Amazing anomaly

[K-dog]

BYU is known as one of the great volleyball powerhouses in the USA. National titles in 1999, 2001, and 2004 coupled with amazing records in the off years have made them the winningest volleyball program in the last decade in the United States. They have produced All-Americans in every year during that stretch including two All-Americans most years.

As a contrast, the University of Utah does not have an NCAA men's Volleyball team. Their club team has regularly been beaten by unsanctioned groups of BYU players teaming up for a single weekend at a time.

Now for the amazing part, the best known and most highly rated volleyball player with ties to either school is Jake Gibb, the U of U graduate who has been considered one of the best 4 players on the AVP professional beach tour the past 3 years. How strange is that?

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by K-dog

BYU is known as one of the great volleyball powerhouses in the USA. National titles in 1999, 2001, and 2004 coupled with amazing records in the off years have made them the winningest volleyball program in the last decade in the United States. They have produced All-Americans in every year during that stretch including two All-Americans most years.

As a contrast, the University of Utah does not have an NCAA men's Volleyball team. Their club team has regularly been beaten by unsanctioned groups of BYU players teaming up for a single weekend at a time.

Now for the amazing part, the best known and most highly rated volleyball player with ties to either school is Jake Gibb, the U of U graduate who has been considered one of the best 4 players on the AVP professional beach tour the past 3 years. How strange is that?

Jake never played volleyball until he was 21. Pretty remarkable.

Casey Jennings is up there with Jake and he's a BYU alum. Jake also has had the benefit of some amazing partners like Stein Metzger.

The transition from indoor to outdoor is difficult. Besides that the money isn't great unless you're wearing fake tattoos of corporate sponsors and consistently in the top 5. Most prefer to play for professional indoor teams in Europe where they can make decent money with guaranteed contracts.

[K-dog]

Originally Posted by surfah33

Jake never played volleyball until he was 21. Pretty remarkable.

Casey Jennings is up there with Jake and he's a BYU alum. Jake also has had the benefit of some amazing partners like Stein Metzger.

The transition from indoor to outdoor is difficult. Besides that the money isn't great unless you're wearing fake tattoos of corporate sponsors and consistently in the top 5. Most prefer to play for professional indoor teams in Europe where they can make decent money with guaranteed contracts.

I've often wondered about that "never played until 21 thing." To hear his friends that he grew up with talk, the more accurate statement would be "he never played organized ball until 21.

Jennings is almost in the same category as Jake. The thing is, Jake and a handful of other big men are rare, Casey, Steino and the like are more common, making Jake, Phil etc. the comodity and the best players IMHO.

You're totally right about the indoor vs. outdoor thing. I'm just surprised that more of the BYU AAs haven't had the perserverance to make the jump. I once saw Mac Wilson block Jake 3 consecutive times in a match. This was the spring after Jake's MVP season. It is clear these guys could make the jump but for some reason they don't.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by K-dog

I've often wondered about that "never played until 21 thing." To hear his friends that he grew up with talk, the more accurate statement would be "he never played organized ball until 21.

Jennings is almost in the same category as Jake. The thing is, Jake and a handful of other big men are rare, Casey, Steino and the like are more common, making Jake, Phil etc. the comodity and the best players IMHO.

You're totally right about the indoor vs. outdoor thing. I'm just surprised that more of the BYU AAs haven't had the perserverance to make the jump. I once saw Mac Wilson block Jake 3 consecutive times in a match. This was the spring after Jake's MVP season. It is clear these guys could make the jump but for some reason they don't.

I played against Mac and Millar in high school. I've know those Highland kids for a long time. When they were both in HS together they were pretty much unstoppable. We only gave them a run in summer leagues. Mac in my opinion doesn't have the mobility or agility to play in the sand.

I played in a sand league last summer and I sucked. I was playing in an indoor league with my family who all play when one of the guys asked me to play in sand based on my indoor abilities. I think he regretted asking me to be his partner. So many variables and rule changes to adjust to. The wind, the ball, the sand, planting with both feet when jumping, etc. What kills me the most are roll shots. I am just not long enough or fast enough to cover the court.