[BobK]

https://gostanford.com/news/2019/8/12/wo...-poll.aspx

All coaches picked Stanford to win the league Hambly picked Oregon. Looks like 4 strong teams in the league.

All 5 Sr starters picked all league.

Open practice Saturday the 24.

If you’re a season ticket holder practice and bbq on the 26th.

[BobK]

https://gostanford.com/news/2019/8/12/wo...-poll.aspx

All coaches picked Stanford to win the league Hambly picked Oregon. Looks like 4 strong teams in the league.

All 5 Sr starters picked all league.

Open practice Saturday the 24.

If you’re a season ticket holder practice and bbq on the 26th.

[BostonCard]

Were coaches required not to pick their own team?  Otherwise, I get not wanting to offend the woofing gods, but come on, how does one pick against the defending national champion, when they bring back all their starters?

BC 

[BostonCard]

Were coaches required not to pick their own team?  Otherwise, I get not wanting to offend the woofing gods, but come on, how does one pick against the defending national champion, when they bring back all their starters?

BC 

[BobK]

Never get to pick your own team nor would a coach. Well now that Mick Haley gone.

As I said Hambly picked Oregon

[BobK]

Never get to pick your own team nor would a coach. Well now that Mick Haley gone.

As I said Hambly picked Oregon

[oldalum]

And, new this year, there's a free "Volleyball 101" class, led by Coach Hambly, on August 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.


     "Topics to be covered include rules of the game, basic terminology and not-so-basic terminology, a crash course on rotations and an explanation of the match statistics. The evening will also touch on philosophy and systems (basic, offensive and defensive), tactical in-match decisions and scouting.
     The event will end with a question and answer session with Coach Hambly"

details at:  Volleyball 101

[oldalum]

And, new this year, there's a free "Volleyball 101" class, led by Coach Hambly, on August 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.


     "Topics to be covered include rules of the game, basic terminology and not-so-basic terminology, a crash course on rotations and an explanation of the match statistics. The evening will also touch on philosophy and systems (basic, offensive and defensive), tactical in-match decisions and scouting.
     The event will end with a question and answer session with Coach Hambly"

details at:  Volleyball 101

[fullmetal]

Wish I could be at that clinic!  I'm an amateur league player, but I love the sport.

[fullmetal]

Wish I could be at that clinic!  I'm an amateur league player, but I love the sport.

[FarmDad.01]

One of my daughters graduated from Stanford in 2001. She was a club jock whose Ultimate Frisbee teams in '98 and '99 won the national collegiate championship, then earned runner-up in '01. In other words, a competitive athlete.

Yet there are so many high-level amateur athletic events going on in Palo Alto that though my daughter frequented Maples during the Collins Twins era, winkling her fingers on foul shots, she never went to a WVB game even though Logan Tom was revolutionilizing the sport.

Early last winter, I was on cellphone with my daughter when I mentioned that Stanford was about to play for the WVB title against Texas, and that it would be on TV.

Soon after the match ended, my daughter called: Wow! What a sport!!

Yup.

[FarmDad.01]

One of my daughters graduated from Stanford in 2001. She was a club jock whose Ultimate Frisbee teams in '98 and '99 won the national collegiate championship, then earned runner-up in '01. In other words, a competitive athlete.

Yet there are so many high-level amateur athletic events going on in Palo Alto that though my daughter frequented Maples during the Collins Twins era, winkling her fingers on foul shots, she never went to a WVB game even though Logan Tom was revolutionilizing the sport.

Early last winter, I was on cellphone with my daughter when I mentioned that Stanford was about to play for the WVB title against Texas, and that it would be on TV.

Soon after the match ended, my daughter called: Wow! What a sport!!

Yup.

[BostonCard]

Never get to pick your own team nor would a coach.  Well now that Mick Haley gone.

As I said Hambly picked Oregon

Nationally ranked #1 as well, but not unanimous.  Not going to quibble too much, but I really don’t get any voter that took a team that won the national title last year, returned all its starters and finds a reason not to vote them #1.

https://pac-12.com/article/2019/08/13/si...eason-poll


BC

[BostonCard]

Never get to pick your own team nor would a coach.  Well now that Mick Haley gone.

