Scouting Emory/Whitewater

This is the third in our four-part series where we look at the quarterfinal matchups through the eyes of coaches that have actually played them this season. From my first article:

Immediately following the Regional Finals, I reached out to a number of coaches whose teams played one or more of the Elite 8 in order to get their scouting reports. My (good) idea was to get their expert input on what went well and what went wrong when playing these teams. I also invited them to add anything they wanted that might be interesting about these teams. It’s important to note that I offered anonymity to each coach and that none of the Elite 8 coaches were contacted. (You can imagine what that exchange would have looked like, “Heather, how is Juniata going to attack La Verne on Thursday and what exactly are your weaknesses?”) 

Here are the links to the four articles:

1. Juniata/La Verne

2. Johns Hopkins/Oshkosh

3. Emory/Whitewater (this article)

4. Hope/Washington & Lee (coming tomorrow)

Emory

Elite 8 Results

Emory is 0-2 against the Elite 8 teams losing in 4-sets to Johns Hopkins and in 5-sets to Washington & Lee. Both matches were close but it’s interesting to note that these were the only two losses for the team this season. Still, this is the best team from the best volleyball conference in DIII and they have been tested against the top teams from that conference.

From the Coaches

Emory is another team with an elite outside. In this case it’s Kate La Rocco who can beat you both in- and out-of-system. She “finds way to score with two blockers in front of her”. The team “is really physical and creates a lot of pressure on you to finish points in the rally early”. They are almost a polar opposite of Juniata in that while Juniata is business-like, “Emory plays with a lot of energy”. Another coach talked about the opposites and how Emory likes to employ them. Alana Dawson is a “heavy line/seam hitter” while Sophia Luo “has more range”. It was said probably about every team, but “if you can keep them out-of-system and force them to become one-dimensional, then you can have success in sets at times”. Another coach said, “Emory is susceptible to getting stuck in rotations and making errors, especially out-of-system.” Both Debroah Hong and Alana Dawson were singled out by one coach for being great players. Also, from this coach, “Both setters really push it fast to the pins.” They can be served to but you must bring a tough serving game to the match. One coach mentioned hitting flat shots can work especially late in rallies as the defense gets sucked in. This was echoed by another coach that mentioned the middles “need to swing deep seams”. Keeping constant pressure on Emory was noted but if they stay in-system for most of the match then you are probably losing.

My Take

I had the great pleasure of seeing Emory play during their regional. As one coach mentioned, they were an energetic team that seemed to feed off the personality of the coaching staff. I think the contrast in styles is worth watching as it shows that there is more than one way to be a great team. I was blown away with Debroah Hong during their regional and she did go on to win their regional’s MVP award. I felt that the team also fed off her and the other players’ defense more so than the offense. I think longer rallies with great defense feed into Emory’s hands. (This might be why one coach said they advise you terminate quickly against them.) I was also impressed with how efficient their hitters were during their regional but that hasn’t always been the case this season. I’m worried that their only two losses are to this level of competition and I really don’t like their matchup with Whitewater. Their energy can carry them, however, so watch out if they get on a roll, which could lead to a steamroll.  

UW-Whitewater

Elite 8 Results

Whitewater is 2-2 against the Elite 8 with a split with Oshkosh, a sweep over La Verne and a 4-set loss to Hope. Three of those matches were in September and since mid-October they have swept every match except for the 5-set win over Oshkosh. They are battle harden coming out of the WIAC.

From the Coaches

I got the least number of responses for this team than any of the others. What happens in Whitewater, stays in Whitewater, I guess. One coached did say that they are “long and big on the front row”, which is why “they are leading the nation in Blocks/Set”. Both of their outsides (Jansky and Weinfurt) were mentioned as outstanding pin hitters and both can hit with power and “their shot [selections] make defending them difficult”. One key for them will be if they can get their middles (especially Abbie Dix) contributing offensively. Their front row presence will be the key in their matches and how other teams mitigate that advantage will go a long way in determining who wins. This was another team where coaches mentioned serving tough and one coach said, “Their one weakness is that they often seem a bit slow/disinterested on defense.  If you can run a fast offense and get space around their block, you can exploit their defense a bit.” Running a fast offense is key against this team as their block is outstanding.

My Take

UW-Whitewater plays out of the WIAC and we essentially have the two best teams out of the two best DIII volleyball conferences going at it in the first round. I probably see Whitewater right below JHU with the best chance of upsetting Juniata. Their dismantling of UW-Platteville in their regional final was really impressive. Their setter, Aubrie Krzus, may be the most important player in the Elite 8 as far as how far they can take a team. She’s a force setting up the offense, blocking as well as getting her own kills. She went from hitting 0.119 last season to 0.306 this year as a sophomore and is only improving. The speed of Emory’s attack will play a big factor in this quarterfinal match and whether Whitewater can set their devastating block.

Bonus Info

I’ll have my picks in the Match Days but if you want to participate in an Elite 8 poll then check out Ricky’s site. I’ve mentioned that I like JHU and then UWW right after Juniata but it won’t surprise me to see Oshkosh or Emory win those quarterfinal matches. It’s about who shows up and how the matchups play out. We are going to have the best teams playing in the best Elite 8 every. Buckle up, buttercup.

I again want to thank all of the coaches that responded to my urgent plea for help on this series. Next up is Hope/Washington & Lee.