Puerto Rico ClasicoAug 30, 2016 by Megan Kaplon
Get to Know the Six Teams Competing in the Puerto Rico Clasico
Get to Know the Six Teams Competing in the Puerto Rico Clasico
It's finally women's NCAA volleyball season again, and this weekend, there's no better preseason competition than the Puerto Rico Clasico tournament in San
It's finally women's NCAA volleyball season again, and this weekend, there's no better preseason competition than the Puerto Rico Clasico tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You can watch all three days of matches LIVE right here on FloVolleyball, but before action kicks off on Thursday, here's what you need to know about the six teams competing.
The Golden Gophers claimed the Big Ten title on their way to the national semifinals in 2015. This year, their biggest hurdle will be filling the hole left by the graduation of First Team All-American outside hitter Daly Santana. So far, senior Sarah Wilhite has done her part to step up production, and freshman Alexis Hart has performed well in the OH2 spot. Add in the All-American Tapp twins, reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year setter Samantha Seliger Swenson, and scrappy libero Dalianliz Rosado, and the Gophers should dominate the competition in Puerto Rico and contend for the national championship come December.
A&M won its first-ever conference title in 2015, thanks in large part to contributions from returning middle blocker Jazzmin Babers and setter Stephanie Aiple. Outside Kiara McGee has worked hard to improve in the offseason and will be another key to A&M's success this year. A loss to Hawaii in the second round of the 2015 NCAA tournament still stings for the Aggies, but a five-set victory over Florida late in the 2015 season shows just how good this team can be.
The Seminoles will have to grapple with the loss of All-American Nicole Walch, but Florida State's dynamic setters Hailey Luke and Brianna Burkert return, and their experience and knowledge with help integrate new players into the offense. FSU will have only played one match before they take the court on Friday versus Texas A&M, so they may still be breaking off the rust. But by Sunday, the Seminoles should be one of the most exciting teams to watch in San Juan.
The firepower of Krystal Rivers and Kat Hutson at opposite pins forms the majority of the Crimson Tide's offense. But Alabama is less strong on the defensive side, so it may struggle against more balanced teams. The match-up with Florida State in San Juan looms large, and should help the Crimson Tide prepare for the top-level competition they'll face in SEC.
Setter Rhegan Mitchell has already surpassed 1,000 assists, and she's just kicking off her sophomore year. Mitchell will look to dish the ball to outside hitter Lindsey Owens at every opportunity, but with good passes, Jaila Tolbert will be a valuable weapon out of the middle. The Hokies finished in the middle of the pack in the ACC last year, and are predicted to finish there again. But led by a trio of seniors, this team will look to outperform its ranking, starting with Thursday's match-up with Alabama.
The Temple Owls finished second in the American Athletic Conference last year, which was just shy of an automatic NCAA tournament berth. A good performance in Puerto Rico would go a long way toward lifting Temple's RPI. Pin hitters Irem Asci (originally from Turkey) and Izzy Rapacz lead a roster that includes other international players from Croatia (Iva Deak, MB) and Germany (Carla Guennewig, MB). The graduation of libero Alyssa Drachslin in the spring means the Owls have a hole to fill in the back row, and Saturday's match versus Alabama will be a great opportunity to put her replacement to the test.
1. Minnesota
The Golden Gophers claimed the Big Ten title on their way to the national semifinals in 2015. This year, their biggest hurdle will be filling the hole left by the graduation of First Team All-American outside hitter Daly Santana. So far, senior Sarah Wilhite has done her part to step up production, and freshman Alexis Hart has performed well in the OH2 spot. Add in the All-American Tapp twins, reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year setter Samantha Seliger Swenson, and scrappy libero Dalianliz Rosado, and the Gophers should dominate the competition in Puerto Rico and contend for the national championship come December.
2. Texas A&M
A&M won its first-ever conference title in 2015, thanks in large part to contributions from returning middle blocker Jazzmin Babers and setter Stephanie Aiple. Outside Kiara McGee has worked hard to improve in the offseason and will be another key to A&M's success this year. A loss to Hawaii in the second round of the 2015 NCAA tournament still stings for the Aggies, but a five-set victory over Florida late in the 2015 season shows just how good this team can be.
3. Florida State
The Seminoles will have to grapple with the loss of All-American Nicole Walch, but Florida State's dynamic setters Hailey Luke and Brianna Burkert return, and their experience and knowledge with help integrate new players into the offense. FSU will have only played one match before they take the court on Friday versus Texas A&M, so they may still be breaking off the rust. But by Sunday, the Seminoles should be one of the most exciting teams to watch in San Juan.
4. Alabama
The firepower of Krystal Rivers and Kat Hutson at opposite pins forms the majority of the Crimson Tide's offense. But Alabama is less strong on the defensive side, so it may struggle against more balanced teams. The match-up with Florida State in San Juan looms large, and should help the Crimson Tide prepare for the top-level competition they'll face in SEC.
5. Virginia Tech
Setter Rhegan Mitchell has already surpassed 1,000 assists, and she's just kicking off her sophomore year. Mitchell will look to dish the ball to outside hitter Lindsey Owens at every opportunity, but with good passes, Jaila Tolbert will be a valuable weapon out of the middle. The Hokies finished in the middle of the pack in the ACC last year, and are predicted to finish there again. But led by a trio of seniors, this team will look to outperform its ranking, starting with Thursday's match-up with Alabama.
6. Temple
The Temple Owls finished second in the American Athletic Conference last year, which was just shy of an automatic NCAA tournament berth. A good performance in Puerto Rico would go a long way toward lifting Temple's RPI. Pin hitters Irem Asci (originally from Turkey) and Izzy Rapacz lead a roster that includes other international players from Croatia (Iva Deak, MB) and Germany (Carla Guennewig, MB). The graduation of libero Alyssa Drachslin in the spring means the Owls have a hole to fill in the back row, and Saturday's match versus Alabama will be a great opportunity to put her replacement to the test.
