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Topic: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Topic: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

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stub
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
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Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/1/2010 9:58:41 PM

After a 5 set heartbreaking loss to Akron (28-26,18-25,23-25,25-20, 17-15) , OHIO returns to the Convo Saturday night against another rising program, Buffalo, currently 13-6 overall, 1-2 in the MAC after losing Friday night at Kent.

The Beefs have one of the top 50 recruiting classes in the nation this past year with 3 freshmen being named senior aces by prepvolleyball. All 3 are from Ohio including Chrisitne Fritsche from Parma who was all-tourney at the West Point Challenge a few weeks ago. The other two are from Cincy Ursuline and Cleveland Trinity.

OHIO needs to take advantage of their height and power, something that lacked consistency against an aggressive, reflexive Zip team that now takes sole possession of first place in the MAC East. It's a wide open conference but I still like the Cats.

Last Edited: 10/1/2010 10:19:28 PM by stub

Radar
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Location: Portsmouth, OH
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 8:43:59 AM

A few comments on Friday night...

1. Big props to Akron -- they came in on a hot streak, and flat outplayed the Cats all night. They put on the kind of defensive effort we are accustomed to seeing on the Ohio side of the net.

2. Our passing was in a word... BAD. It all starts with the pass, which is why we couldn't get anything started or sustained.

3. Positives for Ohio? Way too few.

4. Negatives for Ohio? Way too many.

But, a little perspective. Hopefully this was a reality check. It was a) one match; and b) at the beginning of the (MAC) season. Time to go on a roll of our own, starting tonight against the beefs.

I still believe in this team, and that it is still the team to beat in the MAC.

See you all at the Convo tonight.

Let's go CATS!!

JSF
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 10:42:33 AM

I think Akron's just better than us.

Ugh. I can't believe I just wrote that.

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

My blog about depression and mental illness: https://bit.ly/3buGXH8

Radar
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Location: Portsmouth, OH
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 11:47:35 AM

Well, they certainly were Friday night.

The question is whether we can get our mojo back. I'm still optimistic -- but Zippy has come a long way....they're for real.

SpikeTown
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 1:18:19 PM

The Cats has been pretty inconsistent and bad passing since the opening of this year. The strong offense has just made up for the fundamental errors of the team. Now it is at home and against a decent team (which is now a much better one) like Akron. Poor performance became more visible. Western MI lost to UA last year. Penn State lost twice this years. But good teams will find the way to come back. Sometime, the best way to learn is when we hit the rock bottom. Stay focused. Keep working on the passing and ball controlling as well as anger management. The team will be maturing as time and will re-shine like it has been. Diamond is diamond, gals.

Vballwatcher
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 5:00:19 PM

Why doesn't your coach want to play defense or have ball control? The Cats were outplayed by Akron. Isn't it clear to all you Cat fans that you need defenders and passers? The few points they get from a backrow attack does not offset the many points given up with poor passing and mediocre defense. Your libero plays as hard as she can but she needs help. Your outsides are getting so tired trying to play six rotations that by the 4th and 5th games they are to pooped to put the ball down anymore. I am still impressed with this team but the coaching decisions are starting to worry me.

JSF
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Location: Houston, TX
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 5:25:33 PM

Yes, that's clear, but I'm not sure what exactly you want us to do about it at this point. My bigger is beef is with the decision to put a cold player in to serve at a critical juncture of the match. You're asking for things to go wrong. Honestly, I don't mind the rotations much. With the right personnel, it really sizzles. We had that in the past.

I think, at this point, we are what we are. We're talented but inconsistent. We don't have the depth we managed to cultivate in previous years. Even the coaching staff knew this was going to be a rough year (by our standards), and that's bearing out.

Really, Akron should've beaten us in four. Jughead accused the team of not having killer instinct, but it was mental toughness that got us as far as we did. If we can stay tenacious, we might stay in the mix for the league crown again.

SpikeTown
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 8:23:52 PM

It will come back even if not as easily as last year. New players bring new dynamics, so give the team some time.
The key is to keep rubbing this diamond to shine by working on the basic stuff that haunts the team. BTW, I am tracking score with UA-Kent. Kent played really well today and was leading 2-1.

Last Edited: 10/2/2010 8:24:40 PM by SpikeTown

stub
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 9:27:19 PM

Vballwatcher wrote:

It does seem that player rotations have been different. Bender seems to try to be everywhere. Whether the rotations are causing digging and setting problems, I just don't know, I'll leave that to others who know this game better than I. (I do enough criticizing in baseball).

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. It's nice to have an objective outside voice that is supportive.

P.S. Fortunately Saturday night was not as stressful, as OHIO swept Buffalo. Katie Post had an impressive, powerful game.

Last Edited: 10/2/2010 9:56:45 PM by stub

Radar
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/2/2010 10:26:44 PM

Vballwatcher wrote:

Welcome to the board.

I am going to assume you have not seen Ohio play often (if ever, before last night?) or your wouldn't have offered up such an inane thesis. Why doesn't our coach want to play defense or have ball control -- excuse me? Defense, passing and blocking are what have taken us to seven straight NCAA tournament appearances.

With all due respect, a news flash for you: sometimes the players don't EXECUTE what they have been coached to do. Friday night was as uncharacteristically bad for Ohio as it was uncharacteristically outstanding for the Zips (I mean that as no disrespect to Akron, as that team has improved tremendously and certainly deserved the win last night). Over the past six or seven years, I've seen more mediocre performances by Akron in the Convo than outstanding ones, like last night.

