Colorado-Florida State Quotes
August 29, 2015 | Volleyball
Colorado-Florida State Quotes
Head Coach Liz Kritza
Opening Comments
“That's my team, they were back. We did a lot of mental work last night, not a lot of physical work; just reshaping and retooling and getting everybody back on par for today. I couldn't be prouder of this group to come back from a disappointing opener like that. I have to put this out there: when things happen that are out of our control, when a player goes down, a starting outside hitter, to have the response that these players had, a coach can't ask for anything more. You can't train that, that's just who they are as people. We talked about being comfortable and resilient throughout the preseason, and I think they've shown that to everybody. I know this about them; my staff knows this about them; they know this about each other, but it's really nice to see this coming out when it matters the most, and to be rewarded with a big win like this. This is significant this early in the preseason, against a team that will have another fantastic season. They're a very good team; great players; well coached. Credit to them, but I could not be more proud of my group today.”
On Versatility of So. Gabby Simpson and Sr. Nicole Edelman
“This is what makes us different. The two players next to me, they make us unique; they make us different than many of the teams and opponents we're going to face, because of their flexibility and versatility. You can't do that if, one you don't have the physical ability and they both do; two, you don't have the volleyball skill-ability and they both do; and the third and most important piece, they get this game and they get moments in matches when the advantage is sitting there waiting for us to take it, and they're learning to do it on their own. We can flip in and out of different lineups. I think there's a steadiness and consistency that they bring that will be one of our key elements to success this season. I think when things like when a brand new freshman outside hitter is out there, they're fine, because these two are fine. They're fine, because they're getting direction from veteran players. Gabby, I know she's only a sophomore, but there's a ton of playing experience. Between the two of them, there's a lot of know-how and a lot of ability to adjust and win. Sometimes it's just gutting out points, and sometimes it's just being stubborn, which fortunately these two are in all the right ways.”
Decision about putting Fr. Naghede Abu in the starting lineup
We develop our players and we invest in our players all the way from when they're here through where they are now. Eddy [Nicole Edelman] is now getting ready to finish her season and go out and play professionally. Naghede has to play to get better for us. Physically, she can present a block that is different, and we needed that. We knew we were going to need someone with her athleticism and her jumping ability. We talked about this in the huddle. This is who we are—changing blocking assignments, changing defensive assignments, flipping in and out of offenses—and understanding that it's okay. It's just a matter of figuring out which is the best version of us in that particular rotation; and that's the strategy that we will use. And to do that you have to have coaches that understand what you're players can do, and players that understand what the coach is trying to tell you. I've never been able to do that with a team before. I think that this year, the players completely get it. A win, that maybe could have gone another way if we were very ridged, proves to them that they can do a lot more than we could do last year. It's a different team, a different identity—and I like what I see so far.
How excited are you to play Oklahoma tonight?
This is the toughest tournament; it is the toughest opening weekend. There is a lot of good volleyball being played, not just in our matches but in the others that we are scouting. We are looking forward to a really well played, high level match tonight against Oklahoma. Coming in, we want to make sure that our players are as ready as possible.
Updates on Joss' injury
It's an ankle injury of some severity. They're going through assessments right now, so we haven't gotten the final word. I had a quick encounter with [Joslyn Hayes] after the game, and her spirits are high and great. The best thing is, you have a player that takes an injury like that, that can't complete the match, and all she wants to do is come back out and celebrate the big win with her team. That says something about the group that we have. And I think that's credit to these kids because they fought and played for her.
Colorado Players
Nicole Edelman, Sr., S
What Was the Difference between Today's Win and Last Night's Loss?
“I would say that we were much more un-phased. You unfortunately can't win every point, even though you try. I think we made quicker adjustments and our communication was much better than last night. Something that really helped us, was switching our mentality, nothing too big or small just enough to get it done today.”
What Adjustment Was Made Going Into the Fourth Set?
“I think we just really got into a rhythm. We finally started scoring and we were stopping their big hitters. After winning the first set we knew that we can take sets off of them. I'm really proud on how we did in the fifth and final set. We were down 5-1 at one point and we showed a lot of heart. Florida State is a great team in every position, so we really had to fight for that one and I'm really happy with the result.”
How Did the Team Overcome Joslyn Hayes's Early Injury?
“I think it's always hard when a player in a key position is injured. When someone goes down like that, it's tough for a little bit. But we just talked about regrouping and that we need to keep playing, especially for her (Joslyn). She has so much heart and would do anything for this team, this was for her.”
Gabby Simpson, So., S
What Was the Difference between Today's Win and Last Night's Loss?
“I would have to say that our mentality has changed. We went into today's match wanting to take care of business and get it done.”
