MWC Coaches Poll

[cougarize]

COLORADO STATE FAVORED IN MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL COACHES POLL
CSU's Melissa Courtney Named MWC Preseason Player of the Year


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A voting panel including the eight head coaches in the Mountain West Conference and selected media chose Colorado State as the favorite to win the 2004 MWC title. The Rams earned 14-of-15 possible first-place votes and 118 points. BYU edged Utah for second place as the Cougars collected 100 points, while the Utes had 97. San Diego State was picked fourth, followed by Wyoming, UNLV, New Mexico and Air Force.

Colorado State senior Melissa Courtney highlighted the preseason All-MWC team as the Player of the Year. Five MWC teams were represented on the
2004 preseason All-MWC team.

Seven All-Mountain West Conference players return for the 2004 season, including Co-Player of the Year Melissa Courtney (Sr., S) of Colorado State. Courtney led the Rams to the MWC regular season and tournament titles last year after setting an MWC season record with 1,623 assists.
All-conference performers Katie Jo Shirley (Sr., MB) and Tess Rogers (Jr., OH) also return for Colorado State. Shirley led the MWC in hitting percentage (.416), while Rogers was named MWC Tournament MVP.

BYU returns two all-league performers, while Utah and Wyoming each return one. Lindsy Hartsock (So., MB) and Lauren Richards (Jr., S) will lead the Cougars this season. Hartsock ranked sixth in the league in blocks (1.21 per game) as a freshman a year ago and Richards was among MWC leaders for assists and aces. Shelly Sommerfeldt (Jr., OH) will lead the Utah attack after ranking seventh in kills per game (3.64) last year. Sara Maytorena (Sr., OH) will anchor the Cowgirl lineup after leading the team in kills (347) and blocks (109) in 2003.


2004 Preseason All-MWC Team
Player Cl. Pos. Team
Katie Jo Shirley (Cahoon) Sr. MB Colorado State
Shelly Sommerfeldt Jr. OH Utah
Lindsy Hartsock So. MB BYU
Sara Maytorena Sr. Opp. Wyoming
Tess Rogers Jr. OH Colorado State
Setter: Melissa Courtney Sr. Colorado State
Libero: Adah Burke Sr. New Mexico


2004 MWC Preseason Coaches Poll
Rk. Team (1st votes) Pts. 2003 Finish
1. Colorado State (14) 118 1st
2. BYU 100 3rd
3. Utah (1) 97 2nd
4. San Diego State 65 4th
5. Wyoming 59 T-5th
6. UNLV 40 T-5th
7. New Mexico 33 8th
8. Air Force 28 T-5th

[foreignball]

Even though I’m not well informed about MWC I wouldn’t be surprised if UNLV moves up a notch or two judging by their recruiting class.

[IdahoBoy]

I totally thought there was already a thread on this subject. Am I totally hallucinating?

Weird!!

UNLV is going to have a rough year... all but the top three teams in the MWC will be out-of-conference fodder.

[foreignball]

IB,
As I said I’m not that deep in MWC. I don’t who how good is the UNLV setter and I also have a question regarding their MB 2. Depending on the answers they could be #4 in MWC easily if not better.
I’m not that big of an EXPERT as you are but I got my own “gut” feelings just as you have your Top 25 ranking and POY. So keep the above one in mind as well as that B. Molnar most likely won’t be Big 10 FOY.

[cougarize]

foreignball said:

IB,
As I said I’m not that deep in MWC. I don’t who how good is the UNLV setter and I also have a question regarding their MB 2. Depending on the answers they could be #4 in MWC easily if not better.
I’m not that big of an EXPERT as you are but I got my own “gut” feelings just as you have your Top 25 ranking and POY. So keep the above one in mind as well as that B. Molnar most likely won’t be Big 10 FOY.

Ok foreignball, not to burst your foreign bubble, but UNLV will struggle big time. Allison Keely has not established herself as a great coach at any level, and the talent level at UNLV is marginal. In the past few years they've had some talent, but haven't been able to put things together.

