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Post by bblamb on Oct 5, 2005 20:29:06 GMT -5
It irritates me at times that certain campuses do not have the women's volleyball matches in their best venue. They have to play in another facility, usually an older gym or worse. Is the reasoning for this monetary, political, gender bias??? Wish I knew. It just seems unfair.
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Post by Wolfgang on Oct 5, 2005 20:40:28 GMT -5
San Jose State seems to be playing in their smaller gym in recent years after a couple solid years at the larger more comfy Event Center. One year, they alternated between the gym and the Event Center. It got to be confusing for me because I could never be sure where the match was going to be held, because on some rare occasions, the SJSU website would list the wrong venue. But it was either the Event Center or the small gym. A couple times, I went over to the Event Center and the SJSU women's basketball team was practicing. It probably doesn't mean anything but on those nights, I couldn't help thinking that maybe the women's volleyball team got pushed around and had to sacrifice the Event Center for the small gym.
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Post by StuffU on Oct 5, 2005 20:44:55 GMT -5
I hate that little gym at SJSU. My butt needs cushion and those seats leave a lot to be desired.
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Post by BearClause on Oct 5, 2005 21:03:24 GMT -5
I hate that little gym at SJSU. My butt needs cushion and those seats leave a lot to be desired. That, and the first row of spectator seating is maybe 8 feet off the floor. The gym floor is probably older than I am, and that's no exaggeration. I also tried counting how many of the acoustic ceiling tiles were missing or damaged.
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Post by BearClause on Oct 5, 2005 21:17:01 GMT -5
I think it depends on the venue. I hear Bohler Gym at Washington State is just right for volleyball. The Coliseum at Nebraska gets rave reviews.
Some main campus gyms just seem too big or spread out. The Event Center at San Jose State is just huge. However - the general disrepair and horrible configuration of Spartan Gym would make the EC preferable. Pauley Pavilion at UCLA is so big and spread out that they need a curtain to make it seem smaller. I don't know what the Wooden Center is like though.
All the main gyms in the Bay Area I didn't mention are reasonably comfy (4-6500 capacity). I remember when Stanford was playing at Burhnam, and that was just way too small.
I like how Haas Pavilion at Cal feels for volleyball. It seats about 12K, but it slopes up sharply and you can still feel the energy in the building (there's no sound insulation by design). I actually liked when VB was played at the RSF Field House, but it only seats about 1200.
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Post by pineapple on Oct 5, 2005 21:33:07 GMT -5
It irritates me at times that certain campuses do not have the women's volleyball matches in their best venue. They have to play in another facility, usually an older gym or worse. Is the reasoning for this monetary, political, gender bias??? Wish I knew. It just seems unfair. There would be gender bias if the men's volleyball team played in a better place. If they don't then it's even steven and the bias is directed at volleyball.
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Post by bigfan on Oct 5, 2005 22:14:54 GMT -5
. Pauley Pavilion at UCLA is so big and spread out that they need a curtain to make it seem smaller. I don't know what the Wooden Center is like though. They used to play most of their games at the Wooden center and it was a great place to watch the matches. The fans were up close and not a bad seat in the house.
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Post by BearClause on Oct 5, 2005 23:07:49 GMT -5
. Pauley Pavilion at UCLA is so big and spread out that they need a curtain to make it seem smaller. I don't know what the Wooden Center is like though. They used to play most of their games at the Wooden center and it was a great place to watch the matches. The fans were up close and not a bad seat in the house. Now that I recall it, when I see basketball games on TV, it's maybe 40 ft from one of the baselines to the first row of end seats. The other baseline is closer - maybe 12 feet. I think that longer section is the one closed off for volleyball. The only time I've been to Pauley ('98), they had a women's basketball game before VB, and they didn't put up the curtain. It seemed really big. graphics.ocsn.com/schools/ucla/graphics/pauley_seating_basic.gif
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Post by bucky415 on Oct 6, 2005 0:23:19 GMT -5
Some of the smaller venues are much better for volleyball. I think the Field House in Madison is a great place to watch a match, although climate control can be an issue. Since only volleyball and wrestling play there, it is a true home court for the Badgers and is set up for volleyball. They played a tournament at the Kohl Center the year after it opened (and the Final Four as well, but I wasn't as much of a volleyball fan then and didn't go, unfortunately). It wasn't nearly as good; the crowd tended to get swallowed up in the bigger arena, and the seats were further from the court. Thus, I think the best volleyball venue is a mid-sized arena that isn't decrepit. Thus, a lot of the older/smaller venues are actually pretty good.
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rob
Sophomore
Posts: 205
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Post by rob on Oct 6, 2005 19:13:24 GMT -5
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Post by Wolfgang on Oct 7, 2005 0:17:49 GMT -5
I know some people like the old Klum Gym over the Stan Sheriff Center. I personally don't like either. Klum is just too ancient. It looks like a warehouse/hangar that is just so suffocating with still air, if any. Stinks, too. The floor is so decrepit that it's an ankle sprain waiting to happen.
Stan Sheriff is just so spacious that it's just better to watch the game on TV instead. Even from the front row, you can't see the darn action unfolding. However, I have to say I did enjoy myself when I was there in December 2000 for the LBSU vs. Hawaii Regional semi-final. That place was singing! Literally! I hated how they treated my Melissa Ohta. It kinda brought me to tears. While everyone was booing the Beach and Brian Gimmillaro during the intros, I was yelling "SHUT UP!!!" really loudly. I was yelling at the people sitting above and beside me and they just continued to chant "Rain-bow! Rain-Bow!" It just got sickening. I'm a good empath and I could feel the Beach hurting, emotionally.
Subsequent matches that I've been to at the SSC have been kinda boring.
All volleyball venues should be like the Nebraska Coliseum.
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Post by pineapple on Oct 7, 2005 0:48:14 GMT -5
The girls back then in Klum Gym didn't like guys sitting on the floor in the front looking up their crotches, save that for beach volleyball. But I can say that television doesn't give you a good picture of the action, it's limiting. I first saw Angela Lundquist play on TV. I really didn't realize how good she was until the following night when I saw her play in person. She was all over court. TV did not do her justice.
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Post by Wolfgang on Oct 7, 2005 0:59:55 GMT -5
On the upper floors of the Athletic Building adjacent the SSC are some training rooms and gyms. Once, I walked up there and saw some girls playing hoops and I thought I saw Vince Goo (but not sure) peaking in. Another time, I saw Crystal Lee (Jessica Sudduth's roommate) running through. I put up my hands and she high-fived me. (Gosh, I never washed my hand since...).
Anyway, my question is: do they use those upper level gyms for the vb team?
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Post by pineapple on Oct 7, 2005 1:16:38 GMT -5
I dunno if they do. But I kissed both Heidi and Hedder Illustre. I also kissed Kamanao. I recently saw Tano in Vegas. I was playing BJ and she and her husband (boyfriend?) stopped at our table and looked in on the action. She is very beautiful! TV does not do her justice at all.
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Post by ohiostatetad on Oct 7, 2005 5:32:25 GMT -5
The girls back then in Klum Gym didn't like guys sitting on the floor in the front looking up their crotches um.. what exactly do they wear?? I first saw Angela Lundquist play on TV. I read that twice and swore you typed "Angela Lansbury." Then I thought about the guys looking up her---I can't go on... ;D
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