Volleyball Headlines for December 9, 2009

We make decisions using the best criteria we can come up with and take into account their current skill level, enthusiasm, attitude and potential for growth. Some cuts seem obvious - the player is just too short, too uncoordinated or too far behind the other players in skill level. But when you think about it, weren't we all once? Didn't we all start somewhere?

Is it fair to make decisions that could put an end to a child's interest in the sport at such a young age when we could begin to cultivate a lifetime of participation with just a little bit of encouragement?

John Kessel's recent blog says we should just let the young kids play, pointing out that it takes time for talent to develop.

He makes some great points about a junior high program in which 100 kids tried out. They ended up letting them all play on several teams with different skill levels. When they got to high school, half of the players that made the team were the very kids that would've been cut back in junior high if only the top players were allowed to compete. Tough to argue with that.

Of course, not all programs have the coaches or the wherewithal to do what that program did, but it is a story worth keeping in mind when the time comes for tough decisions.

If the growth of the sport is our objective, it makes sense to cast a wide net, especially in the formative years. When it comes down to it, no matter how good we think we are at pinpointing potential, we have to leave room for the late-blooming surprise.

Cuts and the Lifetime Sport originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 10:27:57.

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With eight teams ranked in the top 25 nationally all year long and four in the top 10, I expected the tournament to be a Pac-10 Fest.
But it was not to be. Of the eight qualifying teams, only two remain - Stanford and Cal.

Some of the losses in the first and second rounds were expected. Others, not so much. Two of the biggest upsets were UCLA's loss to Baylor and Washington's loss to Colorado State.

UCLA is young and has been up and down all season. But I was surprised they weren't able to put together a more competitive playoff run.

More disappointing was Washington's performance. Their #6 seed took them to the Minneapolis Regional with no Penn States, Hawaiis or Texases to deal with. They would however have needed to get past Iowa State and Florida. Both doable if they were playing up to their potential.

Turns out, they never made it that far. The Huskies, who were ranked fourth in the nation until the last week of the regular season, lost in the second round to Colorado State in four sets. Their regular season ended on a sour note with an unexpected loss and it seems they were never able to get back on track.

Cal and Stanford will carry the torch for the Pac-10 for this Friday's coming Regional semi-final matches, but both have difficult roads to the Final Four with Stanford needing to get past Hawaii and Cal needing to take down the mighty Penn State to get a ticket to Tampa. No easy feats to say the least.

Pac-10 Flame-Out originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 23:51:41.

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Being the predominant revenue producer certainly should have its perks, but it has always struck me as insane that many football programs spend money to put all 60 guys up in a hotel even when playing at home. The Knight Commission listed this as one of the suggested cuts and I think it is about time.

The Knight Commission is a panel of educators, administrators and athletic directors and has no power to inact changes, but they can put pressure on the NCAA to implement some of these cuts.

Balancing the books will very likely mean that entire sports will get cut as well. It always scares me when I hear this because men's volleyball could very well see some programs disappear in the near future. With so few programs and scholarships left for men's volleyball, more cuts could devastate the sport. Here's hoping they keep the scissors aimed at the behemoth that is college football.

Trim Football, Save Volleyball originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 22:45:34.

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I've noticed that whenever I go to a volleyball game with other players and coaches, we always choose to sit on the end line. When I go with my friends who are new to the sport, they always want to sit along the sideline.

As Holly noted on the broadcast, the end line is the best seat in the house. There is a reason why all the scouting video cameras reside there. No one has a better view than the players themselves. From the end line, you can watch the game just as the players see it.

You can see how the play develops, watch where the hitters are going, see if there is a hole in the block and see how the defense is setting up. From the end line you can see why the players make the choices they make and what they are faced with.

So the next time you're at a game, watch it as a student of the game and not just a spectator. Sit at the end line and you will have a better view than the coaches, the announcers and even the television viewing audience.

Best Seat in the House originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 09:53:08.

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Of interest though - Penn State dropped game one to Purdue this week with a score of 31-29. The Nittany Lions ended up winning in four, but the loss breaks their nine-match streak of bagels. Purdue is not a team they want to be dropping games to this close to the playoffs.

UCLA's hot streak is officially over. They lost to #18 Oregon to fall two spots to #9. It has been a very topsy turvy season for the Bruins. We'll see if they can find some consistency once the playoffs begin.

Two more weeks until the first round of the NCAA tournament. Most of the top teams will not be challenged this weekend, but #6 Stanford will take on #11 Cal and that is always an unpredictable match-up.

NCAA Coaches Poll Week 13 originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 14:07:51.

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Washington beat Stanford in three to remain #1 in the Pac-10 while Stanford fell from #5 to #7.

Two top teams will be tested this week. #4 Washington takes on #6 UCLA, now in second place in the Pac-10 and only one game behind the Huskies. #1 Penn State will take on #5 Illinois.

NCAA Coaches Poll Week 11 originally appeared on About.com Volleyball on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 21:46:01.

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