Some Things To Clear Up.

[huntz]

I don't know about the rest of you, but all of the posts that bash the MIVA, Ball State, Loyola, and the EIVA are really getting annoying.

We all know that the best four teams in the nation are out West, so let's not drill it in.

We all know that the MIVA and EIVA as a whole are not as good as the MSPF no matter where games are played.

We all know that Loyola and Ball State were overratted by the polls and that things will work themselves out in the end.

Now, for all of you midwest posters:

While some people out here have something against you not all of us do, but at the same time not all of your teams are exactly helping your case. We know it's annoying to have to travel out here and that in some cases your administrations don't care about you one way or the other. Just do the best that you can and try to get out here a little bit more. The better the competition the better you will get (which is what I personally would like to see).

[strangedesign]

I just dont understand how people hate on east coast and midwest schools (Penn State, Ohio State, Loyola, Ball State and IPFW)... PSU has split their matches with Ohio State who beat UCLA in 3, who has been kind of hit or miss this year. IPFW took Long Beach to 5. PSU has Beat Long Beach in 4. Yes PSU and Loyola had bad showings on the west coast this past week, But these kids can play with the top schools, and just because they don't have long skater hair, a Tan, and say "Bra" every 5 words doesnt make them bad volleyball players. The MIVA and EIVA (Penn State) has improved their programs a lot over the past 10 years or so. Ball State has great athletes this year and if thier mental game is there, can take it to some of the top teams. Im not saying that the Miva and the Eiva or better then the MPSF but they arent horrible like a lot of you guys make them out to be.

[huntz]

strangedesign said:

I just dont understand how people hate on east coast and midwest schools (Penn State, Ohio State, Loyola, Ball State and IPFW)... PSU has split their matches with Ohio State who beat UCLA in 3, who has been kind of hit or miss this year. IPFW took Long Beach to 5. PSU has Beat Long Beach in 4. Yes PSU and Loyola had bad showings on the west coast this past week, But these kids can play with the top schools, and just because they don't have long skater hair, a Tan, and say "Bra" every 5 words doesnt make them bad volleyball players. The MIVA and EIVA (Penn State) has improved their programs a lot over the past 10 years or so. Ball State has great athletes this year and if thier mental game is there, can take it to some of the top teams. Im not saying that the Miva and the Eiva or better then the MPSF but they arent horrible like a lot of you guys make them out to be.

I actually think that Penn State has gotten worse. They won the championship in '94, and for a while after that they were competitive in the final four. The last couple of years they have made a habbit of getting swept in the semis and not playing well at all during those games.

I want them to get better, but it's hard when they don't bring their game to the biggest stage in college volleyball.

I don't think the players are horrible either. They are good players, but they need to start winning as a team and at least make it to the title game every once in awhile.

[roy]

huntz said:

I actually think that Penn State has gotten worse. They won the championship in '94, and for a while after that they were competitive in the final four. The last couple of years they have made a habbit of getting swept in the semis and not playing well at all during those games.

I want them to get better, but it's hard when they don't bring their game to the biggest stage in college volleyball.

I don't think the players are horrible either. They are good players, but they need to start winning as a team and at least make it to the title game every once in awhile.

But that is not really Penn State's fault. To me, this is similar to Hawaii or Florida on the women's side. They donimate their conference but can't get the level of competition to push them during the regular season. While the MPSF teams are pushing each other and seeing their weaknesses exploited, Penn State is coasting through their conference. Once they get to the Final Four, they run into a team that has been battle tested and knows how to cover their weaknesses. Penn State sees their weaknesses exploited for the first time in a month or so, and can't recover. Then they get eliminated.

[huntz]

roy said:

huntz said:

I actually think that Penn State has gotten worse. They won the championship in '94, and for a while after that they were competitive in the final four. The last couple of years they have made a habbit of getting swept in the semis and not playing well at all during those games.

I want them to get better, but it's hard when they don't bring their game to the biggest stage in college volleyball.

I don't think the players are horrible either. They are good players, but they need to start winning as a team and at least make it to the title game every once in awhile.

But that is not really Penn State's fault. To me, this is similar to Hawaii or Florida on the women's side. They donimate their conference but can't get the level of competition to push them during the regular season. While the MPSF teams are pushing each other and seeing their weaknesses exploited, Penn State is coasting through their conference. Once they get to the Final Four, they run into a team that has been battle tested and knows how to cover their weaknesses. Penn State sees their weaknesses exploited for the first time in a month or so, and can't recover. Then they get eliminated.

