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Post by joc on Apr 29, 2015 10:42:32 GMT -5
My Rebuttal to said AD.
The All-American teams have 28 players not 20. Second, we were ranked to end the year so that argument is moot. Third, if moving from a .500 record to a .714 winning percentage in conference isn't an accomplishment, then I don't think that word means what you think it means.
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Post by strikestwice on Apr 29, 2015 11:55:27 GMT -5
Just a couple of thoughts to weigh in here at the end of the season. First of all, how many times has this forum said how little the coaches poll actually means. So Dominican sneaking in at 15 to end the season is great for a second year program, but until they make it into the Regional Rankings, it really doesn't mean a whole lot. As far as increasing their conference winning percentage from .500 to .714 it's a little misleading. 6 of their conferences 10 wins were against 2 first year programs and Fontbonne (the notorious bottom dweller of the Midwest). Against the rest of the conference they were 4-4 (.500). I'm not trying to knock Dominican by any means, but it seems there was a lot of hype about them going into the season, and I'm not sure that they lived up to their expectations. A second year program that is definitely headed in the right direction though. Will be curious to see how the other new Midwest programs do in their first couple of years going forward.
Second, to carthagedad and all of the others who are ragging on Carthage, or thinking that Carthage was screwed out of the tournament, let's take a look at them. They clearly just were not ready this year to take that next step. LJ did a great job of putting them into a position with their schedule to make some noise and play their way into the tournament without an AQ in their conference. The only downside is that by not winning any of those matches, in the end they played their way out. They lost a lot to graduation last year and had some big holes in their lineup to fill. They had 3 guys this year out on the court with any type of playing experience at the D3 level and had a lot of growing up to do. Positive side for them is that they really only lose Jon Storm on the outside (no small loss as he was a 3 year starter and 2.5 time All-American). Similar to Naz last year into this year, if they can get their setting situation figured out, they have all of the physicality to compete with anyone, should be one to watch next year.
Other teams to watch next year I think are: Springfield- can never count Charlie & co. out of it (Pieper is a giant loss, but lots of other pieces coming back, especially if they do get Vega back) New Paltz - Tons of experience returning, I think that they have to be my preseason pick to win it all. The only loss that they have is Lutjen, so we'll see how that effects their offense next year, but so much firepower from a team that just missed out on making the finals this season. Naz - I believe that they lose a couple of key pieces, mainly Lawatsch in the middle, but Zyburt will be a senior on a mission and a young talented sophomore setter. Stevens - Lose a lot of seniors, but return Ferriter on the outside plus all of the guys that didn't play this year but did in 2014. Santa Cruz - They lose some talent, but also retain a lot of their guys from this year, plus have a very talented and capable setter to replace Blake.
2016 could shape up to be even more diverse than this season was. Great to see Division III volleyball thriving after the NCAA officially sanctioned it, let's hope the growth continues so the tournament can get even larger.
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Post by september on Apr 29, 2015 14:29:11 GMT -5
It is going to be interesting over the next few years in the western suburbs of IL for Dominican, Benedictine, and North Central. All schools in a close proximity. All schools starting one year after another. A little recruiting war has begun already I'm sure. Have fun! Maybe some of the Chicago kids will want to go away from home a little and spread the talent out. Hope so!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 15:58:39 GMT -5
Agreed that some local talent will continue to go away from home. The best program will probably be the one that can bring in out of state players.
