[bobcatfan8]

Come on people we all know a private school is always gonna
Win state tournament. You know why because they have a different set of rules then public schools. I think if they are allowed to participate in the Khsaa state volleyball tournament then they should have the same rules as the public schools. It's not right no matter how you wanna slice it and it's down right ridiculous!!!! Let the private schools have their own tourney with other schools that are allowed to practice all year long and schools that are allowed to recruit!!!!!!! I think it's a shame to put these public schools against a team that alot of advantages over them. With that being said it is Kentucky Highschool Athletic Association not Kentucky private school association!!!! But all those private school deep pocket people will never allow a separate tourney because they want to be the best at any cost!!! Really a sad situation when it should all be fair!!!!

[OrangenowBlue]

I think it is funny that we have posters who are complaining about the draw when this is the first time this has happened. Greenwood is the first public school to ever make it into the championship match. The Northern Kentucky teams like to equate themselves with the Louisville teams when that is a farce. They are much better then the rest of the state but they haven't won a state title in 22 years.

[mrknowitball]

To PHSForever: I never had North Oldham penciled in for anything, that was a different poster. 1980 Hockey? That happened once, since then the favorite has won the Gold every time.

To OrangenowBlue: Yes, 100% agree - Assumption is one of the top 3 teams in the country, maybe even #1 based on their Durango and Chicago wins. And they will likely win state for years to come. No one is arguing that point.

To all posters: This isn't basketball. Stop comparing it to that. Assumption has won 16 of the last 20 titles. Anyone doing that in basketball?

To bobcatfan8: Please show us all this different set of rules that Private schools follow, but public schools don't. I'd like to see them. In the meantime, what are you talking about?

>You stated private schools are allowed to practice year 'round but public schools aren't? That's just plain ignorant. They all follow the same dates and dead periods.

>You implied Private schools have deep pockets. The fundraising that Private schools must do each year just to get by is a fraction, a sliver, of what the county schools have in tax dollars at their disposal. Being better in volleyball has nothing to do with school funding.

I'll go back to my main, original point - only 6 schools have ever won the State Championship in tournament history - and they all hail from the same 3 regions. I say that's not much of a competitive situation and things should be changed. From what I'm hearing from all of you is things are great, keep it the way it is.

[OrangenowBlue]

To PHSForever: I never had North Oldham penciled in for anything, that was a different poster. 1980 Hockey? That happened once, since then the favorite has won the Gold every time.

To OrangenowBlue: Yes, 100% agree - Assumption is one of the top 3 teams in the country, maybe even #1 based on their Durango and Chicago wins. And they will likely win state for years to come. No one is arguing that point.

To all posters: This isn't basketball. Stop comparing it to that. Assumption has won 16 of the last 20 titles. Anyone doing that in basketball?

To bobcatfan8: Please show us all this different set of rules that Private schools follow, but public schools don't. I'd like to see them. In the meantime, what are you talking about?

>You stated private schools are allowed to practice year 'round but public schools aren't? That's just plain ignorant. They all follow the same dates and dead periods.

>You implied Private schools have deep pockets. The fundraising that Private schools must do each year just to get by is a fraction, a sliver, of what the county schools have in tax dollars at their disposal. Being better in volleyball has nothing to do with school funding.

I'll go back to my main, original point - only 6 schools have ever won the State Championship in tournament history - and they all hail from the same 3 regions. I say that's not much of a competitive situation and things should be changed. From what I'm hearing from all of you is things are great, keep it the way it is.

So are you suggesting that we go to a public/private format just for volleyball. You keep quoting those three regions but when you break it down even more, it is six Catholic private schools from those regions. I do not want complete separation of Private/Public, but if you want competitiveness in volleyball, wouldn't you think this might be the best avenue to take. These schools are also located in the only major metro areas in Kentucky outside of Lexington. When you start seeding, you open up a whole can of worms as it will be a lot more unfair then what is happening now. When rankings, voting, and politics takes precedence over heads up play and one on one competition then IMO you destroy the sport. When you change the format to make something more fair, sacrifices have to be made on BOTH sides of the fence. One side cannot always have their way all the time.

[mrknowitball]

It can be done. In Ohio HS Football, the computer rankings determine who makes the state playoffs. Record, opponents record, strength of schedule, size of school all factor in. People are afraid to open a can of worms, well right now you have a can of whoopass - 1% of the schools dominating the other 99%. If this was basketball, it would have been fixed a long time ago. No one cares enough about Volleyball to fix it. You can still have your state tourney and 16 teams, but have 8 at large bids and make it 24.

[UKisN1]

On the 15th of July each coach of volleyball state their ambitions and goals to their teams, whereas, some have state championship goals, others have completely different goals. All teams would love to have the opportunity to play for a state championship, but the likelihood of that occurring in volleyball is very small for now.Teams are enamored by the Assumptions and realize they are not on their level...but still give it the old high school try. Yet, each team aspires to their own goals throughout the year. I promise you when Letcher Central begins their year...goals...district championship...regional championship...win a state tourney match are mentioned. It is just important for them to attain those as the 3 regions that have dominated state play up to this point. The gap has slowly closed and will continue to close throughout the state with an emphasis on quality coaching and instruction. Separation of public and private teams would only widen that gap that has existed over the years.

[OrangenowBlue]

It can be done. In Ohio HS Football, the computer rankings determine who makes the state playoffs. Record, opponents record, strength of schedule, size of school all factor in. People are afraid to open a can of worms, well right now you have a can of whoopass - 1% of the schools dominating the other 99%. If this was basketball, it would have been fixed a long time ago. No one cares enough about Volleyball to fix it. You can still have your state tourney and 16 teams, but have 8 at large bids and make it 24.

