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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 25, 2024 18:24:05 GMT -5
The MAC has finally eliminated their East and West divisions and will now play volleyball in one 12 team conference. The MAC for some reason, added Massachusetts as a 13th school in all other sports.
If you can believe this, Massachusetts does not even have a women’s volleyball team!
The MAC coaches poll will be released this week and Western Michigan will be unanimously picked to win the MAC by virtue of their 18-0 record a year ago and the Broncos only lose one starter from their MAC tournament and league championship team. But I’m here to tell you Ball State will shock the MAC this year and win the conference championship. Coach Kelli Miller Phillips club returns 4 starters and has a stellar recruiting class including a big time grad student middle attacker to replace superstar Marie Plitt. Miller also landed two of the best ball control players in the country. Throw these three into the lineup with the athletic 4 starters returning and the Cardinals could become one of the best MAC teams in history. BSU also an incredibly favorable schedule playing MAC powers Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Buffalo twice at home. Of course WMU is loaded too with a tremendous setter, ball control team and will finish a close 2nd to BSU under the “Dean of MAC coaches,” Colleen “Big Money” Munson. Without further ado, below are Kitten’s MAC predictions for 2024.
1. Ball State
2. Western Michigan
3. Buffalo
4. Bowling Green
5. Ohio
6. Northern Illinois
7. Toledo
8. Central Michigan
9. Miami
10. Eastern Michigan
11 Akron
12. Kent State
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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 26, 2024 14:31:12 GMT -5
Bearkitten’s predictions were somewhat similar to the coaches pre-season poll. Bowling Green being voted 2nd by the coaches was a bit of a surprise. Buffalo is the fastest rising team in the league. The 4 bottom feeders are pretty much the same as well as the middle of the pack teams.
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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 27, 2024 8:24:02 GMT -5
Bearkitten will be predicting all MAC matches again this year with hopes of reaching his average of nearly 85% correct over the past 8 years. The MAC will once again be a 3 team race for the top spot between Ball State, Western Michigan and Bowling Green with Buffalo being the dark horse. Geoff Carlson’s Ohio Bobcats should again land in the 5th spot and will struggle again breaking into the top 4. There will not likely be any major changes from a year ago. Traditional power Northern Illinois has fallen from the elite and hope to begin to climb up the long ladder that lies ahead. Former coach Ray Gooden once had the Huskies as a perennial contender before making a quick fall to a middle of the pack team. You have to wonder if Central Michigan will ever break into the top 4? The Chips under affable coach Mike Gawlik, have struggled to be any more than a middle of the pack team along with Toledo. The Rockets have been to one dimensional relying on Taylor Ault. Toledo coach Jason Oliver has to be concerned with how many more swings she has left in her right arm. Eastern Michigan, Akron, Miami and Kent State again occupy the bottom 4 of the MAC although Miami may surprise with new coach Dan Gwitt taking the reigns from the legendary Carolyn Condit.
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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 27, 2024 14:15:05 GMT -5
After listening to the MAC preview on Buffalo, Coach Scott Smith is really putting an emphasis on recruiting international players with 4 on their 2024 roster and plans to continue to recruit heavily abroad in future years. The Bulls are picked 4th in the MAC and may end up being the sleeper of the conference. Smith loaded the Bulls pre-conference schedule with 4th ranked Pittsburgh and 11th ranked Florida. The moral of this story is look for the Bulls to go on a stampede in the MAC!
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Post by vfan20 on Aug 28, 2024 8:50:07 GMT -5
bearkitten, I love your passion and insight for MAC volleyball. I sure hope you are right.
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Post by vbman100 on Aug 28, 2024 10:48:52 GMT -5
I don't know why, but every time I see the moniker "Big Money Munson", I think "Does she have a gambling problem?" "Was she known to pay players in the past?" "Does she like to play the ponies?"
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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 28, 2024 14:43:58 GMT -5
I don't know why, but every time I see the moniker "Big Money Munson", I think "Does she have a gambling problem?" "Was she known to pay players in the past?" "Does she like to play the ponies?" Colleen Munson has had fantastic success in the MAC over her long career at WMU and is the highest paid coach in the conference. Because of her success and longevity, she has earned the nickname “Big Money!” |
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Post by n00b on Aug 28, 2024 14:53:31 GMT -5
As a group, the MAC coaches did a very poor job of nonconference scheduling. Per last years Pablo, they’re projected to be well below .500 in total. That’s bad for RPI. Gonna be really tough to get a second team in the tournament this year.
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trojansc
Legend
All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017), All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team (2016), 2021, 2019 Fantasy League Champion, 2020 Fantasy League Runner Up, 2022 2nd Runner Up
Posts: 31,598 
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Post by trojansc on Aug 28, 2024 14:56:02 GMT -5
As a group, the MAC coaches did a very poor job of nonconference scheduling. Per last years Pablo, they’re projected to be well below .500 in total. That’s bad for RPI. Gonna be really tough to get a second team in the tournament this year. Yeah, I was wondering about MAC at-large prospects. I’m not sure how good the chances are, but I could see WMU/Ball State possibly pulling each other in, but, I can also easily see a Buffalo spoiling everyone’s at large chances and it becomes a 1 bid AQ conference. WMU might have a lot of pressure in the conference tournament. |
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Post by Bearkitten on Aug 28, 2024 15:15:04 GMT -5
As a group, the MAC coaches did a very poor job of nonconference scheduling. Per last years Pablo, they’re projected to be well below .500 in total. That’s bad for RPI. Gonna be really tough to get a second team in the tournament this year. Yeah, I was wondering about MAC at-large prospects. I’m not sure how good the chances are, but I could see WMU/Ball State possibly pulling each other in, but, I can also easily see a Buffalo spoiling everyone’s at large chances and it becomes a 1 bid AQ conference. WMU might have a lot of pressure in the conference tournament. If there is a team that could “spill the beans” in the MAC tournament it will be Buffalo. Kitten believes the MAC will put 2 teams in the NCAA tournament with Ball State being the at large team if the Bulls win the tournament. |
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Post by OHVBKING on Aug 30, 2024 3:27:34 GMT -5
Western Michigan has one of the top Setters in the Country. She could set some records this season.
