experienced players there. Omaha will probably again have the best front row in the conference with McCormick and Ruch starring, and Jurgensmeier, Fairbanks and DeBow providing ample size and skill behind them. (all but McCormick are 6-1 and above). So the big question is if the setter and Libero positions go to returning backups Curry and Weiseler, or one of the many (9) newcomers? You don't bring in two setters and three DS in a class if you are 100% confident in the replacement. It will be fun to see who emerges from that competition, and if they can get back up to a level of play needed to win the conference. My money is on Fava for starting Libero (experience) and Tukuafu for Setter (size). But who knows? I'll pick them to finish #2 again, setting up another epic championship match. (also, McCormick wins POY)
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:18:58 GMT -6
#3 North Dakota State University (NDSU) "Bison" (pronounced "bi-zun")Last 5 Years' Results:year | all | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 9-20 | 6-10 (#6) | Summit Semifinal | Jennifer Lopez | 2019 | 13-16 | 8-8 (#5) | Summit Quarterfinal | Jennifer Lopez | 2020 | 10-8 | 8-8 (#5) | * | Jennifer Lopez
| 2021 | 12-18 | 6-12 (#7) | - | Jennifer Lopez
| 2022 | 21-12 | 13-5 (#3) | Summit Semifinal | Jennifer Lopez
| 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Jennifer Lopez
|
* only four teams in 2020 2022 Recap:NDSU was picked #7 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. They went 7-5 in the non-conference season, with a relatively light schedule. Things were up and down, but the strongest performances might have been narrowly losing a 5-set match to Central Michigan, followed by sweeping Montana State the next day at home. In conference play the Bison seemed to hit their stride, finishing 13-5 for third-place; the best conference record in Coach Lopez's 6 seasons. They Swept their series vs top ranked USD, but lost both matches vs SDSU. They also split the series with 3 teams: Omaha, Denver and UND. In the Conference Tournament they swept rival North Dakota in the quarter-final, but lost to Omaha in the semi-final. In the NIVC they dropped their opening match to Davidson in five sets. Statistically, The 2022 NDSU squad had a potent offense, finishing 2nd in Kills, Assists hitting %, and opponent's digs. In other team stats and defensive stats they finished about average for the league. Individually the team was led by: 5'-10" Senior Setter, Kelley Johnson (First-team All-Conference, Setter of the Year) 5'-10" Senior MB Michelle Artis (Glover) (First Team All-conference) 6'-0" Junior OH Ali Hinze (First Team All-Conference) 6'-1" Senior OH, Syra Tanchin (First Team All-Conference) 6'-1" Freshman MB Ally Barth (All-Freshman Team) __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: OH Syra Tanchin (Grad xfer to FIU) 2-year starter, All-Summit League 2022 MB Michelle Artis/Glover (Graduated) 2-year starter, All-Summit League 2022 The Bison lose:44% of Kills (Tanchin & Artis were #1 and #3) 3% of Assists19% of Aces (Tanchin was #2) 17% of Digs40% of Blocks (Artis & Tanchin were #1 and #4) Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Junior Logan O'Brian (#1 Digs, 3.39 D/Set, #2 Assists) Senior Taylor Quan (#5 Digs, 2.05 D/Set) Logan O'Brien Key Returning Setters:Senior Kelley Johnson (#1 Assists, 10.58 Asst/Set, #2 Digs, #3 Aces)Kelley Johnson Key Returning Outside Hitters:Senior Ali Hinze (#2 Kills, 3.63 K/Set, #1 Aces, #2 Digs, #2 Blocks) Junior Morgan Middleton (#7 Kills, 1.40 K/Set, .204 Hitting%)
Ali Hinze Key Returning Middle Blockers:Junior Alexis Boling (#2 Blocks, 0.42 B/Set, #4 Kills, 1.84 K/Set, .248 Hitting %)Soph Ally Barth (#5 Blocks, #2 Blocks/Set 0.87, #5 Kills, #3 Hitting % .295) Alexis Boling Key Newcomers:6'-1" Freshman MB: Arianna Blohm (Spring Valley, MN/ Northern Lights AAU) 5'-11" Freshman OH: Lauren Jansen (Plainfield IL) 6'-2" Freshman MB: Emma Tallman (Johnson, IA/ Dowling Catholic) Arianna Blohm Lauren Jansen 2023 Outlook:
