Obligatory 2015 preview?

C

cadf

New member
Pretty quiet, as the dust settles, favorites for next year?

DI:
St. Xavier - Beer & talbot return
Elder - great JV team
Moeller - ?????

Davidson - prime timers back
Rest of East = meh

Beavercreek
Will centerville finally return?

North - sucks...

DII
Alter - duh

Walsh & Hoban both have studs returning
Should be another great battle in the North

DeSales - 2 best return
Mt. Vernon - great JV plus Rhoades

South - sucks
 
 
If history repeats itself again, St X will be the state champions in 2015 but we can expect the usual out of the North and South. Looks like the East and West will vary but you have most of the names that will be involved.

As for DII, Alter graduated no one so I cannot see them NOT being in the big dance for another title.
 
Since 2003, there have been 7 teams in D1 who have lost the State Final Match, only to return and win the Championship the next year. The last 3 Champions have done this, and St X brings back its best hitter, maybe the best setter in the State and also a couple of middles. Bodes well for X in '15.

2003 - X def. Moeller.............2004 - Moeller def. Centerville
2005 - Moeller def. X.............2006 - X def. Moeller
2007 - Moeller def. Elder........2008 - Elder def. X
2009 - Moeller def. Elder........2010 - Elder def. Moeller
2011 - St Eds def. Moeller.......2012 - Moeller def. Darby
2012 - Moeller def. Darby.......2013 - Darby def. Elder
2013 - Darby def. Elder..........2014 - Elder def. X

Moeller should be back as they had a very young team this year. Elder will be extremely young, but extremely talented matching their undefeated 25-0 (50-0) JV class with returning players Ackerman (DS), Neiheisel (OPP/OH?/DS), Luebbe (MH) and Seimer (S).
 
My extremely early GUESS at the state rankings regardless of division
1. St X
2. Elder
3. Alter
4. Moeller
5. DeSales
6. Davidson
7. Lakota East
8. Beavercreek
9. Mt Vernon
10. Darby

Teams just missing the cut: Ignatius, Centerville, Hoban, Walsh, Fenwick
 
It sounds like 2015 is the year when Davidson ends Darby run of OCC titles and dominance in the East. I thought it might be this year, but Davidson does seem primed to assume the role of top D1 team in Central Ohio next year.
 
Ed's returns every player but Winter and actually has a solid core of young players for next year. I expect them and Walsh to be the top team in the north next year, with Walsh a close second. Hoban does return 2 of their best players, but after that, there is no one. And the 2 players are a setter and middle. Can't do much without a pass, so there's gonna be a pretty big gap between them and the top 2. Ignatius is gonna be well behind all 3 of these teams, they have 2 players with any varsity experience returning. Look for them to struggle again next year. That still won't be enough to drop them out of the North 2 seed though.
 
BGFalcons86 said:
It sounds like 2015 is the year when Davidson ends Darby run of OCC titles and dominance in the East. I thought it might be this year, but Davidson does seem primed to assume the role of top D1 team in Central Ohio next year.
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How do you figure? Who returns for both teams?
 
I agree with Davidson having a decent shot to overtake Darby next year (but only next year). They return pretty much everyone minus a middle.
Darby loses Print, Lee (L), both middles, second OH.
 
cadf said:
I agree with Davidson having a decent shot to overtake Darby next year (but only next year). They return pretty much everyone minus a middle.
Darby loses Print, Lee (L), both middles, second OH.
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Both Russell's are back for Davidson? Didn't know that. They may contend for a state title then. I would put them up there in the top two ahead of Elder.
 
D1 Picks
East: Davidson, Pick North finally makes the trip
South: St. X, Moeller
West: Centerville returns, Beavercreek
North: St. Eds, St. Iggy

Championship: St. X over Davidson

D2 Picks
East: DeSales
South: Roger Bacon
West: Alter
North: Walsh

Championship: Alter over DeSales
 
Centerville returns virtually everyone next year. They are only losing 4 seniors and three of them never saw the court and the fourth got limited playing time as the year progressed. It's hard to see them competing with the upper echelon teams but I would expect them to be much improved over this year.
 
