V-ball vs. Princeton

[Al DeFlorio]

The CornellBigRed web site shows a 3-0 win for Cornell over Princeton.  No details, and Gametracker is nonfunctional.

[David Harding]

http://cornellbigred.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/recaps/111106aad.html

[q]The Big Red definitely had home court advantage during the match with its largest crowd of the season who helped keep Cornell's spirits soaring high throughout the three games. [/q]
30-24, 30-26, 32-30, the last coming back from trailing 26-29.

[Beeeej]

It was a great, intense match, with a great crowd.  I didn't expect to get into it so much, but the level of play is really light years beyond where it was last time I saw a Cornell volleyball match, about twelve years ago.  Very exciting, very fast paced, incredibly skilled.  A few years ago, a friend brought me in as a "ringer" on her corporate intramural volleyball team in Manhattan because I knew what I was doing and I'm a reasonably tall guy with some jump, but I suspect I wouldn't have gotten a second look at a tryout for this Cornell team.

I suspect there are schools out there with better talent, scholarship players, etc., and Cornell probably isn't favored in the tournament.  But I loved the team's intensity, and I wish them the best of luck.  Thanks, CKinsland and Willy, for letting us all know about today's match.

[ugarte]

[quote Beeeej]A few years ago, a friend brought me in as a "ringer" on her corporate intramural volleyball team in Manhattan because I knew what I was doing and I'm a reasonably tall guy with some jump ... [/quote]Define "few."

[Beeeej]

[quote ugarte][quote Beeeej]A few years ago, a friend brought me in as a "ringer" on her corporate intramural volleyball team in Manhattan because I knew what I was doing and I'm a reasonably tall guy with some jump ... [/quote]Define "few."[/quote]

I can never remember the proper names of the eras.  Pleistocene?  Paleozoic?

[CKinsland]

Well, the game was excellent.  Very exciting.  

The team has to wait until Nov 26 (I believe) to find out whom they are playing in the NCAA tournament.  They won't be highly ranked, so it will be a tough game for them whomever they meet.  Best of luck to them.

As for the crowd, they were huge.  Very loud, fairly organized.

The one thing I really noticed was that the cheers that involved foot-stomping were great.  Those fold out bleachers really resonate and get LOUD when everybody stomps on them.  Makes me kind of sad that the benches in Lynah are so firm....lost cheering opportunity there.  Of course, 4000 hockey fans stomping on fold out bleachers in unison could lead to catastrophe.  

I hope the guy with the red C on his chest and the black shorts isn't graduating...his dancing during time outs was freakin' hilarious.  My 5 year old daughter learned some pretty cool moves from him (not necessarily moves that are appropriate for a 5 year old, but whatever...that's my problem, not his).

CK

[Willy '06]

Unfortunately Dan (the guy with a C on his chest) is in fact a senior. Will, the U, is also a senior. And I, the guy with the red and white striped jacket am an alum but dating a junior on the team (so one more year!) The dancing tradition was started with Pat... a high jumper on the track team... and was much more suggestive. During the Penn game Andy Noel sent someone to first tell us to not talk during the Princeton timeout, but that dancing was ok. Then we were told dancing is not allowed. Andy Noel is a joke.

[Chris '03]

[quote Willy '06]Unfortunately Dan (the guy with a C on his chest) is in fact a senior. Will, the U, is also a senior. And I, the guy with the red and white striped jacket am an alum but dating a junior on the team (so one more year!) The dancing tradition was started with Pat... a high jumper on the track team... and was much more suggestive. During the Penn game Andy Noel sent someone to first tell us to not talk during the Princeton timeout, but that dancing was ok. Then we were told dancing is not allowed. Andy Noel is a joke.[/quote]

Wow. I didn't know talking and dancing were unsportsmanlike. Andy sure didn't have a problem with the guy in a unitard and body paint running around with a plastic megaphone making a fool of himself on CSTV during the televised wrestling match last year. He was both talking and dancing!

[Willy '06]

It's ok. There's clearly a different standard for men's and women's sports with Andy. I mean, my girlfriend plays and I hate to see her given hard time by fans elsewhere, but as long as they keep it somewhat clean I won't say anything. It's part of the game. Then again, Cornell has outnumbered the other teams' fans at almost every venue this year - so we usually just drown them out.

Anyways, if we're truly seeking equality in men's and women's sports, then the standards for fans at these games should be identical, shouldn't they? Maybe I'm wrong, but I know that dancing and non-offensive cheering should be allowed at pretty much any collegiate athletic event.

[CKinsland]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I know that dancing and non-offensive cheering should be allowed at pretty much any collegiate athletic event.

Well, I totally agree...though I can see how the dancing could be offensive.  

For those that think this may be just "standard" dancing...some of it is Chippendale-esque and involves nipple-rubbing and ass-slapping.  Generally the "best" dancing was performed feet away from the time-out huddle of the away team.  So, I can see how it might upset somebody's sensibilities (particularly a somebody that doesn't want the word "sucks" used in chants).

Now, I think that I would be expected to be in the offended demographic (after all I've confessed to bringing two little girls to the games).  However, I accept that a certain level of, umm, crudeness is going to occur at athletic events.  As I said before, I consider what my daughters see and don't see to be my problem, not the problem of the person doing it (within obvious limits...I certainly wouldn't accept them being flashed by some pervert as is going on down at Boynton Middle school to be within reason).  

Is it the visiting team?  Taunts and distracting behavior by the home crowd is part and parcel of playing college sports.  When I played college ball, our coaches last name was "Colon" (spanish)...we heard a lot about that.  If you can't tune that crap out, you aren't focussing.

So, some distracting, lewd, entertaining dancing seems pretty tame to me.    Who exactly has complained to cause a "cut it out" message to come down from on high?  The cheering at the volleyball games is far more positive that that at the hockey games.  By this I mean that more of the cheering centers on encouraging the Red than on denigrating the visitors.  

And, dude, if dancing isn't allowed, why play music?  Shall we all just sit there on our hands, quietly waiting for play to resume?  Soon it will be like going to tennis matches.  Bah.  Part of the reason I like going to these things is the crowd antics.  

Well this was rambling.

CK