Volleyball 2022

[RundaPower 153]

AVCA and NCAA polls for week of 9/19….

Towson drops 21 votes to stay at #27 

PItt moves up two spots to #10

total BS

[TuTigers2012 1,061]

13 minutes ago, RundaPower said:

AVCA and NCAA polls for week of 9/19….

Towson drops 21 votes to stay at #27 

PItt moves up two spots to #10

total BS

Not sure how easily it will be for us to move up the rest of the year even if we remain undefeated.

[Tiger93 299]

17 hours ago, TigersTigers said:

Basically a bye week for them to start conference play, Hampton was unanimously picked to finish last in the conference this year.

On an unrelated note, I'd just like to mention here for no particular reason at all that Pitt wrapped up an undefeated week by plastering #5 Ohio State 3-0 at home earlier this afternoon. 

Pittsburgh goes up two spots with an opportunity to get a top 10 win (deservedly so), we go down 21 points after everyone forgets that we beat them convincingly (not really fair). The life of mid-major sports.

The list of undefeated D-1 women's volleyball program in 2022 has shrunk to six. Towson, Valpo, Auburn, Penn State, Texas and UCF. To contradict what I just said, Auburn is 11-0 and not even receiving one vote (their schedule is pretty weak). Penn State (No. 9), Texas (No. 1) and UCF (No. 25) are all in the top 25. Hampton (3-2), Delaware (6-4), and William & Mary (6-4) are the only teams in the CAA with overall winning records.

The RPI usually comes out in the middle of the season. Seems like Princeton (8-2), obviously Pittsburgh (7-2) and maybe American (7-5) can help boost our RPI ranking a little bit. However, I just want to see this team keeps its heads down, dominate conference play again (not always a given, but feels like it should be), get the bid and see where the chips fall (although based on past process and return trip to Penn State would be likely). 

[TigersTigers 69]

It really doesn't matter much, but any hope of getting ranked this season hinges on going completely undefeated all year. They probably won't get ranked during the entire month of October, but once the RPI comes out they might have a chance if they hit 20-0 or 22-0. With conference basically starting for us this weekend (Hampton was not a realistic challenge), I figured I'd do a little breakdown of the rest of the season moving forward with the benefit of having seen nonconference.

9/24-25: Away vs. Stony Brook. They are slightly improved from the last couple of seasons, when we beat them 3-0. They are driven by their two outside hitters, Kali Moore and Leoni Kunz, who comprise about half of their offensive production. They are fairly good in attack, but they are not a good blocking team at all. They dig a lot of balls, but that will be very difficult to do against our extremely potent attack. I expect Towson's numerous quality hitters to shred Stony Brook's block and win both matches without too much hassle.

10/1-2: Home vs. NC A&T. One of the strongest teams in the MEAC before they left it in 2020, and did well in the Big South for the one season they were in it. Despite losing both matches, they showed pretty well against Elon in week 1. They rely even more heavily on their two outsides, Naiya Sawtelle and Hannah Howell, than Stony Brook. This bodes well for Towson, who have excelled this year at shutting down their opponents' pin hitters. They have a strong program right now, but Towson should win both matches, maybe dropping one set over the course of the weekend.

10/8-10/9: Away vs. Delaware. This could be trouble. Delaware looks like a top 4 team in the conference this year, and they will be psyched up to beat us on their home floor. On top of that, they have the best individual player in the conference, Lani Mason, who comprises 42% of their offense all by herself. She got 35 kills in their 3-2 win over Northeastern last Sunday, which is tied for the highest in the nation this year (with another one of our later opponents). Best case scenario: Mason is limited to about 15 kills and Towson has no trouble with the supporting cast, who reluctantly have to take on more responsibility. Worst case scenario: Mason erupts for 25 and the supporting cast thrives as we devote all our energy to stopping Mason. Towson is the overall better team, but this is the first major roadblock of the season.

