11th Annual SFAVolleyBlog.net All-Southland Conference Teams and Awards

I finally got the "preface" to this post exactly as I wanted it in 2017, so I am repeating it now for a third time in 2019:

If you scroll to the picks, argue with me and don't read the following paragraphs and bullets then don't expect me to listen to you for very long.

·        This list was published before the official All-Southland Conference teams.  This was published on Monday, November 18.  The conference released the official lists after this date.

·        I don't do this the way the conference does.  I have claimed for years - staunchly - that coaches have WAY too much control over the official lists.  Get a coach or SID to explain to you how they vote, then go read the tiebreaker rules for conference tournament seeding, then ask me for a syllabus to an advanced calculus class and you decide for yourself which procedures are most unduly complex.

·        I view these as individual awards, not team awards.  I outright reject the reasoning that the order of the standings should dictate how many picks should show up on these lists or that the Player of the Year, Setter of the Year, Coach of the Year, etc. HAVE TO or SHOULD come from the best teams.  If you want to see what a team award looks like, click here or here.  We are honoring INDIVIDUALS here.

·        I am a numbers person.  I teach statistics for a living.  I take notes, talk to coaches, SID's, use my impressions from doing radio/tv when SFA plays opponents, but in the end we here at the blog live my one mantra:  In God We Trust.  All Others Bring Data.  Numbers matter.. a lot. If you don't like statistical analysis in sports, then your picks won't look anything like mine. I'm happy to defend my reasoning.  Just know you are going to get numbers, if you ask.

And now for the stuff that  I have written for 10 straight years but still need you to know if you are reading this:

Like in previous years, I suspect I will periodically comment on this article over the next week.  People love to debate this stuff and I'm fine with that.  After all, trying to decide who to honor is a noble pursuit and I can appreciate the passion that other fans have for their picks and reasons.  I will indicate updates at the bottom of the post with boldface time stamps.  

Recall,  I actually pick "teams". The conference does not do this. Typically, the conference puts 12 athletes on the first team, six on the 2nd team and has 6 to 9 ladies listed as honorable mention for a total of 24 to 27 folks recognized. I will have three teams of seven for 21 girls honored and then a list of the players I considered for the lists and "just missed".

As I have said each of the last ten years: There are seven starters each night for any particular team, so we will pick seven athletes per team. Each team below is required to have a setter, libero, two middle blockers, two hitters and the seventh player can be a 'wild card' that can either be an MB, OH or RS.

2019 SFA VolleyBlog.net All-Southland Conference Teams and Awards:

First Team:

OH Hannah Brister, NSU

OH Corin Evans, SFA

MB Jodi Edo, Southeastern La.

MB Danae Daron, SFA

S Ann Hollas, SFA

L Maddie Miller, SFA
MB Taya Mitchell, SFA

Second Team:

OH Ashley Lewis, SHSU

OH Mikayla Vivens, HBU

RS Ehize Omoghibo, UNO

MB Ebonie Ballesteros, HBU

MB Lorin McNeil, ACU

S Madison Green, AMCC

L Addison Miller, SHSU

Third Team:

OH Emily Gauthreaux, Nicholls

OH Alexis Warren, NSU

OH Abbie Harry, UCA

MB Kennedy Shelstead, ACU

MB Amari Mitchell, UCA

S Morgan Dewyer, HBU

L Carissa Barnes, AMCC

Just Missed (in order of position played):  OH Bethany Clapp (UIW), OH Alexis Lambert (McNeese), MB Sh'Diamond Holly (UNO), MB Kaira Hunnicutt (SHSU), RS Marybeth Sandercox (ACU), RS Xariah Williams (SFA), RS Breanne Chausse (SHSU), S Lucie Pokorna (UNO), L Emily Doss (UCA), L Megan Lohmiller (NSU).

Player of the Year:  Hannah Brister, NSU

Setter of the Year: Ann Hollas, SFA

Libero of the Year:  Maddie Miller, SFA

Newcomer of the Year: Taya Mitchell, SFA

Freshman of the Year:  Carissa Barnes, AMCC

Coach of the Year:  Debbie Humphreys, SFA

Quick Initial Posting Thoughts:

• The first team is flooded with SFA athletes, which I think is more than legitimate given that the team has had a historic season to date including being on the edge of the AVCA Top 25 and consistently posting an RPI that is Top 50.  It stands at 34 as of this writing.  SFA is the most complete club in the conference by quite a large margin.

• That said, I originally was going to pick Ann Hollas as Player of the Year.  My heart really hopes an SFA player wins the "actual" award.  Ann is an incredible leader and is really the key piece to the entire SFA machine.  I will feel odd if Ann or Corin wins POY and I didn't pick them, but I need to stay true to what I have said over and over in this space.  I do not believe POY is a team-award and I do not believe the POY has to be from the first place team.  I know some people really feel strongly about those things, but I do not.  It's just my point of view.  Brister is 13th in the nation in kills/set, 11th in the nation in total kills, 16th in the nation in points per set, was third in the Southland in attack percentage among OH's (behind Lambert and Samantha Rodgers of SHSU) despite nearly 1300 attacks.  She was player of the week five times and in addition to all that offense was 5th among all OH's in the conference in blocks per set and tied for 7th among all OH's in the conference in digs per set. I ranked 25 OH's and she was one of only three to finish in the Top 10 in all of kills, kills per set, attack %, digs/set and blocks/set (Evans and Lewis were the other two).  It's just too much.  The gap between her kill per set mark (4.69) and the next highest (Harry, 3.76) is very, very wide.  The numbers are just overwhelming and they just can't be pushed aside for Hollas's amazing leadership and high volleyball IQ.  I want Ann to win in my heart, but the most impressive player I've seen this year is Hannah Brister.  The most impressive team I've seen this year is led by Ann Hollas.  There's a difference.