As far as the coaching decisions, I have no problem with what they did last night. When the team is struggling, as Ohio clearly was last night, you try whatever you can to get that "spark."

Again, welcome to the board.

Last Edited: 10/2/2010 10:33:40 PM by Radar

JSF
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/3/2010 4:20:54 PM

SpikeTown wrote:

How long? We're pretty deep into the season now. These matches we're playing aren't rehearsals. Winning during the season sets you up for success come tournament time. We need to being a sense of urgency to these matches I'm not seeing like I have in the past. There are always new players, and hardly any of ours are actually playing. We need to be coming together in September, not November.

SpikeTown
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/3/2010 9:17:38 PM

What do you expect, Bobcats Dragon? Now you are demanding.

Team skill levels have leveled up lately in the MAC. We were lucky that we had Herman who pushed herself way farther than her peers. She once said any team can beat any team any night. Even with her existence, we lost to Western Michigan the last two years in the conference matches. Yes, this new team does not have much depth of skills as the previous years. The new coaching team doesn't have enough reputation to attract the same level of talents. With so short time to deliver performance, "my guess" is that the coach probably does not have time to rebuild the team from scratch. However, after those pre-season matches, they should know what need to work on and focus their effort on those issues. Does this sound foreign to you? Probably not, poor passing, ball controlling, exhausted players in extended matches. The 6-rotation strategy has been his style of coaching if you have followed Ryan's dialogues in the news section. It has the pros and cons just like any other styles. It's exciting to see our favorite players on court at all time. However, human has limitation which spells a 'con' for this strategy as someone mentioned above. Another 'con' is that your reserved players will be iced and probably not be ready to deliver when necessary. I was fortunate to follow both Ryan and Geoff coaching styles. I found Geoff's is more pushy and has multiple game plans. Ryan's is more laid back and more conventional & predictable game plans.

On the players, there are many players who I admire how they keep pushing themselves; Sue, Katie, Michelle, Meryl. Mandy is who I see playing "under" her potential according her physical advantage, pre-college reputation (#38 of her recruiting class of the prepvolleyball 50) and her previous level of training at Purdue. For all players, if you can't pass the ball, your other amazing skills are pretty much useless.

bornacatfan
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/4/2010 12:26:19 PM

SpikeTown wrote:

Good takeaways.

I listened to Steve Shondell talk for a half hour on the Cardinal network about the strides Ball State is making.. SPells trouble for the rest of the league if, like his brothers at Purdue, he is able to get his system implemented and the girls execute it. LIke you, I see the rest of the league finally getting off their butss and getting recruits and systems in place. Shondell talked about what a sleeping giant NIU is and how they almost stole one at Central which is a very good club. ALso acknowleged that OHIO coming in will be a true test of what they have got done. NOt a physical , big blocking team is BSU but they are all ball control freaks who dig and pass well waiting till you make a mistake.

I made it to the games saturday night and saw a pretty focused club. Did not get to see Friday so I won't share any comments. Things I am happy with are the levels of play Faith, Lexie and some of the other younger players are displaying. I am also amazed that Michelle has been rock steady for 4 years now. WOuld like to see her and Sue jump in and really get some "senioritis" and start pushing this team to excell. THey seem a little looser than in past years which is not good or bad ...just maybe not what they need right now. Impressed by what the next setter in line showed in her short appearance the other night. Killer serve, rotates up on the block really well. Meryl is trying hard, love her energy and was forwarded an article I had missed via PM on Liberos in our home county . Meryl is one of those workhorse midgets the Munciana program puts into the college ranks at Wisconsin, Purdue, Cincy, UK and so on... that said she may need to stay at home on some shots and let her teamies rise to their level of excellence.

This is a good squad with a LOT of talent. Getting them to gel is the key and that is gonna take a lot of communication and effort. THey look like they are having fun but the real fun begins with wins and tourney appearances. As soon as the younger kids get hungry they will start hunting the big game. Hope that happens soon and the defeat they have tasted will be the the pill that makes them ravenous. I still like our chances even in a much improved league.

never argue with idiots, they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Winter comes and asks how you spent your summer.....

The game loves and rewards those who love and reward the game

SpikeTown
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/5/2010 12:51:04 PM

Steve Shondell has strong background on the men's teams. He is also an BSU alum which is a big motivation pusher for the program. I foresaw him delivering something for BSU since I learned about his decision to coach BSU. This makes the MAC more fun to watch. I am on the Cats's side 100% but I like to watch some good fight matches. Too much domination bores me.

bornacatfan
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RE: Cats seek to tan Buffalo hide after wild loss to Zips

Posted: 10/6/2010 9:50:28 AM

Actually, after playing for his dad 4 years and ending his career at BSU he has had very little to do with the men immediately taking the job at Burris Labratory school where he has been for 34 years amassing a record of 1183 -95 while playing a tough schedule not only here in Delaware County where we have seen days since the inception of class sports where all 4 class champion trophies came home to Muncie, but he regularly played one of the toughest schedules in the state taking on top Chicago and Louisville area teams. He was the founder of Munciana Volleyball , a regular contender in most age groups for national Championships and a major player inthe scholarship game . he has won several mythical "National Championships" at the HS level and his 2a Burris club has never lost a State Class 2a Championship since the advent of class sport in 1997. An amazing feat on any level.

He is committed to assembling a team of recruits mostly from the area. If he is able to keep them home and continue the system they have had in place since they started playing as "Chipmunks" in grade school that will be something I have not seen in my 40+ years of watching competitive volleyball. Imagine a college team made up of kids who had been playing together or inthe same system since Grade school.

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