10/15-16: Away vs. Elon. This one is tricky. Elon should be a very good team, but they inexplicably had a horrible nonconference. On top of that, they did not look super convincing in their week 1 wins over NC A&T. They still have mostly the same team as last year, when they were 3 points away from winning the conference. This includes 2021's Setter of the Year Haylie Clark, this year's preseason POTY Leah Daniel, and the best libero in the conference, Jordan Gower. There is no reason a team with this much quality should be 4-7 right now. If they've found their footing by mid-October, these will be the two toughest matches of the season. They are probably the only team in the conference with talent that can rival Towson's, but if they keep playing the way they are now we'll walk them. No matter what, they'll have revenge on their mind, so this should be another significant challenge.

10/22-23: Bye. There is one home nonconference match this weekend against Chicago State, who does not belong to a conference this season. They are a mediocre team except for Yanlis Feliz, the other player in the nation who has gotten 35 kills in a match this year besides Lani Mason. Beyond that one match, she has not been as prolific or efficient as Mason has. They are a good blocking and defensive team, but their team offense has been poor. That said, this will be one of the biggest matches on their schedule since they don't have a league, while Towson could lack a degree of intensity. It won't be a cakewalk, but Towson should win.

10/29/30: Home vs. William & Mary. The Tribe have been the whipping boys of the conference for years, but they do look better than usual this season. They split their two matches vs. UNCW on week 1 but looked like the better team for the most part. They pose a threat through their offensive balance; their top 4 attackers all have a similar number of kills and 8 players have made significant contributions. Teams like this are difficult to gauge, as you don't know which player is going to kill you on any given day. That said, none of their players are all that strong, and the offense-by-committee method can only take you so far when you come up against a team like Towson who does the same thing except all of their players are better. W&M haven't beaten Towson since 2013, and I don't expect that to change this year.

11/5-6: Away vs. CofC. Another tough road weekend. Charleston has been a thorn in our side ever since they joined the conference, holding an 11-6 record against us. They had a slightly disappointing nonconference, but they are big and physical just like in years past. Their best player is middle hitter Claire Campbell, but they have 6 players with at least 50 kills this season and have never been the type of team to ride just one player. By this point, they will probably have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league. These will be two high-pressure, high-level matches a long way from home against a team that loves to beat Towson. Both matches went to 5 last season, and we can expect something similar this season.

11/12-13: Home vs. Hofstra. The final regular season test will be a homestand against Towson's biggest rivals in this sport. These two teams have played a series of heated and downright nasty matches over the last decade, including last season when they traded 3-1 victories in Hempstead. That said, what made the matches so intense in the past was the similar competitive levels of the teams, and that could be missing this year. Hofstra looks to be firmly middle-of-the-pack right now, still trying to rebuild after their 2018 title. In attack they are buoyed by the trio of Clara Bal, Zyare Abdul-Rahim, and Yagmur Cinel who populate both pins. However, in just about every major statistical category they are average. If we're still undefeated by this point, these matches will be very hyped up. But the fact is that Towson should win both matches, and anything else would be a disappointment. 

So, final verdict: will Towson go undefeated this season? Honestly, they might. They already did it in 2019, and this team is better than that team. Delaware, Elon, and Charleston will be the three toughest weekends, and all of them are on the road. But, no matter how you break it down, the fact remains: top to bottom, Towson's players are better than any of their opponents'. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll just win. Sports don't work that way. On October 8, they will walk into Delaware's gym 16-0. On that day, the real tests begin. No matter what, win or lose, it'll be fascinating to watch.

[TuTigers2012 1,061]

1 hour ago, TigersTigers said:

It really doesn't matter much, but any hope of getting ranked this season hinges on going completely undefeated all year. They probably won't get ranked during the entire month of October, but once the RPI comes out they might have a chance if they hit 20-0 or 22-0. With conference basically starting for us this weekend (Hampton was not a realistic challenge), I figured I'd do a little breakdown of the rest of the season moving forward with the benefit of having seen nonconference.

