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: 31,604 
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Post by trojansc on Aug 7, 2018 1:44:26 GMT -5
I left Cal Poly off my list. Someone tell me why I'm wrong (I can be convinced). The Van Windens are very good, but they lost Nelson, Greisen, and Niemen. I don't see where they make up that production based on recent recruiting classes. They don’t. Nelson, Greisen, and Niemen are huge losses for Poly. They're hard to replace but I think the Van Windens are good enough to squeak them into the top 25 in worst case scenario. Sufficient setting is the biggest question. I think they can carry enough of the load to at least take top 2 Big West, and get into the tournament |
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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: 31,604
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Post by trojansc on Aug 7, 2018 1:45:24 GMT -5
I think San Diego is going to have a harder time replacing Gengenbacher than Cal Poly is replacing Nelson. It's not that I think one is better than the other, it's just that Gengenbacher and USD had a lot of strength in the middle. Their middles return, but will they have a good enough connection to continue their offensive success?
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Post by tomclen on Aug 7, 2018 2:41:01 GMT -5
OUTRAGED!
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Post by Millennium on Aug 7, 2018 6:24:46 GMT -5
We've made our move. Now you AVCA:  When does the AVCA preseason poll usually come out? We probably should have waited until the same day because how many coaches just might say to themselves.... hey those nutjobs on volleytalk just sit around and watch volleyball so they probably have a pretty good poll and I will just copy that one to send as mine to start the season!
I thought that was the point! 
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Post by Millennium on Aug 7, 2018 6:27:42 GMT -5
For the 2018 season a couple of us thought it would be fun to put together a Volleytalk Top 25 weekly ranking...............! Thanks in advance for the work. I know you're ulterior motive is to be voted VOLLEYTALKER OF THE YEAR 2018............................
This weekly thread might get him there.
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Post by Millennium on Aug 7, 2018 6:39:29 GMT -5
The biggest difference between my ballot and the actual poll is San Diego. I had them unranked I didn't have SD in either. Personally I'm glad there is quite a bit of variance in our voting to start the season. I feel it would be a worse poll, and very boring, if we all voted very similarly in the pre-season poll. It will be interesting to see how the variance decreases in the first few weeks of the season. There are some definite ways our poll will be better than the coaches poll: 1. I doubt there will be any votes for Stamford; 2. No legitimate Top-10 teams will be omitted from the list week after week. There should be far less WTF's with this poll. But again, good that there is some disagreement, or it would be boring.
LOL!! That's hilarious. Before I read your post I was thinking... if anyone on this board votes for Stamford, I'll %*$#.
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Post by Millennium on Aug 7, 2018 6:59:43 GMT -5
I will start by saying that I am a little insulted that I wasn’t selected as a voter but hey maybe I don’t make enough noise on this board to be noticed. As someone who has created and contributed to several threads throughout the season and is an avid watcher maybe it’s my own envy showing but as far as the voters go I see quite a few users whose names I haven’t seen ever in some match threads so that tells me take the poll with a grain of salt. I have thought this would be a cool idea for awhile though so good for you guys implementing it. Honestly a volleytalk poll might be a more accurate reflection than the actual AVCA poll.
Change your username! Get noticed!
Or.... just PM VBPrisoner and respectfully request an invite for next year.
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bluepenquin
Hall of Fame
4-Time VolleyTalk Poster of the Year (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016) All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team 2023
Posts: 13,306
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Post by bluepenquin on Aug 7, 2018 7:15:59 GMT -5
IMO, the top 13 is pretty solid for a preseason poll (as reflected by the 13 teams in this poll). After that, there are about 30 teams that are in contention for the next 12 spots.
I also was someone that didn't have San Diego in the top 25, not that they aren't as deserving as those other 29 teams (outside the top 13).
Washington State - I didn't have them in my top 25. They finished last year #34 in Pablo. Yes, they return almost all of their team, but at the same time their roster is still pretty light in terms of senior aces, all-American, all-conference, etc... I will be in the minority on this - but I don't see a material difference between Washington State and Michigan State, even though they are coming from completely different spots. Michigan State loses almost all of their team, but has much higher rated players in terms of senior aces.
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Post by huskergeek on Aug 7, 2018 7:31:05 GMT -5
IMO, the top 13 is pretty solid for a preseason poll (as reflected by the 13 teams in this poll). After that, there are about 30 teams that are in contention for the next 12 spots. I also was someone that didn't have San Diego in the top 25, not that they aren't as deserving as those other 29 teams (outside the top 13). Washington State - I didn't have them in my top 25. They finished last year #34 in Pablo. Yes, they return almost all of their team, but at the same time their roster is still pretty light in terms of senior aces, all-American, all-conference, etc... I will be in the minority on this - but I don't see a material difference between Washington State and Michigan State, even though they are coming from completely different spots. Michigan State loses almost all of their team, but has much higher rated players in terms of senior aces. This was how Washington State and Michigan State ended up for me too. Neither was far out of the rankings, but they weren't next in line either. |
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Post by Millennium on Aug 7, 2018 7:37:09 GMT -5
I put together a graphic comparison of VT's Top 25 vs. PrepVB's College Insider's Top 20 preseason polls below. I'll try and put together a weekly graphic comparison of the AVCA's Top 25 vs. VT's Top 25.
