Wednesday, March 13, 2002
YOUNGSTOWN -- For most area high school sports observers, volleyball is a fall sport played before mostly sparse crowds.
For years, Austintown Fitch, Hubbard and Salem have been the Mahoning Valley's dominant programs (although unheralded United gave us a pleasant surprise 17 months ago with a trip to state).
In the off-season, not much is heard about spikes, sets and blocks. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot action going in during the winter and spring months.
In the off-season, many of the sport's players stay busy at the club level.
Essentially, club volleyball consists of all-star teams mixing players from different schools. The mixture format is necessary because Ohio rules limit teams to just three players from each school during the off-season.
Sunday, as frigid winds blew on the sleepy North Side of town, Youngstown State University's Stambaugh Stadium was a beehive of activity as hundreds of players on 18-year-old club teams filled the six courts set up underneath the football stands.
Different rules: The rules aren't quite the same as high school matches.
Instead of playing games to 15 where you only score when you serve, club teams play games to 25 with points awarded on every play. (If you serve into the net, score one point for your opponent.)
Also, serves that touch the net and go over are in play.
These rules help speed up play to squeeze as many round-robin games as possible into one l-o-o-o-n-g day.
Once pool play ends, the Youngstown event divided the teams up into mini-tournament brackets. The top two pool play teams take on others with similar finishes in the gold bracket. Third place teams play each other in the silver and fourth-place finishers play for the bronze.
The beauty of that system is that teams with lesser-skilled players who face frustration from not winning the event are paired against teams with similar skills.
And if you're fortunate enough to follow a player on a highly-skilled team, you'll get to see quality players face off in the finales.
Of course, parents who sign up (i.e., pay expensive fees) for the privilege of participation also need another valuable asset: patience.
Players began gathering for the YSU tournament at 8 a.m. Many didn't get home until long after 7 p.m.
That's a lot of hours, especially if your child only sees four opponents over a 10-hour day. (That explains why experienced parents can be seen carting folding chairs, sleeping bags, snacks and reading material).
Cell phones are a good idea as well. One coach was observed tracking down a star player who didn't show up as scheduled. (It turns out she was in a nearby hospital.)
So who benefits the most from club tournaments? Obviously, players hoping to earn college scholarships.
Take Chuck Montgomery's Trumbull Volleyball Club, one of the strongest collection of players you'll find.
Montgomery, who has been the Hubbard coach for decades, has a program that attracts the best players.
Area's top player: This year's TVC superstar team, we're told, is designed to showcase the many skills of Hubbard junior Katy Jo Mroski, who is likely to land one of the most prestigious college volleyball scholarships ever in the Valley.
Mroski's teammates will benefit in exposure by playing in front of the many college coaches hoping to get her commitment signature. The coaches who fail to get Mroski might take a chance on a lesser-known skilled player they see by coincidence.
As for players simply trying to improve their high school skills, they benefit by being on the court at a time of year when so many fall opponents and teammates aren't. While they may not walk away with college assistance, here's hoping they find the experience worth the effort.
XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.