9/24-25: Away vs. Stony Brook. They are slightly improved from the last couple of seasons, when we beat them 3-0. They are driven by their two outside hitters, Kali Moore and Leoni Kunz, who comprise about half of their offensive production. They are fairly good in attack, but they are not a good blocking team at all. They dig a lot of balls, but that will be very difficult to do against our extremely potent attack. I expect Towson's numerous quality hitters to shred Stony Brook's block and win both matches without too much hassle.

10/1-2: Home vs. NC A&T. One of the strongest teams in the MEAC before they left it in 2020, and did well in the Big South for the one season they were in it. Despite losing both matches, they showed pretty well against Elon in week 1. They rely even more heavily on their two outsides, Naiya Sawtelle and Hannah Howell, than Stony Brook. This bodes well for Towson, who have excelled this year at shutting down their opponents' pin hitters. They have a strong program right now, but Towson should win both matches, maybe dropping one set over the course of the weekend.

10/8-10/9: Away vs. Delaware. This could be trouble. Delaware looks like a top 4 team in the conference this year, and they will be psyched up to beat us on their home floor. On top of that, they have the best individual player in the conference, Lani Mason, who comprises 42% of their offense all by herself. She got 35 kills in their 3-2 win over Northeastern last Sunday, which is tied for the highest in the nation this year (with another one of our later opponents). Best case scenario: Mason is limited to about 15 kills and Towson has no trouble with the supporting cast, who reluctantly have to take on more responsibility. Worst case scenario: Mason erupts for 25 and the supporting cast thrives as we devote all our energy to stopping Mason. Towson is the overall better team, but this is the first major roadblock of the season.

10/15-16: Away vs. Elon. This one is tricky. Elon should be a very good team, but they inexplicably had a horrible nonconference. On top of that, they did not look super convincing in their week 1 wins over NC A&T. They still have mostly the same team as last year, when they were 3 points away from winning the conference. This includes 2021's Setter of the Year Haylie Clark, this year's preseason POTY Leah Daniel, and the best libero in the conference, Jordan Gower. There is no reason a team with this much quality should be 4-7 right now. If they've found their footing by mid-October, these will be the two toughest matches of the season. They are probably the only team in the conference with talent that can rival Towson's, but if they keep playing the way they are now we'll walk them. No matter what, they'll have revenge on their mind, so this should be another significant challenge.

10/22-23: Bye. There is one home nonconference match this weekend against Chicago State, who does not belong to a conference this season. They are a mediocre team except for Yanlis Feliz, the other player in the nation who has gotten 35 kills in a match this year besides Lani Mason. Beyond that one match, she has not been as prolific or efficient as Mason has. They are a good blocking and defensive team, but their team offense has been poor. That said, this will be one of the biggest matches on their schedule since they don't have a league, while Towson could lack a degree of intensity. It won't be a cakewalk, but Towson should win.

10/29/30: Home vs. William & Mary. The Tribe have been the whipping boys of the conference for years, but they do look better than usual this season. They split their two matches vs. UNCW on week 1 but looked like the better team for the most part. They pose a threat through their offensive balance; their top 4 attackers all have a similar number of kills and 8 players have made significant contributions. Teams like this are difficult to gauge, as you don't know which player is going to kill you on any given day. That said, none of their players are all that strong, and the offense-by-committee method can only take you so far when you come up against a team like Towson who does the same thing except all of their players are better. W&M haven't beaten Towson since 2013, and I don't expect that to change this year.

11/5-6: Away vs. CofC. Another tough road weekend. Charleston has been a thorn in our side ever since they joined the conference, holding an 11-6 record against us. They had a slightly disappointing nonconference, but they are big and physical just like in years past. Their best player is middle hitter Claire Campbell, but they have 6 players with at least 50 kills this season and have never been the type of team to ride just one player. By this point, they will probably have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league. These will be two high-pressure, high-level matches a long way from home against a team that loves to beat Towson. Both matches went to 5 last season, and we can expect something similar this season.

