Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

[robertearle]

Kilkelly does some things better than McGraw (receive serve for one), so I don't think her loss has the same impact. But w/o Shaffmaster, UM plays a 6-2, meaning Samedy is on the bench half the time. The point isn't making excuses for the Gophers; they are what they are. It's just that the two best teams UW has seen, Purdue and Minnesota, were far less than they can be when UW say them.

I understand about practicing versus quality. Practice intensity and match intensity... Props to Wisco if they can make it work for them.

Running a 6-2 doesn't preclude an outside from playing six-rotation; in fact, it is the most common substitution pattern for a 6-2. You sub outside #1 with setter #1 and outside #2 with setter #2 while outside #3 plays six-around. McCutcheon simply chose for some reason to not do that. I double-checked to make sure; for some reason he chose to sub "outside #3" - for our case, Landfair - out for a DS, Wenaas. He could easily have had Landfair and Rollins subbing with the setters and kept Samedy on the court like she usually does. You'd have to ask him why he didn't. I just watched UCLA play this standard 6-2 sub pattern vs BYU last night.

The excuse for Minn cancelling the match three days prior was a combination of COVID for two players (#2 middle Rubright and a bench player, never did hear who) and 'injuries' during that week. Obviously, McCall was one of those; maybe somebody who played wasn't full speed, and that would help explain the choices McCutcheon made.

(That also means he was burning six substitutions per full six position rotation; that means if any set had been a close, swapping sideouts back and forth, he would run the risk of running out of substitutions entirely, and been stuck with one of the setters having to play front row. That's why you play an outside six-around in a 6-2 in the first place; you don't have a setter you're comfortable with playing at the net.)

It is also worth noting that while Samedy generally plays six-around, every once in a while they sub her out for the three back row rotations, to give a breather. They sometimes also go to a 'zero setter' lineup that I can't fully describe; I'm not sure if that is the same time as Samedy getting that rest. (Or is that Nebraska? I forget; but it is odd when whoever does it.)

It was a weird match, with weird lineups on both sides. But If McCutcheon had chosen to have Samedy play six-around, he certainly could have; he more-or-less went out of his way to NOT have her play six-rotation.

[ARM]

Shaffmaster was injured for the UW week. Earlier (Illinois?), all the middles other than Pittman were out due to Covid or something else, so that was three people, and Samedy's backup at OP played middle. I think Myers (middle) was the third player out for the UW match. Hugh M has reasons beyond what I can follow for what he does, but that is the way he ran it all last year when Miller was concussed. My point isn't what UM should have or could have done better vs UW, just that what they put on the floor that night isn't indicative of the quality of team UW will have to defeat from the regional finals on.

[robertearle]

Earlier (Illinois?), all the middles other than Pittman were out due to Covid or something else, so that was three people, and Samedy's backup at OP played middle.

That was what I didn't and still don't understand. If they were "out due to COVID" they would have to have been out longer than they were. And if there were more than the two (and even if it was just the two) then the whole program should have had to go into the 'cease all program activities for two weeks' protocol with those diagnosed missing 17 days minimum.

Minnesota didn't play vs Michigan Feb 26 and 27, but the announcement said due to COVID in Michigan. Then the next week, their Ohio State series March 5 and 6 was cancelled due to COVID within the Minnesota program. but then Minnesota manages to play the next weekend vs Illinois, with only the #2 middle, Rubright, of the regulars missing. So COVID had them miss OSU one weekend, they managed to play the next weekend, and then four days they couldn't field a team vs Wisconsin? I can't make that timing make sense.

When Wisconsin came out of their "14 day pause", they had had at least seven front row players contract COVID, and on a 'sequential basis'. The next weekend vs Northwestern, it is possible that many if not all seven were going to be unavailable. And the 'front row' might well have been Gregorski, Wolhert and Shanahan (who?). But UW was gonna show up and play. It was Northwestern who cancelled (and it turned out, NOT because of COVID!)

But I left out one most salient point before: I'm so used to thinking about the 5-1 sub pattern (where there are three outsides to 'account for') that I forgot a 6-2 requires an actual "outside #4" (in 5-1, that "outside #4" is the six-rotation setter). And the substitution limit absolutely requires that outside #4 play six-rotation. Adonna Rollins played six-rotation against Wisconsin that day. McCutcheon could have had Samedy do so instead of Rollins. Or he could have had both do so, with Wenaas getting the night off.

[Timothy A]

Elite 8. Is nothing less than playing for the Natty a disappointment?

[robertearle]

Elite 8. Is nothing less than playing for the Natty a disappointment?

It gets harder from here. I'm trying to take a "que sera, sera" "if it was meant to be, it will be" attitude, because the whole year was so screwed up for everybody. They would be/will be "the favorite" to win whatever match comes, but from here on out, anybody can beat anybody on a given day.

Fingers crossed.

