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I'd like to read BSUBass77's thoughts on Boise State's volleyball team

#1 · August 22, 2023, 1:46 pm

The Boise State Volleyball team's season is about to begin in a few days. I'd like to know who BSUBass77 thinks is going to be the starting six players this season. Jordan Miller & Paige Bartsch seem to me to be certainties as far as one of the starting six players. But who else is likely to be part of the starting six players?

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#2 · August 24, 2023, 12:55 pm

Quote from BSUBass77 on August 24, 2023, 12:55 pm
We are getting down to the wire with the season opening tomorrow against ISU. I wasn't able to attend the season ticket holder's scrimmage last week. And due to a family gathering I will have to watch the match tonight online. So I am at a disadvantage this year more than years past. However, I will give it my best shot.

Annie Kaminski will start at Middle. She is a RS senior and has the best hitting percentage of anyone on the team (40%). She is one of my favorite players to watch and she should have more touches, IMO.

Breanna Mitchell will likely start at Libero. For those not familiar, volleyball has seven starters, but only six play at one time. The Libero is a defensive specialist that wears a different jersey than the others. The Libero is a back row player only and leaves the rotation when that position is on the front row. The Libero cannot spike the ball and cannot hit the ball over the net from an offensive stance. Back to Mitchell - she transferred in from CSUN before the spring semester and has been practicing with the team. Shawn sent her (with Kaminski) to Croatia for the MWC Global Challenge. This is usually composed of the top players in the MWC. So that makes me think she will start.( BTW the MWC team won the Challenge)

The big question of Setter is still undecided. Last year's primary setter is no longer with the team. My gut feeling is that the Portland transfer, Noelani Helm will get the nod to start, but Elle Cotton came on toward the end of last season to get a lot of minutes. If Helm struggles in these pre-conference games, we could see Cotton get more starts.

Jordan Miller (as stated by the OP) will likely start. She started 10 matches last year so she has experience starting. She has a unique wrist flip that needs to work, which bends the path of the ball. It is a really dangerous weapon if it works, but when it isn't she hits the ball out of bounds. But new Grad Student, Qairo Bentley, transfer from Virginia Commonwealth could start in her place. Regardless of who starts, both will be rotated in quite regularly.

Paige Bartch will start. She is a force and has enough power to physically hurt people. However, I think she needs to develop some touch to go along with that power. Regardless, she has to be on the floor as a starter.

Rotations off the bench: BSU needs to be better in defense so Shawn needs to rotate defensive specialists into the game. But we really don't have any DS with an abundance of experience. The one with the most experience is Chey Day, senior, who is 6'4 and is listed as a middle. Chey is multi-talented and has played every position in the rotation at some point. Second is Nicole Jacob, soph, who is listed as a setter. But she has been pretty good as a defender in her limited touches. The other defensive spec is Kayleigh Carpenter, F, who was a four year starter in high school. I would really like to see if she can add some defense.

Others to watch for: Reagan Casey, junior MB, transfer from Missouri State. She was injured last year and I never saw her in action. We have some freshman that had promising high school careers and hopefully they get some action this year.

We are getting down to the wire with the season opening tomorrow against ISU. I wasn't able to attend the season ticket holder's scrimmage last week. And due to a family gathering I will have to watch the match tonight online. So I am at a disadvantage this year more than years past. However, I will give it my best shot.

Annie Kaminski will start at Middle. She is a RS senior and has the best hitting percentage of anyone on the team (40%). She is one of my favorite players to watch and she should have more touches, IMO.

Breanna Mitchell will likely start at Libero. For those not familiar, volleyball has seven starters, but only six play at one time. The Libero is a defensive specialist that wears a different jersey than the others. The Libero is a back row player only and leaves the rotation when that position is on the front row. The Libero cannot spike the ball and cannot hit the ball over the net from an offensive stance. Back to Mitchell - she transferred in from CSUN before the spring semester and has been practicing with the team. Shawn sent her (with Kaminski) to Croatia for the MWC Global Challenge. This is usually composed of the top players in the MWC. So that makes me think she will start.( BTW the MWC team won the Challenge)

The big question of Setter is still undecided. Last year's primary setter is no longer with the team. My gut feeling is that the Portland transfer, Noelani Helm will get the nod to start, but Elle Cotton came on toward the end of last season to get a lot of minutes. If Helm struggles in these pre-conference games, we could see Cotton get more starts.

Jordan Miller (as stated by the OP) will likely start. She started 10 matches last year so she has experience starting. She has a unique wrist flip that needs to work, which bends the path of the ball. It is a really dangerous weapon if it works, but when it isn't she hits the ball out of bounds. But new Grad Student, Qairo Bentley, transfer from Virginia Commonwealth could start in her place. Regardless of who starts, both will be rotated in quite regularly.