11/12-13: Home vs. Hofstra. The final regular season test will be a homestand against Towson's biggest rivals in this sport. These two teams have played a series of heated and downright nasty matches over the last decade, including last season when they traded 3-1 victories in Hempstead. That said, what made the matches so intense in the past was the similar competitive levels of the teams, and that could be missing this year. Hofstra looks to be firmly middle-of-the-pack right now, still trying to rebuild after their 2018 title. In attack they are buoyed by the trio of Clara Bal, Zyare Abdul-Rahim, and Yagmur Cinel who populate both pins. However, in just about every major statistical category they are average. If we're still undefeated by this point, these matches will be very hyped up. But the fact is that Towson should win both matches, and anything else would be a disappointment. 

So, final verdict: will Towson go undefeated this season? Honestly, they might. They already did it in 2019, and this team is better than that team. Delaware, Elon, and Charleston will be the three toughest weekends, and all of them are on the road. But, no matter how you break it down, the fact remains: top to bottom, Towson's players are better than any of their opponents'. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll just win. Sports don't work that way. On October 8, they will walk into Delaware's gym 16-0. On that day, the real tests begin. No matter what, win or lose, it'll be fascinating to watch.

Detailed write up. Curious to what your connection is to the school/program. You seem like quite the fan and knowledgeable on volleyball 

[TigersTigers 69]

14 minutes ago, TuTigers2012 said:

Detailed write up. Curious to what your connection is to the school/program. You seem like quite the fan and knowledgeable on volleyball 

These days, just a fan! I was a student manager for the team when I was at Towson, and I've also coached DIII college and club in the past. I just really enjoy playing and watching volleyball, I follow the CAA closely but I also watch lots of Power-5 and professional. I thought I would lose interest after graduating and moving away, but they keep getting better and better and pulling me back in!

[Tiger93 299]

5 hours ago, TigersTigers said:

It really doesn't matter much, but any hope of getting ranked this season hinges on going completely undefeated all year. They probably won't get ranked during the entire month of October, but once the RPI comes out they might have a chance if they hit 20-0 or 22-0. With conference basically starting for us this weekend (Hampton was not a realistic challenge), I figured I'd do a little breakdown of the rest of the season moving forward with the benefit of having seen nonconference.

9/24-25: Away vs. Stony Brook. They are slightly improved from the last couple of seasons, when we beat them 3-0. They are driven by their two outside hitters, Kali Moore and Leoni Kunz, who comprise about half of their offensive production. They are fairly good in attack, but they are not a good blocking team at all. They dig a lot of balls, but that will be very difficult to do against our extremely potent attack. I expect Towson's numerous quality hitters to shred Stony Brook's block and win both matches without too much hassle.

10/1-2: Home vs. NC A&T. One of the strongest teams in the MEAC before they left it in 2020, and did well in the Big South for the one season they were in it. Despite losing both matches, they showed pretty well against Elon in week 1. They rely even more heavily on their two outsides, Naiya Sawtelle and Hannah Howell, than Stony Brook. This bodes well for Towson, who have excelled this year at shutting down their opponents' pin hitters. They have a strong program right now, but Towson should win both matches, maybe dropping one set over the course of the weekend.

10/8-10/9: Away vs. Delaware. This could be trouble. Delaware looks like a top 4 team in the conference this year, and they will be psyched up to beat us on their home floor. On top of that, they have the best individual player in the conference, Lani Mason, who comprises 42% of their offense all by herself. She got 35 kills in their 3-2 win over Northeastern last Sunday, which is tied for the highest in the nation this year (with another one of our later opponents). Best case scenario: Mason is limited to about 15 kills and Towson has no trouble with the supporting cast, who reluctantly have to take on more responsibility. Worst case scenario: Mason erupts for 25 and the supporting cast thrives as we devote all our energy to stopping Mason. Towson is the overall better team, but this is the first major roadblock of the season.

