Volleyball

[Manchester Matt]

Not exactly a stellar start to the season after a disappointing year last year.

Lost to Mizzou in four last night before losing in three straight to Central Arkansas this morning. ISU led set one 24-20 before falling apart. Got clobbered in the third, 25-13.

 

[Dmills]

I think it's fair to give last year a pass with all the injuries and transfer losses. Regardless, the program needs to get back on its feet. We should be competing for the conference title darn near every year. Hopefully the team will mesh together quickly. We were picked 7th in the preseason poll, but one coach tabbed us for first place...

 

[Manchester Matt]

I think it's fair to give last year a pass with all the injuries and transfer losses. Regardless, the program needs to get back on its feet. We should be competing for the conference title darn near every year. Hopefully the team will mesh together quickly. We were picked 7th in the preseason poll, but one coach tabbed us for first place...

I agree. I just expect this team and program to be better than it was last year and so far this, regardless of the circrumstances.

I know it was an exhibition game, but ISU volleyball should never lose to SIU-E, a middle to bottom of the road OVC team.

 

[cubird]

Saw some of the Mizzu match and they should have won the first set, but had too many service faults. Mizzu had many net services for winners and aces throughout the match. Team obviously has a confidence issue at this point. However, their talent level has to be better than a predicted 7th place finish in the Valley.

 

[Manchester Matt]

Lost in three to the volleyball juggernaut that is Colgate.

Ouch.

 

[Dmills]

Lost in three to the volleyball juggernaut that is Colgate.

Ouch.

I'd imagine they're going to have a tough time finding a win next weekend as well.

 

[Redbird82]

Now 0-6 and lost 18 of 20 sets, ouch

 

[Reggie Redbird]

0-8, and we’re averaging less than 0.5 sets won per match. Considering the resources put into this program, that is unacceptable.

12-17 (5-13) last year is bad for a program that significantly outspends a good chunk of its non-con and conference opponents. We did lose a lot of transfers when Johnson moved on, but we also brought in a lot of experience via transfers and the cupboard wasn’t bare.

If we find ourselves facing a season with that type of conference output after this non-con, season 3 becomes a must win or all the goodwill generated under the last 2 regimes goes out the window.

 

[SlackBooDom]

Kyle Brennan and Mark Muhlhauser tenure looks worse and worse and worse by the day.

 

[cubird]

Heartbreaker today makes 3 loses in the home classic. Passing has to get better.

 

[Bird Friend]

Heartbreaker today makes 3 loses in the home classic. Passing has to get better.

Now 5-27 in sets. I’m actually quite baffled at how fast we’ve fallen.

 

[Redbird82]

Jeez I hate to think it, but do we have another Barb Smith…

 

[Manchester Matt]

Some of Matters' quotes in the Vidette story after the loss to Miami were head scratching.

"We're 0-9 right now and I know that there's a lot of folks out there that think that that's unacceptable or that's not the tradition and legacy of Illinois State volleyball, but that's what preseason is for," Matters said.

Huh? We've received at-large bids before, so this quote is nonsense and an excuse to cover up how awful things have gone.

 

[SlackBooDom]

Some of Matters' quotes in the Vidette story after the loss to Miami were head scratching.

"We're 0-9 right now and I know that there's a lot of folks out there that think that that's unacceptable or that's not the tradition and legacy of Illinois State volleyball, but that's what preseason is for," Matters said.

Huh? We've received at-large bids before, so this quote is nonsense and an excuse to cover up how awful things have gone.

This is embarrassing.

 

[Bird Friend]

Some of Matters' quotes in the Vidette story after the loss to Miami were head scratching.

"We're 0-9 right now and I know that there's a lot of folks out there that think that that's unacceptable or that's not the tradition and legacy of Illinois State volleyball, but that's what preseason is for," Matters said.

Huh? We've received at-large bids before, so this quote is nonsense and an excuse to cover up how awful things have gone.

Well . . . if we come out and roll over the Valley, I'll agree with her quote . . . but I'm thinking that's not going to happen considering the caliber of teams we've lost to in the non-con.

 

[isuquinndog]

To me preseason is exhibition games. Games that don't count. Spring Training, pre season NFL before Week 1.

ISU isn't playing preseason games. They count. They go on the record for the school and the coach.

Just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Redbird222]

It's not just that they are losing, but they have really not been that competitive.

Its only season 2 but she inherited a strong program and has the responsibility to maintain that momentum. It is not a rebuild like Pedon i herited. I think Matters is safe for another year but I also wonder how much latitude our interim AD has to make coaching changes during her tenure.

 

[Manchester Matt]

To me preseason is exhibition games. Games that don't count. Spring Training, pre season NFL before Week 1.

ISU isn't playing preseason games. They count. They go on the record for the school and the coach.

Just a pet peeve of mine.

That was exactly my thought.

We lost the “preseason” game to SIU-E.

 

[SlackBooDom]

That was exactly my thought.

We lost the “preseason” game to SIU-E.

If the games don't matter for your record in this portion either, why not play the hardest possible schedule to get ready for the "real" season? How does losing to bad programs help us?

 

[Reggie Redbird]

This is embarrassing.

I have to agree. Being 0-9 and frankly, losing quite handily to programs who spend a lot less on VB than we do, perhaps a coach in that position should dial into what they’re paid to do versus spending time making excuses.

Perhaps she meant to say that she does not care about the NON-CONFERENCE season and is willing to sacrifice those wins for the sake of preparing for the conference season. However, if this conference season is anything like last, that plan may not be the best road.

As others have mentioned, there are a lot of good schools in our conference that are above schools who are thrashing us right now. We need to put the pedal to the metal on improving if we want any shot at finishing in the top half. Right now, 8th place may be a stretch.