NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament

[Number6]

Anyone, besides me, watching the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament? I watched Wisconsin and Pitt play yesterday and tonight it was UC San Diego vs Standford (at Standford) and it's among the most exciting action of any sport, college or pro, I've ever watched. I love watching women's volleyball because unlike men's volleyball it's not all about power spiking. That's not to say there aren't any power spikes in the women's game but it's more the about the blocking, the dig saves, and the volleys during the game. The sets are the best of five with the team getting 25 points, they have to win by two points, first wins that game. If the set goes to a fifth game then the first team to score 15 points and two points ahead of the other team wins the game and set. Both games went to a fifth game with Pitt beating the favored Wisconsin team and UC San Diego beating the favored and perennial powerhouse Standford. The way these women play on each team is amazing to watch.

I learned to play volleyball in junior college and played throughout my AF career on squadron teams as well as a base team. In the late 70s, I was asked by the Myrtle Base fitness center staff to join a base team for a military tournament in Charleston, SC and we won it. We stayed together as a team and played in the Myrtle Beach city league and it and represented the city in the South Carolina state tournament and we won that as well. In 2000, while at McClellan AFB, Ca I was asked by the coach of the base volleyball team to join them in a military tournament at Wright-Patterson AFb, OH they were playing in the following week. Although I was 50 years old at the teim I declined because it wouldn't be enough time for me and the others on the team to mesh. My main strengths in the game was setting, serving, and playing the back court plus I he liked the way I hustled and kept balls in play after most players would have let them go. So, yeah, I loved playing volleyball which is why I like to watch volleyball on TV whenever I can.

If you have the time, give the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament, seen on ESPNUHD, a try.

[Ted]

It's really an amazing thing to watch.

Volleyball used to be something that I followed every four years during the Olympics. That changed when my daughters started playing. Now, I find myself tuning into volleyball all the time.

Our youngest spent most of a week at a volleyball camp in Nebraska last summer and got to meet some of the college players so we were disappointed when they got eliminated. Since losing our favorite team we have just been enjoying watching high level volleyball.

[Bludogdem]

It’s one of the best college sports going.

I watched all four matches yesterday. Quite exciting.

I’ve seen San Diego several times this year. Really solid.

Friend who coaches at the school I work with got me hooked several years ago.

[Number6]

It's really an amazing thing to watch.

Volleyball used to be something that I followed every four years during the Olympics. That changed when my daughters started playing. Now, I find myself tuning into volleyball all the time.

Our youngest spent most of a week at a volleyball camp in Nebraska last summer and got to meet some of the college players so we were disappointed when they got eliminated. Since losing our favorite team we have just been enjoying watching high level volleyball.

Volleyball, IMO, is one of the best sports to teach teamwork. Since you're only allowed three hits before the ball has to cross the net it requires at least two players to work together to do that. In most cases, it takes three players to properly setup a spike, two players to block with the other players positioning themselves in case the blocked ball comes back.

Watching the defensive players position themselves prior the to offense hitting the ball shows how well coached/trained they are.

[gounion]

I enjoy watching women's volleyball. I enjoy a LOT of women's sports. I think women's basketball is a better brand than men's, because men's basketball has become all about dunking, and no one passes the ball or plays defense, ESPECIALLY in the NBA. Women play defense, pass the ball, and the lack of the dunk is more enjoyable to me. Women's softball is awesome, too, though I don't have a problem with the men's game.

The sand vollyball game is fun, too, though the outfits the women have to wear is quite exploitative, and they should be able to wear outfits more like the indoor game. Athletes should not be forced to dress like that.

I remember, in my younger and more sexist days, during the 2004 summer Olympics, I made a joke about how the outfits the Olympians wore were all so engineered for perfection, how they engineered the women's volleyball bottoms were engineered to go right up their butt if they moved at all. And actually, we had a lot of fun with the Olympics, as we had a member who called himself ErrorMerica who was a graphics artist and made some of the most hilarious graphics for us.

[Number6]

I enjoy watching women's volleyball. I enjoy a LOT of women's sports. I think women's basketball is a better brand than men's, because men's basketball has become all about dunking, and no one passes the ball or plays defense, ESPECIALLY in the NBA. Women play defense, pass the ball, and the lack of the dunk is more enjoyable to me. Women's softball is awesome, too, though I don't have a problem with the men's game.

The women play real volleyball, not power volleyball like the men do. The beauty of the game is watching the offenses and defenses in action.

The sand vollyball game is fun, too, though the outfits the women have to wear is quite exploitative, and they should be able to wear outfits more like the indoor game. Athletes should not be forced to dress like that.

I've played sand volleyball and I don't like playing in the sand because it's easier to twist an ankle. As I said in the opening post, we represented Myrtle Beach in a state tournament and won it and the city wanted us to play the Canadian snowbirds when they came down. Our team discussed it and we all agreed it wasn't worth the risk of injury.

I remember, in my younger and more sexist days, during the 2004 summer Olympics, I made a joke about how the outfits the Olympians wore were all so engineered for perfection, how they engineered the women's volleyball bottoms were engineered to go right up their butt if they moved at all. And actually, we had a lot of fun with the Olympics, as we had a member who called himself ErrorMerica who was a graphics artist and made some of the most hilarious graphics for us.

As for the women's skimpy outfits in sand volleyball, I've always thought they should wear whatever they felt comfortable in to play the game.

[Ted]

Go Louisville!!

[Ted]

Uuuhhhhmmmmm.....Hook 'Em Horns?

Congrats Texas on winning the championship in three straight sets.

Daughter and I were rooting for the other team. Texas outplayed them.

[Bludogdem]

Texas team was simply overpowering.

[Number6]

Texas team was simply overpowering.

I didn't see the championship game but I did catch the first 2 1/2 sets of the San Diego vs Texas game. San Diego played well winning the first set 28-26 but in the second and third sets they looked flat. They weren't as aggressive as they should have been. I'll give kudos to Texas for having an awesome team. Texas has an aggressive offense and a great defense so it's no surprise they're National Champions.