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trojansc
Legend
All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017), All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team (2016), 2021, 2019 Fantasy League Champion, 2020 Fantasy League Runner Up, 2022 2nd Runner Up
Posts: 31,598
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Post by trojansc on Sept 1, 2024 19:24:44 GMT -5
As a group, the MAC coaches did a very poor job of nonconference scheduling. Per last years Pablo, they’re projected to be well below .500 in total. That’s bad for RPI. Gonna be really tough to get a second team in the tournament this year. Were there surprises this week? Right now I am showing the MAC at 22-12, which is a great start for them! |
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Post by n00b on Sept 2, 2024 8:51:27 GMT -5
As a group, the MAC coaches did a very poor job of nonconference scheduling. Per last years Pablo, they’re projected to be well below .500 in total. That’s bad for RPI. Gonna be really tough to get a second team in the tournament this year. Were there surprises this week? Right now I am showing the MAC at 22-12, which is a great start for them! I'm not sure about surprises, but the MAC surpassed opening weekend expectation by about 3.5 wins. Unfortunately, that didn't come from the teams that could actually get at larges. Western lost to Clemson, BG lost to Cincinnati, Ball State lost to Florida Atlantic and Ohio lost to Wright State. Biggest gainers were Central Michigan (+1.41 wins), Miami (+1.34) and Eastern Michigan (+1.07). |
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Post by Bearkitten on Sept 24, 2024 14:17:08 GMT -5
“Disappointing” is the only way to describe the MAC’s pre-conference performance with 11 of 12 teams entering MAC play Thursday night on a losing streak. Only Ball State enters with a 2 match win streak. To make matters worse, only 4 MAC schools have winning records. Major disappointments have been Western Michigan (4-7), Bowling Green (5-6) and Buffalo (4-9). Western went 18-0 a year ago in MAC play and has barely won a match in September. Miami has been the MAC “surprise” team with a winning record of 5-4 after being a projected bottom feeder in the coaches pre season poll. Bearkitten will begin making his predictions Thursday trying to live up to his usual 85% of correct picks, but would be happy with 70% this year in a conference that has been very mediocre to say the least. Who would have thought the former MAC power Northern Illinois would enter MAC play at 2-8! Huskie faithful are likely clammoring for the return of the legendary Ray Gooden and his assistant Lynette Moster. Both have entered the volleyball television business. Kent State is living up to its celler dweller prediction at 1-9. Buffalo at 4-9 is a real puzzler as the Bulls were expected to compete for the MAC championship for the 1st time in school history. And Geoff Carlson’s Ohio Bobcats (4-7) are treading water in the middle of the MAC showing no signs of improvement since he took over the reigns 4 years ago. Early signs point to Ball State running away from the rest of the pack. Who will be MAC runner-up will be anyone’s guess. It all starts Thursday with 2 matches slated. Central Michigan (9-3) (who played a very “soft” pre-conference schedule) visits Miami (5-4) and Eastern Michigan (6-8) travels to Kent State (1-9). Check in Thursday to find Kitten’s season opening predictions!
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Post by dizzydean on Sept 24, 2024 14:41:34 GMT -5
“Disappointing” is the only way to describe the MAC’s pre-conference performance with 11 of 12 teams entering MAC play Thursday night on a losing streak. Only Ball State enters with a 2 match win streak. To make matters worse, only 4 MAC schools have winning records. Major disappointments have been Western Michigan (4-7), Bowling Green (5-6) and Buffalo (4-9). Western went 18-0 a year ago in MAC play and has barely won a match in September. Miami has been the MAC “surprise” team with a winning record of 5-4 after being a projected bottom feeder in the coaches pre season poll. Bearkitten will begin making his predictions Thursday trying to live up to his usual 85% of correct picks, but would be happy with 70% this year in a conference that has been very mediocre to say the least. Who would have thought the former MAC power Northern Illinois would enter MAC play at 2-8! Huskie faithful are likely clammoring for the return of the legendary Ray Gooden and his assistant Lynette Moster. Both have entered the volleyball television business. Kent State is living up to its celler dweller prediction at 1-9. Buffalo at 4-9 is a real puzzler as the Bulls were expected to compete for the MAC championship for the 1st time in school history. And Geoff Carlson’s Ohio Bobcats (4-7) are treading water in the middle of the MAC showing no signs of improvement since he took over the reigns 4 years ago. Early signs point to Ball State running away from the rest of the pack. Who will be MAC runner-up will be anyone’s guess. It all starts Thursday with 2 matches slated. Central Michigan (9-3) (who played a very “soft” pre-conference schedule) visits Miami (5-4) and Eastern Michigan (6-8) travels to Kent State (1-9). Check in Thursday to find Kitten’s season opening predictions! Western Michigan has played a pretty tough pre-conference schedule, haven't they? |
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