• I doubt Edo, the ACU middles and Gauthreaux rank as high on the official lists.  Voters don't like to honor low seeds and teams that don't make the tournament.  To which, I say:  Keep being you, ya'll.. keep being you.  Whatever.  That makes no sense to me.

• I'm really in love with my first two teams, but I had a hard time with my "3rd Team".  If you prefer some of the "Just Missed" athletes higher, I don't know that I'd put up a terrible fight.

• We have some great liberos in our conference this year.  Five Southland liberos rank among either or both of the Top 50 in the nation in digs per set or total digs.  Another one was SLC POW four times.  That said, I am confident that I'd take the three I chose (Maddie Miller, Addison Miller and Barnes) over the others.  In fact, here's proof that I called Maddie Miller as 2019 Libero of the Year before she even transferred to SFA (scroll to the bottom).  I mean this as no disrespect to Lohmiller, who won player of the week four times, nor Doss, who I called "smooth as silk" in the article linked above.  The group is crowded and the way I pick the teams doesn't leave room for five or six liberos.

• Picks I most enjoyed making per team:  
• First Team:  Mitchell (unbelievably dominant at the net, 6th in the nation in blocks and blocks/set)
• Second Team:  Omoghibo (probably had more coaches bring her name up in casual conversations than anyone else)
• Third Team:  Gauthreaux (I always find a "stealth sophomore" and this is my pick)  I'll be doing an All-Sophomore Team tomorrow like I did last year and Gauthreaux is on it.  I'm a major fan.  I understand she didn't put up great defensive numbers, but outsides need to score while also being efficient, right?  Here's a list of the OH's that finished in the Top 8 within their position in BOTH kills/set and attack percentage:  The almighty trio of Brister, Evans and Lewis.. and then... Emily Gauthreaux and Alexis Lambert.

__________________________________________________________________

Update:  Wednesday, November 20 at 9:00 PM

Reaction to Official All-Conference Teams and Awards

Well, I'm a little torn.  On one hand, I am encouraged that the conference embraced change.  For the first time that I can remember, the Southland Conference went to a "three team" format for the All-Conference Teams.  Only problem is, the voters about shot themselves in the foot with the composition of the third team and they wound up honoring LESS athletes than in the past.  For instance, in 2018, under the old format with two teams and an honorable mention list there were a total of 26 ladies honored.  Under the new, and more appropriate, three teams of seven players, we only get 21 names mentioned.  So, that's one thumbs up and one thumbs down.  Suggestion:  Keep the three team format.  Bring back "Honorable Mention".  The honorable mention list can be short, but it might get us up to 25, 26, 27 names again and give us an idea of who "just missed".

Now, to the main curiosity.  Do we not value defense?  Especially from middle blockers?  I mean, the title of the position implies the concept of blocking, does it not?  There are a couple players that made the lists that I take strong objection to their inclusion.  But, it's best not to name names in posts.  After all, the point is to honor players and that attempt should be lauded even when there are curiosities.  If you chase my points below, you can easily determine the biggest head-scratchers for me.  Let me just point out a few things:

• We repeatedly leave national statistical leaders off our top teams.  This has been done consistently for years. In 2014, Nicholls had a libero named Kalynn Egea that finished 4th in the nation in digs per set and she didn't even make honorable mention.  In 2012, Oral Roberts had a middle blocker named Jessica Pancratz that blocked 164 balls.  Her coach didn't nominate her and she didn't even make honorable mention.  These are just two examples that I remember off the top of my head, but if you give me an hour, I can come up with a least a half dozen more from the archives.  It's ridiculous and it makes us all look bad.  To this end, Taya Mitchell is currently 6th in the nation in blocks per set and total blocks and she skates in on the 3rd team?  We don't value blocking when voting for these awards.

• Take the time to rank all the middle blockers in blocks per set and then look at the lists.  You'll be shocked.  We value attack percentage to a nonsensical degree.  This is 2019.  Have we not learned?  Baseball has moved beyond batting average.  It's a useful stat, but not as useful as you think.  Let's make the same strides with attack percentage, ok?  For instance, suppose a middle blocker hits .340 for the season in 100 sets played, 450 swings and 30 matches.  If this player makes one more error per match, the corresponding attack percentage drops to .278.  One error PER MATCH.  The average attack percentage for all starting MB's in the conference this year was .264.  An attack percentage of .340 would have ranked 2nd.  An attack percentage of .278 looks far more average for the position.  One error PER MATCH.  Let's make middle blockers block balls to make all-conference.  We don't value blocking when voting for these awards.

• Half of the top 10 players in blocks/set per set for the entire season and the #2, #3 and #4 blocks per set leaders in conference play did not get mentioned on the lists at all.  We don't value blocking when voting for these awards.

• I had really hoped that Ann Hollas or Corin Evans would be the winner of Player of the Year.  But, Hannah Brister's case for Player of the Year is incredibly strong.  Like I mentioned yesterday, once I got deep in the numbers, her case convinced me.  Plus, despite seeing Ann lead for four years in such an amazing way, it's hard to deny Madison Green and her performance at Corpus.  Green's attacking numbers compare favorably with Hollas' and then you have almost two more assists per set and those six triple-doubles.  It's entirely possible that if I watched Green play every day like I have Hollas for four years, that I would see similar leadership... so, while I wanted Ann to repeat as Setter of the Year, and still believe she's the best overall choice, I can't quibble with honoring Green.  Madison Green is a special volleyball player.

