Non-revenue college sports thread

[BaseballJones]

Unbelievable rallies in tonight’s Wisconsin/Oregon women’s volleyball regional final. You’ll see at least one on espn top ten plays.

Wisconsin on to Tampa for National Finals.

Women's volleyball is so much better to watch than men's - at least at this level and above. In men's, the ball moves so much faster, it's actually hard to follow on TV. And points are usually over much quicker (men's rallies typically are about 2 seconds shorter than women's). Women's is just a more enjoyable product, and unlike in basketball, where there are some that complain that there's no real dunking in women's basketball (it's not a problem for me but for many this is an issue), in volleyball, because the net is lower, women can hit just like the men can (it wouldn't be the same if women played on the same net as men). It would be like watching Breanna Stewart come down the lane and throwing a dunk down on a 9' hoop. You still get to see the big hits in women's volleyball, but the rallies are still longer.

Just a much more enjoyable, more entertaining product than the men at this level.

 

[Coachster]

Women's volleyball is so much better to watch than men's - at least at this level and above. In men's, the ball moves so much faster, it's actually hard to follow on TV. And points are usually over much quicker (men's rallies typically are about 2 seconds shorter than women's). Women's is just a more enjoyable product, and unlike in basketball, where there are some that complain that there's no real dunking in women's basketball (it's not a problem for me but for many this is an issue), in volleyball, because the net is lower, women can hit just like the men can (it wouldn't be the same if women played on the same net as men). It would be like watching Breanna Stewart come down the lane and throwing a dunk down on a 9' hoop. You still get to see the big hits in women's volleyball, but the rallies are still longer.

Just a much more enjoyable, more entertaining product than the men at this level.

The old saying is, 'men's volleyball is played above the net, women's volleyball is played on the floor.'

Inasmuch as I enjoy women hitting hard, the big difference for me is the length of the rallies and the ability of team defenses to keep balls in play. It takes a special kind of bravery to be a libero at the D-I level. Those women are going to get dinged up, as the floor is damned hard and never gets softer.

Our 4-year-starter libero is graduating this spring, and a couple years ago I asked her what she thought about when making a difficult play. She said 'I'm moving towards the ball and I think 'this one's going to hurt'. But then she still makes the play.

 

[canderson]

I’ve posted before but I think a pro volleyball league could do well.

It’s one of the best sports to watch.

 

[BaseballJones]

The old saying is, 'men's volleyball is played above the net, women's volleyball is played on the floor.'

Inasmuch as I enjoy women hitting hard, the big difference for me is the length of the rallies and the ability of team defenses to keep balls in play. It takes a special kind of bravery to be a libero at the D-I level. Those women are going to get dinged up, as the floor is damned hard and never gets softer.

Our 4-year-starter libero is graduating this spring, and a couple years ago I asked her what she thought about when making a difficult play. She said 'I'm moving towards the ball and I think 'this one's going to hurt'. But then she still makes the play.

I actually coach my HS girls to play defense up a little closer than other teams do, and I tell them, "Dare the other team to drill you." They are a little afraid, but they find that they can dig many more balls than they thought they could.

 

[Ale Xander]

BC hires Chris Watkins to coach the Women’s Soccer team. Watkins comes from
Gonzaga where he guided the Zags to their first ever conference title. (They’re with Santa Clara as well as Portland and Pepperdine)

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

The Nebraska women's volleyball team looks extremely good.

 

[swiftaw]

The Nebraska women's volleyball team looks extremely good.

They are. Only lost one game all season, which was at Wisconsin. They beat Wisconsin at home.

 

[h8mfy]

Congrats, Kremlin Watcher, Badgers had no answer for Madisen Skinner, and the tremendous ‘horns defense. Should be a great Final

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Congrats, Kremlin Watcher, Badgers had no answer for Madisen Skinner, and the tremendous ‘horns defense. Should be a great Final

Thanks. Jerrit gets them ready for big matches that’s for sure. Should be a great final.

Hook ‘em ladies!

 

[BaseballJones]

I thought Wisconsin had it figured out in that second set and Texas had no answers but then the Horns adjusted themselves and Wisconsin had no answers. Should be a phenomenal championship match.

 

[Ale Xander]

Hook 'em Horns.
I don't like to win on a net violation but whatever. The 8-15 rally in S2 was incredible and the comeback (for naught) in S2 x-15 and y-16 was fun.

Tomorrow Sunday should be fun.

 

[h8mfy]

Hook 'em Horns.
I don't like to win on a net violation but whatever. The 8-15 rally in S2 was incredible and the comeback (for naught) in S2 x-15 and y-16 was fun.

Tomorrow Sunday should be fun.

Note - It will be on ABC - a first for a non-revenue sport, I think they mentioned on last night's broadcast. It seems ABC realized what @Coachster and @BaseballJones wrote above - it is a really compelling, exciting sport to watch.

 

[h8mfy]

Congrats Longhorns on a dominant Finals performance. 6-0 run to end the 3rd, with a Skinner back-row kill and then O’Neal ace to win it.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Lady Longhorns absolutely dominate Nebraska 3-0 (including 25-11 in final set) to defend their title.

