The Coaches Group Chat

Grand Canyon University has abruptly cut their men's volleyball program, effective immediately, with no advance warning to coaches or players, sending shockwaves through the volleyball community. We explore what this means for the future of men's volleyball and share insights from our personal experiences with program cuts at Stanford and University of Pacific.

• Blueprint for fighting program cuts based on Stanford's successful campaign to save their program
• Importance of building alumni databases and organizing coordinated responses
• Strategies for fundraising through pledges rather than immediate donations
• Critical timing of GCU's announcement during peak men's volleyball season

Arielle, Chad, and Matt dive into a lively discussion of recent collegiate men's volleyball action and debate the future of the game.

• Hawaii splits with Long Beach State
• USC battles significant injuries to key players, creating strategic challenges for upcoming matches
• Conference tournament predictions across MIVA, EIVA, Big West, and MPSF
• Data reveals NCAA men's volleyball is 16% international athletes
• Discussion of whether international roster limits would benefit American player development
• Proposal for rule changes to improve men's volleyball as a television product, including a service "foul out" rule
• Brief recap of LOVB Champions...

The NCAA's back-to-back scheduling format deflates the impact of big upsets by forcing immediate rematches, preventing storylines from developing and limiting media coverage opportunities.

• The weekend featured multiple top-5 upsets including CSUN over Hawaii, UC San Diego over UC Irvine, and GCU over UCLA
• Back-to-back scheduling forces teams to play the same opponent twice in consecutive days, eliminating the buildup between matchups
• The upcoming 18-man roster cap will significantly impact recruitment strategies and player movement between programs
• International players dominate many starting lineups in NCAA men's volleyball, raising questions about American player development
• American v...

We dive into men's collegiate volleyball rankings and break down the implications of Long Beach State's split with UC Irvine in what was a high-level volleyball showcase with sold-out crowds.

• Clear separation exists between the "top five" teams and everyone else in men's volleyball
• Long Beach maintains #1 ranking despite their loss to UC Irvine in a sold-out match
• Debate over Loyola Chicago's #6 ranking after being "called out of rotation"
• Discussion of whether Long Beach's loss will ultimately benefit them by relieving pressure
• High school volleyball rankings from cousin Greg
• Netflix's "Adolescence" recommended as essential...

We make our triumphant return for Season 3 (it's actually season 2 episode 9 but it's been forever since our last episode), putting to rest any rumors about internal fighting while offering sincere apologies for the technical difficulties that prevented the release of our previous recordings.

• Debating the latest Traitor's Poll rankings with special focus on CSUN vs Loyola placement
• Criticizing current replay systems in college volleyball and proposing either professional-grade systems or faster decision processes
• Analyzing CSUN's challenging Chicago road trip against Lewis and Loyola
• Discussing the remarkable service runs that led Grand Canyon to dominate BYU
...

Our latest episode dives into the humorous and competitive world of Fantasy MVB Beer Olympics! We discuss team selection, strategies, and what it means to build a cohesive unit ready to take on the challenge. 

• Introduction of our Beer Olympics draft 
• Boycotting the AVCA rankings
• Matt's NSFW social media
• Capitol Hill Classic recap
• Women's volleyball roundup

We are putting the AMERICA into our All-American team while discussing the scarcity of top-tier American rosters in college volleyball today. We highlighted key American players, examined high school volleyball rule changes, and ultimately celebrated the importance of recognizing homegrown talent in the sport. 

• Crafting an all-American team of volleyball players 
• The significance of celebrating American players in international-dominated NCAA 
• Recent high school volleyball rule adjustments 
• Excitement surrounding local competitions and events 
• Plans for an upcoming All-Star game to honor local talent

Our latest episode dives into the fluctuating AVCA rankings, addressing issues surrounding team standings and the perceived favoritism affecting teams like Hawaii and UCLA. The discussion includes insights on weekend matches, reflections on coaching changes, and the evolving dynamics of college volleyball. 

• Critique of current AVCA rankings and their formulation 
• Arguments on Hawaii's ranking despite a recent loss 
• Recap of Long Beach vs. UCLA: a disappointing outcome 
• Stanford's bounce-back performance against Hawaii 
• Examination of Mary Wise's retirement and potential candidates for her position 
• Reflection on how players influence coaching hires and college athletics

A transformative week in volleyball sees the introduction of the Baby on Benches Rule, allowing coaches to bring their babies onto benches during matches. We discuss the impact of this change, alongside John Cook's retirement, spring tryouts excitement, finishing with a discussion on volleyball superstars: Moni Nikolov vs. Harper Murray.

• Discussion of the Baby Bench Rule and its implications 
• Insights on John Cook's retirement and coaching changes 
• Recap of the experiences from recent spring tryouts 
• Preview of key volleyball matches on the horizon

This episode dives into the complexities of NCAA volleyball rankings, exploring their quirks, controversies, and significant impacts on team dynamics. We discuss player transfers, upcoming matches, and potential rule changes:

• Insights on coaches' polling and its biases 
• Discussion on the world of NIL in college sports
• Preview of key upcoming matches between top teams 
• Proposed rule changes (foreigner limit, remove open hand tips, service error foul out)
• The future of NCAA volleyball amid rising financial stakes