Volleyball vs USA on now, ESPN App
- Thread starter HotMop
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Forgot to update. They won 3-1. They are now 10-0. Next game in 10 days against Florida. This will give us a real test.
Yes, it will be a real test and the first test of the season. This non-conference run is comparable to the softest of Men's Basketball non-conference schedules over the last 20 years.
Wins are wins though, and its been fun to watch them win.
I look forward to seeing Mangelson and Aguilar play against elite competition. Itll be cool to see how effective they are and what they do through the season to adjust against better defenses.
That is awesome, thanks for the updates. I don't follow or know as much about the v-ball team as others, but as always, I don't care if it's tiddlywinks, I want State to win at everything. Winning begets winning, and we have to cultivate a winning culture on campus.
Let's go Volleydawgs, win 'em all!
Let's go Volleydawgs, win 'em all!
The emergence of Cayley Hansen has been fun to watch. A setter who is also one of the leading blockers on the team. Mangelson looks to be the best hitter MSU has had in a while she is also good enough in the back line to stay in the game a lot of time. When MSU needs a point she is usually involved. Angular has also made a great difference as well as she seems to be all over the court, really athletic and has some hops. This team needed to gel and come together and its easier to do that with a weak schedule than a hard one. They will be tested in conference but MSU is a fun team to watch. They seem to good chemistry which was not always the case the last couple of years. I think the staff has done a great job in putting this squad together.
Lindsey Mangelson looks like the best Freshman in the country right now. We’ll see how she looks in conference play, but so far this season, she’s been amazing. Almost every time the other team gets some momentum, she does some surgically placed spike that stops their run. Then scores like 3 more in a row after that.
That said, I feel like there is a zero percent chance she’s not playing in the Big Ten or a big money program next year. She’s gonna get a lot of offers by the time this season ends.
Another player that’s fun to watch is Whitfield-Moss. Her spikes have been insane.
That said, I feel like there is a zero percent chance she’s not playing in the Big Ten or a big money program next year. She’s gonna get a lot of offers by the time this season ends.
Another player that’s fun to watch is Whitfield-Moss. Her spikes have been insane.
Her recruitment seemed a little odd, at least from afar. She played for a powerhouse club team that had a ton of exposure at national events, and was a heavily used player on those teams. Her HS program won state a few times, but that HS and isnt really important for this discussion.
A handful of club teammates were ranked top100 nationally, and her ability as well as ceiling sure seemed just as solid as those teammates.
She didnt fly under the radar by any means, and she committed to MSU more than a year before fall signing.
When I saw she had committed and where she plays, I was really damn surprised. I kinda guessed that she had some tie to MSU even, since that would at least help explain things.
Itll be really neat if she continues to develop and stays. The SEC has 6 T25 programs right now, so she would certainly be playing at the highest level if she stays.
The announce team said during the South Alabama that Mississippi State was the first team to recruit her and made inroads early. Big Ten and the SEC are neck and neck on quality of their top teams, but I was more talking about fan support and resources.
There isn’t a single SEC team that brings in the crowds that Nebraska or Wisconsin bring (by a wide margin). The total Big Ten attendance last year was double the SEC’s, plus they’re getting time on broadcast networks like NBC and Fox. To my knowledge, ABC hasn’t been airing SEC matches (but I could be wrong).
I think, overall, there is a prestige gap between the Big Ten and the SEC in terms of women’s volleyball. Plus, she’s from Indiana.
Girls volleyball has been huge in the Midwest. Small towns will support their own club volleyball team. The South pales in comparison although it has picked up a lot in the last 15 years. Mississippi high schools have the talent. They just need the coaching and development.
We beat the whole country? Hell yeah!
ETA: Take that, Favre!
ETA: Take that, Favre!
10-0 is a nice start, but man the competition has been weak. Duke is a Power 4 team but they are 3-6 and just lost to Cleveland State. They were 6-14 in the ACC last year and may be worse this year.
That being said, starting with Florida, Auburn and Alabama will be a good barometer. We could go 2-1 against this group. Then you have a chance to go 4-2 against the next six. They won't beat Kentucky or Tennessee, but could win their last 5. If they go 11-5, they will have an opportunity to host in the NCAAs.
That being said, starting with Florida, Auburn and Alabama will be a good barometer. We could go 2-1 against this group. Then you have a chance to go 4-2 against the next six. They won't beat Kentucky or Tennessee, but could win their last 5. If they go 11-5, they will have an opportunity to host in the NCAAs.
B10 at the top definitely has more following/prestige than the SEC overall, and probably SEC at the top.
Texas coming to the SEC immediately ups the SEC's prestige and following at the top, but besides Texas, its probably Florida and then well down the list would be Tennessee.
Meanwhile in the B10 UNL, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, and Penn State have some seriously die hard fans. And even the second level supported teams like OSU, MSU, and Washington are well ahead of almost all SEC teams when it comes to perceived quality level and actual following.
A UNL home match rivals any sporting event for tradition, pageantry, passion, and energy. Seriously- a home match rivals any college or pro sporting event I have been to or watched.
I totally agree that the top level of the B10 is on another level.
Uh, Kentucky won the volleyball national championship in 2021, so I would say their prestige is pretty high as well. They are the only SEC program to win a volleyball natty while members of the SEC. (Texas won three when they were in the Big 12 and one when they were in the SWC).
Yeah, very aware of UK winning it all a few years ago. I have been to multiple clinics where Skinner has talked and have snagged multiple drills from his library over the years. I think he is an excellent all around coach.
From what I have seen though, UK's fandom is smaller than Texas, UF, and Tennessee. My earlier post was discussing programs that have both prestige and following.
Maybe my perception is off and UK's fan support is significantly larger than I think.
Kentucky winning that volleyball NC is like our run in women's basketball. People will follow a winner.
Nebraska got 92,000 to a volleyball match and routinely gets 18k.
They did win it the Covid year, but they were still 16th in average attendance the following season. They were 6th in the SEC in average attendance last year and 24th overall. I guess that’s what I’m talking about. Any team could potentially have a good run, but when I talk about prestige, I was talking about fan support, name value, investment in VB, etc.
You’re right about them winning a championship, but I don’t know that I would be worried about losing Mangelson to Kentucky like I would Florida, Texas, Texas A&M, or the upper half of the Big Ten.
Yeah, 2021 was our best year and we didn’t even rank in the top 50 in average attendance. I was there the night we set the Mississippi State attendance record. We had a chance to win the SEC that night. We beat Auburn that night, but needed another team to lose (they did not lose).
The SEC has traditionally been 5th in attendance. The only reasons we’re 3rd now is because the Pac-12 imploded and Texas’s crowds moved from the Big 12 to the SEC.
Win, and they will come. I think State fans have proven we will support all our programs with a little hope and excitement. Hopefully building that in volleyball now.