• I know I might be accused of hometowning it a little with this comment, but in all honestly, the only players on the OFFICIAL conference lists that I think should be higher up are SFA players.  That said, there are at least a half dozen that I think should be lower.

• On this same theme, I'm genuinely surprised that Maddie Miller didn't win Libero of the Year.  I said in the original post that we had a lot of good statistical performances by liberos in the Southland this year, so I know making this pick could be seen as tough.  I also realize that Addison Miller played OUT OF HER MIND against us in Nacogdoches.  I do have to admit, Addison Miller was DOMINANT that night vs. SFA.  But, let me feed you just one number here.  Maddie Miller has currently put up 5.26 digs per set (the value on the team/conference website is not correct).  That would rank as the 5th best season in SFA history.  If she ups it to 5.28 or higher, then the only libero at SFA to have posted better season dig rates is Stephanie Figgers, who is/was/and shall always be the best libero to ever play in the Southland Conference.  The voters missed this one.  Maddie Miller was the best choice here.

• I really liked the official lists in 2017 and 2018.  I think the 2019 lists took one step forward with changing formats, but also, I think they took one step back with a little less accuracy in terms of honoring the conferences best players.  That's just my two cents.  Someone who puts out their own lists is always going to prefer his/her own methods and choices.  Maybe it's just me, but if we're evaluating the whole contributions of a volleyball player, I'd prefer to factor in defense to some extent. I think it a reasonable part of the criteria especially if the position you play has the word "Blocker" in it. But again, might just be me.

Returning and Emerging

This post is the second of three that introduces you to the 2018 SFA Volleyball cast and also sheds some light on how the pieces might come together on the floor.  The first part of this series “Four on the Floor” took a look at four of the core Ladyjack players that will defend their 2018 regular season Southland Conference championship.

Today we’ll focus on the returning athletes that complement the core and then in the final installment of this series we will introduce you to the newcomers.  As a reminder of where we stand, we should expect Haley Coleman to occupy one six rotation spot, Makenzee Hanna and Danae Daron to regularly take trips across the front row and Ann Hollas to be the primary setter when running a one-setter offense.

With those four discussed, that still leaves space for at least two additional hitters and floor defensive pieces that complement them.  Without a doubt, junior Corin Evans contributions were essential in pacing the 2017 squad.  Evans got off to a blazing start last year putting up either double digit kills or digs in her first six matches.  Later, in the back half of the tournament phase of the schedule, Evans completed her coming out party with a dominant 19 kill, 14 dig performance against Tulsa that signaled the beginning of four straight double-doubles.  Once conference play began we got treated to 16 kills against Northwestern State, a .455 hitting night against Southeastern Louisiana, a double-double against McNeese, .419 attack percentage vs. Lamar and double digit kills against rival Sam Houston.  All told, her sophomore campaign resulted in a 200k/200d season, finishing third on the team in total kills and fourth in total digs.

The likelihood Evans is going to contribute on one side of the ball in any given match is high.  She killed 8 or more balls in sixteen matches last year and scooped up at least 8 digs a dozen times.  Other than Coleman, she’s the most likely hitter to consistently be used for six rotations and on some nights she’s the only offense we’d need to complement Daron, Coleman and Hanna.

But that’s not to say that there isn’t more on the pins for Debbie Humphreys to work with.  Not by a long shot.  Senior Peyton Redmond was often used in 2017 to stabilize the back row with serve receive duties while getting the occasional chance to swing.  She’s the natural choice to spell Coleman or Evans if either’s passing isn’t up to snuff in a particular match.  Peyton will occasionally light a spark on offense as well.  Redmond tripped the double figures mark in kills five times last year including two very strong matches near the end of the conference slate that saw her tally a double-double at ACU and hit .429 in the last regular season match of the year against Lamar.

When listing left side hitters, the first name is Coleman and that can be followed up by Evans and Redmond.  Hanna and Daron push the tally of hitters up to a strong five, but that’s before you even begin to discuss 2018 potential breakout candidate Xariah Williams.  The talent is definitely there and it won’t surprise me in the least if “X” shatters her mark of 53 sets played from last year.  I think there is 150-200 kills in this arm and her versatility could work to her advantage as the season progresses in terms of earning court time.

Williams was used on the right pin frequently last year, but that doesn’t rule out a possible contribution from the left.  The outside hitter list this year is extremely long.  It has one star – Coleman – and tons of depth.  Head Coach Debbie Humphreys said it well in the OH positional preview up at sfajacks.com – paraphrasing:  Each opponent and each match scenario can dictate which pieces are best to use and how.  

I’m dreaming a bit, and really getting ahead of myself, but allow me this thought:  Suppose Xariah Williams emerges and becomes at least a semi-fixture for three rotations on the right pin.  Imagine Coleman, Hollas and Evans playing all-the-way-around, Hanna and Anyia Williams holding down the middle and Daron and X on the right side.  That’s my 2018 “dream offense”.  You’ve still got the versatile Redmond (and/or newcomer?) to go in there to balance out the offense/defense combination if needed.

