Kamali'i-7
Sophomore
I'm not ethnocentric.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kamali'i-7 on Jan 28, 2015 16:39:43 GMT -5
troll,
the middle's named Joy and Kale'a means Joy in Hawaiian; I'm their spokesperson.. '-)
I guess the point is that with all the revelation that's come forward today surrounding NE Sand VB, anyone could have some to say so I'll do so. ---
The AVCA would do well to keep their "hand" honest and reveal altruistic intentions for the game's growth. If not it WILL always be an us versus them.
At Gulf Shores in 2015 the following could be there:
#1.Florida State #2. Georgia State #3. Floridian Schools (which is to include Stetson) #4. Tulane/ULM--I believe to be Tulane #5. LSU--regardless
#6. UOP--ur NoCal Representative, I believe #7. big named UCLA (in more ways than one) #8. Pepperdine/USC/Hawai'i/LMU--I believe to be USC
furthermore,
a Div.II tourney could be started in AL also. Eckerd, Carson-Newman (will play each other 4/6 but so what); HPU; and Chaminade. Cal State San Marcos and Spring Hill College are provisional's in Div.II so far. although I suspect that the cheapest way to go for the AVCA would be simply to invite the two 'eastern' schools. anyway.
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Post by coloradokidd on Jan 28, 2015 23:51:27 GMT -5
Tall or not--realistically--this team is in the hunt. As the only midwestern team there in Lincoln, I suspect that they'll receive an invitation to the Gulf Shores in May. A condensed schedule allows for an opportunity percentage-wise. I truly believe that Cook wants the girls ready for December and Christmas at home, anyway. I personally can hardly wait to see them live on 3/22/15. Go Red! --- It'll be difficult to return to 29*f Nebraska (you'd think) for all those who'd travel in accompaniment. They have never been in contention for a berth to Sand Nationals, and won't this year unless they beat Hawaii or USC. Their condensed schedule actually hurts their chances, they need to play nearly perfectly for a week straight on the road and go 8-1 in dual matches to have a chance. Given that they went 4-5 their first year, 3-2 last year and have yet to beat a team with a winning record, I don't foresee it happening. To say the Huskers were never in contention isn't true. In 2013 the 'team' itself was on the cusp, but probably just missed. And one if not both of the top pairs teams would of been invited; especially the #1 team of Kelsey Robinson/Alexa Strange. Coach Cook tried to get an exemption from the UNL 'rule', but was turned down by the AD. The Huskers were asked by the AVCA if they would attend, and replied "no". I believe Stanford also was in the same type of academic situation.
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Post by johnbar on Jan 29, 2015 10:52:51 GMT -5
I believe Stanford also was in the same type of academic situation. Stanford is on the quarter system, so the sand championships don't conflict with finals for them. But I believe it is true that Stanford's top pair (Wopat and Howard?) were invited and the school declined.
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Post by trollhunter on Jan 29, 2015 12:35:51 GMT -5
They have never been in contention for a berth to Sand Nationals, and won't this year unless they beat Hawaii or USC. Their condensed schedule actually hurts their chances, they need to play nearly perfectly for a week straight on the road and go 8-1 in dual matches to have a chance. Given that they went 4-5 their first year, 3-2 last year and have yet to beat a team with a winning record, I don't foresee it happening. To say the Huskers were never in contention isn't true. In 2013 the 'team' itself was on the cusp, but probably just missed. And one if not both of the top pairs teams would of been invited; especially the #1 team of Kelsey Robinson/Alexa Strange. Coach Cook tried to get an exemption from the UNL 'rule', but was turned down by the AD. The Huskers were asked by the AVCA if they would attend, and replied "no". I believe Stanford also was in the same type of academic situation. It is absolutely true the Nebraska team have never been in contention for an AVCA bid at the end of the season. I'm also pretty certain you do not know what the selection criteria are either. Take a look at the records of the teams selected in 2013, and who they beat. Nebraska is nowhere close to any of them. EVERY Sand team is asked every year (before selections are made) if they plan to attend AVCA Nationals "if they are selected". So based on that you think every team was in contention? The only grain of truth in your post is that ONE of their top pairs (not both) was in contention for a pairs bid, and may have gotten in if administration had allowed participation.