Paige Bartch will start. She is a force and has enough power to physically hurt people. However, I think she needs to develop some touch to go along with that power. Regardless, she has to be on the floor as a starter.

Rotations off the bench: BSU needs to be better in defense so Shawn needs to rotate defensive specialists into the game. But we really don't have any DS with an abundance of experience. The one with the most experience is Chey Day, senior, who is 6'4 and is listed as a middle. Chey is multi-talented and has played every position in the rotation at some point. Second is Nicole Jacob, soph, who is listed as a setter. But she has been pretty good as a defender in her limited touches. The other defensive spec is Kayleigh Carpenter, F, who was a four year starter in high school. I would really like to see if she can add some defense.

Others to watch for: Reagan Casey, junior MB, transfer from Missouri State. She was injured last year and I never saw her in action. We have some freshman that had promising high school careers and hopefully they get some action this year.

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#3 · August 24, 2023, 1:33 pm

If you stream TV you can watch the games on the MWC streaming channel (and watch them on your home TV set) - where the games are recorded and kept long after they are played so you can watch them when it is most convenient for you.

Thanks for the explanation on the Libero. I just understood that the Libero never starts a game.

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#4 · August 24, 2023, 2:56 pm

They introduce the Libero with the starters, but she is usually on the side at the beginning of each set until the ref acknowledges her into the game. Then she is free to enter the game as the rotation flows as long as she is not on the front row. She doesn't need to go through the substitution process like the other subs must do.

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#5 · August 26, 2023, 11:17 am

Boise State sweeps Idaho State 3-0 (25-14 - 25-15 and 32-30) last night without Jordan Miller.

Paige Bartsch led Boise State with 24.5 pts and 21 kills. Annie Kaminski added 10 pts and 7 kills. Chey Day had 9.5 pts and also had 7 kills. Newcomer transfer Grad student Noelani Helm had 8.5 points and another 7 kills.

Boise State will play tomorrow at 4 p.m. MT in Pocatello against this same Idaho State team and that match will be televised on ESPN+

Next weekend Boise State will play two matches in Corvallis, OR. First against Oklahoma at 12 noon MT on next Saturday and the next day vs. the host school Oregon State (also scheduled for 12 noonMT).

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#6 · August 27, 2023, 4:56 am

The starting lineup in Friday's game - according to the video of the game on the MWC streaming channel - was the following:'

# 1 - Qairo Bentley - Grad Student - 6' 0" - Outside Hitter - Transfer from Virginia Commonwealth Univ.

# 5 - Noelani Helm - Grad Student - 5' 10" - Outside Hitter - Transfer from the Portland University

# 8 - Chey Day - Senior - 6' 4" - Middle Blocker

# 11 - Breanna Mitchell - Sophomore - 5' 6" - Libero - Transfer from Cal State Univ. at Northridge

# 14 - Annie Kaminski - RS Senior - 6' 1" - Middle Blocker

# 18 - Anabel Kotzakov - True Freshman - 6' 2" - Middle Blocker

# 21 - Paige Bartsch - Junior - 6' 3" - Opposite Hitter

I'm wondering why Jordan Miller not only didn't start but she didn't play at all in Friday's game.

#7 · August 27, 2023, 6:20 pm

Quote from Bronco7454 on August 27, 2023, 4:56 am

The starting lineup in Friday's game - according to the video of the game on the MWC streaming channel - was the following:'

# 1 - Qairo Bentley - Grad Student - 6' 0" - Outside Hitter - Transfer from Virginia Commonwealth Univ.

# 5 - Noelani Helm - Grad Student - 5' 10" - Outside Hitter - Transfer from the Portland University

# 8 - Chey Day - Senior - 6' 4" - Middle Blocker

# 11 - Breanna Mitchell - Sophomore - 5' 6" - Libero - Transfer from Cal State Univ. at Northridge

# 14 - Annie Kaminski - RS Senior - 6' 1" - Middle Blocker

# 18 - Anabel Kotzakov - True Freshman - 6' 2" - Middle Blocker

# 21 - Paige Bartsch - Junior - 6' 3" - Opposite Hitter

I'm wondering why Jordan Miller not only didn't start but she didn't play at all in Friday's game.

She was in street clothes on the sidelines. It is probably a minor injury. I saw her walking around after the game greeting fans and talking with a smile on her face. As it turned out, it was a good opportunity to see Kotzakov start and get some experience.

The hard thing was seeing Qairo Bentley go down hard in the first set. Bentley is that outside hitter, transfer from VCU. I saw her on the sidelines at the ISU game at Pocatello and she was limping around, but I did not see a boot.

I will create a new thread with my impressions of the first two games with ISU.