For the fourth time in their four matches this season ( 5 of 5 if you count the exhibition vs Iowa State), the Gophers went 5 sets (you sure get your money’s worth with this team); and for the third time in four tries, we lost Set 5 by 2 points, TCU wins 21-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 18-20. Composite score in today’s match: Gophs 113, TCU 113. Composite score in the Set 5s this season: Gophs 60, Stanford/Texas/Baylor/TCU 58. If one wanted to look for excuses, you could note that the Gophers were playing their fourth match (20 sets) in 7 days (all on the road vs tough opponents)), and second match (10 sets) in less than 24 hours. And they looked tired.
But we’re 1 & 3 to start the season. Not horrible given the competition, and likely, given the signature win over Texas, enough to keep the Gophs ranked in the top 25. The good news is that the schedule gets easier, with the next 6 matches, until the Big Ten Opener (against Wisconsin), vs teams we should beat. (Hopefully without going 5 sets in any of them.)
INDIVIDUALLY:
- Hanson, who had 19 kills vs Texas and 16 vs Baylor, continued her hot run with 23 vs TCU. (Reader GH asks how much we miss Landfair. Not much so far. I’d say we miss Wenaas, and her passing, more.) Hanson is holding her own as a hitter.
- But Grote, who had 15 kills vs Baylor, disappeared vs TCU. She finished with 4 kills (on 27 swings, .037), but only 1 in Set 1, was benched (maybe Coach Cook thought she was tired) in favor of Crowl (equally unproductive) for Set 2, came back for Set 3, but didn’t get her second kill until Set 4.
- Wooker who was benched last night vs Baylor, played all 5 sets (but didn’t serve), looked benchable during Set 1 and most of Set 2, but came alive late in Set 2 and finished with 16 kills.
- Curiously, Acevedo, who came off the bench to earn 12 kills vs Baylor, never saw the front row vs TCU. She served for Wooker (no aces, 3 service errors), but came back out immediately so that Wooker could play back row – is Acevedo an even weaker serve-receive than Wooker?
- Palabiyik looked good again. Not perfect, but good; I like her.
- Minatee, who had 11 kills and 4 blocks last night vs Baylor had 8 kills and 4 blocks today vs TCU; off a bit (tired maybe?), but decent.
- Oloweye, who was terrible vs Baylor, had 4 kills and 2 blocks vs TCU, but one of her kills was off an overpass, so only 3 offensive-kills in 5 sets. Oloweye was a major weakness this weekend; the Gophers need more production from that position, but beats me where it could come from.
- Shaffmaster, who works harder than anyone on the team, didn’t seem tired. I have described Shaffmaste as the squad’s best “clutch player,” and she had a bunch of kills in her first two matches vs Stanford & Texas, but didn’t attack much last night vs Baylor, or in today’s first two sets (1 kill, maybe?). But I think she got frustrated setting her unproductive hitters (except Hanson), and decided to put the team on her shoulders. And it was almost enough. She had 4 kills in Set 3 and 4 more in Set 4. One more in Set 5 gave her 10 for the match – and the first “triple-double of her career, 47 assists, 21 digs, and 10 kills. (She also had 4 blocks.)
Typically, 5-1 teams are significantly stronger in rotations in which their setter is in the back-row (giving them 3 front-row hitters). But today, especially in Sets 3 & 4, the Gophs had much greater success when Shaffmaster was front row (and especially with Elise McGhie serving – no aces, but several multi-point runs). I’ve been pleading with Shaffmaster (on this blog, which she probably doesn’t read) to attack more; maybe this will be the turning point?
Unfortunately, Shaffmaster, who was carrying the team, jammed her fingers late in Set 5. (I think the score was 17-17.) I’ve jammed fingers playing V-ball, and it hurts like hell. Shaffmaster was in tears, got her fingers taped, and stayed in the match. But we lost 3 of the last 4 points – and the match. Hard to say if Shaffmaster’s injury made any difference in those last 3 points, but it didn’t help. Good thing we have an easier schedule this week.
All in all, a disappointing weekend. Here are some other things I find especially frustrating:
- Back-row dinks by the Gophers, i.e., Hanson, Wooker and Grote – they never work!
- Our difficulty handling free balls and over-passes – we ought to win 80 % of them (90% when we had the Tapp Sisters), but win barely 50%.
- The Gophers giving our opponents free balls. I used to think Landfair was bad about this and Wooker was fearless, now Wooker does it – if your position is “hitter,” then hit!
- Owoleye’s inability to hit a slide. She couldn’t do it last year, she can’t do it this year – and it’s painful to watch her try.
- We have one really weak half-rotation – when we’re receiving with Grote at front-left and Hanson at front-right. Grote is mediocre at front-left and Hanson is less than mediocre at front-right. When we’re serving, they can switch across, but it’s so difficult during a receive that most teams, including the Gophers, don’t dare. The options include production from one of our Middles, or switching Wooker to front-right, and using Hanson as a back-row hitter, neither an easy fix.
BTW, if you are reluctant to buy the “tired” excuse for the Gophers to lose to TCU, consider this:
- The Gophers played on short-rest, specifically 3 hours less than their opponent, TCU. We lost the first 2 sets, came back to win the next two, led halfway through Set 5, but faded at the end of the match;
- Baylor played on short-rest, specifically 3 hours less than their opponent, Wisconsin. Baylor lost the first 2 sets, came back to win the next two, led halfway through Set 5, but faded at the end of the match. Coincidence?
NEXT UP: Another busy week, but at the Pav vs what should be easier opponents:
- Tuesday, 7:00, St. Thomas
- Thursday, 7:00, Long Island
- Friday, 7:00, Auburn