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Post by vbvalley on Jan 29, 2015 13:29:39 GMT -5
I am a little confused by all of this, especially that Nebraska or some of other schools in one of the five major conferences would be hesitant, due to finals, to send their team to Alabama because it would only get the American VB Coaches #1 title, instead of the actual NCAA title. Pahlease! If Nebraska or some of these other schools had any chance to contend, they would certainly work out their finals schedule for that chance, both team and individual. Just check some of these schools athletic site archives regarding past championships in other sports before that sport became an NCAA Championship sport. Truth of the matter is that at least two other administrators (usually the head coach and an assistant) have to also attend and that does get expensive, especially if only one doubles team is invited (it certainly paid off for LMU sending Metter and Keil who made the semis and became All America last year). Usually the coaches have a pretty good idea as to where their team stands before the season starts (i.e Coaches Preseason poll).
Secondly, one of the earlier posts predicted that only two SoCal schools (or Hawaii) would be invited to Alabama this year. Seriously? Four teams most likely will come from west and from the east of the Mississippi and I doubt that any Northern Cal school will be invited if it is not competitive with its southern neighbors.
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Kamali'i-7
Sophomore
I'm not ethnocentric.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kamali'i-7 on Jan 29, 2015 23:49:00 GMT -5
NORTHERN "ca." Reps
all the sates of Pacific North West + the NorCal clique of teams
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Post by vbvalley on Jan 30, 2015 12:25:16 GMT -5
Has the American VB Coaches Association decreed that they are taking a team from the Pacific NW for the finals? I would think that if a team came from up north, it would have to show some success against the top 6-7 teams down in SoCal (or Hawaii). If so, then they should be invited. Then again, does a team from up north want to send a team to Alabama if it is not competitive? A lot of these schools have a very limited Sand budget.
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Post by FOBRA on Jan 30, 2015 13:11:10 GMT -5
I haven't seen anything about this year's championship and the guidelines, but even at an expanded 8, I can't see a guaranteed spot going to the best PNW/NorCal school right now. Oregon, Stanford, Cal weren't very good at all and I don't think Washington even got around to playing a minimum schedule.
Eventually, I can see that PAC-12 invitational thing they're doing lead to an autobid in the NCAA with maybe a couple of other championship autobids from the southeast. The rest should be at-large though.
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Post by trollhunter on Jan 30, 2015 13:25:11 GMT -5
Has the American VB Coaches Association decreed that they are taking a team from the Pacific NW for the finals? I would think that if a team came from up north, it would have to show some success against the top 6-7 teams down in SoCal (or Hawaii). If so, then they should be invited. Then again, does a team from up north want to send a team to Alabama if it is not competitive? A lot of these schools have a very limited Sand budget. There was talk of adding an automatic conference bid for the NW sand schools but I don't think it ever materialized since those teams are from 3 different conferences. I missed the AVCA convention this year, they may have announced the 8 bid format there. The 6 bid format from last year was 2 West, 2 East, 1 Atlantic Sun conference champ, 1 at-large from anywhere. My guess is that they will just bump it to 3 each for East/West and leave automatic / at-large the same. If the PAC, BWC, or WCC conference organizes a sand conference championship this year for an automatic bid, my guess is that the at-large bid from anywhere will disappear.