As I said Hambly picked Oregon

Nationally ranked #1 as well, but not unanimous.  Not going to quibble too much, but I really don’t get any voter that took a team that won the national title last year, returned all its starters and finds a reason not to vote them #1.

https://pac-12.com/article/2019/08/13/si...eason-poll


BC

[CompSci87]

Actually all but one starter. But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

[CompSci87]

Actually all but one starter. But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

[Spiny_Norman]

Actually all but one starter. But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

Will Madeleine Gates (grad transfer from UCLA) take Tami Alade's spot in the middle?

[Spiny_Norman]

Actually all but one starter. But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

Will Madeleine Gates (grad transfer from UCLA) take Tami Alade's spot in the middle?

[BobK]

Yes on Gates. A second team All America. Sure

I’m sure one of voters was Hambly voting for Nebraska. My guess or penn state

[BobK]

Yes on Gates. A second team All America. Sure

I’m sure one of voters was Hambly voting for Nebraska. My guess or penn state

[76lsjumb]

As far as Stanford is concerned, I'm not sure there's ever been a year where a pre-season poll is as worthless as it is this season.  By about September 21 or so, we will know how good we are relative to pretty much every other reasonably likely #1 candidate.

It really doesn't matter much if they were to pick us as No. 25 now...just as long as we're undefeated on September 22! [or, better yet, on December 22...]

[76lsjumb]

As far as Stanford is concerned, I'm not sure there's ever been a year where a pre-season poll is as worthless as it is this season.  By about September 21 or so, we will know how good we are relative to pretty much every other reasonably likely #1 candidate.

It really doesn't matter much if they were to pick us as No. 25 now...just as long as we're undefeated on September 22! [or, better yet, on December 22...]

[BostonCard]

Yes on Gates.  A second team All America.  Sure

I’m sure one of voters was Hambly voting for Nebraska.  My guess or penn state

That still leaves one voter who is not right in the head.

Note, I'm not saying that a title is guaranteed.  Lots can happen.  It's just that there can be almost no justification in voting for anyone else at this time.  Like, you could understand not voting for Stanford if we had lost a lot of talent (but, if anything we've gained talent), or if you thought the national title last year was a fluke (but with a record of 35-1 with wins over Minnesota, BYU, Penn State [twice], Texas [twice], Nebraska, and an undefeated Pac-12 season, really hard to call it a fluke).  So, I just don't see how one sits down with that information and concludes that Nebraska (or Penn State) is the top team in the country right now.

BC

BC

[BostonCard]

Yes on Gates.  A second team All America.  Sure

I’m sure one of voters was Hambly voting for Nebraska.  My guess or penn state

That still leaves one voter who is not right in the head.

Note, I'm not saying that a title is guaranteed.  Lots can happen.  It's just that there can be almost no justification in voting for anyone else at this time.  Like, you could understand not voting for Stanford if we had lost a lot of talent (but, if anything we've gained talent), or if you thought the national title last year was a fluke (but with a record of 35-1 with wins over Minnesota, BYU, Penn State [twice], Texas [twice], Nebraska, and an undefeated Pac-12 season, really hard to call it a fluke).  So, I just don't see how one sits down with that information and concludes that Nebraska (or Penn State) is the top team in the country right now.

BC

BC

[oldalum]

"So, I just don't see how one sits down with that information and concludes that Nebraska (or Penn State) is the top team in the country right now."

well, I'll take up the challenge to play devil's advocate. I interpret a preseason poll as intended to pick who you think will win the natty--i.e., who will be the best team at the end of the season--rather than who is the best team now (I would cite Wilner in support of this proposition, but I think that would detract from my credibility!). As teams gain records, the poll becomes more actual record-based.

