The Gophers took 3 straight sets from the Ramblin’ Wreck, but all 3 were close and the outcome undetermined until late. The first set was back and forth until the Gophs pulled away 16-12 before eventually winning 25-19. The Gopher kills were evenly distributed between Rollins, Landfair, Pittman, & Samedy, plus Shaffmaster getting 3, including one when the Wreck was on a run. Tech led the second set 9-6 and it was tied 14-14 before the Gophers went on a run to lead 20-16, eventually winning 25-21, with Samedy & Landfair carrying the load. And Tech also led the third set 9-6 before the Gophers took a 15-12 lead, eventually winning 25-18, with Samedy & Rollins carrying the load.
NOTES:
- The Gophers wore masks, Georgia Tech did not; if that put the Gophers at a disadvantage, you couldn’t tell.
- McGraw, presumably still injured, did not play, so Killkelly played libero and Wenaas D.S.
- As expected, the Wreck was led by their Brazillian stars who seem more successful hitting from the back row than the front. (Maybe that’s a Brazillian thing.)
- I think we intended to use a triple-block against the Wreck’s back-row attacks, but Shaffmaster was consistently late getting there.
- On the other hand, Shaffmaster did a better job covering dinks than earlier in the season.
- Pittman got a kill on a “quarter-slide.” A typical slide, which the Gophs run often, involves Pittman “sliding from her middle position all the way to the right pin; but on this “quarter-slide,” Shaffmaster fed Pittman behind Shaffmaster, but just barely, a subtle variation that confuses the blockers.
- One of the Georgia Tech runs, leading to their 9-6 lead in the third set, highlighted my concern about our digging; 3 consecutive Wreck points were the result of the Gophers handing them a “free-ball,” which in turn were the result of poor-quality digs by the Gophers.
- And speaking of quality digs, Landfair and Samedy both demonstrated their awesome power when they got good sets; but the difference between Landfair and Samedy is that the freshman needs good sets to get her kills, but the polished senior often turns poor sets into points.
ON TO OMAHA, uh, I guess we’re already in Omaha. The Gophers Sweet 16 opponent (on ESPN U) will be the winner of a Utah/Pittsburgh match later this evening. I’ll try to watch that and share my thoughts when I can.