Osage

I don't think AES is very useful for this kind of thing. It's math-based only, which means it over-ranks teams who beat everyone they play, but don't play anyone relevant, and punishes teams that schedule tough but lose from time to time. Sorta like TT, I think it is all about finishes. Gold bracket finishes in larger tournaments like Bluegrass, Triple Crown, Qualifiers, and Nationals. And maybe some wins here and there against teams that have those kinds of finishes. I think PrepVolleyball does a good job with their rankings, so top 50 in their list is probably about the cutoff line for me.

Friends in Atlanta tell me A5 is is going to have a transition year. One of their top coaches, she'd coached their 14-1 teams forever, left to form her own club. A5 probably won't be what it once was, but will still be plenty good. https://www.tkvball.com/coaches

Agreed. Dan did what he had to do. TT made an important point earlier... spotlight is on him now, and it is bright. He has more to work with than anyone, at least at the 16's and 18's. Forget K2 and Alliance... he needs to post consistent results against teams like KIVA and Munciana, since, after all, those kids beat those teams when they were wearing Alliance jerseys.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. Power Conference schools who are truly interested in freshmen ARE (or in the next few months, WILL BE) offering 2022's, even though the new rules say they can have no recruiting conversations with them until their Junior year. I made an unwarranted logical leap.

The Brentwood right side has power conference offers? As a hitter?

Well-rested Ravenwood...

Agreed, TT!

Strength vs. Strength. Cane Ridge OL + dangerous backs vs. Franklin depth on defense. I think the 'Ridge has too much for Franklin, and they blow away a close game with some late big plays.

Congrats to TPV, who added some important older kids. They have enough pieces in place now to win at the Open level, and maybe even field the best 16s and 18s teams in the state. Practice started this week, which also means these teams should be ahead of the rest in those early January / February events.

I didn't say anything about Alliance. I admit my bias, and I admit where it comes from. I admit I don't know the TPV leadership; they are irrelevant to me, and everything I know about them is second-hand. No, to answer your question, as far as I know, Rick Butler hasn't been to Franklin to train TPV kids. But has he interacted with TPV kids? Absolutely! Busloads of TPV kids were driven up last year to be trained by him and his staff in his facility. My point is pretty simple: the fact that a business relationship exists between TPV and Rick Butler is the end of the story. Families must make a clear-eyed choice. You either invest in / support him and his business, or don't. I don't understand how a parent can know the history here, recognize that the link exists between TPV and Rick Butler, and still pay club dues that enrich an unapologetic rapist. I don't think this is a high-horse position to take, and I'm interested in why you'd say otherwise.

I'll admit my bias, but it isn't based on the local leadership (Dan, Trigg, those guys... I really have no idea who they are) or behavior. If I had a club player, she would not play for TPV because of the relationship with the Chicago parent organization Sports Performance, whose founder and leader Rick Butler is an unapologetic rapist of his players. Any dollar spent with TPV validates him, his business model, and eventually lands in one of his accounts. The counter-arguments are plenty: "That was a long time ago" "I don't believe the allegations" "Look how successful the club and its affiliates have been" "He doesn't have any role with the TPV organization, so it shouldn't matter" (Most common) "I don't care" I don't really blame families who don't know the story and don't know the connection. For last decade or so, the Company Line with Sports Performance has been "It didn't happen". Before that, it was "It happened, but the kids were 18 so it was ok" or "It happened, the kids initiated the relationships." I'm sure if the TPV leadership was asked, they'd say something similar. But that doesn't mean the relationship between Rick Butler and TPV doesn't exist, and that doesn't mean that TPV success doesn't benefit him. Parents and players who know the link and play for TPV anyway... that's indefensible.

Thanks for the updates, Clifford. Please keep them coming.

It's the state tournament. Would you expect an easy first-round match-up? In any case, the double-elimination format ensures that the cream rises. If they are unfairly seeded, they'll blow through the loser's bracket and rematch in the Final.

Which is not not the same as "...they are offering free club to key Alliance players to lure them to their club." I wrote earlier in this thread that if I were TPV, I'd do everything possible to poach all the top Alliance kids. The business model basically requires this. If TPV says "Our training is better", and top TPV teams go out and finish mid-pack in club-level events, then they lose credibility. TPV set a baseline last year with their performance, and really it would not be too hard to improve on what they did last year across the board. But if they can get some good Alliance kids, then they will REALLY improve. Look at it through that perspective, and this all makes perfect sense. Thing is, they need to be up front about it. Nobody is playing for free. If a kid's dues are waived, that means everybody else is chipping in to offset that..

Agree, Clifford.

Officials fall in 2 categories... folks that are officials because that is what they like to do, and volleyball people. In the first category, they go to class, read the rules, get certified, do their thing, and then when the season is over, they go on to their next sport. Officiating is their thing. You notice these types of officials, especially during volleyball season. In some cases, they stand out because they miss so much, and in others, they stand out because they completely over-officiate the game. They mean well, they are just out of their element when it comes to working volleyball because they don't know the game. The second category (and I'd put myself and a handful of friends here) understand the ebb and flow of games and points. They know the rules too, but these are the refs that just do their thing, and you never really notice them.

Wasn't Nicklin Hames the setter for that K2 team? The big Station Camp kid committed to Ole Miss not long ago. Congrats to them, and good luck to all teams headed to Murfreesboro next week!

I think it's Cane Ridge's year

As it should be. Thank you, didn't want to assume too much.

Let's say 2 teams tie for 4th in a Region. How does TSSAA determine who advances? Head-to-head? Season (or region) point differential?

I was there last night. The Brentwood setter does not get enough credit. On this thread, in the media coverage, talking to folks in the gym, all the attention goes to Shay and the defenders, and they are good, no question. And TT you often make the point that the left handed kid is a difference-maker. But there is no way that team is where it is without Tori. She made some choices that were the difference last night. She is steady, she puts up a consistent ball, and keeps the younger kids around her from getting crazy. She is that team's MVP.

I expect Ravenwood will roll all the way to Murfreesboro. Would not be surprised if the AAA Championship is a rematch of last year.

Congrats to Siegel who, despite key injuries, went undefeated in District play for the umpteenth time in a row. I was wrong about Blackman potentially challenging them.

Those kids are gassed. And schedule says they're headed to Lexington this weekend.

If these are posted somewhere from previous years, I guess that would answer my question. So if that's out there, please link. If not, how does TSSAA handle post season awards like All-District and All-Region? Do coaches vote? And do the better teams get more kids on the lists? (Yes and yes, I figure.)