Volleyball Thread

[wadesworld]

Seattle or South Bend? Hmmmmmmmm.

I believe 10 out of 12 teams from the Pac 12 made the NCAA Tournament this year in women's volleyball.  Compare that to 4 out of the ACC's 15 schools and it's a little easier to have big time success in the ACC.  Combine the ability to sell a Notre Dame degree for free with his own personal coaching success and he'll have that program towards the top of the ACC in no time.

Have had the pleasure of learning from a number of incredible volleyball coaches with Gold Medal Squared coming in and giving our coaches a clinic for 4 years, including Carl and Chris McGowan, John Speraw, Marv Dunphy, and Mike Wall.  Jim McLaughlin is someone they all talked very highly of and they showed quite a bit of DataVolley to us.  His players are always so fundamentally sound it's crazy.  Everything from footwork (hitters and setters) to defensive positioning to blocking reads, it's really amazing.   They are one of the few, if not the only, women's college volleyball team who has a truly dynamic block move.

[StillAWarrior]

I believe 10 out of 12 teams from the Pac 12 made the NCAA Tournament this year in women's volleyball.  Compare that to 4 out of the ACC's 15 schools and it's a little easier to have big time success in the ACC.  Combine the ability to sell a Notre Dame degree for free with his own personal coaching success and he'll have that program towards the top of the ACC in no time.

I think it's going to be really interesting to see how McLaughlin does at ND.  I would have to think that within a couple of years he's going to be in on many of the top players in the Midwest.  There is a lot of talent in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan.  I also think he'll continue recruiting out West and will be able to do it better than a lot of Midwest schools because of his contacts and the Notre Dame name.  Hiring Johnson from Xavier will give him some good inroads into the Midwest.  If he can take 1-2 top players from the Midwest each year and still draw using the ND name, coupled with his coaching skill, I think ND will be a top 25 team within a pretty short time.  The hire shows that they're committed to having a big-time volleyball program, and I think they'll be able to pull it off.

[wadesworld]

I think it's going to be really interesting to see how McLaughlin does at ND.  I would have to think that within a couple of years he's going to be in on many of the top players in the Midwest.  There is a lot of talent in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan.  I also think he'll continue recruiting out West and will be able to do it better than a lot of Midwest schools because of his contacts and the Notre Dame name.  Hiring Johnson from Xavier will give him some good inroads into the Midwest.  If he can take 1-2 top players from the Midwest each year and still draw using the ND name, coupled with his coaching skill, I think ND will be a top 25 team within a pretty short time.  The hire shows that they're committed to having a big-time volleyball program, and I think they'll be able to pull it off.

For sure.  If Bond was able to get Marquette into/on the border of the top 25 in a few short years, Jim McLaughlin should have no issue doing it at Notre Dame.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I would love to see men's volleyball become more popular in the collegiate ranks. Not an expensive sport but that brings in title IX problems.

[Groin_pull]

I believe 10 out of 12 teams from the Pac 12 made the NCAA Tournament this year in women's volleyball.  Compare that to 4 out of the ACC's 15 schools and it's a little easier to have big time success in the ACC.  Combine the ability to sell a Notre Dame degree for free with his own personal coaching success and he'll have that program towards the top of the ACC in no time.

Have had the pleasure of learning from a number of incredible volleyball coaches with Gold Medal Squared coming in and giving our coaches a clinic for 4 years, including Carl and Chris McGowan, John Speraw, Marv Dunphy, and Mike Wall.  Jim McLaughlin is someone they all talked very highly of and they showed quite a bit of DataVolley to us.  His players are always so fundamentally sound it's crazy.  Everything from footwork (hitters and setters) to defensive positioning to blocking reads, it's really amazing.   They are one of the few, if not the only, women's college volleyball team who has a truly dynamic block move.

I'm looking at it as...where would I (and my family) want to live? As a coach, you're living in that spot year-round. Give me Seattle, thank you.

[wadesworld]

I'm looking at it as...where would I (and my family) want to live? As a coach, you're living in that spot year-round. Give me Seattle, thank you.

I'm looking at it as Urban Meyer did Florida...it sure is getting tough to win year in and year out and compete with the best programs in the country. I could get paid more to have an easier time winning and then take my chances in the post season. Longer term guaranteed job security with more money in a cheaper place to live, coaching at a school that will be easier to recruit to.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Where is Gabby going?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Where is Gabby going?

Don't know but let's just say she didn't voluntarily leave the program.

[Dr. Blackheart]

And Bailey, Barber and Kintzel gone too--wham...big drop off from Bond.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

And Bailey, Barber and Kintzel gone too--wham...big drop off from Bond.

Did not know about Autumn or Nele. Wow. They kept that under wraps. Gabby was done for awhile and they announced Kintzel wasn't coming back.

[wadesworld]

Looks like it's heading towards my fears coming true for the MU women's volleyball program.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Looks like it's heading towards my fears coming true for the MU women's volleyball program.

Yup, Autumn is a terrible loss. Like program changing loss. Nele was pretty good too but Autumn was going to destroy the all time kills record going away.

[Groin_pull]

Looks like it's heading towards my fears coming true for the MU women's volleyball program.

I guess it was a nice ride while it lasted, but now it's back to reality. Tired of MU serving as a coaching feeder system for the "big boys."

[wadesworld]

I guess it was a nice ride while it lasted, but now it's back to reality. Tired of MU serving as a coaching feeder system for the "big boys."