in light of the above, I don't think picking Nebraska is completely unreasonable, despite their overall record last year. They were like we were in 2016: young, true freshman setter (first in Nebraska's history). They had multiple losses mid-season against the top B10 teams, but they got better and were high level at the end of the season. They lost the championship match to us, but it was VERY close, and the difference in the level of us and them at the end of last year was minuscule. So projecting last year's end-of-season teams to this year, they lose a superlative hitter and we lose an excellent middle blocker (probably canceled out by the UCLA transfer), and I don't know what they are gaining. They still have a young team (no seniors) so maybe one could project a lot of improvement still left to be gained. They play a much tougher conference schedule than we do which helps them prepare for the NCAAs (we try to compensate with a tougher pre-season schedule). I'd still pick us of course but I wouldn't say whoever picked Nebraska (probably Hambly if he votes) is totally off-base.

Penn State is another matter. They were pegged for a rebuilding year last year, and still easily took the first set from us in our gym in the regional final, so that was their level at the end of the year. This year they are 75% freshmen and sophomores, and perhaps much is expected from the frosh class. Seems like more of a hopeful/wishful projection. I would guess the Penn State coach voted for them (if possible).

[oldalum]

"So, I just don't see how one sits down with that information and concludes that Nebraska (or Penn State) is the top team in the country right now."

well, I'll take up the challenge to play devil's advocate. I interpret a preseason poll as intended to pick who you think will win the natty--i.e., who will be the best team at the end of the season--rather than who is the best team now (I would cite Wilner in support of this proposition, but I think that would detract from my credibility!). As teams gain records, the poll becomes more actual record-based.

in light of the above, I don't think picking Nebraska is completely unreasonable, despite their overall record last year. They were like we were in 2016: young, true freshman setter (first in Nebraska's history). They had multiple losses mid-season against the top B10 teams, but they got better and were high level at the end of the season. They lost the championship match to us, but it was VERY close, and the difference in the level of us and them at the end of last year was minuscule. So projecting last year's end-of-season teams to this year, they lose a superlative hitter and we lose an excellent middle blocker (probably canceled out by the UCLA transfer), and I don't know what they are gaining. They still have a young team (no seniors) so maybe one could project a lot of improvement still left to be gained. They play a much tougher conference schedule than we do which helps them prepare for the NCAAs (we try to compensate with a tougher pre-season schedule). I'd still pick us of course but I wouldn't say whoever picked Nebraska (probably Hambly if he votes) is totally off-base.

Penn State is another matter. They were pegged for a rebuilding year last year, and still easily took the first set from us in our gym in the regional final, so that was their level at the end of the year. This year they are 75% freshmen and sophomores, and perhaps much is expected from the frosh class. Seems like more of a hopeful/wishful projection. I would guess the Penn State coach voted for them (if possible).

[fullmetal]

By my recollection, Hambly is a jazz/blues fan.  Something tells me he sleeps just fine at night, unperturbed by these polls.

[fullmetal]

By my recollection, Hambly is a jazz/blues fan.  Something tells me he sleeps just fine at night, unperturbed by these polls.

[FarmBoy]

By my recollection, Hambly is a jazz/blues fan.  Something tells me he sleeps just fine at night, unperturbed by these polls.

Very excited for the season to begin. I really got attached to this team last season. Can't wait to see what they do.

[FarmBoy]

By my recollection, Hambly is a jazz/blues fan.  Something tells me he sleeps just fine at night, unperturbed by these polls.

Very excited for the season to begin. I really got attached to this team last season. Can't wait to see what they do.

[martyup]

Haters gonna hate.  Just win!

[martyup]

Haters gonna hate.  Just win!

[M T]

But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

Maybe Coach Hambly (that was one of those votes) got together with a friendly coach and said, "Look if Stanford is the essentially unanimous #1 pick, maybe we won't be as hungry as we need to be.  I sure hope someone votes for some other team."

[M T]

But still it's hard to see why one voter picked Nebraska and one Penn State.

Maybe Coach Hambly (that was one of those votes) got together with a friendly coach and said, "Look if Stanford is the essentially unanimous #1 pick, maybe we won't be as hungry as we need to be.  I sure hope someone votes for some other team."

[BobK]

Hey MT did you get my PM response ?

[BobK]

Hey MT did you get my PM response ?