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Post by coloradokidd on Feb 1, 2015 15:00:07 GMT -5
So - The Huskers will be arriving in Hawaii and playing in the "Queen of the Beach Challenge" along with host Hawaii, USC, Cal, Hawaii Pacific, and Chaminade on Mar. 20/21 to start this sand season. Then they will be playing Cal and Hawaii March 22. This schedule is a nice change and will hopefully let the team get better adjusted before actual Team Competition. Last season they arrived late afternoon and jumped right into team competition the next morning - the results weren't so good. * The Hawaii vs. Nebraska match (3/22) will be televised on the OC. OC Link: ocsports.tv/
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Post by trollhunter on Feb 1, 2015 16:05:48 GMT -5
So - The Huskers will be arriving in Hawaii and playing in the "Queen of the Beach Challenge" along with host Hawaii, USC, Cal, Hawaii Pacific, and Chaminade on Mar. 20/21 to start this sand season. Then they will be playing Cal and Hawaii March 22. This schedule is a nice change and will hopefully let the team get better adjusted before actual Team Competition. Last season they arrived late afternoon and jumped right into team competition the next morning - the results weren't so good. * The Hawaii vs. Nebraska match (3/22) will be televised on the OC. OC Link: ocsports.tv/ The USC website has them playing a dual match with Nebraska on 3/19, but it is not on Nebraska schedule. Curious to see if that match happens or not. Hope that Nebraska can stay healthy, they will be competing on 7 of 9 days (or maybe 8 of 10 days), with a lot of travel before and between matches. They also have multiple matches on over half of those competition days.
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Post by thechoppingblock on Feb 1, 2015 21:16:41 GMT -5
No disrespect, but the argument about Nebraska not making it to the National Championships due to finals is a far-stretched non-truth. Back in 2012, Nebraska was offered a spot in the "Best of the Rest" for the their pairs, because their top pairs actually qualified. They did not qualify for the Team Championships because they did not compete in enough competitions during the season. Each school is sent a form asking them to declare whether or not they will attend the Championships. Nebraska declined to attend the event because the administration, at the tine, did not feel it was in their schools best interest; not because their SA's had to take finals. All this talk about them and taking finals is absurd. I bet no one even realizes that Florida State, having sent their team to the Championships each year, and each year Championship Week falls on their Finals Week, including this year as well. It just happens that way sometimes. You don't ever hear of an Indoor program not being able to participate in NCAA's because of Finals. I understand Sand is not under NCAA until next year, but Nebraska is one of those programs that is not a full sand commitment like the other schools around the country.
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Post by coloradokidd on Feb 5, 2015 12:49:43 GMT -5
So - The Huskers will be arriving in Hawaii and playing in the "Queen of the Beach Challenge" along with host Hawaii, USC, Cal, Hawaii Pacific, and Chaminade on Mar. 20/21 to start this sand season. Then they will be playing Cal and Hawaii March 22. This schedule is a nice change and will hopefully let the team get better adjusted before actual Team Competition. Last season they arrived late afternoon and jumped right into team competition the next morning - the results weren't so good. * The Hawaii vs. Nebraska match (3/22) will be televised on the OC. OC Link: ocsports.tv/ The USC website has them playing a dual match with Nebraska on 3/19, but it is not on Nebraska schedule. Curious to see if that match happens or not. Yes, it's not yet on the Hawaii schedule either. If the Huskers aren't able to meet USC on the 19th - due to their 'over Spring Break' limitations; the only other date I could see them playing USC is on the 24th at UCS's Merle Norman Stadium. I wouldn't mind this, as the webcast last time was excellent.
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Kamali'i-7
Sophomore
I'm not ethnocentric.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kamali'i-7 on Feb 5, 2015 22:58:01 GMT -5
It's too bad that UNL couldn't return back to the islands for the Aloha Invitational (last week of April). UCLA LBSU UH and Nebraska, IF only. Shoji could put the Huskers up at Bellows, during spring break, and everyone concerned could go in potluck style for the full camping experience.
"Quick Reply" '-)
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Post by coloradokidd on Feb 6, 2015 9:30:19 GMT -5
It's too bad that UNL couldn't return back to the islands for the Aloha Invitational (last week of April). UCLA LBSU UH and Nebraska, IF only. Shoji could put the Huskers up at Bellows, during spring break, and everyone concerned could go in potluck style for the full camping experience. "Quick Reply" '-) 'Keep the Faith', I know I am. 2016 and the NCAA's are right around the corner for NE. * I see indoor is hosting Texas on Mar.19. What a busy week for Hawaii Volleyball!!
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