[gwhinwi]

It gets harder from here. I'm trying to take a "que sera, sera" "if it was meant to be, it will be" attitude, because the whole year was so screwed up for everybody. They would be/will be "the favorite" to win whatever match comes, but from here on out, anybody can beat anybody on a given day.

Fingers crossed.

Sloppy play and a lot of unforced errors.

[robertearle]

Sloppy play and a lot of unforced errors.

Good teams find ways to win when they don't play their best.

At this point, all the teams are really good; Florida is freaking huge, and really good. They had plenty to do with those "unforced errors".

[gwhinwi]

Good teams find ways to win when they don't play their best.

At this point, all the teams are really good; Florida is freaking huge, and really good. They had plenty to do with those "unforced errors".

True. It was an impressive comeback all things considered.

Hopefully they build on that.

[Timothy A]

Good teams find ways to win when they don't play their best. At this point, all the teams are really good; Florida is freaking huge, and really good. They had plenty to do with those "unforced errors".

Awesome......twitter was going crazy last night. Good thing I picked up on the match late in the night. I may have to watch the semi.

How does the player substitution work at this level? I don't understand it at all, which makes me not want to watch since I can't figure out Watts going on with the players. My experience in that was from playing in gradeschool 40 yrs ago. OH MY I am getting old!

[robertearle]

How does the player substitution work at this level?

That is a simple question with a pretty complicated answer. I'll try not to geek out too badly, but here goes:

At its most basic, it is tall girls in the front row slamming the ball to the floor and short girls in the back keeping the other team's tall girl slams off the floor.

More detailed - six players on the floor at a time, six positions they are occupying; every time the serve changes from one team to the other, the team about to serve must rotate their players from their current position to the 'next' position. That means that every time the players rotate, one tall girl in front is rotating to the back while one short girl in back is rotating to the front. And that is when and why most of the substitution happens; to replace tall girls with short girls and short girls with tall girls.

Complication #1 - there is a limited number of substitutions per set. 15 in NCAA volleyball. That limit isn't all that 'bad' and teams don't often actually bump up against it, but that is because they go into a set having planned for it. And occasionally, teams do bump up against it. In last night's first set that went 'extra points', Wisconsin essentially ran out (had one left but had already changed their substitution pattern because they were so close and were saving that last one with a specific purpose in mind).

Complication #2 - not all substitutions count against that limit. And that's where we talk about the girl in the opposite colored jersey. She is called the 'libero' (I'm guessing Italian for "the free one", or something like that). The libero can sub in for two players and positions instead of only one (but with one minor restriction not worth going into here); other players are limited to one of the six positions; that is, short girl #1 subs in at the postion occupied by tall girl #1 the entire set. An alternate short girl #1 can come in at that position, as can an alternate tall girl. But someone who has 'been' short/tall #1 can't then come in at short/tall #2. At least not in the same set. The libero coming an going with the two 'middles' doesn't count against the limit; they are 'free'. (The libero does have other limits, but she is 'free' when it comes to the substitution count limit.)

Pretty much every team uses the libero to sub in for 'tall girl in the middle of the front row' (the middle blocker) because most of the time she is the tallest one and likely the one least capable of handling the 'keep the ball off the floor' back row duties. After that, the substitution 'pattern' is put in place by the coaches with the '15' limit in mind. If a team has a player who is tall enough to play in the front row but agile enough to handle back row duties, they will play that player through all six position rotations without every subbing her out. She's a "six rotation player" who "plays six around", thus saving on the substitution limit for other positions and players and delaying the point in time when the limit might be hit. Six rotation players are quite 'valuable'.

And after that, the ways and variations on how coaches come up with to vary the substitution patterns and use their 15 subs are myriad. The discussion Arlen and I were having has it is basis the choices the Minnesota coach made and could have made regarding his substitution pattern and use of his 15 subs in the match against Wisconsin to work around players missing due to injury and COVID, etc.

Questions welcomed; corrections welcomed. I hope that helps. (Watching to understand what a team is doing with their substitution pattern is a whole lot easier in person than it is on TV!)

-----------
(Adding 'short" and "tall' being relative terms here. The "short" girls are probably in the 5'8" to 5'10" range at the level we're talking about here, with "tall' being above and maybe well above 6 feet. But "short" can still mean short; I remember a half-dozen years ago Indiana had a girl who was listed at 4 foot 11 inches, and she actually played back row for them.)

[gwhinwi]

Great analysis there. Our eldest is hoping to learn to be a libero as they are only 5'2"

[Timothy A]

So it's just like middle school with the rotations but you can essentially sub a bench player into any spot of the 6 spots on the floor at any given time with a limit on 15ish substitutions. (15 subs per set seems like a lot to this volleyball virgin.) I got confused with the 6 players seemingly being in random spots on the floor prior to the serve; not like middle school where there were 2 rows and you started each point in a very defined looking 2 rows of 3. During play essentially the 6 players can move to play the ball anywhere they want on the court, yes?

Can you sub a player onto and off the court more than once in a set?