If I told you the #3 finishing team in the Summit League was only losing 2 players to graduation and transfer, brought in 3 freshmen in the lost positions, and also returned 2 All-conference players, and last year's Setter-of-the-Year, ..... You'd probably tell me they are primed for a championship, right? Here's the hang-up I have about that: Last year they had one of the best offenses in the league, powered by a three-headed monster of Hitters Hinze and Tanchin, and Middle Artis(Glover)... The two departing players are Tanchin and Glover... this weakens their greatest strength IMO. The Bison's other non-offense stats were pretty average, as well. The lack of turnover should lead to a team that doesn't beat itself. I don't think you will see them dropping a head-scratcher in 2023. But they may lack the offensive firepower to knock out the biggest dogs of the conference, like they did last year. So I could be wrong, but I predict they will be a great, consistent team, but just shy of championship-level. Probably finish right in that #3 spot again, and with a puncher's chance in the Tournament. Lopez has done a great job in Fargo, bringing Conference Blue-Blood NDSU back to the top tier. I'll give credit to the NDSU AD as well, with the patience to allow her time to build. As far as freshmen, all three have opportunities due to Tanchin and Artis(Glover) departing. I'm going to guess Blohm gets the most court time at MB, but that's just based on her coming from Northern Lights.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:19:09 GMT -6
#4 University of Denver (Denver) "Pioneers" (Pios)Last 5 Years' Results:year | all | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 27-3 | 15-0 (#1) | Summit Runner-up | Tom Hogan
| 2019 | 23-9 | 13-3 (#2) | Summit Champions | Tom Hogan
| 2020 | 14-3 | 13-2 (#1) | Summit Runner-up
| Tom Hogan
| 2021 | 23-6 | 14-4 (#3) | Summit Quarterfinals | Tom Hogan | 2022 | 19-12 | 12-6 (#4) | Summit Semifinals | Jim Stone(interim) | 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Megan Pendergast |
2022 Recap:Denver was picked #1 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. Denver was the dominant team in the Summit League since they joined it under Coach Tom Hogan for about 8 seasons (2013-2020), appearing in the championship match every year, winning 5 times, and 6 regular-season titles! At the start of the 2022 season the Pios were only one season removed from a regular season title and appearance in the finals. Coach Hogan had worked the transfer portal well, bringing in a lot of talent.... and then a sledgehammer hit the program in the form of a cancer diagnosis for the future HOF coach. While still the head coach in name, veteran assistant Jim Stone (former longtime OSU coach) took the reins for the 2022 season. They went 6-5 in the non-conference season, losing every road match and winning every home match. Things were up and down, but they finished strong, winning 9 of 10 sets in the final home tournament vs USAF, San Francisco, and UC-San Diego. In conference play the Pios seemed to be more stable, finishing 12-6 for fourth-place. Although that was the worst finish for Denver in their 9-year Summit history, for the most part, they took care of business against weaker opponents and struggled against USD and Omaha. They split the series with NDSU, but their worst match might have been losing to Kansas City at home in four sets, late in the season. In the Conference Tournament they struggled to take down SDSU (5 sets) in the quarterfinal, and were swept by USD in the semifinal. Statistically, The 2022 Denver squad appears to have been the best defensive team in the conference, finishing first in Blocks, Opponent Hitting %, Opponent Kills, Opponent Assists, and Opponent Service Aces! Their offense was seemingly pretty average to above-average, finishing 4th or 5th in most offensive stats. Their worst stats were Digs and opponent blocks. Often a team that gets a ton of blocks will struggle in dig numbers by default, but the fact that their hitters were getting blocked 2.26 times a set (worst in conference) was probably a big factor in their lack of success vs USD and Omaha. Individually the team was led by: 6'-1" Senior MB, Brianna Green (First-team All-Conference) 5'-11" Senior S Lorrin Poulter (First Team All-conference) 5'-11" Senior OH Memphis Glasgow6'-2" Soph MB Hailey Green5'-7" Junior L/DS Gianna Bartalo__________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: Setter Lorrin Poulter (Grad xfer to Purdue) 2-year starter, All-Summit League 2022 Setter Emma Ziegler ...