Six Rotations presents: Big Ten VB Coaches Roundtable (K Sheffield, JFO, D Shondell, L Johnson)

Back for another fall of volleyball! And before Daniel and Mick unveil the AVCA Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll next week, a special bonus episode awaits...
Daniel Gillman was at the inaugural Big Ten Media Days in Chicago and got to chat with four of the nation's brightest (and most entertaining coaches). Wisconsin's Kelly Sheffield, Ohio State's Jen Flynn Oldenburg, Purdue's Dave Shondell, and the newcomer Leah Johnson at Michigan State sat around the table and had an honest, open discussion about the state of NCAA volleyball.
From betting on matches to a Big Ten tournament, they discussed a flurry of volleyball topics, one of which is the lack of time coaches can spend with players in the summer compared to college football.

[@scotty4770]

Coach Johnson is fantastic. Breath of fresh air.

[@ndomingo2906]

Good stuff, Gilman! Kudos!

[@teranrodriguez]

Last weekend, ESPN3 televised the NVA (National Volleyball Association) Playoffs in San Bernardo, CA. I’m hoping that if the NVA gets bigger, they can have a WNVA. Though there is Athletes Unlimited for women’s volleyball. Regardless, seeing a WNVA would be huge for it and huge for the sport of volleyball.

[@CommonTerry2024]

I'm a huge Big Ten volleyball fan, and I think that the television production of volleyball games is far behind most other sports. If we're going to rely on cameras for challenges, then how about using a camera (or cameras) that are high speed enough to make a difference? Why do we always use the same camera angles? The lack of graphic analysis is mind-boggling to an old TV guy like me. Every other sport uses statistics, etc, to place little bits of information on the screen. We don't do that. Also, where are the player names on the jerseys. If this is all about the student athletes, why aren't they more regularly identified? The assumption that viewers a) know the game and b) know the players is a deadly one. The game is the biggest (by far) and the fastest-growing (by far) among young girls in the U.S., and this isn't acknowledge nearly enough at the collegiate level. The rapid growth of club volleyball is raising the quality of those who advance, and this is putting tremendous upward pressure on the NCAA. The symbiotic relationship of college teams and their local communities cannot be overlooked, and I think a regular feature showcasing youngsters would make for interesting TV.

[@swallman]

MSU will have the wokest coach for sure.