Previous Message

3 more wins and Beach MVB are champs! First step take care of Belmont Abbey. They are 21-4 and the best comparison match, they lost at home to Pepperdine 3-0 while we swept the waves at home 3-0. They also played King twice, winning on the road 3-2 and at home 3-0. We crushed King twice at home 3-0.

They have some good talent, 6-7 So MB Jibriel Elhaddad is a top blocker, and 6-8 Jr MB Ethan Rehmann can stuff it at the net. 6-5 Jr OH Matt Staskunas a big time pin. 6-6 Fr S Joe Morris is really good young setter. 6-2 Fr OH Zach Puentes hits for a good %. 6-0 Fr L Alejandro Leon rounds out their squad.

Assessment
Should be a 3-0 sweep and a good tuneup match. Belmont Abbey has enough size especially at MB to bother us. They are overall young. Staskunas will probably get a lot of swings. Their setter is pretty good and tall.

Will the Beach start slow like they've done time and again or feast on a weaker, but good, team? Will Bouchkov get some minutes if McRaven plays poorly (he errored a bunch of float serves last match, that's a mental thing and vball is such a mental sport). I'd like to see Bouchkov get minutes regardless, his energy can be infectious and may be needed next round. Will Godbold continue to serve bombs? Can Varga and Torwie get their bomb serves more in than out? Will Aidan continue to dump one or two kills a match to keep the defenders honest? Will Harlan be the reason we win a few sets? Will Godbold dominate now that he's healed? Sotiris has been such a glue guy and does everything well will that continue?

Beach is kind of peaking which is great, but they can still cleanup things: end to end energy and focus (starting matches slow and needing some adversity to get that edge); serve receive (can be dicey at times, been much better especially late in matches); service pressure (can be outstanding, but if its not we're in trouble next two rounds); mixing up sets (Aidan really good this year when in system, but out of system we get predictable which most teams are good thing is even in system Aidan can set a little stiff so our hitters are used to adjusting). Picky stuff here mostly.

Semis will likely be vs a Grand Canyon team that can flatten us if we aren't playing our A game. Home court and 6th man will be in our favor. Pyramid sightlines and roof angles in our favor except if we face UCI or UCLA both have been in the Myd this year.

One match at a time, GO BEACH!!!