(xfer to Creighton) Setter Lauren Carter ....(xfer to Northwestern) MB Brianna Green ....(Grad xfer to TCU) 2-year starter, All-Summit League 2022 MB Hailey Green .........(Grad xfer to WVU) MB Maddy Hanson .......(xfer to Iowa) MB Merle Weidt ...........(Graduated) OH Memphis Glasgow (Graduated)OH Jordan Lockwood ....(Graduated) OH Isabella Vasquez .....(Graduated) The Pios lose:82% of Kills 91% of Assists 69% of Aces49% of Digs74% of Blocks Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Senior Gianna Bartalo (#1 Digs, 3.52 D/Set, #3 Assists, #4 Aces)Senior Ryan Wilkens (#2 Digs, 2.63 D/Set, #5 Assists, #5 Aces) Soph Alayna Finucan (#6 Digs) Ryan Wilkens Key Returning Setters:(NONE)Key Returning Outside Hitters:5th Yr Mackenzie Fidelak (#6 Kills, #6 Aces, #7 Digs, #6 Blocks) Soph Ava Reynolds (#9 Kills) Soph Genevieve Lewis
Mackenzie Fidelak Key Returning Middle Blockers:5th Year Cadi Boyer (#2 Blocks, 1.08 B/Set, #5 Kills, 1.63 K/Set, #1 Hitting % .379)Cadi Boyer Key Newcomers (all transfers):6'-1" R Freshman S: Briley Decker (BYU) 6'-4" 5th Year OH: Cassie Davis (Baylor)6'-2" Senior MB: Molly Mirabelli (Purdue-Ft Wayne)6'-2" R Soph MB: Kate Perryman (Gard. City CC/ USAF) 6'-1" Soph OH: Emma Mirabelli (Purdue-Ft Wayne) Briley Decker Cassie Davis Molly Mirabelli 2023 Outlook:
Despite all the talented transfers into the program ahead of the 2022 season, I voiced my doubts if the Pios would be title contenders, given the lack of cohesiveness with roster turnover of that magnitude. Things were further pushed into chaos with Coach Hogan's departure right before the season started. They were picked #1 in the preseason and finished #4. For most programs a top-4 finish is something to celebrate, but not for Denver. Some players entered the portal even before Coach Hogan announced his resignation for medical reasons this Spring. When it was all said and done, 4 players graduated and 7 transferred out for a total of 10 leaving the program. Huge turnover. On the bright side, the 2022 roster contained 19 players, so they still have 9 returning. Included in that number are 4 Defensive Specialists (#1 and #2 dig-getters), 4 Hitters (3 are opposites), ONE Middle Blocker, and ZERO Setters. New Coach Pendergast has done a nice job filling the holes in this roster with quality transfers, a number of who will likely be starters. The strongest group of returners are the defensive specialists, which, statistically speaking, looked like the weakest group. But numbers can be deceiving. Denver was such a dominant blocking team that dig totals will be naturally lower. Gianna Bartalo should be a standout again this season, as she does a little bit of everything. She was #3 in assists, which should take a little pressure off of the new starting setter. In terms of newcomers, there will only be one Setter on the roster, so transfer player Decker be thrust into the role. She comes from BYU, and at 6-1 should be able to help in the blocking game, too. Davis from Baylor should be an immediate help as well as Mirabelli in the front court. All in all, I think the Pioneers can't help but take a step back this year, even with the talent a school like Denver attracts. New coach, new schemes, new players, new roles. They should be better come tournament time than they are early, but I'll guess they end up 6th in the standings, just making the Tournament field. Brighter days are ahead, but this is clearly a transition year for Denver.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:19:19 GMT -6
