VBelo Scouting Report: January 25, 2023
Mid-week showdown
Well, that King/Tusculum matchup did not disappoint! King came out strong, taking the first two sets. Then the home team was able to turn things around and take the next two. In the decisive fifth set, King was held to their lowest hitting percentage of the night (.167), but Tusculum was held even lower (.043). Tusculum has been in some close matches this year, as this was their 3rd 5-set match in their 8 matches played. They are tied with USC and UCSB for the most #CincoSets matches this season. This was King’s first match to go the distance which is impressive since they currently lead all teams with 9 total matches played.
There are some interesting road trips going on this week. Hawai’i is playing a few matches in North Carolina. BYU is traveling to the West Coast. And ooh yeah, Long Beach is taking on Penn State! This match has the potential to create some movement in the polls and make them less boring. VBelo likes Penn State, especially at home, but Long Beach is a very strong team. If you have B1G+, then this is a must watch. If you don’t, you might want to get it just for this match alone. Will Penn State’s recent high level competition provide them momentum or will Long Beach’s easier schedule mean they are more rested? This is going to be fun!
Match Recaps
Non-conference
Emmanuel (74%) def. Fort Valley State (26%)
3-1 (25-16, 25-16, 23-25, 28-26)
Isaiah Fedd (FVSU) was on fire last night. He finished with 19 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks, and 8 digs in the loss for the Wildcats.
King (59%) def. Tusculum (41%)
3-2 (25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 22-25, 15-12)
Justin Sawyer (King) led the way with 19 kills to keep King perfect all-time against Tusculum (5-0).
Match Projections
Non-conference
Hawai'i (80%) vs Queens (20%)
Limestone (23%) vs North Greenville (77%)
Southern California (66%) vs CSU Northridge (34%)
Long Beach (32%) vs Penn State (68%)
BYU (41%) vs UC Irvine (59%)
Rivier (58%) vs American International (42%)
Maryville (71%) vs Quincy (29%)
