Does anyone play volleyball in Ky besides Northern Ky and Louisville? :wave:

Is there any news/rumors/gossip about anyone else? Any up & comers out there? Any break-out stars or ones to watch for?

 

(I started to put "Threadicus" or maybe "Posticus" but stuck with Festivus)

I guess the answer is no. lol

Oh...I don't know.. I guess look around the Lexington area next. Dunbar, Henry Clay, and Tates Creek can usually field respectable teams.

 

There are numerous Regions that are barren wastelands of volleyball interest. Wish more teams from the hotbed Regions could go to State instead of sending 1 from each Region. Sucks knowing the 6th or 7th best team in Louisville/NKY would win any other Region in the State.

The younger (mid teens)Lexington United club teams this year were stronger than years past. This may translate into stronger high school teams in the near future.

The younger (mid teens)Lexington United club teams this year were stronger than years past. This may translate into stronger high school teams in the near future.

 

There aren't any good incoming freshmen in Lexington this year.

I guess the answer is no. lol

 

That's what I was thinking too. lol

 

Just a little surprised I'm the only one that frequents the boards.

Lex United 13U and 14U teams were weak this year. I don't know what teams rscott43 was speaking of, but 13s and 14s are not them. Lex United 16 Adidas is a good team, but those girls are already making their impact on high school.

There aren't any good incoming freshmen in Lexington this year.

 

That's kinda harsh. I think you could have worded that a little differently. Obviously with Lexington United fielding so many teams there has to be a few good players down there. Club team success is not an indicator of individual quality.

That's kinda harsh. I think you could have worded that a little differently. Obviously with Lexington United fielding so many teams there has to be a few good players down there. Club team success is not an indicator of individual quality.

 

I'm not sure if he was trying to be harsh, but you're correct. There are good players who happen to be on teams that are not that competitive in club. Problem is that most of the better high school players ARE club players. If there aren't that many good club players, then naturally you're going to have fewer good high school players. You're going to have the athletic studdettes that can play but don't pay club, but those are few in number.

From my perspective this past club season, I would have to agree that LUV was not that competitive this year from 14's down through 10's. The 10's and 11's seem to be run as a developmental program with shorter seasons than other KY clubs. There were some good players but overall the teams weren't strong. This is the case at several clubs. MAVA and Union were both not strong at many age levels. I think some of this is due to dilution in this case. Louisville seemed to have enough players for two big clubs with some smaller clubs thrown in the mix. The rise of Union has spread the wealth too thin in some cases and some clubs such as PNK have cherrypicked strong players at certain levels. KIVA continues to draw strong players. It will be interesting to see how things shake out going forward in Louisville. I personally don't think there are enough very good players for three large clubs to field competitive teams at every age.

In Lexington, I think the problem still seems to be not enough athletic girls playing the sport starting at a young age. The CSAA program in Louisville plays a big part in developing the interest in younger players that than then drives the clubs. Not many areas of the state have that advantage.

That's kinda harsh. I think you could have worded that a little differently. Obviously with Lexington United fielding so many teams there has to be a few good players down there. Club

team success is not an indicator of individual quality.

 

I'm not trying to be harsh, just direct.

I'm not sure if he was trying to be harsh, but you're correct. There are good players who happen to be on teams that are not that competitive in club. Problem is that most of the better high school players ARE club players. If there aren't that many good club players, then naturally you're going to have fewer good high school players. You're going to have the athletic studdettes that can play but don't pay club, but those are few in number.

From my perspective this past club season, I would have to agree that LUV was not that competitive this year from 14's down through 10's. The 10's and 11's seem to be run as a developmental program with shorter seasons than other KY clubs. There were some good players but overall the teams weren't strong. This is the case at several clubs. MAVA and Union were both not strong at many age levels. I think some of this is due to dilution in this case. Louisville seemed to have enough players for two big clubs with some smaller clubs thrown in the mix. The rise of Union has spread the wealth too thin in some cases and some clubs such as PNK have cherrypicked strong players at certain levels. KIVA continues to draw strong players. It will be interesting to see how things shake out going forward in Louisville. I personally don't think there are enough very good players for three large clubs to field competitive teams at every age.

In Lexington, I think the problem still seems to be not enough athletic girls playing the sport starting at a young age. The CSAA program in Louisville plays a big part in developing the interest in younger players that than then drives the clubs. Not many areas of the state have that advantage.

 

So basically what your saying is that Louisville's catholic schools have created a "cultural" change in the way their area approaches sports, and in this case volleyball in particular, which leads to them to being more successful. hmmm :jump:

In volleyball, in Louisville, yes I'd say it's a cultural thing. It's that you have an organized program that introduced the kids to the sport at an early age. They find they like it and want to play even more. Many in CSAA, coaches and other players, are involved in club and they will tell the others to get involved in club. Training and game action in club will make them better players and in Louisville, the kids start young.

 

School ball at the early ages is more of an introduction. They get some basics, but that taste is what gets them involved with club ball. Club is where the intensive training takes place, and when you've got kids playing club ball from age 6 (yes I had one daughter start at 6) they have an advantage. When you have areas where there are no grade school programs, most of the girls are starting behind the right ball. Do some overcome that? Yes they do, but by and large they don't.

I am in Louisville and both of mine (17 and 10) started in first grade playing an organized game and practicing once per week. Both started club at 10 and 9, respectively.

I've reffed in a region that hasn't faired too well state wide and I have done many invitational tourneys that out of town teams with sub 500 records have won easy. I even done 1 tourney with some not so great inter region teams and a team out of state came in with an 0-11 record and they never lost a set.