Volleyball recruiting
- Thread starter theshadow
- Start date
I see the new plans for Hilton/Scheman/CY include a VB practice facility. This could be huge for the program.
Agree, but a game venue that would hold ~4K is what’s really needed IMO to compete with top MW programs and Texas who all have these types of venues.
I'm in favor of building a smaller venue too, but to be fair, lots of very strong programs play their matches in the school's basketball arenas, such as Stanford, Washington, USC, BYU, Florida, etc.
I think a dedicated practice facility that belongs to the team, where they "own" it like the Suckup basketball facilities matters much more than the arena.
Yes they do but none of those listed are in the Upper MW where the vast majority of ISU’s competition for recruits exist. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Creighton, Marquette, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska are all currently ranked in the Top 25 and all have VB game venues separate from larger BB venues. Iowa is now in the process of building a new 5K VB game venue that should boost their recruiting as well.
I love what’s being planned for the ISC but I hope those plans will be revised to accommodate a 3K-5K game venue for VB/Wrestling that includes a Wrestling room and weight rooms for both programs.
This. If we want to be a Top 25 program we have to recruit here in the midwest and we aren't even close on the facilities and venues front compared to our nearest competition. It doesn't help that the Big 10 is now one of the two premier VB leagues. We were knocking on the door not that many years ago but have been slowly sliding back in the overall pack each year since we just missed that Final Four in Mpls. The whole entertainment district stuff shown the other day is pretty and all but I doubt it's economically feasible and don't really expect to see much of it in my lifetime. It's been 50 years (starting with C.Y. Stephens) just to get what we see built there today.
To support your recruiting point, I am not aware of any top instate recruits committed to ISU outside of Morgan Brandt. The following have committed elsewhere:
Akacia Brown, Cedar Falls, Mississippi State
Devyn Robinson, Ankeny Centennial, Wisconsin
Aliyah Carter, Wahlert, K-State
Phyona Schrader, Ankeny, Notre Dame
Eve Magill, Xavier, Creighton
I may have missed some here either committed to ISU or other P6 programs. The instate talent migration to other top out of state programs in recent years has been a factor in ISU no longer being a Top 25 program.
Quick ranking/achievements search reveals Brooke is a really good student. Did I mention she was a good student?
I agree I would love a smaller VB facility. To be fair, Minn, Wisc, K-State, Mizzou, Neb, Penn St, Texas and scores of others play in their school's old basketball arenas, renovated for VB.
CJL consistently says that Wisc, Texas, Minn - to name three - are "great environments." And of course Neb is probably the best of them all,
With that in mind, still think a remodeled Armory would be perfect for Cyclone VB.
I haven’t been inside the Armory since the 80s. I would have to think a brand new venue for VB/Wrestling in the ISC would be more logistically and financially feasible than a renovated Armory. And a new 4K type multi purpose facility (with new nearby restaurants) would have extreme additional value for ISU camps, convention exhibit space, large ISU alum functions, HS tournaments, Club tournaments, etc.
On a side note, I am somewhat mystified that Hali Hillegas couldn't be a full-time libero starter for us, yet is now a star at #6 Pitt, a program much better than ours and currently beating Penn State at State College.
I'm watching this too, my main observation is the small PSU gym has bench seats. My old,fat body doesn't want to sit on those. Don't know anything about the Hillegas situation last year, but apparently doesn't have to sit out a year.
May be she wanted to play for a ranked team and the opportunity was there. Seems to fit in Penn St. well and working pretty hard. Odd move on the surface seems to be working out well for her.
She redshirted at ISU so she likely got her undergrad degree and was immediately eligible as a grad transfer at Pitt. Pitt ended up sweeping Penn St tonight on the road.
IIRC, she was not playing well when Enna replaced her at libero last season and the team actually started to play better after the switch.
wow on the sweep. It's just mind-boggling to me that she's doing so well at Pitt but wasn't doing great for us at that point. And Enna isn't even L now so it's just weird to me.
You don't have to sit out a year in volleyball. It think some leagues still have a within league rule but the NCAA does not.