Their returning setter, senior Nicki King, is a slightly below average setter and it doesn't matter who the team's 2 MB is because as I've posted in the past the No. 2 MB is statistically irrelevant. Oh and their No. 1 MB? Will it be Lauren Miramontes? Because if it is, she has proven squat. Plus the team is replacing both OH and libero Nina Franchini is very average. So to say UNLV could be #4 is extremely hopeful, above that is impossible, and I will put my life savings on that. More realistically UNLV will be 5 or 6 in the MWC.

[PukaPants]

Cougarize, what's the latest on the Cougs?

[Dante]

IdahoBoy® said:

UNLV is going to have a rough year... all but the top three teams in the MWC will be out-of-conference fodder.

No doubt!!! JMU will soundly defeat San Diego State in the Honda Premiere Classic Invitational hosted by Texas State two weeks from this Saturday. (That is OOC)

[cougarize]

Dante said:

No doubt!!! JMU will soundly defeat San Diego State in the Honda Premiere Classic Invitational hosted by Texas State two weeks from this Saturday. (That is OOC)

If this was a post made within the past few years, I would've laughed, but SDSU is extremely young and inexperienced. The Aztecs had a good talent base in their starting lineup with Aspen McPartland, Megan Schauerman, Zlatina Anguelova, etc., but this year the only familiar face they return is Kara Moriarty.

Of any year SDSU was to be beaten 'soundly' by a team like JMU this is the year. If JMU doesn't beat them 'soundly' or doesn't beat the Aztecs at all, it won't say much about the JMU program.

[IdahoBoy]

the MB2 is statistically irrelevant?

But, you must admit, it is critical to have on in the game, right?

[808]

cougarize said:

it doesn't matter who the team's 2 MB is because as I've posted in the past the No. 2 MB is statistically irrelevant.

Tell that to USC's Adams and Candelas and to Stanford's McGee and Harvey. I don't know who is/was the MB2 of those two tandems, but I wouldn't say they were statistically irrelevant.

[SaltNPepper]

cougarize said:

it doesn't matter who the team's 2 MB is because as I've posted in the past the No. 2 MB is statistically irrelevant.

Another statistically irrelavent MB2 was Jenny Kropp at Nebraska in 2001. All she did was have 2.45 kills/game (in 104 games) hitting for .371.

Oh, she also had 180 blocks (1.73/game); though second on the team, it was good enough for third in the nation.

I'd like to her you arguments again about the No. 2 MB being statistically irrelevant

[cougarize]

808 said:

Tell that to USC's Adams and Candelas and to Stanford's McGee and Harvey. I don't know who is/was the MB2 of those two tandems, but I wouldn't say they were statistically irrelevant.

One day when I have loads of time on my hands, I will break down specifically how the No. 2 MB is statistically irrelevant. If you are a coach who plays by the numbers, like most of the top staffs do nowadays, it is readily apparent. Sure it is nice to look on the surface as a volleyball fan and see the great MB tandems and the numbers they put up, but if you were to break down rotation, matchups, etc., then it sheds some light onto my 'obviously' preposterous statement. But I think I've established on here that I can back up whatever I say and that I don't pull things out of the hole.

[cougarize]

PukaPants said:

Cougarize, what's the latest on the Cougs?

Hey Puka,

I will update the Cougs in the coming days and post it as its own thread.

Cougarize

[IdahoBoy]

Please do "enlighten" us with that BYU-is-a-crappy-program volleyball knowledge you have. I can already see the response!



BYU's MB attack in 2003:

Lexi Brown: 2.90 KPG; 0.376%; 1.21 BPG; 0.49 dpg
Lindsy Hartsock: 1.59 KPG; 0.350%; 1.24 BPG; 0.37 dpg

[SaltNPepper]

This is probably a little of topic here, but when a team runs a 6-2, is there really a MB1 and a MB2? Wouldn't they both be the same as compared to the rotation of the setter(s).