I can agree and disagree with what you have stated. Using Ohio football as an example does not appeal to me as I am not a big fan of computer points systems as I thing the BCS in college football sucks tremendously. I think heads up competition should be the primary focus of any tournament or playoffs. However, the last statement you made is something I think they can look at and it could spice up the tournament. Keep the tournament as is but add 8 more at large bids for ranked teams who may have been eliminated in tough regions.

[bobcatfan8]

I don't care what anyone says private and public schools should be separated in sports! NO they do not have the same rules how can you say they do private schools are allowed to hand pick student athletes from any school district they want and this is a fact!!!! What is fair about that NOTHING!!!! When a kid that attends public school has to live in a certain area. This is ridiculous and as for private schools having no money, anyone that believes that is in fantasy land. These private schools charge tuition, most of them are church based and they get money from alumni. Yea public schools receive tax dollars but that is split among all county schools not just one!!! Plain and simple ridiculous split these schools and give these students a fair chance!!!

[PHSForever]

To PHSForever: I never had North Oldham penciled in for anything, that was a different poster. 1980 Hockey? That happened once, since then the favorite has won the Gold every time.

To OrangenowBlue: Yes, 100% agree - Assumption is one of the top 3 teams in the country, maybe even #1 based on their Durango and Chicago wins. And they will likely win state for years to come. No one is arguing that point.

To all posters: This isn't basketball. Stop comparing it to that. Assumption has won 16 of the last 20 titles. Anyone doing that in basketball?

To bobcatfan8: Please show us all this different set of rules that Private schools follow, but public schools don't. I'd like to see them. In the meantime, what are you talking about?

>You stated private schools are allowed to practice year 'round but public schools aren't? That's just plain ignorant. They all follow the same dates and dead periods.

>You implied Private schools have deep pockets. The fundraising that Private schools must do each year just to get by is a fraction, a sliver, of what the county schools have in tax dollars at their disposal. Being better in volleyball has nothing to do with school funding.

I'll go back to my main, original point - only 6 schools have ever won the State Championship in tournament history - and they all hail from the same 3 regions. I say that's not much of a competitive situation and things should be changed. From what I'm hearing from all of you is things are great, keep it the way it is.

First, I apologize, had your post confused with the other person. BUT, we are not saying that things shouldn't be different, we are saying at the state tournament level, it should be left alone. The 16 regional winners should face off in a blind draw situation. Seeding would only draw more politics into it, among other things. How will you seed? Computer based model with a strength of schedule assigned? How would that NOT favor Louisville, Lexington, and NKY right off the bat? The schools up there have been playing longer and have a more densely populated demographic to draw from in terms of talent. This state has just over 4.4 million people. Of that, more than half live in the 3 areas I have mentioned, even though those 3 areas only make up maybe 1/3rd of the state in size combined.

Volleyball, like softball, is relatively new at the state-wide level in terms of having a state championship tourney, etc. Heck, girls basketball didn't have a state tournament until 1978 or 79, if I recall correctly, softball didn't roll around to a state tourney until the 90's, just like volleyball. So those 3 areas already had a head start. In time, the rest of the state will level out in terms of interest, dedication, etc and the state tourney will be more competitive than it has been lately, just like those other sports. Greenwood getting as far as they did can arguably be pointed out as the best thing to happen to the sport in Kentucky. I can't tell you how many of our girls went to the tourney this year and came back all excited and talking about next year's season already. THAT'S what Greenwood's roll to the title game did. The 15th region went and won a game at state for the first time ever (Allen Central defeated Corbin), etc. You talk about talented teams that didn't even get to state because they all had to play each other in the same regions. Well, same thing here. South Floyd had some terrific players and was a nice team, Allen Central beat them to get to state, but it could have gone either way, just a bad night for SF.

Now, Pikeville is discussing girls playing club volleyball. Like last year, a year-round conditioning program has been given to the girls. Volleyball camps are already being scheduled and discussed, and fundraising for next year's uniforms and warmups and other various necessities is already underway. I've rarely seen my daughter as excited as she has been this year, she KNOWS they are on the verge of something special. She is part of a class (this year's freshmen) that have lost, since 6th grade (4 years) a total of 3 matches, all 3 coming in their 8th grade year, and 2 to the same team. That's 3 out of 4 years they have been undefeated. They were the first Pikeville junior high team to ever make it to the county championship game. They were the first Pikeville team to defeat Belfry in volleyball. They have won the Allen Central Middle school tourney, the first junior high/middle school team from Pikeville to do that. Pikeville beat region 14 representative and 8 time region 14 champ Letcher Central handily this year and were competitive in the Ashland Paul Blazer tournament, as well as a couple others.

So sit back and enjoy the ride rather than you and other posters whining about those 3 regions not getting more teams to state, or looking down your noses at the talent throughout the state and thinking they don't deserve to be at the state tourney because it takes a spot away from a team you feel deserves to be there more. Sit back and watch a sport you allegedly are a big fan of grow exponentially, and enjoy it. Better competition everywhere makes for better games and more excitement.

[cougarpride08]

I agree! If you want to get these girls motivated, work harder in the off season. Work on techniques. I know for some that play multiple sports it is hard, but the ones who take volleyball serious should already be preparing for next year. If you aren't playing a sport, you should be getting ready for next year. We have the new rec center, and they have volleyball nets, and ready for anyone who wants to practice, hold games, and host tournaments. It is there for anyone who wants it.