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Purdue volleyball and Nebraska volleyball

KidsDoc

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While Purdue had a really great recruiting class it is still tough to catch up to the top few teams in volleyball as evidenced by Nebraska hauling on the number 1 ranked class for the second time in 3 years and they were second the other year. TBE had the 2, 4 ,5, 7 & 13 ranked p!ayers. One of them being the sister of a starting player for Michigan from Ann Arbor. The other top schools in the B1G did very well also.

Maybe I am wrong but it seems as if other schools are getting taller players then us ( who are really good) and that gives them an advantage (meaning if our 6' 1 player is equal in ability to their 6' 4 ,the taller player has the advantzge)

Either way I hope this allows us to really start competing with the Nebraska's and Wisconsin's type teams
 
Minnesota had the number 1 ranked recruit for the last 2 years.

it is not going to get any easier to recruit or win in the B1G. Stating the obvious, it is a tough league.
 
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While Purdue had a really great recruiting class it is still tough to catch up to the top few teams in volleyball as evidenced by Nebraska hauling on the number 1 ranked class for the second time in 3 years and they were second the other year. TBE had the 2, 4 ,5, 7 & 13 ranked p!ayers. One of them being the sister of a starting player for Michigan from Ann Arbor. The other top schools in the B1G did very well also.

Maybe I am wrong but it seems as if other schools are getting taller players then us ( who are really good) and that gives them an advantage (meaning if our 6' 1 player is equal in ability to their 6' 4 ,the taller player has the advantzge)

Either way I hope this allows us to really start competing with the Nebraska's and Wisconsin's type teams
Interesting point about height. So I did some data collection.

Here are the rankings of average heights for each of the positions that would play the front row. Of course, this does not count who actually plays, who is redshirting, and things like vertical jump. It is just the average height for each of the three positions on their roster (middles, outside/opposite hitters and setters) who probably will play in the front row (realizing that setters do not always). I only looked at Purdue and the top teams in the league right now (Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota).

FOR MIDDLES:
Nebraska - 6' 4.3"
Wisconsin - 6' 4.2"
Minnesota & Purdue - 6' 3"
Ohio State - 6' 1.3"

FOR OUTSIDE HITTERS/OPPOSITES:
Nebraska - 6' 3.2"
Minnesota - 6' 2.4"
Ohio State - 6' 2.3"
Wisconsin & Purdue - 6' 1.8"

FOR SETTERS:
Ohio State - 6' 1'
Purdue - 6' 0.3"
Wisconsin - 6' 0.2"
Nebraska - 5' 10.3"
Minnesota - 5' 9.5"

Wisconsin's middles average is warped by having 6'9" Anna Smrek on their roster for what that is worth.

So Purdue is in the middle to lower rankings based on these averages. Of course, individual performance of the players trumps height. But it was an interesting exercise.
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While Purdue had a really great recruiting class it is still tough to catch up to the top few teams in volleyball as evidenced by Nebraska hauling on the number 1 ranked class for the second time in 3 years and they were second the other year. TBE had the 2, 4 ,5, 7 & 13 ranked p!ayers. One of them being the sister of a starting player for Michigan from Ann Arbor. The other top schools in the B1G did very well also.

Maybe I am wrong but it seems as if other schools are getting taller players then us ( who are really good) and that gives them an advantage (meaning if our 6' 1 player is equal in ability to their 6' 4 ,the taller player has the advantzge)

Either way I hope this allows us to really start competing with the Nebraska's and Wisconsin's type teams
Coach Shondell wishes his middle blockers (the ones who play) were taller. He said as much earlier this year in the situation room.
 
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Coach Shondell wishes his middle blockers (the ones who play) were taller. He said as much earlier this year in the situation room.
Thanks a for telling us. I have heard him say similar in press conferences. I am somewhat surprised that Lourdes Myers at 6’3” does not play more over Clayton at 6’2”. But there is the experience factor I guess.
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Thanks a for telling us. I have heard him say similar in press conferences. I am somewhat surprised that Lourdes Myers at 6’3” does not play more over Clayton at 6’2”. But there is the experience factor I guess.
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He’s been playing Myers, but working her in slowly.
 
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Purdue isn’t quite in the top echelon this year, would love to see Schemerhorn return for a Covid year next season, goal is to make a sweet 16, after that I can’t see them advancing further.
 
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