It's Iowa, It's Iowa

[4everwarriors]

Coach Crean is no RMK, aina?

[Lennys Tap]

Yup and @coachtomcrean got sweet, sweet revenge.

Ziggy, when I think of those tweets I still laugh. Creative, really funny stuff.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Ziggy, when I think of those tweets I still laugh. Creative, really funny stuff.

don't know exactly why you are referring to me??   

[keefe]

Ziggy, when I think of those tweets I still laugh. Creative, really funny stuff.

A classic in the annals of Sick Malicious Vandalism and General Hooliganism. The fact that he elicited a response from the Bronzed Beast elevates it to Immortal status. The Holy Grail of Pranks.

We are not worthy.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Just to keep everyone updated after talking to some of the girls on the volleyball team only one person is going to transfer after this year and thats only because she didnt get any playing time, not due to the coaching change. Roster will be the same despite Bond leaving.

[melissasmooth]

Just to keep everyone updated after talking to some of the girls on the volleyball team only one person is going to transfer after this year and thats only because she didnt get any playing time, not due to the coaching change. Roster will be the same despite Bond leaving.

that is what i have been hearing also.

Anyone going down to Loyola to see the Men's Volleyball Final Four in May?

[wadesworld]

that is what i have been hearing also.

Anyone going down to Loyola to see the Men's Volleyball Final Four in May?

Absolutely.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

that is what i have been hearing also.

Anyone going down to Loyola to see the Men's Volleyball Final Four in May?

Absolutely. Certainly helps when you only live 1 mile west of Loyolas campus.

[melissasmooth]

Absolutely. Certainly helps when you only live 1 mile west of Loyolas campus.

Lucky you! So they have changed the format to get the Final Four for this year? In the past they had the MPSF, EIVA and MIVA conference champs and an at large make it to the Final Four. Now they have added the Conference Carolinas champ also? Will they have a play-in game?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Lucky you! So they have changed the format to get the Final Four for this year? In the past they had the MPSF, EIVA and MIVA conference champs and an at large make it to the Final Four. Now they have added the Conference Carolinas champ also? Will they have a play-in game?

Six teams this year. Top 2 seeds get byes and 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5.

[melissasmooth]

Six teams this year. Top 2 seeds get byes and 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5.

Actually according to this, there will only be 5 teams:

"For the 2014 season, an automatic qualifier will go to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) league and another automatic qualifier will go to the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) conference.  The third bid is an at-large bid, while the fourth automatic qualifier goes to the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) & the Conference Carolinas play-in winner. "

The above is from the Conference Carolinas site.

[reinko]

Are we seeing a budding Scoop romance of melissasmooth and wadesworld???     

[wadesworld]

Are we seeing a budding Scoop romance of melissasmooth and wadesworld???      

Nope, just wadesworld and volleyball   .  Hoping to see Loyola (3), USC (1 - most likely won't happen), Stanford (1 - most likely won't happen), and Erksine (1 + a Lightning alum who I never personally coached - won't happen) all make the Final Four.  Backups would include Ohio State (1 Lightning alum who I never coached but know very well and whose brother I am currently coaching) and Lewis (1).  ( = number of players on the team that I coached in club ball while they were in high school)

Also backups from out west would be Pepperdine because that coaching staff is full of incredible people and UCLA because I know that coaching staff fairly well.

My best guess would be that only Loyola and UCLA make it out of that group, but lots of volleyball still to be played.

[wadesworld]

Actually according to this, there will only be 5 teams:

"For the 2014 season, an automatic qualifier will go to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) league and another automatic qualifier will go to the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) conference.  The third bid is an at-large bid, while the fourth automatic qualifier goes to the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) & the Conference Carolinas play-in winner. "

The above is from the Conference Carolinas site.

The Conference Carolinas are a joke.  They don't know what they're talking about.  Each conference (MPSF, MIVA, EIVA, and Conference Carolinas) get an auto bid for their conference tournament champion, and 2 teams will get an at large bid.  Both at large bids will come from the MPSF if Loyola wins the MIVA conference tournament, and that's how it should be.

[melissasmooth]

The Conference Carolinas are a joke.  They don't know what they're talking about.  Each conference (MPSF, MIVA, EIVA, and Conference Carolinas) get an auto bid for their conference tournament champion, and 2 teams will get an at large bid.  Both at large bids will come from the MPSF if Loyola wins the MIVA conference tournament, and that's how it should be.

Yeah, that makes more sense. I don't understand how Conference Carolinas can even get an automatic bid.

[wadesworld]

Yeah, that makes more sense. I don't understand how Conference Carolinas can even get an automatic bid.

"Grow the game."

[melissasmooth]

Nope, just wadesworld and volleyball   .  Hoping to see Loyola (3), USC (1 - most likely won't happen), Stanford (1 - most likely won't happen), and Erkstien (1 + a Lightning alum who I never personally coached - won't happen) all make the Final Four.  Backups would include Ohio State (1 Lightning alum who I never coached but know very well and whose brother I am currently coaching) and Lewis (1).  ( = number of players on the team that I coached in club ball while they were in high school)

Also backups from out west would be Pepperdine because that coaching staff is full of incredible people and UCLA because I know that coaching staff fairly well.

My best guess would be that only Loyola and UCLA make it out of that group, but lots of volleyball still to be played.

