Best Pre-Season Volleyball Tourneys

[StuffU]

Year in and year out, the Hawaiian Airlines Classic, hosted by the Wahine is the best tourney out there. You can go back at least 10 years and find at least three Top 25 teams ever year. This year it was Hawaii, Florida, UCLA. Last year, it was Hawaii, USC, Penn State.

While the AVCA Showcase (fka State Farm Classic) could match the level of ranked teams, I usually find that the level of play is generally not all that great. Since the Hawaiian Airlines Classic starts a week into the season, the teams seem a little more in synch and the level of play is generally higher. I think that is what separates them.

There maybe some other tournaments out there that might be tougher in any given year, but not year in and year out like the HAL.

Any comments? Any other tourneys to mention?

[roy]

The AVCA showcase is probably the best, but the HAC is up there. You can't say that the HAC is better because it starts a week into the season. Remember that 2 years ago, only those in the AVCA showcase started in the final week of August. All other teams needed to wait until the first week of September, and that is when the HAC started. So, for most teams in the HAC, that is the first set of matches they play in the season.

[ACE]

Maybe Hawaii should do what the Men's program does - take the champions from different conference to attend. I know that in the men's game there's only 3 conferences so it's not that hard. But maybe, shoji should rotate - take champs from Big 10, Big 12, PAC 10, SEC, WCC, Mountain West, Big West.

[pedro el leon]

The showcase at least had a great match this year, the texas-washington match was awesome and played at a high level. Every HAC match was a sweep.

[Deleted]

The HAL classic next year will have Hawaii, UCLA, Kansas State, and Louisville.

[roy]

ace said:

Maybe Hawaii should do what the Men's program does - take the champions from different conference to attend. I know that in the men's game there's only 3 conferences so it's not that hard. But maybe, shoji should rotate - take champs from Big 10, Big 12, PAC 10, SEC, WCC, Mountain West, Big West.

In theory, that sounds really fun, but its can't happen. The tournament teams are chosen a couple of years in advanced and you can't predict who will will their respective conference title that far in advanced. The men can do it, as there are limited number of teams and I think the only other tournament at that time is the Elephant Bar tournament at UCSB.

With over 300 women's team, there are a bunch of tournaments being hosted (Nebraska for example) that are also offering some elite competition. That's why Shoji needs to get commitments from teams several years in advanced.

[StuffU]

I would like to see Hawaii eliminate the Marriott Beach Tourney that they have the week after the Hawaiian Airlines Classic and travel to a tourney that week. If not that, then travel to a tourney the week after the Marriott Beach Tourney. It is one of the only true opportunities in the schedule that Hawaii could upgrade the road test competition.

[Deleted]

jus4me28 said:

I would like to see Hawaii eliminate the Marriott Beach Tourney that they have the week after the Hawaiian Airlines Classic and travel to a tourney that week. If not that, then travel to a tourney the week after the Marriott Beach Tourney. It is one of the only true opportunities in the schedule that Hawaii could upgrade the road test competition.

With the amount of money that Hawaii makes on each home game, that's not likely to happen, it's why they load up on all those home games in the beginning of the season.

[StuffU]

pete said:

jus4me28 said:

I would like to see Hawaii eliminate the Marriott Beach Tourney that they have the week after the Hawaiian Airlines Classic and travel to a tourney that week. If not that, then travel to a tourney the week after the Marriott Beach Tourney. It is one of the only true opportunities in the schedule that Hawaii could upgrade the road test competition.

With the amount of money that Hawaii makes on each home game, that's not likely to happen, it's why they load up on all those home games in the beginning of the season.

Yes, the money thing has been beaten into the ground. But, aside from the money issue, it is the only spot in the schedule where Hawaii could get some meaningful road matches against quality opponents.

We all understand the money thing. If that is the case, then upgrade the quality of teams in the second tourney and travel the week after. At some point, the money thing should take a back seat to getting some quality road competition ... but i do understand the pressures to keep the money coming in ... but you can't say that Hawaii doesn't have opportunities early on in the season to travel. Especially that weekend after the the two regularly scheduled tourneys.