New club team

[Osage]

Looks like most of the TPV top teams, including that 16's team, are registered for the K2 event next weekend (Jan 20-21). Unless they played an event that was not tracked in AES, I think this would be the first competition for the club.

[clifford20]

anyone see good volleyball this weekend?   I was able to see several of the Alliance Teams play.  I came away impressed with the 15 and 16 teams-they are both better than last year.  It will be interesting to see how the 18 team develops.  The competition was pretty weak, as expected.  Several clubs dropped out for weather.  There was a young MidTn team that looked good.  12's maybe?  I am not sure.   The setting and ball control for the older MidTn teams struggled, but there was some solid talent here and there.

[Osage]

Wasn't there, but AES results make it seem it was a real cakewalk for the Alliance teams. Surprising, I would have thought Tsunami and Union would have made it competitive.

 

[clifford20]

I thought Union looked the strongest of the teams.  There were several teams that didn't make it for weather.  I can't honestly decide if Alliance has improved that much, or if Union and Tsu digressed.  Union has always been a really good club and they had some really solid teams there. 

[Osage]

AES results suggest it wasn't a great opening weekend. On the one hand, it looks like the 18's team had a good run in pool play, then were rewarded with the opportunity to get rolled in the first round of gold bracket by the K2 18's (who, to be fair, are probably a top 20 team nationally this year).

But the rest of the TP teams looked outmatched against middling competition, just looking at scores and results.

[SummaryJudgment]

I honestly think it went about as expected with the 15-17s. But TPV should be very encouraged that their 131s finished 2nd and 132s finished 4th. That's the strength of their club right now with the mass exodus of Alliance girls who bolted in that age division. Both their 14 teams made it to gold. Sounds like a pretty good opening to me.

[clifford20]

I would agree with that.  4th place is solid for a first year club team.  Did anyone see how the upper level 15-18 K2 teams looked?   

[Osage]

I didn't look that far down in the results... yes, strength at the 13s and 14s would be encouraging, and in fact a little surprising... the Sports Performance model historically hasn't lent itself well to competing in the lower age divisions.

Did the exodus you were talking about in those ages show up in Alliance's first weekend?

[SummaryJudgment]

The Alliance 131s went undefeated and won their division two weekends ago. The 132s finished 6th out of 9 teams. The 141s finished second and the 142s third out of 15 teams. It is hard to compare apples to apples here. The Alliance teams faced essentially all the teams in their age group from Alliance, Union and Tsunami... with a another club or two sprinkled in the14s. Basically a bunch of 2s, 3s, and 4s teams.

Meanwhile the K2 tourney that TPV participated in was all 1s teams from a much greater variety of clubs. In fact, TPV was the only club to enter two teams in the 13s and 14s from what I could tell. We will see how it goes as Alliance faces greater competition down the road. But unless they play each other; which is highly unlikely, we probably won't really ever know.

[BruinBabe]

ACE out of Anderson County has made a powerful statement hiring long time College and High School coach Lorri Johnson, Paul Brock’s mentor, and Carmen Foster who is in every sports hall of fame TN has to offer.  Coach Foster started club volleyball in TN with the Smoky Mountain Athletic Club of Knoxville, trained the Haymes who split off to run a money making club.  What is the cost?

Edited February 18, 2018 by BruinBabe

[clifford20]

Coach Foster has always done a really good job no matter where she coached.  Hated to see how it ended for her in chatt.  Lot's of respect.  Is ACE a club?  Not sure I understand your question about cost.  Just glad they are coaching. 

[mama2two]

Hello I'm new to the forums.

I was reading this thread and it just kind of died. Any updates on thoughts as the season draws to a close? I have a kid who plays club / middle school and there's so many unknowns right now. Anyway, anyone want to express their thoughts on the mid-state clubs near the end now?