OK, This will be my last post on the subject.

 

First it was said that she didn't play tough enough competition, but then you just proved that she did by admitting her club team played "Open" at the Central Zone Invitational, yet now it seems you are saying that they didn't win enough matches to qualify as a "good team". lol Look at the set scores and where the teams they lost to finished. They competed and could have won quite a few matches that they dropped in an open tourney in January. I could possibly see your point if they lost 25-5, but that is not the case. They finished 12th in Open, well ahead of the last place finish in premier that one of the 2's teams seeded ahead of them in the Bluegrass tourney recorded. The seeding at the Bluegrass or any early tourney is suspect and anyone in club volleyball knows it. Where you finish is the only thing that's important. Also there is a limited number of spots in Open, and at large tournaments Premier generally has quite a few Open caliber teams in it due to the two day format. Try posting how they finish next week when its completed and you might have a leg to stand on. Your implication that a 2's team should be ahead of them is funny. There are 9 kids on that team, and 8 of them started for their HS teams last season.

 

Yes, even at 13 and 14 years old the elite volleyball players around the country are encourages to try out for the HP Program. And Yes, not all elite players in the United States try out, but her division had the largest turnout in 2014 of all the divisions in the HP Program. Over 6500 if I remember correctly. Regardless, thousands upon thousands of kids attend tryouts each year, and she was selected top 55 for the Summer, and played on the USA Select A1 White Team, which was the top team in that division. Then was invited to the Top 42 Holiday Camp after all camps, clinics, and competitions were completed for the year.

 

The may be 42 kids better in the Kenton County, there may be 142, I don't know. But I do know that of all the thousands of kids in the United States who competed for a spot on Team USA she was named to the Top 42 of her age.

 

I'm sure she is a fine player and we'll be hearing great things about her for years to come. That said, Dixie went 15-20 last year and was only 4-10 in the region, which tells me no matter how explosive 1 player is, if she doesn't have the team around her, it's not going to matter much. Just ask Kaity Smith.

 

As far as club, right now the AES Power rankings has her team ranked 720th in 16's in the Nation. They went 1-5 in their only appearance playing in "open" so far. I doubt they play open the rest of the year. In 16's, they appear to be very average.

 

There are 9 kids on that team, and 8 of them started for their HS teams last season.

 

Meh. The JV teams/benches at schools like Mercy, or ND, or Assumption would easily defeat most HS Varsity teams. I think size of school, competition for team, competitiveness of team needs to be factored in. And what does "starter" mean? You're either in the rotation or you're not. Some players "start" on the sidelines and then rotate in as a sub - no difference than starting on the court.

Her NKJV team is very good. You know not what you speak of.

 

I know this..If her team was very good they would be playing in OPEN, because that's where the very good teams are, especially in large national tournaments and qualifiers. Finishing in the middle of the pack in a lower division, and behind 3 other NKY club teams in the same age group, tells me maybe you know not what you speak of.

 

BLUEGRASS RESULTS

*16's

 

OPEN - place/36 teams

5th NKYVC 16 Tsunami

11th Tri-State Elite 16 Blue

 

PREMIERE - place/36 teams

5th NKYVC 16 Tide

11th NKJV 16 McElveen

17th Tri-State Elite 16 White

 

CLUB - place/36 teams

11th NKJV 16 Bennett

13th NKYVC 16 Thunder

 

CLASSIC - place/24 teams

9th NKJV 16 Blue

"Try posting how they finish next week when its completed and you might have a leg to stand on. Your implication that a 2's team should be ahead of them is funny."

 

As requested, it's not funny (but accurate). NKYVC and Elevation second teams finished ahead of NKJV. Elevation 2nd team defeated them head to head. NKYVC (5), Elevation (9), Tri-State Elite (11) and Classics (19) top teams all competed in the Open Division.

Yep, you're obviously correct. I stand corrected. They're horrible. I think they all need to quit and take up cricket. They got blown out of every match. Disgraceful. And their opponents didn't finish well either. :ohbrother:

 

 

Pool/Bracket Opponent Schedule Result Score

1 R1G1P9 TI Elite 16-Molten (HO) (9) Court 13 (EXPO) at 3/7 11:00 AM NKJV 16 McElveen (PR) Won 2-0 (25-12, 25-9)

2 R1G1P9 AVC Clev Rox16N Bojan (OV) (16) Court 13 (EXPO) at 3/7 12:00 PM AVC Clev Rox16N Bojan (OV) Won 2-0 (28-26, 25-7)

