Big XII Volleyball predictions

[Cat-swishhh]

Big XII Volleyball teams will be reporting soon to start practices for the upcoming season...anyone care to predict how things will shake out this coming season? Can anyone topple the Huskers? Anyone out there from Okie State that can offer up any good reason why you don't field a team? I don't have the time at the moment to put down all my thoughts on the Big XII race but will get back to it in the near future...in the meantime anyone want to jump on this topic?

[mred]

My prediction: Iowa State and Oklahoma will likely battle for the bottom spot. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif I honestly don't follow Big XII VB that much, but I did go to a dozen or so games in college. Volleyball is a fun sport to watch.

[ChipperF1]

Big XII Volleyball projections.

1. Nebraska.....A return to form by Grichaly Cepero could yield greater national rewards
2. Kansas State...Nebraska South, and they will be greater challenge and will make a national splash this year
3. Texas..........Solid hitting team, but blocking needs to upgrade
4. Colorado.......Have some retooling to do, but are a strong team.
5. Texas A&M......The aggies are prime to challenge in the middle division
6. Texas Tech.....They are slowly building a volleyball team their basketball team will be proud.
7. Missouri.......The Tigers could end up three place higher if newcomers pan out
8. Baylor.........Another team that will compete in the middle division
9. Kansas.........They are a lot closer to the midpack than the back
10. Oklahoma.......Actually, a competitive team just undertalented.
11. Iowa State.....They are the Nebraska Womens Basketball of Big 12 Volleyball. Rabidly uncompetitive.

Chipper's National Top 10

1. Stanford.......Ogonna Nnamani's fast becoming the heir apparant to Logan Tom.
2. Florida.........Young hungry and athletic. Fought a death duel with Nebraska and fell just short of the Final Four.
3. Nebraska.......The midwestern challenger will again challenge, but high-level acquisition Jennifer Saleamua will come with baggage attached.
4. Hawaii.........Dave Shoji says this could be his best Rainbow Wahine team ever. They have all the tools needed to bring a National Championship to the islands.
5. Pepperdine.....Great hitting team, but blocking could be a concern. Well-built quick set team that helps in rally scoring.
6. Long Beach State...Lost two high performance all-American from the national runner-ups in 2001, but the replacements are near that level.
7. Arizona.......Got a taste of what championship volleyball is about, and are still young enough to advance to getting the full meal.
8. Kansas State...Got rough treatment in last year NCAA tourney selection process in playing the #1 team very early. K-State will have a clearer run this year.
9. UCLA...........Have some holes to fill, and have to cut down on service errors from last season.
10. Pacific........The Tigers could be ready to make a charge to the Final Four, led by an All-American from of all places, Nebraska.

Chipper's teams to watch.

South Carolina.....Made quite an impression in NCAA play last year
USC................One of the California teams just outside the top 10, who will find themselves in the top 10.
Texas..............They have some gap to fill, but the Horns are always strong
Minnesota..........Leaders of a Big 10 renaissance in Volleyball
Michigan State.....Transfer of Amy Sibbernsen took away from their attack, but two recruits will more than fill the gap
Northwestern.......The Wildcats could be a Big 10 darkhorse
Washington.........One of the Pacific teams NOT from California. They are sort of a Pac Coast Nebraska. They win with local kids.
Wisconsin..........The Gold Standard of Big 10 volleyball, but this year they will be pushed.
SW Missouri State...Will battle Northern Iowa in the Mo Valley, and make a magic run of their own
Northern Iowa.......The queens of the Mo Valley and a team with a budding national profile.
Colorado............Always a solid team, but are they getting stagnant in the highly competitive Big 12?
Colorado State......Colorado's best college volleyball team, period.
Notre Dame..........The best Big East team by a wide margin this year.
UC-Santa Barbara....It's put-up or shut-up for Katie Gregory in 2002. UCSB's been a slight underachiever in the last 2 seasons.

[swok34]

I don't follow volleyball all that much either, but I do try to make a few of the OU games. I like the scoring change they put into effect last season, makes the game "more fun" for the fan to watch.

I agree with Mred, OU and ISU battle for bottom spot...
I think Oklahoma State has some sort of rodeo sport in lieu of volleyball......and then you have Colorado and Kansas State.....who don't field a softball team in the Big XII.

[Cat-swishhh]

First off, the Chipper did a very good job with his analysis of not only the Big XII but nationally as well. Glad to see you recognize Washington as a team to watch under Coach McLaughlin. My Big XII projections
1) NU - Pilakowski's year to shine...the Big Red are always the team to beat in this conference and until somebody does it..they stay at the top in preseason polls.
2) KSU - Look for Kari Jensen to do some special things this year.
3&4 tie) TU and TA&M - The Longhorns have the talent to compete at the top and although TA&M lost five starters...I respect their program enough that they find some very ample replacements.
5) CU - Plenty of talent and experience
6,7,&8 tie) MU, BU, and TT - All very good teams that is going to make top teams in the conference play hard and well to beat them.
9) KU - Good enough to compete with a lot of conference teams.
10) OU - What they wouldn't give to be as good as they were 5+ years ago.
11) ISU - Improving but still a ways to go yet.

Chipper, with the changes in volleyball scoring to make the game more viable for TV will we ever see ESPN jump into the arena and televise collegiate volleyball (other than the finals & semifinals on ESPN2) and or/provide coverage of results on Sportscenter?

[ChipperF1]

"Chipper, with the changes in volleyball scoring to make the game more viable for TV will we ever see ESPN jump into the arena and televise collegiate volleyball (other than the finals & semifinals on ESPN2) and or/provide coverage of results on Sportscenter?

Sure...when there is college beach volleyball http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

I doubt you'll ever see regular season games in any great quantity. Maybe a season opening tourney on tape delay and the NCAA Final Four. But results? fagetaboutit.

College Volleyball just doesn't sell well partly because there's no East Coast hook for the SportsCenter crowd to really chew on. There's a ton of good feature material out there, but unless there's some human interest hook or a kid playing playing with an arm that is a hook, it just won't get the air time. It is seen as a "high school" sport played by the California beach babes and the midwestern "hick" girls.