Good Point!

[mikesmith]

Also, Tom Peterson left Penn State and the team hasn't made it to the National Championship since. Now Tom Peterson is in BYU, and look what is happening.

[cwbvb13]

strangedesign said:

I just dont understand how people hate on east coast and midwest schools (Penn State, Ohio State, Loyola, Ball State and IPFW)... PSU has split their matches with Ohio State who beat UCLA in 3, who has been kind of hit or miss this year. IPFW took Long Beach to 5. PSU has Beat Long Beach in 4. Yes PSU and Loyola had bad showings on the west coast this past week, But these kids can play with the top schools, and just because they don't have long skater hair, a Tan, and say "Bra" every 5 words doesnt make them bad volleyball players. The MIVA and EIVA (Penn State) has improved their programs a lot over the past 10 years or so. Ball State has great athletes this year and if thier mental game is there, can take it to some of the top teams. Im not saying that the Miva and the Eiva or better then the MPSF but they arent horrible like a lot of you guys make them out to be.

long skater hair... a tan... and say "bra" LMAO!!! MPSF = lords of dogtown?

[cwbvb13]

another point about all the eastcoast bashing for all you west-coasters....

im sure some of you players on the top teams like to profess that you are number 1,2,3,4 etc in the nation... and im sure occasionally the person you are talking to might ask, "out of how many teams?" or something along those lines...

and i bet it is embarrasing to say.... 22, or 23 (whatever it is... not sure)

now if there wasnt tMIVA and EIVA, and somebody asked you out of how many... would you really want to say to them that you were 4th in the nation out of 12 teams??? c'mon now!

[volleynutt]

It doesn't matter how many teams there are . If you are # 1 it is ok to say it . if you are # 1 in the MIVA it is Ok to say that too. only in the finals is it really determined who is # 1 . Sometimes with an asterisk

[gitrdun]

volleynutt said:

It doesn't matter how many teams there are . If you are # 1 it is ok to say it . if you are # 1 in the MIVA it is Ok to say that too. only in the finals is it really determined who is # 1 . Sometimes with an asterisk

Often times w/ * at least lately.

[swingaway]

cwbvb13 said:

and i bet it is embarrasing to say.... 22, or 23 (whatever it is... not sure)

Since the poll is DI and DII, would be about 40 teams.

[volleynutt]

only 21 legitimate d-1 schools its a good thing d 2 are included

[hud]

roy said:

huntz said:

I actually think that Penn State has gotten worse. They won the championship in '94, and for a while after that they were competitive in the final four. The last couple of years they have made a habbit of getting swept in the semis and not playing well at all during those games.

I want them to get better, but it's hard when they don't bring their game to the biggest stage in college volleyball.

I don't think the players are horrible either. They are good players, but they need to start winning as a team and at least make it to the title game every once in awhile.

But that is not really Penn State's fault. To me, this is similar to Hawaii or Florida on the women's side. They donimate their conference but can't get the level of competition to push them during the regular season. While the MPSF teams are pushing each other and seeing their weaknesses exploited, Penn State is coasting through their conference. Once they get to the Final Four, they run into a team that has been battle tested and knows how to cover their weaknesses. Penn State sees their weaknesses exploited for the first time in a month or so, and can't recover. Then they get eliminated.

Which goes back to creating a competitive schedule (this would also help recruiting).

[StuffU]

hud said:

roy said:

But that is not really Penn State's fault. To me, this is similar to Hawaii or Florida on the women's side. They donimate their conference but can't get the level of competition to push them during the regular season. While the MPSF teams are pushing each other and seeing their weaknesses exploited, Penn State is coasting through their conference. Once they get to the Final Four, they run into a team that has been battle tested and knows how to cover their weaknesses. Penn State sees their weaknesses exploited for the first time in a month or so, and can't recover. Then they get eliminated.

Which goes back to creating a competitive schedule (this would also help recruiting).

Penn St always puts together a very competitive non-conference schedule.

The problem is during the conference season, and there is not much they can do about that.

[CityTechLegend]

swingaway said:

cwbvb13 said:

and i bet it is embarrasing to say.... 22, or 23 (whatever it is... not sure)

Since the poll is DI and DII, would be about 40 teams.

32 actually....You can't count the Puerto Rican Teams.