#5 South Dakota State University (SDSU) "Jackrabbits" (Jacks) Last 5 Years' Results:year | overall | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 6-23 | 3-13 (#8) | - | Nicole Cirillo | 2019 | 6-22 | 3-13 (#8) | - | Nicole Cirillo | 2020 | 6-11 | 6-10 (#6) | -* | Dan Georgalas
| 2021 | 19-12 | 10-8 (#6) | SLT Semifinal | Dan Georgalas
| 2022 | 18-15 | 11-7 (#5) | SLT Qtrfinal/ NIVC 2nd Round | Dan Georgalas
| 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Dan Georgalas
|
*only 4 teams in Summit Tournament in 2020 2022 Recap:SDSU was picked #6 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. They went 6-6 in the non-conference season, with a relatively light schedule. In conference play the Jacks started off with a bang, beating Omaha at home, and taking USD to five sets in the first couple of weeks. They hit the wall a bit in the middle of the season, but ended strong on a 7-win run, beating #2 NDSU twice in that span. They finished 11-7 for fifth place; the best conference record and finish in twelve years! In the Conference Tournament they lost to #3 Denver in five sets in the quarter-final. In the NIVC they won their opening match vs Louisiana in five sets, then dropped the second match to UTRGV in straight sets. Statistically, The 2022 SDSU squad's team stats were well-balanced. They finished #3 to #6 in almost every stat, so you could call them an above-average, technically-sound team. The one stat that was exceptional was team digs. They averaged 16 per set for #2 in the conference. Individually the team was led by: 5'-8" 5th-Year OH, Crystal Burk (First-team All-Conference) 6'-1" Soph MB Ella Thompson5'-10" Soph Setter Raegan Reilly6'-1" Freshman OH Masa Scheierman (All-Freshman Team) __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: OH Crystal Burk (Graduated) 5-year starter, All-Summit League 2021,22 MB Ella Thompson (xfer St Cloud St D-II) 2-year starter, All-Freshman 2021 MB Sydney Andrews (Graduated) 3-year starter DS Jadyn Mackovica (Graduated) 1-year starter MB Anna Nerad (Graduated) S Carly Wedel (Graduated) 3-year starter The Jacks lose:64% of Kills (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #2) 12% of Assists44% of Aces (Burk & Thompson were #1 and #4) 48% of Digs (Mackovica & Burk were #1 and #2) 62% of Blocks (Andrews & Thompson were #1 and #2) Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Soph Alia Schlimgen (#5 Digs, 1.53 D/Set, #6 Assists) Junior Faith Saewert (#8 Digs, 1.62 D/Set, #7 Aces) Alia Schlimgen Key Returning Setters:Junior Raegan Reilly (#1 Assists, 9.98 Asst/Set, #3 Digs, #3 Aces, #5 Blocks, #7 Kills)Raegan Reilly Key Returning Outside Hitters:Soph Masa Scheierman (#3 Kills, 2.52 K/Set, #4 Aces, #7 Digs, #7 Blocks) Junior Elyse Winter (#4 Kills, 1.73 K/Set, .224 Hitting%, #3 Aces, #6 Digs, #3 Blocks)
Elyse Winter Key Returning Middle Blockers:Junior Annalee Ventling-Brown (#8 Blocks, 0.94 B/Set, #4 Kills, 1.84 K/Set, .248 Hitting %)Annalee Ventling-Brown Key Newcomers:6'-5" RS Soph OH/RS: Sydni Schetnan (Sioux Falls, SD/ Louisville)6'-4" Freshman MB: Brogan Beck (Sioux Falls, SD/ Kairos) 6'-2" Freshman MB/RS: Mckenna Moehrle (St Cloud, MN) Sydni Schetnan Brogan Beck 2023 Outlook:
Dan Georgalas has had his team show improvement in each of his previous three seasons. This program has gone from over a decade of futility to a solid upper-half Summit team. In order to keep moving up the ladder, the next step is to start upgrading the quality of athletes IMHO. This year he will have a large amount of turnover, with six players moving on, and six coming in. The most puzzling one might be the lone transfer out, starting MB Ella Thompson to D-II St Cloud State. Two additional Middles are graduating, leaving only one Middle on the roster! The biggest loss, of course will be 5-year starting OH Burk. She was a six-rotation player, #2 on the team in digs, and even contributed a bunch of blocks with her 5'-8" frame. Also graduating is starting Libero, Jadyn Mackovica. But on the bright side, 5-10 Junior Setter Raegan Riley will soften the blow of