Cal-CU Quotes
October 16, 2015 | Volleyball
Cal-CU Quotes
Head Coach Liz Kritza
On preparation for this game and the result of the game
You know what I like about our team, is that we have the ability to go from one match to the next. (The sets) transfer from one to the next, even down one ball to the next, and separating things out like that. It's something that helps us be successful. We had to pick ourselves up and get over, a kind of, flat match for us in our last opponent; and we had to prepare for a team that could do multiple things tonight. Credit to Cal this is a great fight; they have a lot of good players. But if we follow the game plan and let our offense run the way that we know that it should, then we expected to be coming away with a win tonight. For us, the other part of our team is that we are not satisfied. We know that we can play better; we want to and we need to, for the next opponent coming in here.
On Not Beating Cal In Three Sets
“Let me be clear; we always train for and want and expect to win in three sets but this is Pac-12. There is no easy night, there isn't a gimme team. You have great players, fab 50 recruits all over the court. So, to not sweep this tonight isn't the end of the world for us. We also understand the sport so much so that when the energy of the court is out of control or the moment shifts for whatever reason, it's difficult. When you go down by as many points as we did in the third set, that's a really hard way to play against a team and a really hard comeback to make. But I'm never discouraged by my team. I have the upmost confidence in them. Sometimes my reminders are not so gentle and they respond and they know it just because the expectation level is so high within. I think that knowing that we didn't perform the way we needed to at the beginning of the third lit a fire in everyone and we were all able to look at each other in the huddle and be like, 'hey you've got to erase that set and we have to move forward and play our proper level of volleyball.' It started working well in the fourth set and we just executed our plan all the way through. When we do that, we've shown multiple times this season when we've played number one, number three teams, we show that we can play with anybody. With that confidence behind them, they just need to go out and play our game and control things side on our things of the net. Things usually end up our way when we do that.”
On Cierra Simpson recording 31 digs in three matches
CeCe is doing a fantastic job. Of the 31 digs she made, I guarantee if I go an ask her she is going to talk about the eight or nine that she didn't make—that's why she is progressing like this. Climbing through the conference ranks and digs is one thing, but contributing to her team's success is the greater value in these 31 digs. I think that she's done a really good job of stabilizing our service-receive unit. Ryal coaches her pretty intensely and (she) is told to make sure she up's her number of digs because she has to help hold the offense. If we're not scoring in the side-out side of the game, then we have to score more on the transition side. And that is completely dependent on how many digs we are getting and how we can convert them to points. I'm really proud of our efforts, guarantee there are plays that she's going to want to have back tonight, and sharpen up and hone in. I think that this is a good spot for us to be looking forward to Sunday's match. We have a win, took care of our business, but there are things we need to correct, and there some still unfinished business left on that court for these players. And they respond well to that when that happens.
Players
Joslyn Hayes, So., MB/RS
On The End of the Second Set
“Energy, you've just got to keep playing through and keep fighting. There were a couple of plays that we knew we could have done better. We responded well at that moment and overall tonight.”
On Preparing for Sunday's Match against Stanford
“I think that we have to prolong our good play in this match. We played well at the beginning of the USC match, but we faded out at the end. You can't just expect to play those three sets and be done. I think when we play Stanford on Sunday, we need to come out on fire but we need to keep up that play during Stanford.”
Katelyn Cuff, Jr., MB
On The End of the Second Set
“I feel like we played with them for the majority of that set, which showed with the score. But at the end of the say we can pull it out because we have great players and we know what to do in those moments.”
On Preparing for Sunday's Match against Stanford
“I think we just need to show up ready to put in the extra work to get ready. Stanford is tough and it's going to be an exciting game. But at the end of the day, I think we have a lot of work to do tomorrow which will show up in the game on Sunday.”