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D3 in 2015
Apr 29, 2015 16:38:18 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 16:38:18 GMT -5
Just a couple of thoughts to weigh in here at the end of the season. First of all, how many times has this forum said how little the coaches poll actually means. So Dominican sneaking in at 15 to end the season is great for a second year program, but until they make it into the Regional Rankings, it really doesn't mean a whole lot. As far as increasing their conference winning percentage from .500 to .714 it's a little misleading. 6 of their conferences 10 wins were against 2 first year programs and Fontbonne (the notorious bottom dweller of the Midwest). Against the rest of the conference they were 4-4 (.500). I'm not trying to knock Dominican by any means, but it seems there was a lot of hype about them going into the season, and I'm not sure that they lived up to their expectations. A second year program that is definitely headed in the right direction though. Will be curious to see how the other new Midwest programs do in their first couple of years going forward. Second, to carthagedad and all of the others who are ragging on Carthage, or thinking that Carthage was screwed out of the tournament, let's take a look at them. They clearly just were not ready this year to take that next step. LJ did a great job of putting them into a position with their schedule to make some noise and play their way into the tournament without an AQ in their conference. The only downside is that by not winning any of those matches, in the end they played their way out. They lost a lot to graduation last year and had some big holes in their lineup to fill. They had 3 guys this year out on the court with any type of playing experience at the D3 level and had a lot of growing up to do. Positive side for them is that they really only lose Jon Storm on the outside (no small loss as he was a 3 year starter and 2.5 time All-American). Similar to Naz last year into this year, if they can get their setting situation figured out, they have all of the physicality to compete with anyone, should be one to watch next year. Other teams to watch next year I think are: Springfield- can never count Charlie & co. out of it (Pieper is a giant loss, but lots of other pieces coming back, especially if they do get Vega back) New Paltz - Tons of experience returning, I think that they have to be my preseason pick to win it all. The only loss that they have is Lutjen, so we'll see how that effects their offense next year, but so much firepower from a team that just missed out on making the finals this season. Naz - I believe that they lose a couple of key pieces, mainly Lawatsch in the middle, but Zyburt will be a senior on a mission and a young talented sophomore setter. Stevens - Lose a lot of seniors, but return Ferriter on the outside plus all of the guys that didn't play this year but did in 2014. Santa Cruz - They lose some talent, but also retain a lot of their guys from this year, plus have a very talented and capable setter to replace Blake. 2016 could shape up to be even more diverse than this season was. Great to see Division III volleyball thriving after the NCAA officially sanctioned it, let's hope the growth continues so the tournament can get even larger. It would be interesting if Vega is eligible. I believe he played some time on a pvl team. There is another debate going on in a seperste thread about whether or not pvl is considered professional or not. He might be ineligible forever.
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Post by joc on Apr 29, 2015 18:52:29 GMT -5
It's more like a beach volleyball tournament with a cash purse. Just don't accept the prize money or have it donated to charity and Vega will be fine. If he took the money, that's when he'll be in trouble.
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Post by TheReignman on Apr 29, 2015 21:42:00 GMT -5
In the dead of summer night I find myself lying awake in my living quarters bothered by the same single question that I can't seem to answer. Who will be the first team to unseat Springfield men's volleyball as national champions. I'm not saying that it is certain to happen this year, because Coach Sullivan has created a winning culture where each team reloads rather than rebuilds, and it is entirely possible that the upcoming season will culminate with a 4th consecutive NCAA championship for the Pride. But someone will knock them out of the winners circle at one time or another, so I would like to examine some of the best candidates to do so this year. Juniata- returning 6 of 7 starters ( 5 depending on how you figure in Ross Madden) losing 2nd team AA right side Alex McColgin. Not an easy player to replace but a school such as Juniata has a myriad of talent on bench waiting for a chance to shine. Bigger adjustment will be new head coach Pat Shawaryn taking on the full time gig. But his familiarity with the program along with experience from last year should provide useful in his first full year at the helm. Junior setter Matt Elias returns with a lot of fire power lead by CVC PoY and First Team AA Paul Kuhn and his two AA middles Joe Bortak (a three time selection) and Chad Albert. SUNY New Paltz- returning 5 of 7 starters losing libero Victor Tuminelli and OH Brian Smith. I believe Smith to be bigger loss than most may think as he was a team leader with much experience and a large part of winning tradition that has been built at the school in last 4 years along with serving as linchpin of the teams defense from a center back position that he played very well. Much like Juniata the Hawks return plenty of offensive firepower. Lead by junior OH Tim Ferriter (two time AA selection) who is joined by AA sophomore MB Steve Woessner (who sported a great mustache throughout NCAA tournament). One of the few nationally renowned programs to run a 6-2 ( albeit a hybrid one) they return both of the engines of their offense in junior AA setter/RS Christian Smith and senior setter/RS Jon Lutjen. Stevens Tech- the most intriguing of the three teams I am previewing. Stevens Tech has the potential to return a whole lot more than any other team can offer. Already returning all starters from last year, it is rumored that former players such as David Evans (2012 AA) and Ian Tyger (2012 UVC Newcomer of Year) will be returning from their season long sabbatical last year. In addition to those players Stevens Tech will return three AA hitters from the 2014 selections on OH Chris Vaughn, OH Gabe Shankweiler, and MB Daniel Smith. Senior setter Kevin Ackerle returns to run the show with occasional assistance from Junior S/RS John Eddins. Serving as the host for the 2015 NCAA tournament won't hurt their chances either. Other pending questions: What happens to Elmira and Carthage with the graduation of program defining setters Vellutato and Wexter? Can Baruch return to