departing players, since she is a swiss-army-knife type setter, contributing in every stat. All-freshman 6-1 OH, Masa Scheierman should increase her role, possibly becoming a focus of the offense. In terms of newcomers, the two Freshmen Middles will likely get thrown into action simply out of necessity Both will be a size upgrade, but the skill level is TBD. But the big story here is, of course, the transfer of 6'-5" Hitter/ Right Side Sydni Schetnan from Louisville. She was heavily recruited out of Sioux Falls for both Volleyball and Basketball. Although she only played sparingly on both VB and BB teams at Louisville, those teams were championship-level. With her, Beck, and Moehrle and Scheierman, the Jacks suddenly have one of the tallest front rows in the league. Will that translate to wins?..... I'll say I have a lot of respect for coach Georgalas and what he has accomplished so far. I think the turnover will be a little disruptive this season, even with the size upgrades. They will need to have some back-row players emerge, too to replace Mackovica/Burk. I'll think they will be average at the start of the season, and should get some revenge in the back half. Schetnan is a wild-card that could have a dominant season. I think they will again finish 5th, but will pull the upset to get into the semifinal, similar to what they did to Denver in 2021.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:19:30 GMT -6
#6 University of North Dakota (UND)
"Fighting Hawks" (Formerly Fighting Sioux)
Last 5 Years' Results:year | overall | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 14-18 | 6-9 (#5) | Summit QF | Mark Pryor | 2019 | 12-18 | 4-12 (#6) | - | Jeremiah Tiffin | 2020 | 2-16 | 2-14 (#9) | - | Jeremiah Tiffin
| 2021 | 1-29 | 0-18 (#10) | - | Jeremiah Tiffin
| 2022 | 12-18 | 9-9 (#6) | Summit QF | Jesse Tupac | 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Jesse Tupac |
2022 Recap:UND was picked #8 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. They went 3-8 in the non-conference season, with a relatively light schedule. Despite the early setbacks, they finished the non-conference with a bang, beating Drake 3-2. In conference play the Hawks showed a lot of consistency, never losing to the four teams that finished below them in the standings (WIU, UST, KC, ORU) and never beating the teams that finished above them..... with one exception. They beat hated rival NDSU in Fargo in 5 sets. Not an insignificant accomplishment for the program and fans. They also took #1 USD, #3 NDSU and #4 Denver to five sets in losses, showing some potential of an even stronger finish. But as strong as they looked at times, the Hawks finished the season in a slump, going 0-6, and not winning a single set in their final 5 matches. They finished 9-9 for sixth place; the first 500 or better conference record in 5 years! In the Conference Tournament they lost to #3 NDSU in a sweep in the quarter-final. Statistically, The 2022 UND squad's team stats are confusing, TBH. They finished #7 to #9 in almost every offensive stat, and #6 to #8 in almost every defensive stat. So you could call them consistently below-average from a team stats standpoint. The two offensive stats they were a little better at were "opponent blocks" and "opponent digs". (#4 and #5) If they were avoiding blocks and digs, but not getting a ton of kills... were those errant balls? Also, the two defensive stats that were a little better were "opponent kills" and "opponent assists" (#4 and #3). Honestly I can't make heads or tails about how these stats correlate. Maybe they were using Jedi mind tricks to win games? Maybe a little luck was involved? Hard to say. Individually the team was led by:6'-0" Junior Setter/RS, Elizabeth Norris (HM All-Conference) Elizabeth Norris 6'-2" Senior MB/RS Marissa StockmanMarissa Stockman 6'-0" Soph RS Ashlyn Olson
