Coach Shoji the sky is not falling!

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seasider
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Coach Shoji the sky is not falling!

Post by seasider »

Reportedly coach Shoji prior to Tuesday’s practice told the team that every position was back up for grabs.

Bottom line, that loss to Long Beach State, exposed the Wahine’ passing…resulting in Maglio hitting at .000, and Mitchem at .296…I can’t remember when both Wahine’ middles had hit under .300. Hindsight, but if Maglio had hit .300--which is still way below her current .374%--the Wahine’ would’ve won in 4.

The last time the Wahine had near flawless passing from both starting outsides was 2009 when Danielson and Cubi-Otineru manned the left. Since then, the Wahine has had problems putting two 6-rotation starting outside hitters.

Coach must make do with what he’s got, which IHMO, is still a Final Four team...It’s still time to find the right combination…STARTING with Nikki at opposite, Emily Maglio at MB1 and Kahakai at Libero. IMHO, Nikki is the best D1 opposite, and definitely the best blocking opposite in the nation—overall B/S 1.27; conference B/S 1.76. Except for the last game, Maglio has been a rock, and Kahakai has proven to be the steadiest back-row defender…and Mitchem is still getting back to 100% game speed, flip flopping her from MB to OH will only slow her progression to 100%...ditto with Castillo having to adjust her game from middle or outside...she definitely, still is far being the best she can be because of her revolving status. At this point of the season, coach will have to make a final decision.

No pun intended to the next two BWC opponents, even with poor passing the Wahine’ win in 3. In the past, after a loss, coach have suggested “all positions are not set”. Probably, locker room talk, to help motivate…but, maybe coach can make this his starting lineup for this Friday’s game, and see how it goes.

OH: Annie Mitchem 6-3 Sr/Casey Castillo 6-3 So
Opposite: Nikki Taylor 6-4 Sr
Middle: Emily Maglio 6-3 Jr/Natasha Burns 6-4 RsFr
Setter: Norene Iosia 5-11 Fr
Libero: Savanah Kahakai 5-8 Jr
DS: Emma Smith 5-8 Fr/Kalei Greeley 6-2 Jr
DServer: Claire Anderson 5-7 Jr/Tayler Higgins 5-9 Sr

But, IMHO this should be the Lineup:

OH: Casey Castillo 6-3 So/Makenna Granato 6-0 So
Opposite: Nikki Taylor 6-4 Sr
Middle: Emily Maglio 6-3 Jr/Annie Mitchem 6-3 Sr
Setter: Norene Iosia 5-11 Fr
Libero: Savanah Kahakai 5-8 Jr
DS: Emma Smith 5-8 Fr/Kalei Greeley 6-2 Jr
DServer: Claire Anderson 5-7 Jr/Tayler Higgins 5-9 Sr

Injuries have been the Wahine’ Achilles heel for its out of conference matches (losses to Wisconsin, Kansas State, UCLA, and Washington)…now the Wahine’ Achilles heel is PASSING…if the passing is flawless (the Wahine lost to now #1 Wisconsin without Taylor and Mitchem) there is no stopping the Wahine to the NCAA National Championship game, and LOL…maybe a re-match with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, or UCLA. Definitely, the Wahine’ will white-wash Long Beach at home.

seasider
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Re: Coach Shoji the sky is not falling!

Post by seasider »

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/10/1 ... o-shuffle/

Wahine lineup continues to shuffle
By Cindy Luis
October 13, 2016

You need to be a StarAdvertiser digital/print replica subscriber to open the above link.

Excerpt from the above: “The lineup is not set,” Shoji said. “People have to win their positions this week.
LOL…again Nikki Taylor is the best opposite playing D1 volleyball (she was robbed last year when she was voted 2nd team AA by a clueless and bias selection committee); Emily Maglio is solid as MB1; Keep flip-flopping Annie Mitchem and she’ll never reach her potential of playing at 100%; Ditto with Castillo, flip-flopping her will not get her to the point where she’ll be producing at 100%; No way should coach Shoji relegate Kahakai to the bench…I don’t know where other volleyball aficionados or pundits are coming from; But, again Kahakai is solid—bottom line, playing middle back, she needs
help from the right and left back defenders.

A 6-2 offense will not improve the PASSING. What it does is add 3 attackers in the front row, giving the offense 6 attackers. Again what game are all those pundits watching…Norene Iosia is solid (IMHO she’ll be the next setter to make 1st team AA down-the-line). LOL…The setting is not the problem.

Again PASSING is the wahine’ Achilles heel. Pass and Maglio/Mitchem will be hitting at a +.380-.400% clip. Pass and the outside will get more one-on-one opportunities versus a stacked block with nowhere to go but fire-away or dink; which, for some reason the Wahine’OHs rarely uses, i.e. Kanani Danielson, 4-time NCAA AA, used to bring the heat, but also dinked with great results. Pass and maybe Nikki Taylor will get more one-one opportunities; however, even with a stacked and well-formed block she is still hitting at .283%.

Coach must stop his AYSO substituting and keep the best defenders in the back row. There is no substitute for repetition…by substituting freely in the back-court, defeats your best from getting better…no pun intended. Those players who will lack playing time, with hard work, their time will come to shine, no “ifs or buts”.

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