But there is still one other very real possibility for this offense and we saw it work well last year.  The modified two setter structure where Ann Hollas sets for three rotations and occupies the right side for the other three while senior setter McKenzie Brewer runs the offense.  This setup is very much in the mix for 2018 as Hollas has continued to take reps in practices on the right and Brewer doing a fine job in her stint as quarterback.

Moving the discussion to the middle, recall that Anyia Williams got in exactly 53 sets last year.  In just that limited time, she killed 100 balls, hit .342 and had 44 blocks.  Let me show you how awesome Williams can be with just some simple math.  (I know it’s NOT this simple, but you’ll get my point).  Suppose we scale Williams’ numbers up to 113 sets to match the number played by Makenzee Hanna last season.  113/53 is right at 2.13, so multiply everything by that factor.  That’d give you this extrapolation:

Hanna (actual):                 .335, 505 attacks, 214 kills, 116 blocks

Williams, A (scaled):       .342, 467 attacks, 213 kills,  94 blocks

So, some crude math leads me to this:  If Anyia Williams can do in her sophomore season what she did in her freshman season – just over the course of an entire year – then we are looking at a 2^nd Team All-SLC selection.  Remember, that’s not even factoring in any growth from Year 1 to Year 2.  All I’ve done above is just scale raw numbers.  That doesn’t even account for the fact that Anyia Williams talent has increased with one year of experience!

One other athlete available to us in 2018 is redshirt freshman Lauren Wright.  The imposing 6’2” middle blocker adds one more dimension to the Ladyjack front row.  It’s good to know that there is still time for Wright to develop and gain experience.  Practicing against Hanna, Daron and A. Williams each day is plenty good competition to supply Wright with the reps to succeed when she does get floor time.  The first time Lauren gets in this year, she’ll be making her official Ladyjack debut.

OK, that covers the returners on the front row:  Coleman, Hanna and Daron are locks for big roles.  Evans is in line for significant court time as well, possibly as much as holding down six rotations for a big chunk of the year.  Redmond is a fantastic veteran to mix-and-match with and Xariah Williams might be ready to take steps forward.  Anyia Williams already possesses All-SLC talent and Lauren Walker is ready to contribute when needed.

As deep as that crew is, the setter position is also one where the Ladyjacks have plenty of options.  Every year in purple and white there has been a period during the season where now senior McKenzie Brewer has come up big.  Her freshman year, she had 346 assists starting six matches and backing up Shannon Connell.  Last year, she assisted on 272 balls and garnered an all-tournament nod here in Nacogdoches at the Holiday Inn Express Invitational.  She had two double-doubles including a monster match in what was probably the most thrilling win of the year for SFA down in Corpus Christi – a five set barn-burner in which Brewer dished out 19 assists and dug up 11. 

Personally, I love the fact that we have three setters on the roster.  Brewer is strong enough to always give Humphreys a confident go-to in the aforementioned modified 6-2 or just sub straight in if Hollas struggles. Sophomore setter Margaret Dean is advancing at a rate that keeps the senior Brewer on her toes in her role as well.  It all equates to healthy competition in the gym each day.  Like Brewer, Dean is becoming more and more of an option on nights when Hollas needs a breather or the best offensive set is the 6-2.    Don’t forget, it was Dean that got her number called in the postseason NIVC matchup against Ole Miss.  She finished only three digs shy of a double-double in that season ending effort.

The lone back row returner is redshirt sophomore and spark plug Julia Whitehead.  The 5’2” fire cracker not only lends steady hands to support the passing and floor defense, but also supplies a healthy dose of what every bench needs:  positive energy.  One of the “highlights” of the 2017 season was when Julia’s sideline cheering and celebrating became so effervescent that she drew a yellow card from a stuffy chair referee.  EVERY team needs an athlete like Whitehead and SFA has the benefit of three more seasons of her unique brand of leadership.

Where does that leave us?

In the final installment of this series we’ll look at the five new freshman that will grace Shelton Gym and opposing floors this year.  Among them is a left side, middle, right side and two back row players.  The back row freshman in particular are scheduled to get a very long look early the in season.  The biggest loss SFA faces in 2018 is at the libero position now that Lexus Cain has graduated.  This is the one obvious spot that needs a new anchor and the back row freshmen may be primed to make an immediate impact.  Look for the first year rundown later this week in this space.

For now, a recap:

·         There are going to be many ways to work the puzzle offensively – potentially changing from night to night based on opponent and who starts off strong/weak in any match.

·         The offense could feature one or two setter structures.  Again, this could change from match-to-match, set-to-set or within set.  This is one place where the clear message is that “its fluid”

·         Daron, Hanna, Coleman and Hollas will be central to what we accomplish in 2018.

·         Anyia Williams firmly claiming the second middle spot will free up Daron to play right side and possibly set up a modified 6-2 structure where Hollas hits from the right while Daron is out.  We saw this last year and is as good a guess as any concerning how we'll start out in August.

·         If not in two setter structure, the combinations in the 5-1 are numerous.  The OH position is extremely deep.

·         The offense and net defense is projected to be one of the tops in the Southland, if not among all mid-major programs.

One final note for today:  The pre-season all Southland Conference teams are scheduled to be released from the league office Thursday of this week.  Watch for an announcement at the conference website and at sfajacks.com.

Links to Interviews Done At the SFA Holiday Inn Invitational

This past weekend, SFA won four straight matches to up their nation leading 2017 win streak to 11 contests.  Over the weekend, SFA VolleyBlog was able to get comments from Anyia Williams, Corin Evans, Debbie Humphreys and Most Valuable Player Lexus Cain.  Click on the link below to go to the list of all interviews done by the blog.  The aforementioned four chats are at the top of the list.