Ashlyn Olson 6'-0" Freshman OH Paige Barber (All-Freshman Team) Paige Barber __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: OH/RS Sierra Ward (Graduated) OH/MB Taylor Pribyl (Graduated)* S Kortney Carney (Graduated)S Peyton Sewell (Graduated) MB Erika Lindqvist (Graduated) MB Sophia Ortquist (Transfer - CSU Bakersfield) DS Jocelyn Julson (left) * will be a GA in 2023 The Hawks lose:22% of Kills49% of Assists (Sewell & Carney were #2 and #3)
43% of Aces (Carney & Sewell were #3 and #4) 40% of Digs (Carney was #1)24% of Blocks Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:5-10 Junior Maddy Hornyak (#2 Digs, 2.64 D/Set, #1 Aces)5-7 Soph Izzie McCormick (#4 Digs, 2.16 D/Set, #4 Assists, #2 Aces) Maddy Hornyak Key Returning Setters:6-0 Junior Elizabeth Norris (#1 Assists, 4.94 Asst/Set, #1 Kills, #3 Digs, #5 Aces, #5 Blocks)Elizabeth Norris Key Returning Outside Hitters:6-0 Junior Ashlyn Olson (#2 Kills, 2.54 K/Set, #2 Blocks) 6-0 Soph Paige Barber (#5 Kills, 1.55 K/Set)
Ashlyn Olson Key Returning Middle Blockers:6-2 5th Year Marissa Stockman (#1 Blocks, 0.96 B/Set, #4 Kills, 1.90 K/Set, .266 Hitting %)6-0 Soph Maddie Lipetzky (#3 Blocks, 0.80 B/Set, #6 Kills, .238 Hitting%) Marissa Stockman Key Newcomers:6'-4" Junior MB: Jarolin de los Santos Lugo (Dominican Republic/ Indian Hills CC - NJCAA All-American) 6'-1" Freshman Setter: Teagan Timperley (Northfield, MN/ Northern Lights AAU)6'-2" 5th Year MB: Kaycee O'Dell (Glendale, AZ/ Montana State) Jarolin de los Santos Lugo Teagan Timperley 2023 Outlook:
After a couple of the worst seasons in program history in 2020 and 2021, New coach Jesse Tupac was brought in to right the ship. No one could have predicted how quickly the coaching team of Jesse and his wife, Kristen (Hahn) Tupac (Former Iowa State 3x All-American Libero, Team USA) - would make the previously winless team competitive.... But they backfilled the roster with the transfer portal, changed schemes and for some players, changed positions, and had them right in the middle of the conference and back into the conference tournament after a three-year drought. Although I can't tell you exactly what kind of system they run, it appears that they like to utilize hybrid players in some capacity. Junior Setter Elizabeth Norris became a triple-double machine in their hands, recording 6 on the season (2nd in the nation), and leading the team in kills. I described SDSU Setter Raegan Reilly as a swiss army knife, so I guess I'll have to call E. (Chuck) Norris a Ka-bar knife. Two other former setters, Carney and Sewell, seem to have played a DS/Setter role on the 2022 team to great effect. Florida State transfer player, Marissa Stockman, was an attacking Middle/RS who hit .266 on the season... See the pattern? For 2023, I feel pretty good about the front row, as most of the major contributors return (including 6th-year Stockman). The Hawks return 78% of Kills and 76% of Blocks with returning players. Add in 6'-4" Transfer CC All-American Middle, Santos-Lugo, and 6'-2" transfer Middle from Montana State, O'Dell, and now they have upgraded the size of the group. I also think that the write-up on 6-1 Freshman Setter Teagan Timperley looks a lot like the skill set of Norris. I could see her getting some court time this Fall. In terms of a prediction, ... SDSU and UND have a lot of similarities. Two down-and-out programs get a hot new coach, and suddenly are competitive. Both programs have a stable setter situation, but have both lost a ton of players to graduation. Both programs have upgraded their size in the front court between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Dan Georgalas has been building the Jacks for a few years now, and the Tupacs have only just started. Are they in for a "Sophomore Slump"? I don't think so. I go back to the Offense they return, and the solid recruiting. I think they are in for a big jump to #4 in the conference race.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:19:48 GMT -6
#7 University of Missouri - Kansas City (Kansas City) "Kangaroos" ('Roos) Last 5 Years' Results:year | overall | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 21-11 | 11-5 (#3) | WAC SF | Christi Posey
| 2019 | 17-12 | 12-4 (#3) | WAC SF & NIVC | Christi Posey
