For those of you who do not want to take the time to listen to the full 30 min podcast or need a quick review (there so many new faces and names), here are some key highlights from Coach Shondell:
What did you learn from the Gold and Black Scrimmage last weekend?
What did you learn from the Gold and Black Scrimmage last weekend?
- Looked pretty good, very impressive
- Scrimmage was one of best we’ve ever had
- Eva Hudson (So) took time off due to injuries and she is close to completely back
- Chloe Chicoine (Fr) is a rising star - hits ball with more pop than probably any player we’ve ever had. Never shows any sign of wearing down.
- Kenna Wollard (Fr), Illinois Player of the Year, so much better since her arrival in Jan. If we would start a match today she would be in the opp position. Undersized but an incredible blocker.
- There is a real war for that opp position including Grace Heaney (Fr) - a lefty and just needs to be more consistent.
- Another player really doing well is Emily Rastovski (R-So) who had injury problems last year but is now hitting the tar out of the ball.
- Raven Colvin (Jr) is a freak of nature and playing by far better than ever before. She obviously will be in one of the MB positions but Lourdes Myers and Lizzie Carr are fighting for the other MB position. One of them could move to the right side as well.
- Yes, but you are playing 3 teams that are in the top 50 in the nation so you want people to get rest but also you want to win matches. We have to win first.
- Fans should not expect us to play the full roster.
- We have ended up with 3 centers who can play. Sidney Yim is a So eligibility-wise who can play. I am shocked at how well she is playing not because I didn't think she had it in her but she never showed us that before.
- We have Taylor Anderson (Fr) who is one of the very best in the country in that class.
- And of course the transfer Lorrin Poulter (Gr) who has separated herself a little bit from that pack. We have a really young team to begin with so her experience is a real plus. From what we have seen in the last 2 weeks Lorrin has a better feel for what will make our team play better.
- Fans need to understand we have 2 redshirt freshman who have 4 years of eligibility..
- Brielle Warren, a physical left-sided hitter from Houston, Texas who is making progress and I am pleased with her effort.
- Lizzie Carr, 6'6" from Pennsylvania is going to be a blue-chipper.
- They join freshman players
- Rachel Williams from right here in W. Lafayette who is better than I anticipated. She is a steady, focused and a cerebral player. She is a good server and could serve in any match for us.
- Julia Kane from Orlando, Florida. She is tall for a DS at over 6'. She plays with "a little reckless abandon" and we are trying to get her a little bit more settled. I love how she has received our instruction. She is so much better than she was two weeks ago.
- Taylor Anderson we talked about. She needs to be in the weight room a little bit more but has a smooth release and is a hard worker.
- Grace Heaney who is left-handed. She is smart and works hard. She is a 3-sport athlete and brings something a lot of teams don't have which is a good lefty on the right side. She comes from a great family that expects success.
- And then Chloe Chicoine from here in West Lafayette. She is clearly a special player. She reminds me of both Carson Edwards and Rondale Moore. She explodes like they do. And she believes in herself. She deserves a spot on the floor as a freshman and already leads our team in many ways.
- And Kenna Wollard from Illinois as I mentioned is going to be very special as a player. One of the best human beings I've ever recruited at Purdue. She cares about people. She's a good athlete, a good student and a great teammate. We are trying to get her on the floor. She can play the right side.
- Right now Eva and Choloe are capable of playing all six positions and she will be also.
- It allows you to mix your subs. You can use a sub for just a specific purpose.
- You can sub two players at a time, like USA Volleyball does.
- But we won't wear Eva and Chloe out either.
- It depends on the people .There are not any of these kids who are not ready to play at the college level and of course 4 of them where here in the spring.
- Club VB used to be that you would train twice a week and play every 3rd or 4th weekend. Now, you practice more than that but play in tournaments 3 or 4 times a month.
- There are 3 teams that are getting the attention to be in the finals and believe it or not, one is not Nebraska.
- They are Texas, Stanford and Wisconsin.
- Texas is ranked #1 on the basis of their winning the championship last year. They lost some people but also gained some great ones.
- But there is also Nebraska, Pitt, Penn State and others that have incredible talent.
- Then look at Minnesota who has great talent, Nebraska who doesn't have a senior on their team but has all top 10 recruits and maybe the top ranked setter in the country.
- The B1G will be very, very well represented.
- Indiana will have the best team they have had since 2010.
- Northwestern will be better than a lot of people give them credit for. They got banged up late last year and that halted their run to the NCAA tournament - they haven't been to a lot of them. But they hit the portal hard including our great Maddie Chinn.
- Maryland will be a tough out as always.
- Michigan State and Iowa with 2nd year coaches will make some noise.
- Our league will be super tough.
- I think it will be a really, really high level NCAA tournament this year because you still have 5th year players on teams and a lot of really good teams.
- I think we may have the toughest schedule in the nation.
- I can't wait to see the Block Party which is different every year
- A good sign is that all the Block Party tickets sold out in the first 40 minutes.
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