You'll need to replace McDaniel. Cabello is probably not the answer at setter.NC State's volleyball program has long been an afterthought in the ACC. In 50 years, we have won the ACC one time (1989) and have only made the NCAAT 3 times. This year, we had one of our best teams ever...beating #2 Louisville at home and finishing 5th place in the ACC...and for the first time ever, NC State received votes for the top 25 in the national NVCA poll for one week.
However, we were passed over for an NCAAT bid...but 6th-place Miami got a bid to the national tournament. Miami did win the head-to-head meeting between the two teams..and NC State had an inexcusable home loss to Boston College in a match NC State led 2-0.
Our coach, Luka Slabe, seems to have our program headed in the right direction and I'm hoping next year is our year.
Seeding in volleyball is done without regard to conference affiliation.The committee did an absolutely terrible job of splitting up conference foes, if that was supposed to be done. I know they make an attempt in basketball. Arkansas took out Kentucky in the 3rd Round. Wisconsin and Penn st. are playing right now in the 3rd Round. Pitt and Louisville are set to square off in a Regional Final. If Purdue beats Oregon they will face the Wisc./Penn St. winner for a Regional Final. Stanford and Arizona St. play later tonight in the 3rd Round. I mean seriously, they couldn't have done much worse if they tried.
I think rooting for Rocky Top in wvb is not at all the same as rooting for them in wbb, so you're probably okay. Just don't even think about rooting for Nebraska in vb.Can I say something safely in this space?………………………………………………………… I’m rooting for Tennessee to beat Texas
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Rooting for pumpkin puke orange is the wrong choice in any sport.Can I say something safely in this space?………………………………………………………… I’m rooting for Tennessee to beat Texas
Pitt looked dead in the water, then just steamrolled Louisville for 3 straight sets. 3rd Final 4 in a row for Pitt. Fisher has built a great program there.
I don't think the overall number of service errors was extraordinarily high. Pretty typical for teams to average 2 to 3 service errors per set, and last night's matches were in that range.Hub and I watched a bit of last night's matches, and Q for all you VB experts - do you normally see that many service errors in a match? One Pitt player went 1-4 or something like that?
The same Pitt player missed everything in the regional finals too the first few games, and then went on a huge tear which opened up the game and helped spark their comeback. Definitely a balance of risk/reward, though I'm more in favor of getting your serve in and relying on your defense opposed to having probably half of your serves end up in an ace/error situtation.I don't think the overall number of service errors was extraordinarily high. Pretty typical for teams to average 2 to 3 service errors per set, and last night's matches were in that range.
It's definitely not normal for one player to miss her serve 4 times in 2 sets, as one Pitt player did, and it's also not forgivable to miss a serve at 23-24, as another Pitt player did. In general, though, finding just the right level of aggressiveness in serving is a tricky risk/reward balance, and some percentage of errors is an acceptable price to pay for disrupting the opponent's side-out game and getting them "out of system" with tough serves on a frequent basis.
You are spot on about the Texas defense. Their spunky little Libero Emma Halter was also awesome. I think she was born with a shovel in her hand. She kept digging out everything in that match, and Texas out-dug Wisconsin 56-44. I am rooting for the Husker-nuts in the final. Great match coming our way.Props to Texas because they seriously balled out but man, what an awful time to lay an egg for Wisconsin. Worst showing of the season by far, just everything was off for them last night aside from their 6-9 hitter Anna Smrek having a good match. Texas was unbelievably good on defense and Skinner is playing better than anyone in the country right now.
Texas vs. Nebraska is interesting since the programs have some much drama and history between them (even down to having assistant coaches who were formerly engaged). I think Nebraska either runs away with it or it's going to be a hard fought 4 or 5 set match.
I know that virtually no one outside my home state roots for Texas, but this win is sweet redemption and revenge against Nebraska, whose obnoxious fans have lorded it over Longhorn fans (and almost everyone else) for a very long time.Texas with the sweep. That has to be quite unexpected. Back to back Titles for the Horns. Coach Elliott has caught some grief over the years for underachieving, but his critics are probably getting quieter these days.
Between Texas and Oklahoma those schools are gonna do wonders for the SEC in softball and women's volleyball when they officially join.

I might not root for Texas, but in volleyball there is nothing sweeter than Nebraska losing. Maybe their coach is kinder and gentler than he used to be, but I'll never forgive him for trying to start a fight with Coach McLaughlin after a tightly contested loss to UW in the playoffs in Seattle many years ago. That and something about trying to sweep it under the carpet when his daughter was involved in a hit and run or something like that. Cannot ever root for Coach Cook.I know that virtually no one outside my home state roots for Texas, but this win is sweet redemption and revenge against Nebraska, whose obnoxious fans have lorded it over Longhorn fans (and almost everyone else) for a very long time.
I didn't hear anyone picking Texas to win this year, and frankly I'd been saying since September that it looked like Nebraska's year. Color me surprised. It goes to show, it's all about peaking at the right time, and Texas, adjusting with a new libero and new setter this year, really brought it when it mattered.
I'll have to pay a visit to Volleytalk later to taste some sweet Husker tears![]()