2021 Cyclone Volleyball
- Thread starter CY9008
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Dawn Sullivan is in her 4th year at UNLV and is currently 16-7.
She left to take a HC job. Was she leaving the staff regardless of that UNLV offer? If so, that's not good because it is obvious the program has trended downward since her departure and if CJL leaves for whatever reason over the next couple of years, she should be the #1 replacement choice if she is still at UNLV.
I was doing some checking of the Louisville VB program who is #2 behind Texas in the current AVCA poll and #1 in the recently released rankings of the NCAA Tourney Selection Committee. What I found most interesting is that they play in this bandbox and evidently are able to sell recruits on playing in this type of facility:
gocards.com
If ISU wants to elevate their VB program, they (and Wrestling) need to have a new, smaller venue on the drawing board, whether it be as part of CyTown or separate from it. Other strong Upper Midwest programs have them as well (Creighton, NU, Minnesota, Marquette, Wisconsin and Illinois). Iowa now has one as well but it is a hockey arena and not good at all for VB but perhaps better than playing in CHA.
L&N Federal Credit Union Arena - Facilities - University of Louisville Athletics
The official facilities page for the University of Louisville Cardinals
If ISU wants to elevate their VB program, they (and Wrestling) need to have a new, smaller venue on the drawing board, whether it be as part of CyTown or separate from it. Other strong Upper Midwest programs have them as well (Creighton, NU, Minnesota, Marquette, Wisconsin and Illinois). Iowa now has one as well but it is a hockey arena and not good at all for VB but perhaps better than playing in CHA.
Maybe my daughter was strange but she prioritized the coach first, the girls currently on the team second and the facilities were not a deal breaker for her recruiting. She went to some amazing facilities and if the first two primary reasons didn't work she wasn't going regardless of a fancy arena. Maybe it is a deal breaker but it isn't like Hilton is a dump and the support services study places, workout facilities for the athletes are crap. The Howks are never going to win no matter what facility you put them in.
I agree that Hilton is certainly not a dump for VB but the fact remains that numerous (and more successful) nearby MW programs have smaller venues which create better home court advantages and environments which do eventually impact recruiting IMO.
I am not sure if Holthaus and Newsome will be playing at ISU at next season but if they don't, the projections for next year's team could end up being the worst since the initial couple of years of CJL's tenure (if she doesn't sign up high impact and immediately eligible transfers). Holthaus' absence was certainly felt in the WV loss on Sunday (as well as Popovic's).
Louisville Assumption high school is one of the best high school programs in the country. A couple of years ago, they had an insane number (something like 8) of girls on their team that were going on to play D1 volleyball. That number wasn't from one class but were on the team as a whole.I was doing some checking of the Louisville VB program who is #2 behind Texas in the current AVCA poll and #1 in the recently released rankings of the NCAA Tourney Selection Committee. What I found most interesting is that they play in this bandbox and evidently are able to sell recruits on playing in this type of facility:
L&N Federal Credit Union Arena - Facilities - University of Louisville Athletics
The official facilities page for the University of Louisville Cardinals
If ISU wants to elevate their VB program, they (and Wrestling) need to have a new, smaller venue on the drawing board, whether it be as part of CyTown or separate from it. Other strong Upper Midwest programs have them as well (Creighton, NU, Minnesota, Marquette, Wisconsin and Illinois). Iowa now has one as well but it is a hockey arena and not good at all for VB but perhaps better than playing in CHA.
I agree with this. Yes, a smaller facility, with fans closer in, would be nice. Couldn't help but think while watching the Texas match at Hilton that if we had a place like they have, the pressure on visiting teams would be turned up. But other top programs play in basketball arenas: Baylor, Kentucky, Florida to name three. Doesn't seem to bother their recruiting.
UK plays in the old Memorial Coliseum which is more intimate than Hilton. The plan for BU is to repurpose the Ferrell Center for VB only once their new venue for BB is completed.
The issue with ISU is that they are surrounded by more successful P6 programs with smaller or VB only venues and it negatively impacts their recruiting IMO for a significant % of recruits.
The VB schollie situation is definitely puzzling.
CJL has 8 DS/L types on the current roster of which 2 (Popovic and Petry) have played almost exclusively. Popovic is gone after this season and Petry walked on IIRC. I have no idea if any of the remaining 6 are on full or partial schollies but one would think Petry will be on a full or partial schollie after this season. And I can't recall if VB has partial schollies counting toward the limit.
ISU has 4 All-Conference type players on the current roster (Newsome, Popovic, Holthaus & Herrera) and all 4 are probably not on next season's roster so CJL should have rationale to not turn down top HS or transfer prospects who require schollies to play at ISU.
I think the pool of top instate P6 prospects is down compared to the past couple of years but CJL shouldn't be saying no to any of them IMO given the current roster situation. And I am not sure if Daufeldt qualifies as one. I am assuming Morgan Brandt is still committed to ISU even though her older sister transferred to UNI.
Dike-New Hartford must have one hell of a team to dominate like they did this season including beating top 4A and 5A teams during in-season tourneys. They didn't lose a set during their state tourney run. I am assuming both of the Peterson twins will play for Mom at UNI or at another P6 program besides ISU.
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Daufeldt committed as a 15 year old when all the nonsense with NCAA recruiting was about to be shut down for the 15's. It was worse for 2019's they got royally hosed twice buy the NCAA. They did a quiet period followed by a quiet period extension that shut off recruiting after June 1 for almost two years.
Cassidy Hartman from IA city Liberty committed to UNI this month. Dyke will run out of Petersons but I think everyone assumes they will be with mom or potentially one of them at a bigger school like Sydney going to Texas but neither will be ISU.
I thought one of the Peterson twins is only 5'9"? That's pretty small for an outside at a power 5 school. The other one I think is 5'11" or 6' and she'll have an opportunity to play at a lot of places.
