91poohah said:

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If A&M got all the top players from Houston Skyline, we would already be on the national map. We've had our fair share of great players recently (Camille Conner, Claire Jeter, Brooke Frazier, Logan Lednicky, Ava Underwood and a few others) but missed out on many of the truly elite players like the Skinner sisters, Karli Rose, Reagan Rutherford, and others. And several of the ones we did get have transferred, which happens everywhere nowadays. And the same could be said for a program that pulled all the top talent from TAV Dallas probably, or any number of other clubs across the America. But Jen and Mitch Woods (and others including Aggie Amy Houser Burk) have built Skyline into one of THE top clubs in the USA, and have been "recruiting" top players to their program since players were 12 and 13 years old. Matching playing style, court needs, scholarships and positions can be tricky at the college level, so you can't just steer everyone to one school. But I like the idea of having an inside track to the elite high school players. That being said, Bird had a great relationship with Skyline and other clubs as well, but hopefully the new regime will be able to sign a few more elite players each recruiting cycle instead of just great players. That's really all it takes, 2-3 elite players per year and couple of great players. And then keep them. And coach them.

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Good post. Agree with all of it.

We should get a huge boost in recruiting in the immediate future, but as the players that they have personal relationships cycle into college we will probably retain a slight advantage because of his relationship with the club in general...but it's not realistic to think that we're going to get most or even some of the elite players unless we start winning big right away.

So I hope the dude can coach.

flintdragon said:

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Is NIL a thing in college volleyball? God knows how much their families have paid for volleyball so far. I'm sure the elite players families have spent over $100K+ over their career.

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Probably accurate. Our entire junior sports culture has gotten way out of hand. Not just volleyball.

Looks like all our incoming freshman signees have moved in! All 3 coaches helped them with the moving process as well! Glad the relationships and bonds are already forming!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnP9Q7ZBfXX/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y

As a father of a former Houston Skyline player that is currently a D1 player on full scholarship (in California), most club parents joke that they have already paid for college by the time their kids commit somewhere. That's probably close to being accurate sadly. But playing at the highest level nationally with traveling and coaching and everything that goes into getting a D1 scholarship comes at a price. It certainly helps to have talent, height, heart, instincts, and motivation. But the monetary cost is there as well.

Every single person on my daughters Skyline team got a D1 scholarship, and her club team was probably the most talented team she will ever play on, including her current college team. But the elite players want to play for the traditional powers, and most have committed by their junior year. And many of the great and very good players pick a school based on projected playing time. With only 6 players on a court at a time, you can look at a roster and know if your position is "taken" or "available" with most teams.

Also, the VB community is small and tight, and de-committing isn't much of a thing. Clubs preach to honor commitments, and it is rare to have players flip. However, the new era of transfer portals and NIL could be the change we need to get some players on board. I asked my daughter about NIL and she just laughs like I am an idiot. She isn't elite, but would be considered somewhere between very good and great (top 300 recruit). But it might not take a lot of NIL $ to get some interest from some families and some players.

So, who is stepping up to help our volleyball program or offering NIL deals? Maybe Houston Skyline could have an NIL deal for A&M commits? Probably not happening as clubs don't want to get labeled as only placing players at certain schools. Better for them to just be "neutral" as they are helping not just elite players find their path, but also great and very good players find theirs…

Also, it would be great to see my daughter play in person every week, but that just isn't possible. However, in todays digital age, every match is streamed live on ESPN 3 and I don't miss any of them. Playing closer to home was a possibility, but picking the right school, the right coaches, the potential playing time, and finding the right "fit" was way more important to her.