SFA is back in action on Tuesday, September 12 and I'll have the call on ESPN3.  Also, next weekend sends the 'Jacks to Houston to participate in the Rice University Invitational and all three of our matches will be carried on radio exclusively here at the blog.  See the sidebar on the right for times.

Click Here For Audio Interviews Done at the 2017 SFA Holiday Inn Invitational

Stepping Forward: Corin Evans

Haley Coleman has won a tournament MVP and Player of the Week Award.

Makenzee Hanna and Danae Daron have switched spots and each made an all-tournament team.

Shayla Eagleton has thrived as the second MB and has a Defensive Player of the Week award and an all-tournament award under her belt.

Ann Hollas, McKenzie Brewer and Freshman Margaret Dean have all been instrumental in running a 6-2 offense that finds SFA riding a seven game winning streak.

Lexus Cain is, well… doing Lexus Cain stuff, as always.

But, quick.. no cheating:  Who leads Stephen F. Austin Volleyball after eight matches in points per set?

Surely you read the title above and could see that I was driving towards the answer of Sophomore outside hitter Corin Evans.

To me, Evans has been the key cog in what looks like a mid-season form Ladyjack Volleyball machine.  Lest you forget Evans’ contributions since being inserted in the lineup after our year opening loss to Florida Atlantic:

Vs. Central Connecticut State: 10 Kills

Vs. Stetson: 14 Kills, 9 digs, hit .282

Vs. ULM: 11 digs

Vs. USF: 13 Kills, hit .379

Vs. Mississippi State: 13 digs

Vs. Grambling: 9 digs, 4 aces, 3 blocks

Vs. Tulane: 9 Kills, 12 Digs, 4 aces

All of it adds up to a total of 3.39 points per set which lead all wearers of the beloved purple.  Now, to be fair, Haley Coleman is right there with her at 3.37 points per set.  But again, Coleman has numerous accolades already – each of which has been well deserved.  Definitively, Coleman cleaning up her attack errors from 2016 and contributing with more steady passing have been instrumental to our success.  Coleman has three double-doubles already.  From above, you can see Evans has just missed getting that press.

Yep, Evans has flown under the radar concerning media attention and stat accolades and this is my chance to remedy that.  Despite being of few words during interviews, the numbers above do all the talking.  If not offense, it’s defense.  If not defense, it’s offense.  In all seven of SFA wins’ Evans has been central to the cause. I’ve been super impressed with the steps forward Corin has made from her freshman year.  At this point, Evans is the “glue” player on the entire team because everything connects to her.  Playing all six rotations and not viewed as the go-to on offense, Evans has still managed to score at the level of her six rotation mate and contribute on defense in a big way.

When asked last week which side of the ball she preferred to champion in her play, she didn’t hesitate to say defense.  So much focus is made on the offense when running a 6-2.  Obviously, you have the extra hitter and that’s part of the point.  But, our offense depends on those hitters also blocking well to set up the scoring and we’ve done a good job of that.  Then, there’s the requirement in the scheme that two OH’s play all the way around.  Humphreys choice to tag Coleman and Evans for that duty has paid huge dividends.

Think about how rather suddenly, SFA has become particularly deep with hitters.  Everyone knows that Peyton Redmond is about a steady as they come and stands ready to contribute on both sides of the ball when needed.  Then, there’s a potential offensive weapon in sophomore KK Payne who is hopefully just about healthy.  That’s a ton of talent waiting their turn currently on the bench.

No, SFA doesn’t have that 18 kill a night, chart topping, left side hitter that draws all the attention in scouting reports.  But that’s perfectly fine.  Opponents are still dead if they are bled slowly to their demise.  You can’t key on one girl in this offense.  Focus on Coleman?  Hanna and Daron will burn you in the middle and right.  Of course, the opposite is now true with Coleman already having two errorless double figure kill matches and hitting a very impressive .285 overall.  Then, there is Eagleton, who leads the team in attack percentage.  The balance shown on offense this early in the season is as impressive as I remember it in recent seasons.  Of course, the setters and passers get a ton of credit for that as well.

No doubt the ‘Jacks fast start has been due to a combination of stellar performances, most of which have garnered a fair amount of well-deserved attention.  But, when asked recently what my thoughts are on why SFA has been able to be so successful,  I haven’t hesitated to give what I think is really the right answer to our early success…

Corin Evans is stepping forward.


Related:  Corin Evans Audio Interview After First Day at MSU Bulldog Invitational

Links to Interviews Done in Starkville, MS

Last weekend SFA Volleyball ran their road winning streak to seven matches as they won the 2017 Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational in Starkville, MS.  While there, I was able to get comments from Sophomore OH Corin Evans and Head Coach Debbie Humphreys.  Links to their audio interviews are below.

With only one senior on the team this year, Lexus Cain was the only chat forming our traditional early season "Senior Interviews".  Originally, Lexus and I were to have our chat in Nacogdoches, but changes in my schedule and Hurricane Harvey prevented that from happening.  So, I was able to catch up with a gracious Cain after a long day of volleyball in Starkville.  Be sure to check out her insightful comments at the YouTube link below.