I think the west region as a whole will be very strong next year.

Alter: In all likelihood the best team in D2 and easily top 5 team in the state.

Lakota East: Bring back 4 starters, 6'5 setter is very solid

Beavercreek: Bring back some solid players including region POY runner up Boos

Centerville: Return everyone as has been said. Need better setting

Fairmont: Dark horse returning basically their entire team
 
In the South, it has got to be X and Elder

X: Bringing back Talbot (OH), Beer (S), Hartmann (MH), Spoelker (MH)
That will be more firepower than most teams will be able to handle. Biggest question is at libero and OH2 especially since their JV wasn't terribly impressive

Elder: Bringing pack Luebbe (MH) and Ackerman (DS) as starters. Neiheisel (OH) and Korte (OH) also saw some minutes. Loaded JV team. Players that could see time include Mallot (S), Luebbe (Younger brother?) (OPP), Stacklin (MH), and Duke (DS)
 
Brambleberry said:
In the South, it has got to be X and Elder

X: Bringing back Talbot (OH), Beer (S), Hartmann (MH), Spoelker (MH)
That will be more firepower than most teams will be able to handle. Biggest question is at libero and OH2 especially since their JV wasn't terribly impressive

Elder: Bringing pack Luebbe (MH) and Ackerman (DS) as starters. Neiheisel (OH) and Korte (OH) also saw some minutes. Loaded JV team. Players that could see time include Mallot (S), Luebbe (Younger brother?) (OPP), Stacklin (MH), and Duke (DS)
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Its actually his cousin
 
Brambleberry said:
Elder: Bringing pack Luebbe (MH) and Ackerman (DS) as starters. Neiheisel (OH) and Korte (OH) also saw some minutes. Loaded JV team. Players that could see time include Mallot (S), Luebbe (Younger brother?) (OPP), Stacklin (MH), and Duke (DS)
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You left off probably the best all around player from that JV team, Hilvert (OH). Also left off O'Connor (OH) from JV, who may have led the team in kills.
 
adselder09 said:
You left off probably the best all around player from that JV team, Hilvert (OH). Also left off O'Connor (OH) from JV, who may have led the team in kills.
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They may be the best players, but Elder has Neiheisel and Korte as their outsides for next year. Then younger Luebbe as OPP. No room for those players to get starter minutes although I'm sure they will see the court
 
Brambleberry said:
They may be the best players, but Elder has Neiheisel and Korte as their outsides for next year. Then younger Luebbe as OPP. No room for those players to get starter minutes although I'm sure they will see the court
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I disagree. I think you'll see a lineup like this:

OH - Hilvert
OH - Korte
MH - Luebbe
MH - Stacklin
Opp - Luebbe
Opp - Neiheisel
L - Ackerman
S - Siemer
S - Mallott
 
adselder09 said:
I disagree. I think you'll see a lineup like this:

OH - Hilvert
OH - Korte
MH - Luebbe
MH - Stacklin
Opp - Luebbe
Opp - Neiheisel
L - Ackerman
S - Siemer
S - Mallott
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I would make a couple of changes to your starting lineup for Elder in 2015

I think O'conner is the other starting outside instead of Hilvert.
Also, Matthew Olthaus at MH with Leubbe.
Plus I think Nathan Duke will see playing time
 
PanthersVBall said:
I would make a couple of changes to your starting lineup for Elder in 2015

I think O'conner is the other starting outside instead of Hilvert.
Also, Matthew Olthaus at MH with Leubbe.
Plus I think Nathan Duke will see playing time
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I think all four guys see time, just because that's how Elder plays. Someone may not have their A game that night and Coach Tierney does a good job of using his bench and keeping them prepared for action. Whoever starts the season may not end up starting later in the year.

Agree, I think Duke sees time in the backrow at DS. The libero position is Ackerman's to lose IMO.
 
Hell, I just think it's awesome everyone is discussing NEXT YEAR only a few weeks after the state tournament.

Here's to hoping the game continues to grow in Ohio.
 
axiom said:
Hell, I just think it's awesome everyone is discussing NEXT YEAR only a few weeks after the state tournament.

