[Spiny_Norman]

Seemed that every run Stanford made ended with a serve into the net or long. Unforced errors that killed momentum.

I didn't see the match, but in general, it seems to me that most runs usually are a run in part because of aggressive serving that helps avoid side-outs. Side-outs not from service errors kill momentum too. An undesirable result of aggressive serving is that a run ends (or never gets started) because of a service error. There needs to be a balance, but Hambly seems ok with more service errors than most of us spectators seem to be. I suspect he has the stats to support it, based on things such as the grading of each serve, the percentage of each grade of serves that result in poor passes by the other team, and the percent of those that end in a point for us, versus how points go when we don't hit tough serves and when they serve-receive well. Against the very top teams that have highly potent offenses when in system (the ones we have to beat to win a NC), aggressive serving is especially important and I would guess Hambly wants to practice that all through the season.

I like the strategy. It's just a high risk approach that sometimes is frustrating for the fans. Does playing a high pressure serve game necessarily mean so many service errors?

Stanford is 80th in country in aces per set. Pitt is 4th.

[Spiny_Norman]

Seemed that every run Stanford made ended with a serve into the net or long. Unforced errors that killed momentum.

I didn't see the match, but in general, it seems to me that most runs usually are a run in part because of aggressive serving that helps avoid side-outs. Side-outs not from service errors kill momentum too. An undesirable result of aggressive serving is that a run ends (or never gets started) because of a service error. There needs to be a balance, but Hambly seems ok with more service errors than most of us spectators seem to be. I suspect he has the stats to support it, based on things such as the grading of each serve, the percentage of each grade of serves that result in poor passes by the other team, and the percent of those that end in a point for us, versus how points go when we don't hit tough serves and when they serve-receive well. Against the very top teams that have highly potent offenses when in system (the ones we have to beat to win a NC), aggressive serving is especially important and I would guess Hambly wants to practice that all through the season.

I like the strategy. It's just a high risk approach that sometimes is frustrating for the fans. Does playing a high pressure serve game necessarily mean so many service errors?

Stanford is 80th in country in aces per set. Pitt is 4th.