Finally, I got a chance to talk with Mississippi State Head Coach David McFatrich in the MSU coaches lounge on the first day of the Bulldog Invitational.  Fatch coached in the Southland for eight years at the University of Central Arkansas.  During that time, he built UCA into a powerhouse and did a lot to up the visibility of the Southland as a whole.  More than that, he was a supporter of this blog in its early days.  I've had many candid volleyball conversations with Fatch through the years and he is one of many coaches or former coaches in this league that has aided in the blog's visibility and credibility as we begin our 9th season of coverage.  So, it was treat to catch up with coach McFatrich.  The link to our conversation is also below:

Chat with Corin Evans After SFA Defeats USF and Grambling

Debbie Humphreys Comments After SFA Sweeps Mississippi State

2017 Senior Interview: Lexus Cain

Conversation with Mississippi State Head Coach David McFatrich

Up next at the blog... later this week we'll take a look at the huge steps forward taken by Corin Evans as she'll be in focus for our next post...

Axe 'Em !

The Subtle Part of the 5-1 Return: The Value of Coleman & Evans

If you follow SFA Volleyball even a little then you know the last week around here has seen some bold, new changes.  The first thing that Debbie Humphreys said to me after the 'Jacks swept UIW last Thursday evening was "How's that for a gutsy move?"  What she meant was her decision to let freshman Ann Hollas start her first collegiate match by running a 5-1 in an conference opener.

Two days later and the payoff was obvious.  SFA swept all nine sets they played against the Cardinals from San Antonio, UNT and Little Rock.  Ann Hollas was awarded the MVP of the Holiday Inn Express Tournament.  Abby McIntyre won Southland Conference Player of the Week.   Danae Daron re-wrote SFA record books by hitting .800 in a match. KK Payne cracked the Top 10 in attack percentage for all Southland players - by hitting from the left pin of all places.  Pinch me and tell me that the last sentence I wrote is actually true.  SFA... yes S-F-A has an outsider hitter hitting .228.

Then, of course, there is Lexus Cain doing her thing in the libero jersey no matter what offense is being run.  Charlie Hurley, our Volleyball Sports Information Director, pulled out a gem of a stat for the Baylor game notes:  Cain has more digs than an ENTIRE TEAM.  North Carolina Central  University has 258 digs.  The University of Lexus Cain at Nacogdoches has 271 digs.  Unreal.  Cain is second in the nation in digs per set with an otherworldly average of 5.77 digs per set.

All of the above is fairly well chronicled and has been observed by many a Ladyjack Volleyball fan over the last three matches.  However, this article isn't about Cain or McIntyre or Hollas or Payne or even middle blocker extraordinaire Justice Walker.  All of those players have overtly excelled in our return to the 5-1.  No, the love in this article goes to Haley Coleman and Corin Evans.

On the surface, Coleman and Evans don't appear to be racking up numbers worthy of high praise.  I mean, Coleman is still hitting negative for the season and Evans only has 44 attacks.  But, hear me out:  They provide what I think is a rather unusual additional advantage to our one setter offense.  As you might have come to expect, I have the numbers to back up this claim.

See, essentially, Coleman and Evans are playing DS.  Now, both are listed as outside hitters and have plenty of experience there in high school and club ball.  Don't forget Coleman played six-rotation outside for us during part of 2015 and a little earlier this year.  But right now, they are both essentially defensive specialists despite what your roster card says.  Evans is playing the back row slots in Payne's spot and Coleman is in there when McIntyre's spot goes to the back.  Since Payne and McIntyre are separated in the rotations by a few clicks, one of Coleman and Evans has been virtually always on the back row.

Check out the numbers that Coleman and Evans have put up in the three matches since we've returned to the 5-1:

•          Both had 9 digs vs. UNT which tied for 2nd best on the team that night.
•          Coleman had 4 aces over the weekend
•          Evans was 2nd on the team in digs vs. UIW
•          Combined the two have hit .235 from the back row and collectively put up just shy of 5 digs per set (2.33 for Coleman and 2.44 for Evans over the three matches)

It's the last bullet that I want to focus on.  That's the subtle part of our new back row that spreads the offense in a small, but meaningful way.  See, a DS can't do that.  A defensive specialist isn't going to attack at all, much less get you over a kill per set while hitting .235.  They just aren't going to get set (on purpose, that is).  True defensive specialists only attack when something went horribly wrong on offense.  Even at that, they are virtually 100% "just get the ball over" attacks.

When Coleman and/or Evans are on the back row the team has an extra potential hitter that is really in the match for either serving, serve receive and/or defense.  That's a really subtle use of those spots.  So often, when a hitter goes back row, she is subbed out for a "true DS".  You know, the 5-5 gal that can dig everything up and pass.  Well, we have a few of those on our team and they are good players.  We haven't seen the last of contributors like Sam Rodriguez.  I mean, EVERY TEAM, has the little DS types that just buzz around and dig/pass. If they weren't valuable, then why would so many 5-2 girls be playing college volleyball?  Go to any NCAA roster you want and you'll find them.

But, for now... having Coleman and Evans be a sort of hybrid hitter/DS type has paid subtle dividends on offense as well as defense.

Ok, I know what you are thinking:  "Whoa, Greg, you are way ahead of yourself.  Coleman and Evans only put up 10 kills combined in three matches.  That's not a huge deal."  Well, I don't mind saying this:  If that's what you think, then you'd be wrong. 

Those kills plus aces ARE a big deal and let me tell you why:   Since going back to the 5-1, SFA has averaged 13.89 kills per set.  That number extrapolated out to the entire season would be good enough for 45th in the nation.  Now, if you take away Coleman and Evans offensive contributions from playing on the back row, we would have 12.78 kills per set over that same time.  So, there we see the difference is 1.11 kill per set.  Not a big deal, right?