3 R2G1P1 COA 16 Red (HO) (17) Court 21 (EXPO) at 3/7 6:00 PM NKJV 16 McElveen (PR) Won 2-0 (25-19, 25-12)

4 R2G1P1 Asics KIVA 16 White (PR) (1) Court 21 (EXPO) at 3/7 7:00 PM Asics KIVA 16 White (PR) Won 2-1 (25-21, 22-25, 15-13)

5 G1C2 Empowered 16U A1 Elite (HO) (2) Court 36 (EXPO) at 3/8 9:00 AM Empowered 16U A1 Elite (HO) Won 2-0 (25-18, 25-23)

6 R4Silver Alliance16 MOLTEN (SO) (9) Court 34 (EXPO) at 3/8 11:00 AM NKJV 16 McElveen (PR) Won 2-0 (25-23, 25-9)

7 R4Silver Elevation 16 Elias (OV) (12) Court 35 (EXPO) at 3/8 1:00 PM Elevation 16 Elias (OV) Won 2-1 (25-23, 17-25, 18-16)

LOL....not my point and you know that.

 

You said comparing clubs 2nd teams to NKJV 16-1 was "funny" in response to me commenting on Bluegrass seeding. You asked me to wait to "have a leg to stand on" and I waited until AES results were posted.

 

This all started with an 8th grader playing varsity and 16 Open volleyball. My consistent feedback has been that not all situations are equal. That's it! NKJV 16-1 doesn't suck, but there is a gap between their level of play and competition versus other situations. Same goes for Dixie Heights.

I know how it started as well, and there is a big difference in 16 year old Open and 16 year old Premier, and most of it has to do with overall team talent, not necessarily individuals. But there is also a huge difference between those and 14's at any level.

 

NKJV 16-1's scrimmaged Tri-States 16 1's the other night and each set was 25-22.

They also scrimmaged NKYVC's 1's earlier and the results were similar. The separation between these teams is not as drastic as you imply.

NKJV 16-1's scrimmaged Tri-States 16 1's the other night and each set was 25-22. They also scrimmaged NKYVC's 1's earlier and the results were similar. The separation between these teams is not as drastic as you imply.

 

To imply that NKJV's 16-1's are on the same level as NKYVC's 16-1's is laughable, and proves you really don't know what you are talking about. I'm basing my opinion based on the facts. Let's take a look.

 

The Central Zone invite was the only tourney so far where both NKJV 16-1 and NKYVC 16-1 both played in OPEN, the highest level, so we are comparing apples to apples and common opponents.

 

NKJV went 1-5 at CZ. They won 1 match. NKYVC went 5-2.

NKJV lost 0-2 to Pineapple, NKYVC beat Pineapple 2-1.

NKJV lost to Asics KIVA 16 White 0-2, NKYVC beat them TWICE 2-0, 2-0 both times.

 

So against common opponents in the same division, NKJV was 0-2, NKYVC was 3-0.

 

This past weekend at Bluegrass, NKYVC again played in OPEN and finished 5th. NKJV played down a division in Premiere and finished 11th.

 

For the big qualifier coming up in Indy, NKYVC is registered for Open. NKJV has signed up to play down in the USA Division, which is 2 below OPEN.

 

Even their own club doesn't think they are an open team. And yes, there is a big separation. You're just not seeing it.

I do see it. I think I pretty much said there was a difference, but NKJV lost to Kiva 16-White by two points Saturday in the third set. Hardly a blowout, and NKYVC didn't dismantle them at Central Zone either.

Tristate finished first the weekend prior to the scrimmage at the Presidents Cup where YVC came in 7'th.

 

The teams are very similar, much more than you are willing to admit.

 

I think the next thing you'll try to convince me of is that USAV Nationals is superior to AAU.

To imply that NKJV's 16-1's are on the same level as NKYVC's 16-1's is laughable, and proves you really don't know what you are talking about. I'm basing my opinion based on the facts. Let's take a look.

 

 

Does the fact that they scrimmaged Both NKYVC and Tri-State and that the results of those scrimmages showed a competitive outcome escape you as a fact? Just curious.

You said

NKJV 16-1's scrimmaged Tri-States 16 1's the other night and each set was 25-22.

They also scrimmaged NKYVC's 1's earlier and the results were similar. The separation between these teams is not as drastic as you imply.

 

The conversation is about NKJV 16-1's since that is the team the playing-up is occurring on. We're talking about you comparing NKJV 16-1's to NKYVC 16-1's. My answer was to specifically address those 2 teams. And I proved my point with the hard facts between those 2 teams.