Here's to hoping the game continues to grow in Ohio.
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I'd still be talking about the state tournament if those videos were still viewable on ESP. I wanted to go back and watch some of the matches, especially the D2 Final which I missed, the Northmont vs. X match (wanted to count Kerlin's kills), Walsh and Watterson which went 5 and then the D1 Final, just to watch it again from a different vantage point.

Level of play from other schools across the state is definitely stepping up. Watterson and DeSales are a few teams on the rise. Pick North is rising and Davidson is back up after a few down seasons. The gap in the North seems to be closing and Oak Hills is slowing becoming the dominant team in the GMC down South. Centerville should be back next year in the West, along with the usual suspects across the state. The game is in great shape, lots of parity in the 2nd tier, soon enough those 2nd tier teams will start catching the top dogs (GCLS, Eds, Darby, etc.)
 
adselder09 said:
I'd still be talking about the state tournament if those videos were still viewable on ESP. I wanted to go back and watch some of the matches, especially the D2 Final which I missed, the Northmont vs. X match (wanted to count Kerlin's kills), Walsh and Watterson which went 5 and then the D1 Final, just to watch it again from a different vantage point.
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Here is what you missed from the final. Watterson was in full gear the first three games. They went ahead 2-1 with the overwhelming help of Storc and Randolph. In game 4, Alter came out with a chip on their shoulder. Vandenbrock went off. Watterson decided that playing with 5 players might work. It didnt. Watterson seemed to be running out of gas, especially Storc (he was getting set as much as Kerlin was). Game 5 showed a lot of the same intensity from Alter in game 4, and it was clear that Watterson was out of gas. Mistakes started piling up and it didnt help when their Libero collided heads with another player and had to sit out for a bit.

Alter was the marathon team and Watterson was the sprinters. Only way Watterson wins that match is in 3
 
TheDude said:
Alter was the marathon team and Watterson was the sprinters. Only way Watterson wins that match is in 3
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Watterson had been through a gauntlet to get to that point. They may have just run out of mental energy to push through. Early in 4th set they just seemed to tighten up. Was their 4th 5th set match in 2 weeks.
DeSales in 5, Mt. Vernon in 5, Kilbourne in 4, Walsh in 5.
They had to beat 3 top 5 teams just to get to the title match.

Alter was mentally fresh having easily handled McNick, and facing only a decent Fenwick team in their region.
 
Not to be a jerk, but you can't be serious. They became mentally tired because they won three 5 set matches leading up to the finals? If anything that would give me more confidence to be able to get it done with the "We've been here before" mentality.

Just sounds like sour grapes to me
 
Brambleberry said:
Not to be a jerk, but you can't be serious. They became mentally tired because they won three 5 set matches leading up to the finals? If anything that would give me more confidence to be able to get it done with the "We've been here before" mentality.

Just sounds like sour grapes to me
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+1, I agree. Playing those 5-set matches in the Region may have hurt them that week, but they were off 8 days before playing Walsh in the Semi's. And the Walsh match probably shouldn't have gone to 5. They weren't nearly as fresh as Alter who walked over McNicholas, but don't give the excuse from matches over a week prior. They may have been gassed from the Walsh match, but they were up 2-1, obviously weren't that gassed at the beginning. They didn't get it done, plain and simple.
 
cadf said:
Watterson had been through a gauntlet to get to that point. They may have just run out of (deleted) energy to push through. Early in 4th set they just seemed to tighten up. Was their 4th 5th set match in 2 weeks.
DeSales in 5, Mt. Vernon in 5, Kilbourne in 4, Walsh in 5.
They had to beat 3 top 5 teams just to get to the title match.

Alter was (deleted) fresh having easily handled McNick, and facing only a decent Fenwick team in their region.
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FTFY
 
Still not buying it. Watterson got to play their semifinal match before Alter the night before. Sure they played two more games, but they got an extra 2 hours of rest after their match was over.

Also, many of these kids play club and at those tournaments it is not unheard of for teams to play 9 or more sets in one day. If they were tired after 10 sets in two days maybe they should have done more conditioning
 
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