Wrong.

The 12.78 k/s figure over the whole season would be good for only 137th in the nation.  So, put another way, with Coleman and Evans scoring a little from the back row, SFA hit last weekend like a Top 50 club.  Without them, we regress to a middle-of-the-pack 137th.  That one kill per set is the difference between 45th ranked production and 137th ranked production.  If a "true DS" was playing in both those spots, we probably would have 0 kills from the back row.  Combine that with the unlikely chance that the true DS's could amass more than 5 digs per set and you come to the conclusion that is subtly advantageous to use two outside hitters as surrogate defensive specialists!!

The only reason that this works is because Coleman and Evans are both capable of six-rotation duties.  It's just that we don't need them to do that right now thanks to Peyton Redmond.  Now, Redmond was hitting under .100, which made me think that if the trend continued we might see Coleman or Evans in her spot.  But, Redmond passes so well and has had a couple of good offensive performances of late to push her up to .114.  She needs to get things up above .150, but still.. the trend is in the right direction and her passing is so good that her role is safe for the near future.

So, while Hollas, McIntyre, Walker and Cain keep winning awards, let's not forget about the advantage of having back row players that could just as well be front row players in Coleman and Evans.  Amidst all this newfound optimism among the 'Jacks offense, the subtle contributions at the service line and efficient back-row attacks of Haley Coleman and Corin Evans are demonstrably valuable as well.

Finding Places For Fresh Faces

If you’ve checked into SFA Volleyball at all this summer you know there are a ton of fresh faces on the roster.  Suddenly, this club is very young and while it’s tempting to dream about what that means for 2018 or 2019, the current season is now upon us.  With two scrimmages and two weeks of practice in the books and only a few more days until a Wisconsin plane trip to kick things off, let’s go around the court and see how these newcomers could fit in.

With the ‘Jacks plans of running a 6-2 offense, a quick inventory of spots tells you there is one outside hitter (on the left) and one middle blocker spot open.  For the six hitters, we can pencil in Haley Coleman occupying one left side spot, Abby McIntyre and Makenzee Hanna sharing the right and Justice Walker anchoring the middle.  That leaves the spots opposite of Coleman and Walker up for grabs.

The early options for the other left side spot lead us to three fresh faces:  Sophomore transfer Peyton Redmond, coming over from East Tennessee State and freshmen KK Payne and Corin Evans.  What’s been interesting to me is that in the limited time I’ve seen each practice and play that they have each shined in mutually exclusive times. 

Checking in on practices, Evans made the fastest impression on me of the bunch.  Feisty and confident in drills it was clear that Evans felt comfortable on the court.  One of the things I like about Corin is that she’s aggressive while on the back row.  She doesn’t shy away from passing in the least.  At times, young outsides look a little reserved playing alongside the libero, but Evans doesn’t play with a wink of shyness.  I like the slight swagger and she seems to fit what I’ve personally talked to the coaching staff at length about concerning our needs for left-side hitters.  I thought she played better in scrimmage #1 than #2 when she scooped 29 digs in five sets.  I wouldn’t hesitate throwing her in there at all and I’m anxious to see how much playing time she can accrue during the tournament part of the schedule.

Redmond is the one of the bunch that has vaulted the most in impressions for me through the five or six times I’ve checked in.  The first few times I saw practice, I could tell she was a contributor, but during the two scrimmages my impression of her really shot up.  I like the calm disposition on the court.  Because she dominated the first scrimmage – and especially the deciding last set – I decided to exclusively study her positioning and demeanor during an entire six rotations last Saturday during the second scrimmage.  At no point did she appear rattled, discouraged, or unsure.  I think her experience at ETSU will pay immediate dividends.  Of the three, I think she’s the “safest” choice to put out there to avoid the roller coaster up and downs.

Payne can hit surprisingly hard for carrying such a light frame.  Like a lot of big scorers I’ve seen in the conference through the years, the first thing you notice in her approach to attack is the big back arch.  When she gets the hitting elbow up this really allows for her to whip at the ball with quite a force.  It will catch you off guard the first few times you see her hit.  Another positive to KK’s game is that she is comfortable letting it fly from the back row.  She’ll have to learn to add a little more finesse to counter all the big blockers, but of the bunch, she appears to be the most natural  pure left side scorer.  I’d especially use her if the right sides aren’t finding the floor as much as normal, because I think KK can score at this level right off the bat.  Defense and passing could be issues at times, but she passed well in the second scrimmage so that was a good sign.  Of the three, she’s the one I became aware of first and have heard the most about over the past six months or so.

What’s great about all the tournament games is that all three of these girls should see plenty of playing time.  Frankly, they all three NEED to be out there a lot early on.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see a different one of them start different matches on the days we have to play twice.  Debbie is quick to make in game adjustments due to performance anyway, so we could easily see different girls start different sets at multiple times early on.

Honestly, I think these three have the potential to make decisions very tough  on the coaching staff.  Of course, it’s a good problem to have when you need 6 hitters and 8 or 9 of them and playing at a level worthy of court time.  They are all young, and I’m naturally very, very cautious about first year players, but in a purposefully restrained way this may be the most optimistic I’ve been about a recruiting class of left-sides in quite a while.  Since some people have asked, I’ll state that if I had to play a conference match RIGHT NOW, I’d slide the experienced Redmond ahead of the freshmen.  But since we have four weekends of tournaments ahead, I would definitely play all three a ton for a month and reevaluate in late September as to whether one deserves to be labelled the “starter”. 

