Jul 05, 2022 01:00 AM PST

Stunners Regain Control of Sinking Season
Without a coach and a sizeable amount of their starting lineup not present for Event 4, the Chicago Untouchables had to rely on their season veterans to lead the charge against two powerhouse teams. Playing the Las Vegas Ramblers and OC Stunners would be a sizeable challenge that would put their playoff hopes in a dire position.
Untouchables vs Stunners
Finally gaining their rhythm back after a rocky first half
of the regular season, the OC Stunners pulled off their first 3-0 sweep over
the Chicago Untouchables. The Untouchables now face elimination as they have
been unable to pull off a win, missing many of their big players who gave them
a fighting chance at the beginning of the season.
The Untouchables came out to a rocky start as they struggled
to find a connection and get the ball to find the court. With the 18 offensive
kills the Untouchables had in the first two sets, they also managed to tally up
15 total blocked swings and hitting errors. In total, the Untouchables walked
away from the match with aW-L point
ratio on the game of -1, committing more errors than points gained. Still,
Players like Opposite Piotr Namiotko and Middle Kamil Garbowski each hit at or
above 50%, catching the Stunners sleeping. The lack of Stunners' attention
towards Namiotko and Garboski came from a heavy focus on Untouchables outside
Will Ragland, who scored nine kills at 45% efficiency ripping balls down the
line.
The Stunners did well getting their entire roster on the
court, with coach Matt Prosser deciding to play all his outsides in preparation
for playing the tornadoes with limited lineup options in their next match
against the Dallas Tornadoes. Corey Chavers and Matt Hilling each pulled out a
solid ten kills, each hitting 67%, each only playing two complete sets.
Youngblood Antonio Anguizala made a big impression on the team's defense,
passing at 75% positive passing efficiency on eight attempts with no errors.
Joey Jarvis went for a perfect three kills on three shots after only one set
played, passing at a 71% positive ratio on eight attempts.
Both teams were relatively matched on playing ability, with
both teams' passing average in the mid-'60s with a similar amount of kills and
aces. The match came down to the Untouvhables' lesser side out efficiency,
which was more than 10% less for positive passes, negative passes, and mainly
kills off a defensive dig, which the Stunners were able to keep above 54% kill
rate on the match. If the Untouchables could have reduced the number of errors
they committed, they may have finally gotten the upper hand on a top 4 team
this season.
Stunners vs Tornadoes
Entering the match, the Stunners came off their third
straight win and the Dallas Tornadoes with two heavy losses. Each team had very
different mentalities coming into the game as the Stunners hoped to maintain
their momentum while the Tornadoes hoped to turn the tides of their season.
The Tornadoes' man of the year, Outside Felix Chapman, put
in work as always, scoring 27 kills off of a whopping 55 sets. Middle Blocker
Chike Oppurum also was set frequently with 23 sets, scoring 12 points with
three stuff blocks, even bringing down the Stunner big man Jair Santiago.
Outside Chase McKenzie made an impressive showing in his debut event scoring at
a 50% attack ratio. Then Middle Blocker Joseph Grosh put on the heat himself
with seven kills out of 11 swings, hitting at a 64% efficiency.
The Stunners did well to limit their errors in the match,
with Joey Jarvis maintaining a +10 W-L point ratio scoring 12 kills at 50%
efficiency. Middle Blocker Nick West hit with some blistering intensity,
scoring 11 kills with no errors hitting at the highest efficiency of the match
at 73%. As a passing unit, the Stunners were unwavering with a 71% positive
passing average, with Jarvis (78%), Matt Hilling (70%), and Dylan Shigekawa
(68%) efficiently handling the Tornadoes' serves. Opposite Jair Santiago and
Hilling led the team with points, with Santiago scoring 14 kills at 54% and
Hilling rattling off four aces.
The match was extremely close in the middle sets going into extra
points, with the Tornadoes' success causing real chemistry problems on the
Stunners bench leading to multiple mid-game arguments. In the end, the
Stunner's ability to score out of system passes (50% compared to the Tornadoes'
38%). Their superior passing (71% positive compared to Dallas' 54%) gave them
more opportunity to fight at the net.
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Now with a 6-2 record on the year, the Stunners have
solidified their playoff spot. With their entire lineup in the gym, the
Stunners can get to work, ready to face off against the undefeated New Jersey
Team Freedom. After losing to them in the first match of the season, the
Stunners should have a better shot of taking them down with their entire
roster, giving a preview of what the 2022 NVA Championship match might look
like.
- NVA Staff Writer