Big 12 2023

[jwvolley]

Usually I couldn’t care less about this conference to be perfectly frank, but the additions of BYU and Houston make it intriguing to me this year.

I think Houston returns a considerable amount of their roster including an excellent libero and a terminal OH in Jackson who also happens to be a good passer. They picked up a solid player in Mbonu from Louisville and now they’ve added a stud OH in Sauer from Texas Tech. Jackson and Sauer is a great duo on the outside.

BYU is always physical and Livingston is a beast.

Texas will be Texas, though somewhat less daunting than last year with Eggleston finally gone. Baylor loses an iconic duo in the middle. Tbh Idk what there plans are to compensate for that but they have a very good setter and a serve receive machine libero.

Kansas competes, though I find they sometimes lose matches they shouldn’t.

Iowa State unfortunately reads mediocre to me but then they go and somehow beat Texas lol so idk.

[slxpress]

Mar 6, 2023 22:20:19 GMT -5 jwvolley said:

Usually I couldn’t care less about this conference to be perfectly frank, but the additions of BYU and Houston make it intriguing to me this year.

I think Houston returns a considerable amount of their roster including an excellent libero and a terminal OH in Jackson who also happens to be a good passer. They picked up a solid player in Mbonu from Louisville and now they’ve added a stud OH in Sauer from Texas Tech. Jackson and Sauer is a great duo on the outside.

BYU is always physical and Livingston is a beast.

Texas will be Texas, though somewhat less daunting than last year with Eggleston finally gone. Baylor loses an iconic duo in the middle. Tbh Idk what there plans are to compensate for that but they have a very good setter and a serve receive machine libero.

Kansas competes, though I find they sometimes lose matches they shouldn’t.

Iowa State unfortunately reads mediocre to me but then they go and somehow beat Texas lol so idk.

UCF should be really good, too.

I’m curious to see what Jason Williams does in year two at TCU as well. It won’t be the Big 10 but it made some major upgrades in terms of volleyball with the new additions. To me it’s going to be an even more exciting conference when Texas departs. Less interesting to me because of my fandom, but more exciting.

[jwvolley]

Mar 6, 2023 23:07:16 GMT -5 slxpress said:

Mar 6, 2023 22:20:19 GMT -5 jwvolley said:

Usually I couldn’t care less about this conference to be perfectly frank, but the additions of BYU and Houston make it intriguing to me this year.

I think Houston returns a considerable amount of their roster including an excellent libero and a terminal OH in Jackson who also happens to be a good passer. They picked up a solid player in Mbonu from Louisville and now they’ve added a stud OH in Sauer from Texas Tech. Jackson and Sauer is a great duo on the outside.

BYU is always physical and Livingston is a beast.

Texas will be Texas, though somewhat less daunting than last year with Eggleston finally gone. Baylor loses an iconic duo in the middle. Tbh Idk what there plans are to compensate for that but they have a very good setter and a serve receive machine libero.

Kansas competes, though I find they sometimes lose matches they shouldn’t.

Iowa State unfortunately reads mediocre to me but then they go and somehow beat Texas lol so idk.

UCF should be really good, too.

I’m curious to see what Jason Williams does in year two at TCU as well. It won’t be the Big 10 but it made some major upgrades in terms of volleyball with the new additions. To me it’s going to be an even more exciting conference when Texas departs. Less interesting to me because of my fandom, but more exciting.

Oh oops I forgot about UCF. And yeah for sure, I agree. A competitive field makes for a more fun experience. 

[trojansc]

Mar 6, 2023 23:07:16 GMT -5 slxpress said:

UCF should be really good, too.

Why?

They lose Melville(!) and their starting setter.

I don't even know if UCF will make the tournament?

[slxpress]

Mar 6, 2023 23:12:10 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Mar 6, 2023 23:07:16 GMT -5 slxpress said:

UCF should be really good, too.

Why?

They lose Melville(!) and their starting setter.

I don't even know if UCF will make the tournament?

They’ve made 5 tournaments in a row. Even if they don’t make the NCAA tournament I don’t see them falling off a cliff. They’ll at least be very competitive.

Baylor is going to be even younger this year than they were last year, which seems improbable, but it’s true. I expect Baylor to stay highly competitive as well.

I don’t have a good idea where everyone is going to fall, and I expect Texas to win the conference again per usual, but I feel like BYU, UH, and UCF are going to spice things up. Including UCF in that list doesn’t even seem remotely controversial to me.