Running a 6-2 means you have to manage substitutions since the right sides and setters eat up four subs per time all the way around.  So, if this spot isn’t going to be DS’d for, then it may come down to serve receive and floor defense.  It’s still early… too early, but if the other five hitters are generating enough offense, I’d be tempted to use Redmond or Evans.  Otherwise, if trying to getting a scoring jumpstart, use Payne.  I say that with little to no initial reservation about Peyton or Corin on offense nor Payne on defense.  After all, Redmond and Evans but up big offensive numbers in scrimmage #1 and we’ve already discussed Payne’s passing in scrimmage #2.

Now, there are still FIVE other newcomers to discuss!  Wow!  At the open middle spot, we know a freshman will be on the floor all season.  Danae Daron, the sister of former SFA middle Ari, is obviously very athletic.  Go read her bio on the SFA roster page.  Excelling in track and volleyball, Danae looks like someone who has loads of potential.  SFA does such a good job integrating and training middle blockers that it is relatively easy to imagine that a year of playing with Walker could do Daron wonders.  The second middle just needs to be steady.  Enough offense should come from Walker and the pin hitters to where if the second middle can just hit .200-.250 a with a half dozen kills and block a few balls per match, then we’ll be good.

Shayla Eagleton is the other new middle on the squad for 2016 and she’s shown enough in practice and scrimmages to deserve a look early on as well.  I like Eagleton’s swing a lot.  She flashed plus potential on offense at times during the scrimmages and looks like someone that has enough natural talent to work with that she should be expected to improve as years pass.  At times, her location awareness on the floor in rally has been off, but that’s to be expected.  She’ll need to contribute since SFA only has three middles on the roster.  Because of that, expect to see her on the court a lot early on, because even if Daron wins the second middle spot, Shayla knows she’s the go to in case of any little thing that could happen to the other two.  Then again, this is spot where a starter may not emerge until late September, if then.

Middle is the only spot on the floor where I wish we had just one more girl.  Not because the three we have can’t do the job – I certainly think they can – but in the case of injury, you then have no additional flexibility.  Others could slide over, but these are the only three we are training as regular middles in pre-season.

Xariah Williams, a freshman from Mansfield Summit, will always be the answer to a personal trivia question of mine:  Who’s’ the SFA player my mom knew about before me?  Yes, my mom of all people clued me in to her.  My mom is not exactly a volleyball aficionado, but when Williams won the Fort Worth Star Telegram Volleyball Player of the Year Award last year, my mom gave me a call.  Xariah’s picture was in the paper – and my mom doesn’t miss it if it’s in the paper – and a few days later the article shows up in my mailbox complete with comments about coming to SFA.  Xariah had a really nice second scrimmage playing for the challenge team on the right side and provides excellent insurance for McIntyre and Hanna.  I’d predict she’d get just enough playing time to prove valuable for when it’s time for her to scoot into a starting role later in her career.  I think she fits on this club great and on the occasion that Abby or Mak isn’t feeling it, I’ll bet we see a few outbursts from Williams during the season.  She’s a great get for this recruiting class.  She might help us a lot this year, who knows?  But, I’d expect several seasons in purple where she is one of the go-to’s.

Pedigree and smarts are two words that describe freshman setter Ann Hollas.  Coming from a family of athletes, she clearly has the mindset of an NCAA Division I athlete.  From nearby Longview, you heard coach Humphreys describe in my first interview last week that Ann is training as a setter exclusively for the first time in her life.  Many veterans have already remarked to me about how smart Ann plays.  Her high school resume takes up more ink that most four-year college players get on the roster page.  Decorated with a long list of honors, it won’t be long until Hollas makes her mark at SFA.  Of course, with Shannon Connell in her final year, Hollas could find herself in the mix sooner rather than later during her four years with us.  To be honest, with all the attention to the two “open” spots for newcomers, Hollas could be the dark horse of the entire recruiting class.  An obvious opening doesn’t exist for her right now, but by the time we get to 2019, she may very well have made as big an impact as any gal on this list.

We only leave freshman Julia Whitehead for last comments, because back row players don’t mind being at the back.  Anyone reading in this space knows that I looooooooveeeee back row defense.  Here is one thing that is great about Whitehead being here:  she played on a team that went to the Texas 6A high school FINALS.  If you win defensive MVP in a 6A district that puts a club in the finals, then you know the girl can scoop.  Every team needs the 5’2” defender buzzing all around destroying the egos of the flashy hitters by digging everything to target.  Clearly, Lexus Cain has the libero spot held down and if we need to use a defensive specialist for one of hitters, then the much improved Sam Rodriguez is ahead of Whitehead on the depth chart.  Still, just like when Cain came in from Amarillo, it’s great to know that we have a DS on the bench that has played under the bright lights with a big school background.

Predicted Opening Day Lineup:

Left Sides: Coleman and Freshman*

Right Sides:  McIntyre and Hanna

Middles:  Walker and Daron

Setters:  Connell and Brewer

Libero:  Cain

If DS used at times:  Rodriguez

*I’m gonna guess Payne gets the nod in the first match Friday just because of a vibe I get from the staff.  I think I’d start Evans if it were me.  But, let me be clear.. all of Payne, Redmond and Evans should see a lot of opportunities over the first month.  They need to see what these girls can do in real matches.  The same is true of Eagleton & Williams.

Later in my next post:  Should SFA have been picked first or second in the Southland?  I’ll break down each side of that coin later in the week!