| 2020 | 13-4 | 13-3 (#2) | Summit SF | Christi Posey
| 2021 | 21-10 | 12-6 (#4) | Summit QF | Christi Posey | 2022 | 10-21 | 7-11 (#7) | - | Christi Posey
| 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Christi Posey
|
2022 Recap:Kansas City was picked #6 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. They went 3-10 in the non-conference season, with the low point being swept three times in their home tournament, and the high point being a 5-set loss to Iowa State. In conference play the Roos started off poorly, losing to all of UND, NDSU, Denver, Omaha and USD in sweeps. In the back half of the season they improved, losing to those same teams in 4-set or 5-set matches. Ultimately, finished 7-11 for seventh place; their worst conference record and finish in eleven years! Statistically, The 2022 Kansas City squad's team stats were very average to below-average. They finished #6 or #7 in almost every stat, both offense and defense. They were #5 in Digs, but #9 in blocks and #8 in opponent hitting%. I feel like those three stats are correlated, and they just weren't blocking well or dominating the net. Also they were #8 in Aces. Individually the team was led by: 5'-10" Junior OH, Odyssey Warren (HM All-Conference) 5'-9" Senior S/L/DS Kennedy Schritenthal5'-10" Senior Setter Peyton Van Nest5'-7" Freshman MB Kimora Whetstone (All-Freshman Team) __________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: S Peyton Van Nest .........(Graduated) starting Setter S/L Kennedy Schritenthal (Graduated) starting LiberoOH Bree Thompson ............(Graduated) OH Devynn Day..................(Transfered) OH Raina Smith ...............(Graduated) #2 OHOH/RS Emma Crouch...........(Left) MB Georgia Mullins...........(Graduated)MB Rachel Sturdevant..........(Graduated)The Roos lose:48% of Kills (Smith, Mullins, Sturdevant were #2, 4, &5) 54% of Assists (Van Nest, Schritenthal were #1, #3)34% of Aces 52% of Digs (Schritenthal & Van Nest were #1 and #3)37% of BlocksKey Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:5-6 Junior Leah Green (#4 Digs, 2.77 D/Set, #4 Assists, #5 Aces) Leah Green Key Returning Setters:5-11 Soph Sydney Henry (#2 Assists, 4.98 Asst/Set, #2 Aces, #5 Digs) Sydney Henry Key Returning Outside Hitters:5-10 Senior Odyssey Warren (#1 Kills, 3.28 K/Set, #1 Aces, #2 Digs, #5 Assists, #4 Blocks)
Odyssey Warren Key Returning Middle Blockers:5-7 Soph Kimora Whetstone (#1 Blocks, 0.84 B/Set, #6 Kills, .239 Hitting %, #4 Aces) 6-1 Senior Carly Gillen (#2 Blocks, 0.67 B/Set, #3 Kills, .266 Hitting %)Carly Gillen Key Newcomers:5'-11" Senior OH: Kaia Dunford (Waimanalo, Hawaii/ Oral Roberts) 2022 HM All-Summit6'-0" Junior MB: Sila Ozyurek (Turkey / Miami-Dade College)6'-0" 5th Year OH: Samantha Moburg (Leavenworth, KS / Washburn U) Kaia Dunford Sila Ozyurek 2023 Outlook:
The 2022 Roos team was much less competitive than they have grown used to in Kansas City, finishing 7th. Statistically, they were a little below-average in almost every team stat. But they were a particularly bad blocking team, but had an above-average back-row defense. The good news is that 6-rotation all-Summit Hitter, Odyssey Warren is back for her senior year, along with the top-2 Middles in terms of blocking, Whetstone and Gillen. The bad news is they lose a TON of experience (8 players; 6 were seniors), including the starting Setter and Libero. And there is zero depth behind Warren at OH. So I think that All-Summit ORU transfer Dunford should immediately start at OH, along with transfer MB Ozyurek. The Roos have backup players at Setter and Libero that should move up, but they will be less experienced. Overall, I just don't see a way they move forward in the standings this season with that level of turnover. I have them repeating at #7
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:19:58 GMT -6
#8 Oral Roberts University (ORU) "Golden Eagles" (G-Eagles)Last 5 Years' Results:year | all | conf | postseason | coach | 2018 | 9-19 | 6-10 (#6) |
| Sheera Sirola
| 2019 | 8-23 | 4-12 (#7) |