it's final four form after a disappointing season coupled with the departure of Jack McKee? Can upstart program Kean follow up on an impressive year and continue to push itself into the conversation as a national power? Will Naz prove that last year was a fluke or will it be shown the Wells-Spicer was an integral part of the programs storied success? Can programs such as Stevenson and Elmira make the final push and either win their conference or receive an at large bid to the national tournament? Will Rivier recapture their early season form from last year and be a serious final four contender? Can Endicott continue its magical late season run, including upset of MIT in NCAA tournament to start 2015 season? How will new Midwest conference (operating without Automatic Bid) affect NCAA tournament's selection process with traditional power Carthage and upstart Lakeland without an auto bid to receive? Will D3 newcomer Rutgers-Newark shake up CVC field in Mid-Atlantic region? Regardless I hope all are half as excited as I am for the 2015 season to start in January. 2015 Season Review (NOT A 2016 Preview) Springfield continues its culture of reloading rather than rebuilding. They were able to find huge success at the pins throughout the year, especially once they found their optimal lineup (Woods, Perez, and Padilla Ayala) and really hit their stride in late February/early March as Charlie Sullivan's program always seems to do. Program is well set going forward. Juniata was in the passenger's seat to knock off Springfield (assuming Stevens was in the drivers seat following the evisceration of JC during day 2 of the Clash at Kean) until some off the court issues derailed their season. Bortak fit nicely into his role as a RS, and Kuhn continued his stellar play. Both players were able to go down in JC History. I thought Pat's familiarity with the program would be beneficial to their campaign, but it clearly was a detriment with everything that occurred. Program faces major questions going forward. SUNY New Paltz was another team in the thick of the title race throughout the year. Despite losing all three of their primary serve receivers and main offensive threat, New Paltz was able to thrive. Kevin Nardone was one of most underrated players and thee most underrated libero in the country. Freshman Anthony Bonilla and transfer Andy Fishman did a wonderful job filling in at the OH positions. The biggest development was S/RS Christian Smith's continued growth as a player, and IMHO his emergence as the best player in the country. Radu will always face criticism for his strange sideline antics, but he clearly knows how too teach young men the game of volleyball. Program is well set going forward. Stevens Tech definitely fit the bill as the most intriguing contender. They also fulfilled on the challenge and dethroned Springfield to become the 2015 National Champions. Coach Patrick Dorywalski had a wealth of talent at his disposal (I often joked that their 2s team would have been ranked in the top 10) and was able to manage it perfectly. 5th year seniors David Evans and Ryan Seifert returned to play for a national championship on their home floor, and their decision truly paid off in the end. Transfer OH Tim Ferriter turned it on when the lights got bright, closing the season in human torch mode during the UVC and NCAA tournaments. Eddins did an adequate job in his role of their 5-2 offense and Vaughn's play at libero may have been what sealed the deal in the title game. Program has few questions going forward. Elmira seemingly found their answer for the future with transfer setter Carlos Faccio who provided stellar play until he was dismissed fro the team in March. Carthage spent all season trying to adequately fill the setter role and it cost them, being unable to win the big one all season long. Baruch found the middle ground from their magical 2013 run and disappoint 2014 campaign. Led by Nick Smith's outstanding play and the teams continued dominance of the CUNYAC, they were able to return to the NCAA Elite Eight. Kean definitely pushed themselves into the forefront of title talk in February following their excellent weekend while hosting the Klash at Kean. The team tailed off a bit as the season went on, especially on their brutal Midwest trip. The biggest shame with this team was their tough draw in the 2015 Tournament against SUNY NP, who was probably the most overqualified 4 seed in the short history of this tournament. Naz definitely proved their 2014 campaign was a fluke and was a forced to be reckoned with all season long. Freshman setter Jake Kemp grew with every match this season and had some very special moments in their semifinal match-up with Springfield. If Cal gives him a little more freedom to run the offense, some huge things lie ahead for this program. Stevenson had to be one of the biggest disappointments of this year losing some strange matches, loss of 2014 seniors really seemed to hurt them. Elmira had the looks of a UVC contender until Faccio's dismissal completely changed their outlook. Rivier was unable to retain their GNAC title, as this conference saw some huge growth competitively thanks to the emergence of Wentworth and Lasell, who earned the 2015 bid. Endicott was able to return to the tournament, but unable to make any noise. The MCVL was unable to send a team to NCAAs on an at large, but made their presence heard throughout the season. The "Midwest trip" was a defining moment for a lot of teams this season and provided us with the best non-conference volleyball all season. Carthage was a step short, but programs such as Dominican, MSOE, and MSJ took a step forward and look to be players in the near future. Rutgers-Newark was able to earn a bid, winning the CVC Tournament due to Juniata's absence but had a tough draw against Springfield. They grew into their style throughout the year as they adjusted to the D3 landscape and opponents. Lastly, my initial post to start this thread did not include UC Santa Cruz, which was clearly a huge mistake. The only D3 program to give Stevens a loss, the Banana Slugs had a year as memorable as their nickname. But with limited contests against division 3 opponents, there will always be questions about their legitimacy. As a big fan of the UCSC style of play, I was a bit upset to see their early exit from the NCAA tournament, as it validates some uneducated fans opinions that they shouldn't have been their to begin with. All in all 2015 was a wonderful year for NCAA Division 3 Men's Volleyball. Here's to hoping 2016 is just as special (Disclaimer: My 2016 Preview Post should be expected in late May or early June)
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Post by mvolleyfoll on Apr 30, 2015 11:29:42 GMT -5
I think MSOE took a step back when their coach left. He brought in a big freshman class that proved itself but will be interesting to see if they are still all there now the Coach has left.