10/15-16: Away vs. Elon. This one is tricky. Elon should be a very good team, but they inexplicably had a horrible nonconference. On top of that, they did not look super convincing in their week 1 wins over NC A&T. They still have mostly the same team as last year, when they were 3 points away from winning the conference. This includes 2021's Setter of the Year Haylie Clark, this year's preseason POTY Leah Daniel, and the best libero in the conference, Jordan Gower. There is no reason a team with this much quality should be 4-7 right now. If they've found their footing by mid-October, these will be the two toughest matches of the season. They are probably the only team in the conference with talent that can rival Towson's, but if they keep playing the way they are now we'll walk them. No matter what, they'll have revenge on their mind, so this should be another significant challenge.

10/22-23: Bye. There is one home nonconference match this weekend against Chicago State, who does not belong to a conference this season. They are a mediocre team except for Yanlis Feliz, the other player in the nation who has gotten 35 kills in a match this year besides Lani Mason. Beyond that one match, she has not been as prolific or efficient as Mason has. They are a good blocking and defensive team, but their team offense has been poor. That said, this will be one of the biggest matches on their schedule since they don't have a league, while Towson could lack a degree of intensity. It won't be a cakewalk, but Towson should win.

10/29/30: Home vs. William & Mary. The Tribe have been the whipping boys of the conference for years, but they do look better than usual this season. They split their two matches vs. UNCW on week 1 but looked like the better team for the most part. They pose a threat through their offensive balance; their top 4 attackers all have a similar number of kills and 8 players have made significant contributions. Teams like this are difficult to gauge, as you don't know which player is going to kill you on any given day. That said, none of their players are all that strong, and the offense-by-committee method can only take you so far when you come up against a team like Towson who does the same thing except all of their players are better. W&M haven't beaten Towson since 2013, and I don't expect that to change this year.

11/5-6: Away vs. CofC. Another tough road weekend. Charleston has been a thorn in our side ever since they joined the conference, holding an 11-6 record against us. They had a slightly disappointing nonconference, but they are big and physical just like in years past. Their best player is middle hitter Claire Campbell, but they have 6 players with at least 50 kills this season and have never been the type of team to ride just one player. By this point, they will probably have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league. These will be two high-pressure, high-level matches a long way from home against a team that loves to beat Towson. Both matches went to 5 last season, and we can expect something similar this season.

11/12-13: Home vs. Hofstra. The final regular season test will be a homestand against Towson's biggest rivals in this sport. These two teams have played a series of heated and downright nasty matches over the last decade, including last season when they traded 3-1 victories in Hempstead. That said, what made the matches so intense in the past was the similar competitive levels of the teams, and that could be missing this year. Hofstra looks to be firmly middle-of-the-pack right now, still trying to rebuild after their 2018 title. In attack they are buoyed by the trio of Clara Bal, Zyare Abdul-Rahim, and Yagmur Cinel who populate both pins. However, in just about every major statistical category they are average. If we're still undefeated by this point, these matches will be very hyped up. But the fact is that Towson should win both matches, and anything else would be a disappointment. 

So, final verdict: will Towson go undefeated this season? Honestly, they might. They already did it in 2019, and this team is better than that team. Delaware, Elon, and Charleston will be the three toughest weekends, and all of them are on the road. But, no matter how you break it down, the fact remains: top to bottom, Towson's players are better than any of their opponents'. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll just win. Sports don't work that way. On October 8, they will walk into Delaware's gym 16-0. On that day, the real tests begin. No matter what, win or lose, it'll be fascinating to watch.

Thank you for putting this together. This is some great information. Much appreciated. 

[tu_fan 110]

13-0 now.  Dominating. 

[mat1992 2,231]

 

[Tiger93 299]

On 9/25/2022 at 5:59 PM, mat1992 said:

 

Probably never going to make it into the top 25 this year, but at least they got some national recognition with the National Player of the Week award. https://www.avca.org/awards/players-of-the-week/gamechanger-avca-division-i-women-player-of-the-week.html.

Towson is now only joined by Auburn, Texas and UCF as one of four undefeated teams in the nation. https://www.ncaa.com/stats/volleyball-women/d1/current/team/51