Tuesday, Oct 3 Match Day!

Updates: I missed the LETU/UTD match but it’s up there now. I swear it was NOT on the ASC schedule page when I went through everything the other day. It’s going to be another interesting match and another data point to see where UTD is right now. I think if they play like they did against UMHB they should win. Big “if”.

UTD are cruising right now. Up 2-0 and neither set particularly close. Schreiner up 2-1 as McMurry holds off the sweep 29-27 in the third.

UTD gets the sweep. Schreiner wins 3-1.

CMS with the sweep but it was close. I tweeted out my comments on this match so I won’t repeat them here (@D3VbWest). But, I’ll add some.

The outsides for both teams were great tonight. 32 kills for the ULV pair and 30 for the CMS pair. CMS got more contributions from their other players and in two cases it was error-free contributions. I thought ULV for most of the match had more in the attack and in the defense but CMS did much better in both departments as the match went on. One huge difference in the team is at the setter position. ULV has a good setter but CMS has an outstanding one in Georgia McGovern. I thought things really turned when she started being more aggressive with her attacks. She would finish with 8 kills (should have been 9), which was third most on the team. The thing with Georgia and the CMS team is she has to attack in that 5-1 role to keep the defense honest and not team up on her hitters. It becomes even more urgent when the service receive falters. With ULV, there is so much to love and they impressed me tonight despite the sweep. The main thing about them is that they never play out-of-system. Not because they pass perfectly, but because as long as they can get the second ball from anywhere on the court to the outside they have a chance for a kill. They had a ball shank off the serve and go behind the end line. Ball gets bumped up to Mya Ray who has to take it over her shoulder. She doesn’t jump but she swings and it lands just past the 3 meter line. Crazy. Lauren Gott is almost as good as Ray offensively (she’s better defensively). ULV needed more production from their middles tonight and a point here or there in the first and third sets probably makes this a 5-set affair.

Cal Lu wins 3-1. They had one set 25-6. PP sweeps Redlands while Whittier and Chapman are in the fifth.

Gustavus Adolphus who is in the AVCA Top 25 but not mine falls to UW-River Falls in 4-sets. UWRF is actually a good team but a Top 25 team needs to win those matches.

Loving the two ladies doing the Whittier/Chapman match. It would be good if they knew their team’s names but everything else is wonderful. “Let’s go Panthers!” “Boom!” Oh no! She mentioned communication. What the heck is going on with “communication” and announcers. Stop it! Oh, Whittier won 3-2. They communicated better.

Random Thoughts: With all due respect to the other matches, today is about La Verne/CMS.

Whittier/Chapman should be a good match but the other three will probably be sweeps.

La Verne/CMS is about a number of things.

• This is one of the few remaining real tests either team will have prior to the NCAA Tournament.

• La Verne could really use a CMS win on their resume to help them at selection time if they need the at-large.

• Of course, this is about first place in the SCIAC. Remember the team that finishes first in conference hosts their tournament.

• It’s also about Region X Player of the Year. Georgia McGovern (CMS), Jenna Holms (CMS) and Mya Ray (ULV) are probably the three favorites right now. Holmes and Ray won’t face each other directly but it will be interesting to see how their stat lines compare at the end of the night. Which helped their team more.

There are probably a ton of other little stories going on with this one, too. How many of them have played in club with and against each other? How tired is La Verne of CMS and their recent dominance in conference? I mentioned La Verne needs this on their resume but CMS only has one win over a current AVCA Top 25 team. They both kind of need this.

At home, I don’t think CMS loses this but they will need contributions from more players if La Verne comes out hot. If that happens, can it be the catalyst for a better CMS team the rest of the way?

Despite the names I’ve dropped above, the player to watch from each team will be on the right side. Brenna Bell (#17) who will be across the net from Ray (and Gott briefly). She struggled against Pomona-Pitzer in their last match but they need her to slow down the hits from the outside and they need her to contribute offensively. La Verne’s Noelani Soma (#16) is a little undersized for a right side but she’s going against a little undersized player in Jenna Holmes. She needs to also slow down some of Holmes’ attacks and let her defense get going behind her. I don’t think Soma’s offense is as critical to La Verne as Bell’s is to CMS.

I will throw out a totally crazy idea that still would be interesting to see and keep in mind I have no idea if Ray can do this (I know Soma can). What if La Verne switched them. Soma goes outside and Ray goes opposite across from Holmes. Could Ray still dominate from the right while helping to shutdown Holmes? I’m sure it just messes up everything (service receive specifically). Of course, a lot will depend on how the teams lineup to start the sets regardless of what position players are at.

Alright, enough fun for me. See you on the stream tonight.