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D3 in 2015
Apr 30, 2015 13:28:03 GMT -5
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Post by TheReignman on Apr 30, 2015 13:28:03 GMT -5
I think MSOE took a step back when their coach left. He brought in a big freshman class that proved itself but will be interesting to see if they are still all there now the Coach has left. Just to play devil's advocate. A coaching change may be the next push. The talent is clearly there and who knows maybe the next coach will help them take the next step.
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Post by noreaster on Apr 30, 2015 15:22:31 GMT -5
Who is the second best conference in the country next year?
I think most can agree that the UVC is the best. Who is number 2?
CVC - Rutgers Newark is only going to get better, but Juniata loses Bortak, Kuhn, Feiler, Waldorff and there are a few transfer rumors. Stevenson loses 4 starters. The 4 others had losing records
MCVL - Quickly growing, quickly changing. If North Central has 22 guys and Wittenberg has 15 more, how many of them would have been the depth or complimentary players that Mt. St. Joes, Dominican, Lakeland, etc needed to make it to the next level? There are a lot of good (and young) players in the MCVL which makes a strong case that they are #2, but with so much change happening so quickly is it reasonable to put expectations on them until things settle out? It tough to compare them when we don't know what they are going to be.
GNAC - Rivier, Lasell, Wentworth, Johnson and Wales, and Emmanuel all seem to be invested in competing nationally. Now, Riv loses 5 more seniors but they are Riv and have been good for a long time, and Emmanuel graduates 9 and could well fade. That said, Lasell and Wentworth each graduates 2 players, and should be able to replace them and continuing improving. J&W Loses a little more but returns their best players and is appears to have a notable recruiting class. Are they in a position to collectively make waves
The Skyline, NEAC, NECC and CUNYAC are the other conferences. I wouldn't put them in this conversation yet but they are out there.
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Post by joc on Apr 30, 2015 18:02:05 GMT -5
The second best is the independents.
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Post by bbk on May 1, 2015 12:50:02 GMT -5
The second best is the independents. Agreed. MCVL as a group are still independents and throw in UCSC, Springfield and the other leftovers like Rust and St Joe's Brooklyn and there will be 2 Pool B bids and only 1 Pool C next year. Next year the UVC may be down to 2 in the NCAA's.
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Post by TheReignman on May 7, 2015 12:24:51 GMT -5
The second best is the independents. Agreed. MCVL as a group are still independents and throw in UCSC, Springfield and the other leftovers like Rust and St Joe's Brooklyn and there will be 2 Pool B bids and only 1 Pool C next year. Next year the UVC may be down to 2 in the NCAA's. MCVL may qualify for the tournament as "independents" do. But they are not independents. They are LITERALLY a conference
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Post by strikestwice on May 7, 2015 22:04:29 GMT -5
Agreed. MCVL as a group are still independents and throw in UCSC, Springfield and the other leftovers like Rust and St Joe's Brooklyn and there will be 2 Pool B bids and only 1 Pool C next year. Next year the UVC may be down to 2 in the NCAA's. MCVL may qualify for the tournament as "independents" do. But they are not independents. They are LITERALLY a conference Yes they are in a conference......a conference without an AQ, so they are technically considered independents.
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Post by TheReignman on May 8, 2015 7:50:09 GMT -5
MCVL may qualify for the tournament as "independents" do. But they are not independents. They are LITERALLY a conference Yes they are in a conference......a conference without an AQ, so they are technically considered independents. They are not independents. I don't think you know what that means.
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