 

As for AAU vs USA Nationals, where would you like to start?

 

You have to finish 1,2 or 3 in a qualifying tournament to go to USA nationals....

 

You know how you get into the AAU tourney? Mail in a check.

 

Which one is more of an achievement?

Does the fact that they scrimmaged Both NKYVC and Tri-State and that the results of those scrimmages showed a competitive outcome escape you as a fact? Just curious.

 

You mean a scrimmage where teams try different line-ups and work on different things?

 

You mean a scrimmage between nearby teams because it's easy to make and schedule?

 

You mean a scrimmage where there's no refs and the players and coaches call their own?

 

this is what you're going with as your defense?

So neither team plays their top lineup during a scrimmage? Come on, yes its a scrimmage but you refuse to HEAR that winning, competing and beating someone like a red headed step child aren't the same thing. These three teams have played very competitively when facing each other. I'm sorry you don't see that.

 

If NKYVC could beat NKJV 25-5 at NKJV's house your darn right they would have. There is no way they would have pulled their punches. They did not. FACT, NKYVC played four sets against NKJV and didn't win them all. (2-1) The fourth was undecided due to time. Maybe they had an off day... I don't know.

 

Fact: Based on head to head, NKYVC beat NKJV in 3 sets..... wow, what an embarrassment.

You said

 

As for AAU vs USA Nationals, where would you like to start?

 

You have to finish 1,2 or 3 in a qualifying tournament to go to USA nationals....

 

You know how you get into the AAU tourney? Mail in a check.

 

Which one is more of an achievement?

 

Your wrong about USA. All it takes is to be in a big region like OVR and attend their Regional Bid Tourney, or in a small region like ours where no one attends. They give out National and American bids in the OVR like water. If Qualifying was about more than money why do you have 4 qualifiers on the same weekend? How watered down is that? How many teams at NKYVC qualified Open last year? NKYVC's 16's team got a National bid, which is a LOWER than the USA division that NKJV is about to play in, and they only had to beat two teams at our Regional Tourney to get it, one of which was their own 2's team that nearly beat them.

 

KIVA, who has been a TOP 5 club in the United States for longer than NKYVC has been around, doesn't go to ANY USAV Qualifiers or Nationals and strictly goes to AAU.

 

Going to a national championship is great experience for a player and is important to their development, whether its USAV or AAU. It is also one of the primary recruiting events for college coaches. If AAU was a lesser event why would they have more collegiate scouts than USAV does?

Regardless of which side of the argument you are on, a scrimmage doesn't mean much. Teams at all levels from youth to professional have scrimmages/exhibition/practices and the results don't always translate. Every group has a different objective for a scrimmage. Teams that I've coached don't go for blood in a scrimmage. We might be working on some specifics or different line-up or serve receive options. We certainly are are concerned with playing well and getting better.

 

I talked to a parent that was at the Tri-State Elite/NKJV workout. Tri-State played without a 6 rotation OH and had their libero playing right side which also moved their normal RS to OH. If it were a real match, the OH would have and could have played. Also said NKJV was not in a set line-up and was moving some pieces around so a similar argument could be made.

 

Honest questions- how many times do you think NKJV 16-1 would beat NKYVC if they played 10 times?

- how many NKJV 16-1 players do you think would make the NKYVC 16-1 roster via a tryout?

Regardless of which side of the argument you are on, a scrimmage doesn't mean much. Teams at all levels from youth to professional have scrimmages/exhibition/practices and the results don't always translate. Every group has a different objective for a scrimmage. Teams that I've coached don't go for blood in a scrimmage. We might be working on some specifics or different line-up or serve receive options. We certainly are are concerned with playing well and getting better.

 

I talked to a parent that was at the Tri-State Elite/NKJV workout. Tri-State played without a 6 rotation OH and had their libero playing right side which also moved their normal RS to OH. If it were a real match, the OH would have and could have played. Also said NKJV was not in a set line-up and was moving some pieces around so a similar argument could be made.

 

Honest questions- how many times do you think NKJV 16-1 would beat NKYVC if they played 10 times?

- how many NKJV 16-1 players do you think would make the NKYVC 16-1 roster via a tryout?

 

Honest answer, I don't know that they would beat them, but I don't believe they would be embarrassed into a 25-2 loss either, which is what is implied with the "they're not playing Open" arguement. And NKYVC has already taken four kids from this NKJV's team in the past (2 of which are on the current NKYVC 16'1 team) and have attempted to lure a few others. That team is very strong, and I would hate to think they would replace any of those girls.