Hook ‘em ladies! The tower will be burning orange tonight!

 

[Coachster]

Well, that was a beat-down.

Simple Nebraska issue- you can't receive serve in-system, you aren't going to win.

 

[Ale Xander]

F
I forgot about it

looks like a booty kicking

B1G overrated once again

 

[bbc23]

I knew it was over when they showed Ndamukong Suh in the 1st set

 

[BaseballJones]

Well, that was a beat-down.

Simple Nebraska issue- you can't receive serve in-system, you aren't going to win.

Uh....this is the biggest reason my HS team stunk this year. So frustrating. So many parents of our kids never played any VB and they think the game is all about "spiking" (I always laugh when they use that term), and they have no idea that passing is the most important part of the game, no matter the level.

 

[Coachster]

Uh....this is the biggest reason my HS team stunk this year. So frustrating. So many parents of our kids never played any VB and they think the game is all about "spiking" (I always laugh when they use that term), and they have no idea that passing is the most important part of the game, no matter the level.

Absolutely. And it’s a tough skill to master.

Last year we received a 2.2 and went to the NCAA’s. This year we were at 1.7 and went home early.

 

[BaseballJones]

Absolutely. And it’s a tough skill to master.

Last year we received a 2.2 and went to the NCAA’s. This year we were at 1.7 and went home early.

We track this, of course, and you wouldn't believe the drop-off our team went through the last three years.

2021: 16-2, state semifinals, serve received at 2.11
2022: 9-9, state round of 16, serve received at 1.70
2023: 2-16, missed playoffs, serve received at 1.51 (absolutely brutal)

In 2021 we had several all-conference players who graduated. In 2022 we had two all-conference seniors, but one was a middle who did not serve receive, but they graduated, and in 2023, our passers were all sophomores with no previous varsity experience. And it showed. The good news is that two years from now we should be really good again but man this year was very, very bad.

 

[canderson]

Hook ‘em! And Texas should be better next year too. I’m surmised they came together and won even with Skinner being a GOAT. Hell of a job! Light the tower:

 

[Humphrey]

BC hires Chris Watkins to coach the Women’s Soccer team. Watkins comes from
Gonzaga where he guided the Zags to their first ever conference title. (They’re with Santa Clara as well as Portland and Pepperdine)

On a soccer board, they have had a thread that has gone on for years ranting about the BC women's program starting with the dismissal of Alison Foley. Hope this turns their fortunes around.

 

[Ale Xander]

On a soccer board, they have had a thread that has gone on for years ranting about the BC women's program starting with the dismissal of Alison Foley. Hope this turns their fortunes around.

It’s good I didn’t find that board or I would have done the same ranting.

 

[InstaFace]

Because this guy deserves mention, somewhere...

View: https://twitter.com/RCorySmith/status/1762136403389907026

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Texas softball has just made a staggering amount of boneheaded plays in this championship series. The catcher forgetting how many outs there are, outfielders not being ready for runners tagging, and now a batter rounding first base on an infield single to the right side and being tagged out. Hard to believe this is the #1 team in the country.

 

[LogansDad]

Wow.

Going your entire career without doing anything but being National Champs is really impressive. Congrats to the Oklahoma seniors.

 

[jon abbey]

Wow.

Going your entire career without doing anything but being National Champs is really impressive. Congrats to the Oklahoma seniors.

When I was part of Columbia Fencing, we started a string of 5 1sts and 3 2nds in 8 years, but we never won more than three NCAAs in a row.

 

[OCST]

Wow.

Going your entire career without doing anything but being National Champs is really impressive. Congrats to the Oklahoma seniors.

I love NCAA softball- it’s more exciting than baseball imo- but the dominance of Oklahoma is a bit of a downer. Hard to get too excited when the WCWS is just a competition to see who gets rolled in the final.

 

[Humphrey]

I love NCAA softball- it’s more exciting than baseball imo- but the dominance of Oklahoma is a bit of a downer. Hard to get too excited when the WCWS is just a competition to see who gets rolled in the final.

Don't know how old you are, but that's pretty much what college basketball was like from 1964 to 1975.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Oklahoma was on the ropes in the semis.

 

[OCST]

Oklahoma was on the ropes in the semis.

Didn’t catch them unfortunately

 

[Ale Xander]

BC plays #1 UNC at noon today for the ACC Field Hockey championship. Game is on ACCN (at Winston-Salem)

 

[RedOctober3829]

View: https://twitter.com/MikeMcMahonCHN/status/1856396493101367775

 

[Ale Xander]

In the quarterfinals of the NCAA Women’s Soccer tournament are 6 ACC schools (including Stanford and Notre Dame. There are 17 ACC members, all that play women’s soccer) and 2 B1G schools (including USC). And obviously no one else in the 8.

Arkansas and Miss St made a run for it (1 and 2 of the same bracket) for the SEC but lost their round of 16 matches.