[robertearle]

So it's just like middle school with the rotations but you can essentially sub a bench player into any spot of the 6 spots on the floor at any given time with a limit on 15ish substitutions. (15 subs per set seems like a lot to this volleyball virgin.) I got confused with the 6 players seemingly being in random spots on the floor prior to the serve; not like middle school where there were 2 rows and you started each point in a very defined looking 2 rows of 3. During play essentially the 6 players can move to play the ball anywhere they want on the court, yes?

Can you sub a player onto and off the court more than once in a set?

Within the 15 sub limit, yes, short player #1 will go into and out of the game in exchange with tall player #1 two or three times during a given set. There is no limit on that, and in a conceivable-but-extreme case it could be four and maybe even five times, but practically the team would be up against the 15 sub limit by then. Every time the serve switches and the team is about to serve, the one-position rotation happens. So every six times the serve switches and the rotation happens, you have gone through a 'full rotation' and short #1 will have replaced tall #1 once and tall #1 will have replaced short #1 once. Twelve such switches in who is serving and they will have swapped on/off twice, etc. (Remember though that middles and libero substitutions don't count; practically middle #1 will go out and come back in the same two or three times during a set. like everyone else. The libero who is alternating in replacing both middle #1 and middle #2 goes in and out twice as often... only sometimes that in-and-out only happens on paper, and she never physically leaves the court. Isn't this fun?)

('Rotation' sometimes gets used to mean a single 'everybody move one spot' and sometimes it means 'we have gone through a full six moves and are back to where we started')

During play everyone can move anywhere they want, but they may be limited in what they can do while they are there. (Isn't this fun?) At the serve, players generally have to be arranged the way you remember, three in front and three in back; players in front are left and middle and right. But at the moment of serve - and maybe a moment before - they can move to where they want to be. So the tallest tall girl - the middle blocker - will move to the middle even if she is nominally 'on the left' or 'on the right' according to the 'official' rotation position. Sometimes you'll see the front row people lined up in a sort-of 'stack' all in the middle. That is so they can quickly get to where the want to be. For example, so long as the player officially is a couple inches 'left' when they're supposed to be left at the moment of the serve, they are OK. Front row players can - I think - go anywhere and do anything. Back row players can go anywhere, but they cannot 'attack' if they are close to the net; there is a 'ten foot line' that differentiates front and back. A tall girl playing 'six rotation' and in the back row at the moment can, for example, 'attack' - can jump and try to slam the ball to the floor - only if she takes off on her jump from behind the ten foot line. Because she is 'back row'. A 'back row' player can hit the ball over the net from in front of the ten foot line so long as she does so with one foot on the ground, so long as she doesn't jump and 'attack'. (There are a couple other ways a back row player near the net can do something that becomes an illegal 'back row attack' that I'm not sure I completely understand, but that's way too detailed and won't come up very often).

I said you asked a simple question with a complicated answer! :-)

[robertearle]

So it's just like middle school with the rotations but you can essentially sub a bench player into any spot of the 6 spots on the floor at any given time with a limit on 15ish substitutions. (15 subs per set seems like a lot to this volleyball virgin.) I got confused with the 6 players seemingly being in random spots on the floor prior to the serve; not like middle school where there were 2 rows and you started each point in a very defined looking 2 rows of 3. During play essentially the 6 players can move to play the ball anywhere they want on the court, yes?

Can you sub a player onto and off the court more than once in a set?

Maybe going through a very 'typical' substitution pattern would help (this is in fact what Wisconsin's opponent Thursday night - Texas - does, as far as I know):

Six positions on the court to be accounted for, and the number of players who occupy them during one six-position 'rotation
1) tall girl #1 and short girl #1
2) tall girl #2 and short girl #2
3) tall girl #3 who plays all six 'positions' during one 'full rotation'
4) girl who plays the specialized 'setter' position; stays on the floor through all six 'positions' during one 'full rotation'; a sort-of specialized 'six rotation' player
5 and 6) tall girls 'middle blocker' # 1 and #2 who play in the front and can both be replaced by the same short girl libero in the back

So, nine players filling the six positions.
- Two who never leave the court, filling two positions
- three - libero and two middles - who together take up two positions, but who don't count against the sub limit
- two who take up one position, and will total two subs per full six position rotation; one when short girl replaces tall girl as the position is required to rotate from front to back, and one when tall girl comes back in when the position is required to rotate back to front.
- and two who take up similar one position and total two subs, short for tall and then tall for short.

Through a full six position rotation, this will use up four total substitutions. So they can go through the full six position rotation three times and still have only used 12 of the 15 subs. It would take a very close set where the teams trade single points back and forth, scoring only one point at a time, or a set that goes many 'extra points' - a set is to 25, but "win by two", remember - before the run into the sub limit. But some teams - Wisconsin, sometimes - do other things that require more substitutions, and then those last three substitutions can get used up in a long set.

[Timothy A]

Watts time is the game tonight?