I agree with your first thought but disagree with your second.  I think the second thought is where Marquette went wrong.  Marquette had a chance to use Bond's success as a launching pad and get someone in there that would continue the momentum he had created.  Instead, Marquette went with a safe hire, a guy with local ties who had "success" at the mid major level, and to him this is the "big boy job."  I don't mind Marquette being a "stepping stone job" if it means Marquette's program continues to trend upwards with each new hire.

I can say with 100% certainty that there was interest in the job with a coach who is very well respected on the men's side of things and is an incredibly hard worker (his recruiting habits remind me of Buzz, you wonder how the heck he does it...yet a complete down to earth guy...knows every player's name from 8th graders on up and knows about their family, etc.), who also had assistant coaching experience on the women's college side.  Let's just say he has been the right hand man of a coach who has been or currently is (don't want to give away his identity as maybe he doesn't want it known he was interested in a new position) the Men's National Team head coach for many years.  The floor for his program would've been where Bond left it, and the ceiling would've been very high.  Instead, we aspired to be Ohio (who was successful for the size of the school, no doubt, but are not legitimate contenders to go to the 2nd weekend in the NCAAs and beyond year in and year out).

[Dr. Blackheart]

MU lost their three highest revenue sport coaches in a period of uncertainty and transition. Some should have been set free. Bond could have been and should have been retained. Cords blew this one, got the other two right.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

MU lost their three highest revenue sport coaches in a period of uncertainty and transition. Some should have been set free. Bond could have been and should have been retained. Cords blew this one, got the other two right.

I don't know if MU could kept him. He's from Iowa.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I don't know if MU could kept him. He's from Iowa.

They could have tried $$$. I might add that he turned Iowa down at least twice this last time before he accepted.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Loyola has been rolling early on including a big 3-1 win against BYU and a sweep at Stanford. Say what you want about their conference but they can play with the big boys when it counts.

[StillAWarrior]

Loyola has been rolling early on including a big 3-1 win against BYU and a sweep at Stanford. Say what you want about their conference but they can play with the big boys when it counts.

My son and I were in Chicago for a volleyball tournament over the weekend, and were able to go see Loyola play Harvard on Saturday afternoon.  They looked really, really good, but I honestly have no frame of reference because I haven't seen much high-level men's volleyball.  But damn, they were good.  I just kept shaking my head and laughing.  The bic they ran about 5-6 times was absolutely amazing.  It scored every time (except for one where the ref called a back row attack).

[wadesworld]

Loyola has been rolling early on including a big 3-1 win against BYU and a sweep at Stanford. Say what you want about their conference but they can play with the big boys when it counts.

BYU lost what quite possibly could turn out to be the best volleyball player in men's US volleyball history, as well as their other outside being out following shoulder surgery and their All American right side being out on his mission, plus graduating a middle.  People look at BYU's 2 wins over UCLA over the weekend and think they'll contend in the MPSF.  I don't think they will, as UCLA doesn't start a single senior and is very young and passes horribly.  Loyola made 31 (yes, thirty one!) hitting errors alone in their 4 set win over BYU.  That is brutal.  The right side is going to be a big problem unless one of the freshman develop quickly and step into that role, as McAndrews is truly a middle.  Their libero spot is also a big problem for them.  And their win over Stanford comes against a team who lost maybe more than any other team in the country, with all 3 pin hitters graduating.  Plus James Shaw was coming back from a knee injury and only played half the match.

Loyola definitely deserves their #1 ranking (Lewis is #2, and Ball State and IPFW had some nice wins in the non-conference as well) and is certainly a favorite to repeat, but I wouldn't be looking too much into those wins.  I think we'll learn more about them when they play Lewis.

Look for Pepperdine, USC, and my 2 sleepers would be UC Irvine and Hawaii to contend out of the MPSF.  USC has some big holes (in my opinion, none of their pin hitters are strong enough), but Micah is so good that he makes up for that and gets them 1-on-1 situations constantly.  Even below average college OHs will find put balls away with single blocks up.  Pepperdine is just really good all around, very physically dominating, and have arguably the best coach in the history of USA volleyball.  Irvine is also good all around, it's just a matter of finding a consistent lineup, which historically they struggle to do until the last 1/4 of the season.  And Hawaii has some dominant middles and huge home court advantage.

[jficke13]

MU lost their three highest revenue sport coaches in a period of uncertainty and transition. Some should have been set free. Bond could have been and should have been retained. Cords blew this one, got the other two right.

Iowa paid him some major $. Not sure it was worth it to retain him even if he is a great coach. How much money is it worth spending on a non-revenue sport? At some point it's too much; I think Bond found that threshold.

[wadesworld]

Might be to late to draw anyone's attention who might be interested, but one of my favorites in USC plays at one of my sleepers in UCI tonight (although UCI has jumped up in the rankings, but they were chosen to finish 5th in the MPSF in their preseason coaches poll).  Here's a link to the stream of the match:

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/media/mvbstream

[wadesworld]

Might be to late to draw anyone's attention who might be interested, but one of my favorites in USC plays at one of my sleepers in UCI tonight (although UCI has jumped up in the rankings, but they were chosen to finish 5th in the MPSF in their preseason coaches poll).  Here's a link to the stream of the match:

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/media/mvbstream

Former player of mine leading USC in kills for the 2nd straight match in a 5 set win.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Bump. When's the last time a West Coast team wasn't playing in the final? Has it ever happened?

[GGGG]

Bump. When's the last time a West Coast team wasn't playing in the final? Has it ever happened?

If you don't consider BYU "west coast," 2003.  They lost to Lewis who later had to vacate the title.