I've seen UCLA play several times this year and they look pretty good. The win in five against Stanford this past weekend was a great match. BYU looks good also. Stanford and USC could get hot and make a run too. I thought UC-Irvine would be better but their setters stink.

[wadesworld]

I've seen UCLA play several times this year and they look pretty good. The win in five against Stanford this past weekend was a great match. BYU looks good also. Stanford and USC could get hot and make a run too. I thought UC-Irvine would be better but their setters stink.

Setters are awful, coaching is questionable if you ask me.  Won it all last year with all of Speraw's players.  There's a Lightning alum on that team as well, he came back and coached with our team a couple of years ago when school let out for summer.  He already got his 2 NCAA Championships.  Let the "young bloods" get their turn.

Long Beach State has arguably the best player in the country, they could ride him through to the Final Four.  If Pepperdine stays healthy (big if) they're a force.  They SMOKED UCLA the first time they played.  UCLA is probably the best overall team, but they are not consistent yet.  BYU can ride Sander (know their coach very well as well).  To be honest, 3 of any of the top 9 could make it out of the MPSF.  I doubt UCI does because of the setting.  I don't think Hawaii or UCSB hang in there all season.  Stanford and USC probably shouldn't hang in their but they both have extremely good setters that can take them a long way and are young, so if they settle in and find some consistency it's possible.

[melissasmooth]

Setters are awful, coaching is questionable if you ask me.  Won it all last year with all of Speraw's players.  There's a Lightning alum on that team as well, he came back and coached with our team a couple of years ago when school let out for summer.  He already got his 2 NCAA Championships.  Let the "young bloods" get their turn.

Long Beach State has arguably the best player in the country, they could ride him through to the Final Four.  If Pepperdine stays healthy (big if) they're a force.  They SMOKED UCLA the first time they played.  UCLA is probably the best overall team, but they are not consistent yet.  BYU can ride Sander (know their coach very well as well).  To be honest, 3 of any of the top 9 could make it out of the MPSF.  I doubt UCI does because of the setting.  I don't think Hawaii or UCSB hang in there all season.  Stanford and USC probably shouldn't hang in their but they both have extremely good setters that can take them a long way and are young, so if they settle in and find some consistency it's possible.

Yeah I really love Shaw and Christenson! Fun to watch. What's up with the UCI coach? His lineup is all over the place and they  have a lot of talent.

I wish there were more matches televised.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Loyola is so much fun to watch.

I was at their general volleyball camp back in summer of 07 when I was to be an incoming freshman in high school. Shane Davis knew all the guys at the camp personally and a lot of his players helped out.

The next two years I went to the setters only camp and that was even better because less guys and it was more focused on getting better rather than just playing games. Davis is a really great coach and Mike Hutz (who is the brother for the current Loyola setter) was really good at coaching as well despite the fact that he was only a Sophomore in college at that time.

[melissasmooth]

Loyola is so much fun to watch.

I was at their general volleyball camp back in summer of 07 when I was to be an incoming freshman in high school. Shane Davis knew all the guys at the camp personally and a lot of his players helped out.

The next two years I went to the setters only camp and that was even better because less guys and it was more focused on getting better rather than just playing games. Davis is a really great coach and Mike Hutz (who is the brother for the current Loyola setter) was really good at coaching as well despite the fact that he was only a Sophomore in college at that time.

How good is Loyola, I haven't seen them this year. They lost to USC early in the season, beat UCI in 5 and swept BYU.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

How good is Loyola, I haven't seen them this year. They lost to USC early in the season, beat UCI in 5 and swept BYU.

Well theyre ranked number 1. They have one of the best players in the nation in Smalzer, having a 6'10" middle in Olson always helps and considering their starting setter has only played the position for 3 years hes done a pretty damn good job. They run a FAST offense.

[wadesworld]

Well theyre ranked number 1. They have one of the best players in the nation in Smalzer, having a 6'10" middle in Olson always helps and considering their starting setter has only played the position for 3 years hes done a pretty damn good job. They run a FAST offense.

Smaltzer is good for the MIVA but if you throw him into the group of pin hitters on the West coast he becomes average. He has had better efficiency numbers this year because Loyola is able to spread the ball a little more this year. Janske in my opinion is their best player. He'll be a force by the time he's a senior.

In my opinion, unfortunately, I think they get the 1 seed and a first round bye and then lose in the semis to an MPSF team. They are schematically too vanilla (set the same set each time they are in a certain rotation) and MPSF coaches will eat that up and expose them. The fact that the best team they will have played since December will have been Lewis will also be a problem for them.

Hopefully I'm wrong. I just see too many holes (Caldwell just isn't good enough and McAndrews isn't either) and not being forced to play at a high level every night to have success (like in the MPSF) as being big problems for them come Tourney time.

[melissasmooth]

The MPSF is so deep it is unbelievable.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Smaltzer is good for the MIVA but if you throw him into the group of pin hitters on the West coast he becomes average. He has had better efficiency numbers this year because Loyola is able to spread the ball a little more this year. Janske in my opinion is their best player. He'll be a force by the time he's a senior.

I think it will help Smaltzer that hes a RS. OH are worse blocker then RS and even some setters plus if youre a righty middle (which you should be) it always seems like they have more trouble going to their left to block.