Because, really, it's all about the bragging rights for VT members versus the AVCA voters. 
Schools placed evenly in both polls: Stanford, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Cal Poly.
Schools 1 place off: Minnesota, Texas, USC, Creighton, and Iowa St.
Schools 2 places off: Florida, Oregon, UCLA, Baylor, San Diego, and Purdue.
Schools 3 places off: Wisconsin and BYU.
Schools with a 4 or more places off: Penn St., Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and Utah.
VT's Top 25 schools not in College Insider's Top 20:
Pittsburgh, Michigan, Marquette, Louisville, and Colorado St. (and schools receiving votes on VT: Missouri, Washington St., Hawaii, and Wichita St.).
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Post by huskergeek on Aug 7, 2018 7:41:46 GMT -5
I will start by saying that I am a little insulted that I wasn’t selected as a voter but hey maybe I don’t make enough noise on this board to be noticed. As someone who has created and contributed to several threads throughout the season and is an avid watcher maybe it’s my own envy showing but as far as the voters go I see quite a few users whose names I haven’t seen ever in some match threads so that tells me take the poll with a grain of salt. I have thought this would be a cool idea for awhile though so good for you guys implementing it. Honestly a volleytalk poll might be a more accurate reflection than the actual AVCA poll. Change your username! Get noticed! Or.... just PM VBPrisoner to send you an invite for next year. This. So much this. I think the only vb* or vol* user I can pick out on a daily basis is vbprisoner. Additionally, my understanding was that you had to be suggested to participate. Generic usernames generally don't stand out in threads even if the comments are good. |
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Post by BuckysHeat on Aug 7, 2018 7:44:58 GMT -5
I also did not list Washington State based on last years results. They did not lose much - their biggest percent loss was 11% of total kills. But they also finished 36 for VIPR, 34 for pablo and 38 for RPI I just did not see a huge jump for them at this time.
Washington and Mich St just lost too much for me to list them in my top 25. Washington lost 67% of their kills, 90% of their sets, 72% of their digs and over half of their total blocks. They have a good class coming in but I do not see it impacting them that greatly to start with.
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Post by vballvball on Aug 7, 2018 7:55:17 GMT -5
I just hope Mims & Co. learned how to pass in the off-season why because teams like Texas, Minnesota, Florida, USC, Penn State, return such superior passing teams? Washington State is a top 25 team next year, regardless of the preseason schedule. I'd bet $100 that if they are healthy (and there is no reason to believe they aren't) that they'd beat most of the teams ranked 15-25 in this poll in week 1. I put Wazzu at #11 in my preseason poll on the other thread so chill. I’m just saying I honestly hope they really did learn how to pass because it wasn’t easy to watch toward the end of last season. That Nebraska game... yikes. They have a ton of talent and should be able to compete assuming passing is better. Imagine if Texas had superior passing every season. They’d have about 800 national championships by now. |
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Post by nakedcrayon on Aug 7, 2018 8:01:08 GMT -5
I haven’t read all the replies but
I AM OUTRAGED
wait this isn’t the coaches poll
Carry on
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Post by ay2013 on Aug 7, 2018 8:24:13 GMT -5
IMO, the top 13 is pretty solid for a preseason poll (as reflected by the 13 teams in this poll). After that, there are about 30 teams that are in contention for the next 12 spots. I also was someone that didn't have San Diego in the top 25, not that they aren't as deserving as those other 29 teams (outside the top 13). Washington State - I didn't have them in my top 25. They finished last year #34 in Pablo. Yes, they return almost all of their team, but at the same time their roster is still pretty light in terms of senior aces, all-American, all-conference, etc... I will be in the minority on this - but I don't see a material difference between Washington State and Michigan State, even though they are coming from completely different spots. Michigan State loses almost all of their team, but has much higher rated players in terms of senior aces. I don’t see the comparison of Washington State and Michigan State here. This WSU team is lead by a bunch of seniors that have made the 2nd round of the tournament two years in a row (despite injuries). They took out at large teams in route, losing to top 4 seeds. So what!? In that same time frame they have wins against Kentucky, Washington, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and USC- all top 25 ranked tournament teams. Sure WSU May have a ceiling and are inconsistent but they have proven the ability to win against quality teams. WTF has Michigan State proven? Absolutely nothing. I’m not saying WSU is going to challenge for the national title or wouldn’t get stomped by a top 5 team- but that’s completely separate from saying that they are among the best 25 teams teams entering the season, many of whom also surely aren’t challenging for a national title and can get stomped by a top 5 team. |
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