[slxpress]

Mar 6, 2023 23:11:48 GMT -5 jwvolley said:

Mar 6, 2023 23:07:16 GMT -5 slxpress said:

UCF should be really good, too.

I’m curious to see what Jason Williams does in year two at TCU as well. It won’t be the Big 10 but it made some major upgrades in terms of volleyball with the new additions. To me it’s going to be an even more exciting conference when Texas departs. Less interesting to me because of my fandom, but more exciting.

Oh oops I forgot about UCF. And yeah for sure, I agree. A competitive field makes for a more fun experience. 

Well, unless you’re a fan of the team dominating everyone. Last year was pretty fun for me. I wouldn’t mind doing that again even a little bit.

[PostPrime]

UH and UCF will learn what it’s really like to be in a P5 conference. They will take multiple losses and and it will steam roll on them. Dropping to the bottom half of the conference bruised. No tourney for either of them.

[trojansc]

Mar 6, 2023 23:34:34 GMT -5 PostPrime said:

UH and UCF will learn what it’s really like to be in a P5 conference. They will take multiple losses and and it will steam roll on them. Dropping to the bottom half of the conference bruised. No tourney for either of them.

Lol. Houston did pretty well last year against P5 competition and they are only getting better. As for UCF - they swept at Kansas last year... (but I do think UCF will be a mess next year)

They just got two very good P5 transfers (Mbonu and Sauer) to compliment Abbie Jackson. It's actually exactly what Houston needed - Abbie Jackson and Georgiades are great ball control players so adding some terminal hitters and demanding less of Jackson will make her even better. Houston's weakest spot will definitely be at middle, we'll see how good they are there.

I would be pretty surprised if Houston misses the tournament.

[trojansc]

Mar 6, 2023 23:29:26 GMT -5 slxpress said:

Mar 6, 2023 23:12:10 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Why?

They lose Melville(!) and their starting setter.

I don't even know if UCF will make the tournament?

They’ve made 5 tournaments in a row. Even if they don’t make the NCAA tournament I don’t see them falling off a cliff. They’ll at least be very competitive.

Baylor is going to be even younger this year than they were last year, which seems improbable, but it’s true. I expect Baylor to stay highly competitive as well.

I don’t have a good idea where everyone is going to fall, and I expect Texas to win the conference again per usual, but I feel like BYU, UH, and UCF are going to spice things up. Including UCF in that list doesn’t even seem remotely controversial to me.

McKenna Melville is the reason they made 5 tournaments in a row. Just like Jordan Thompson took Cincinnati to NCAA Tournaments and they have been a mess since. Those are one-of-a kind players (especially Thompson) that aren't easy to replace, we're talking 6-7 points per set players. UCF had a little more talent around Melville in her time compared to the Cincinnati/JT teams.

Melville took 1300 swings last year - next highest total was 497. Not only that, but her passing, defense, blocking were lights out.

I guess it just depends on what you mean by 'very competitive'. Maybe they have some big transfer(s) coming in, but I don't recall any game-changers.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Which team will finish dead last in the Big 12?

[texasfight]

Mar 6, 2023 23:50:38 GMT -5 Brutus Buckeye said:

Which team will finish dead last in the Big 12?

is that even a question when West Virginia is in the conference

[uofaGRAD]

I don’t believe a pin trio of Jackson/Sauer/Mbonu with Georgiades at libero misses the NCAA tournament completely… especially when the Big 12 has been pushing like a half dozen teams into the tournament every year before the additions.

I’d be shocked to see any of Texas, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, and Houston out of the tourney. Iowa State, TCU, and UCF have a chance to be on the bubble. That’s about where I draw the line I think. Tech loses a lot, WVU loses a lot and sucked anyways, K State is always meh, Cinci is a mess.

I think the Big 12 gets 7. Texas, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Houston, Iowa State, and TCU. Iowa State being by far the shakiest of those 7.

[ay2013]

I agree with Trojan - I don't see UCF being a big threat next year.

[trojansc]

Mar 7, 2023 0:30:03 GMT -5 uofaGRAD said:

especially when the Big 12 has been pushing like a half dozen teams into the tournament every year before the additions.

I'm interested to see what the RPI/conference schedule looks like. The Big 12 really benefitted from having a smaller conference with less teams in terms of RPI.

[slxpress]

Mar 7, 2023 0:50:54 GMT -5 ay2013 said:

I agree with Trojan - I don't see UCF being a big threat next year.

"You just hate UCF."

- UCF fans popping in here