Just heard the VB has been invited to play in the 32-team invitational tournament. The first and second round games are at four-team sites and Rice is apparently in the running to host.

No information on dates or times but apparently play will start in the middle of next week....Good news.

Host Revenue Guarantee
An institution shall submit a host budget which is a financial guarantee to the NIVC. All rounds require a minimum guarantee for hosting and are detailed below. (Rounds 1 and 2 are combined on this form). The host school shall guarantee the NIVC a percentage of net game revenue, which varies according to net game revenue amount. If the host school does not meet its revenue budget, the host school still guarantees the NIVC the guaranteed amount on the budget form.
• If the host school exceeds $30,000 in net match revenue then the NIVC and host university split the revenue 55% (NIVC) and 45% (Host School).
• If the host school makes less than $30,000 in net match revenue then the NIVC and host university split the revenue 85% (NIVC) and 15% (Host School).
• No matter what the net revenue is, all host schools are guaranteed to pay the NIVC the original guaranteed amount on the game host budget form, at the minimum.

Minimum Guarantees by Round:
a. Round 1 & 2 Guarantee: $7,500 (Combined total for both rounds)
b. Round 3 Guarantee: $8,000
c. Round 4 Guarantee: $8,000
d. Semifinal Round Guarantee: $10,000
e. Championship Round Guarantee: $12,000

http://www.womensnivc.com/uploads/2/0/0/...ndbook.pdf

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pay to play. If the department is in any kind of financial straits, probably not a great investment.

(11-21-2017 03:35 PM)Houston Owl Wrote:  Just heard the VB has been invited to play in the 32-team invitational tournament. The first and second round games are at four-team sites and Rice is apparently in the running to host.

No information on dates or times but apparently play will start in the middle of next week....Good news.

Selection is November 26th, assuming following the NCAA tournament. 64-team tournament, 32 conference automatic teams and 32 at-large teams. WKU is in the NCAA tournament. North Texas is likely to make it but their RPI may be a factor. If North Texas makes the NCAA tournamanet, then Rice should be the conference automatic team for this "new" tournament.

A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments but I guess the team wanted to gain more experience.

(11-21-2017 08:28 PM)temchugh Wrote:  A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

(11-22-2017 12:22 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments but I guess the team wanted to gain more experience.

(11-21-2017 08:28 PM)temchugh Wrote:  A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

This post reminded me of this article from a couple years ago

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-bowl...tml?barc=0

(11-22-2017 12:22 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments but I guess the team wanted to gain more experience.

(11-21-2017 08:28 PM)temchugh Wrote:  A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

It’s for the student-athlete experience.

(11-22-2017 12:22 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments...

Would you feel the same way about a bowl game?

I think any post season play, regardless of the prestige (or lack thereof) of the venue, is beneficial to the program.

The last time Rice played in this tournament, Coach Volpe (she was then an assistant and this was more than 20 years ago) shared a hot tub together. For that reason alone, she might have bad feelings about this tournament and turn down the invitation (although if it helps her decision, I promise not to expect that to become a Rice NIVT tradition).

(11-22-2017 11:20 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The last time Rice played in this tournament, Coach Volpe (she was then an assistant and this was more than 20 years ago) . . .

As I recall, that was the first time Rice volleyball had ever participated in post-season play. That was a good team.

(11-22-2017 10:13 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-22-2017 12:22 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments...

Would you feel the same way about a bowl game?

Yup. 100% the same way.

I think the WBB team benefitted from its run through last year’s tourney and would hope the VB team will get the same chance.

(11-22-2017 12:49 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  I think the WBB team benefitted from its run through last year’s tourney and would hope the VB team will get the same chance.

Yes absolutely. Plus the volleyball team is young so it will help the freshmen and sophomores to continue to play.

(11-21-2017 08:28 PM)temchugh Wrote:  A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

I'll admit that I barely followed volleyball this year, but from our record it looks like we did pretty well 21-8 overall and 11-3 in conference.

Were we just unable to win any big games?

(11-22-2017 01:20 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(11-21-2017 08:28 PM)temchugh Wrote:  A mediocre season and disappointing conference tournament. It is hard to get excited about being in the second tier tournament. Maybe if we had finished second in conference or done anything to show promise this season.

I'll admit that I barely followed volleyball this year, but from our record it looks like we did pretty well 21-8 overall and 11-3 in conference.

Were we just unable to win any big games?

Yes. We looked terrible against Top 50 teams and routinely struggled to beat really bad teams. If Top 25 is the goal (as it should be), this program does not appear to be on the right track.

(11-22-2017 12:49 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  I think the WBB team benefitted from its run through last year’s tourney and would hope the VB team will get the same chance.

WBB has a new coach and appears to be on the rise. The VB coach has been here 14 years and has won only a one conference tournament (2009). In recent years, the team has consistently finished near the top of the conference in regular season, but without really coming very close to finishing in first. This year, there was a huge difference in talent between first and third place.

(11-22-2017 12:49 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  I think the WBB team benefitted from its run through last year’s tourney and would hope the VB team will get the same chance.

True, but do to injury and transfers, this year's WBB is almost a completely different team than last year's.

It depends on which bowl, our record, and who we would play. What are the rankings of the teams in the tournament? I assume > 128 RPI since there is an NIT and NCAA volleyball tournament each with 64 teams.

(11-22-2017 10:13 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-22-2017 12:22 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Not sure why we waste our time in these second rate tournaments...

Would you feel the same way about a bowl game?

When I was a freshman, the football team, at 6-4, voted not to accept a Sun Bowl bid. They were disappointed in not earning a Cotton Bowl bid.

We then started on a decades long streak of not being invited. Some point to TCU's Sun Bowl win as the turning point in their road back.

Sure, back then there were only a dozen or so bowls, and now there are unpteen million.

But in the years since then it has been very rare for any team in any sport to turn down a post season bid. In fact,postseason bids in all sports have proliferated. If going to postseason tournament was such a bad and useless thing, I think more schools would be turning down invitations rather than pursuing them.

I can think of lots of reasons going to any postseason activity is good for the program, including but limited to publicity, practice, reward for the team and fans, extra competition against better than average teams.

The only negative I can think of is cost. Here we are in middle of a big debate over wanting the BOD to open up the pursestrings for football. If money is the issue, then eliminate all athletics. Otherwise, let's not refuse postseason berths. Even if they are not the goal, they can be steps toward the goal.