Week 2 of Pond Talk is here. After another packed weekend of matches, the FrogJump crew breaks down the biggest results, surprises, and early trends shaping the D3VB season.
- DIII had two big tournaments this weekend in the Cougar Kick-Off Classic at Misericordia and the Kevin Pratte Invitational at Juniata. What reflections can we take away from these tournaments and what did the weekend expose?
Ramius: I think some things we learned from the weekend are that Messiah and a team from Huntingdon who shall not be named are pretty good. This is probably the best team New Paltz has had in years, and in true form they will live and die at the service line. Hobart is going to be very good next year. I think the Hobart loss to Widener exposes how you can’t take any chances against random opponents in the world of NPI.
Harvey: The UVC will still be a blood bath. New Paltz was one of the heavy favorites returning every starter from last season – and they were pushed to the brink by a Hobart team that is discovering its identity. My 2nd revelation – Brandon Sharp is the best setter in the country. Not just for his technical ability, but his court presence and leadership set him apart from his “peers”. He also had two of the more athletic plays I remember seeing from a setter in some time.
Lindsay: Things went scratch at Misericorida, but a little surprising that the only set Messiah lost all weekend was to Thiel. We’re seeing 6-2s with more regularity as a number of teams were using it this weekend. Misericorida, Wentworth, Hobart and Thiel just to name a few. I guess not everyone has Brandon Sharp.
- Between CKOC and the Kevin Pratte Foundation Invitational, what result impacted the national picture the most? Why?
Ramius: I think Messiah’s win over Wentworth combined with going undefeated against Thiel and Elmira helps cement them as one of the top teams in DIII this year. You won’t find many setters better than Sharp and right now the Falcons have one of the best tempos in DIII.
Harvey: Juniata going undefeated over the weekend is big for future NPI implications. They still see Naz but a strong chance to go undefeated against UVC opponents is never a bad thing.
Lindsay: To stay on theme with Harvey’s NPI theme, Hobart with a bad loss to Widener (congrats to them!) isn’t good for the bottom line.
- What match from this weekend deserved more national attention than it got?
Ramius: Benedictine over North Central and Misericordia over Thiel are my picks. Good win for Benedictine over a ranked opponent, and Misericordia’s win over Thiel is a nice rebound from their opening weekend in New York. Thiel is likely an NCAA tournament team out of the PAC, and the Cougars tempo looks incredibly good in transition right now. Shoutout to my boy Richie passing dimes this weekend.
Harvey: Baldwin Wallace sweeping SJFU. Coach Mars is down a starting outside and running a freshman setter and still clocking teams. They’ve proven themselves as top dawg in the midwest and are climbing the national ladder with big tests ahead this week.
Lindsay: Benedictine has certainly had a tough schedule to start the year. Carthage and Loras opening week! They did beat North Central over the weekend though, who I noticed has been ranked by the AVCA poll the last few weeks. I’d guess NCC might fall out of the rankings and fall back from the pack at the top of the CCIW
- What matches do you have on your radar this week, who’s on potential upset alert?
Ramius: Vassar vs Springfield this weekend is my match to watch with potential upset potential. Vassar will be the toughest team Springfield will have played to date, and the Brewers will be looking to rebound from their California trip. The talent is there for an upset, despite the low probability.
Harvey: Aurora and Carthage on Wednesday night. The top 2 teams in the midwest clash again after the Firebirds knocked the Spartans out of the NCAA Tournament last year. This is must watch volleyball.
I’ve got SJF on upset watch against Thiel. The Tomcats have a ton of size and dynamo Ezra Osterling on the pin who will swing at anything his arm can reach. They have really battle tested themselves through these first two weekends.
Lindsay: Stevens v New Paltz on Wednesday is a great mid-week match. Stevens with their first true test will give us a good idea of what their new additions/life without Sherman looks like. Look for Lasell to put teams on upset alert. They have Springfield, Stevens and Messiah this week. Plenty of opportunities to get a big win.
- Who are your personal Top 5 teams — and what’s the first team you left out?
Ramius: Springfield, Carthage, Messiah, Southern Virginia, Stevens
Harvey: Springfield, Messiah, UCSC, Juniata, Stevens
Lindsay: Springfield, Carthage, Santa Cruz, Cal Lu, NYU