| Sheera Sirola | 2020 | 3-15 | 3-13 (#7) |
| Frank Craig
| 2021 | 18-11 | 11-7 (#5) | Summit SF | Frank Craig
| 2022 | 9-21 | 6-12 (#8) |
| Frank Craig | 2023 | ? | ? | ? | Luke Ward |
2022 Recap:ORU was picked #4 in the 2022 preseason coaches' poll. They went 3-9 in the non-conference season, playing a relatively challenging schedule. The high point was probably beating Texas Tech in 4 sets in Lubbock. In conference play the Eagles swept WIU and St Thomas, but were not competitive against the upper half of the league. They split the series with Kansas City and SDSU, finishing 6-12 for eighth-place. Statistically, The 2022 ORU squad appears to have had a poor offense and an average defense. They were #3 in digs, and #5 in Blocks. Also #4 in aces, but poor in serve-receive, at #9. Individually the team was led by: 6'-0" Soph OH, Trinity Freeman5'-11" Junior OH Kaia Dunford (HM All-Conference) 5'-10" Senior S Kalena Vaivai (HM All-conference)6'-0" Senior MB Sakira LaCour5'-5" Soph L/DS Breanna Rivas__________________________________________________________________ 2023 Roster:linkLeaving the team for 2023 are: Setter Bryanne Soares (xfer to Loyola Maryland) DS Kyla Randall --------(xfer to MSSU) MB Sakira LaCour ----(Grad xfer to UTEP) 3-year starter All-Summit League 2021 OH Kaia Dunford -----(xfer to Kansas City) HM All-Summit 2022, All-Freshman 2020 OH Spencer -------------(xfer to NCCU) OH Kohler --------------(xfer to Gardner Webb) OH Washington --------(Left) The Eagles lose:61% of Kills39% of Assists52% of Aces49% of Digs53% of Blocks Key Returning Liberos/ Defensive Specialists:Senior Gianna Bartalo (#1 Digs, 3.52 D/Set, #3 Assists, #4 Aces)Senior Ryan Wilkens (#2 Digs, 2.63 D/Set, #5 Assists, #5 Aces) Soph Alayna Finucan (#6 Digs) Ryan Wilkens Key Returning Setters:(NONE)Key Returning Outside Hitters:5th Yr Mackenzie Fidelak (#6 Kills, #6 Aces, #7 Digs, #6 Blocks) Soph Ava Reynolds (#9 Kills) Soph Genevieve Lewis
Mackenzie Fidelak Key Returning Middle Blockers:5th Year Cadi Boyer (#2 Blocks, 1.08 B/Set, #5 Kills, 1.63 K/Set, #1 Hitting % .379)Cadi Boyer Key Newcomers (all transfers):6'-1" R Freshman S: Briley Decker (BYU) 6'-4" 5th Year OH: Cassie Davis (Baylor)6'-2" Senior MB: Molly Mirabelli (Purdue-Ft Wayne)6'-2" R Soph MB: Kate Perryman (Gard. City CC/ USAF) 6'-1" Soph OH: Emma Mirabelli (Purdue-Ft Wayne) Briley Decker Cassie Davis Molly Mirabelli 2023 Outlook:
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on May 8, 2023 9:20:11 GMT -6
9. St. Thomas
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on Aug 18, 2023 16:36:51 GMT -6
OK, so I finished preseason primers for the top-4 Summit teams from last year:
1. USD 2. Omaha 3. NDSU 4. Denver
I'll try to do as many as I can (as work allows), but at least I started at the top this year (see previous posts)...
PS: let me know if there are any mistakes in there, or what all of your thoughts are on my predictions. I think SDSU and UND move past Denver into the #4 and #5 spots this season... but I will firm up a prediction once I look at their rosters and stats.... No idea yet on ORU or UST.
|
|
|
Post by GoYotes on Aug 18, 2023 17:04:38 GMT -6
FWIW, Ella Thompson, who would have been one of the better returning players for SDSU, has transferred to St Cloud State.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on Aug 18, 2023 21:45:08 GMT -6
FWIW, Ella Thompson, who would have been one of the better returning players for SDSU, has transferred to St Cloud State. Thanks for the heads up! I’m doing the Jacks next. Well, not DOING them…. You know what I mean.
|
|
|
Post by kiyoat on Aug 22, 2023 16:15:02 GMT -6
5 and 6 done
|
|
|
Post by yoteforever on Aug 22, 2023 19:19:05 GMT -6
FWIW, Ella Thompson, who would have been one of the better returning players for SDSU, has transferred to St Cloud State. Honestly that’s to bad. I think their coach is a good person and personally speaking, I would love to see them improve where matches are competitive and mean something. It’s such a great sport when two teams get after each other. Great for fans also.
|
|