Vol Volleyball: Ugghh

#1

armchair

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#1
Does Rob Patrick still have it as volleyball coach? He and the Vols had a lot of success between 2004 and 2011. I think we won the SEC twice in that span, went to the NCAA tourney five or more times, and the Vols were in the Final Four in 2005. Patrick was once or twice named National Coach of the year--maybe twice by two different VB organizations.

All great but we have struggled since 2011, I believe. Not sure why, but we've not been good. I think we placed 7th in the SEC last year and don't think the prior three/four years were good. It's been a rough stretch.

We played our first SEC game of the season tonight at Arkansas, and it wasn't pretty. We got swept--3 games to 0--by a team picked to finish 8th in the conference. Worse, none of the three games was terribly close. I saw the last half of game 3 and we did not look good--poor serve return, poor passing, poor everything. This is Patrick's 21st year--maybe he's burnt out, don't know. We have a brand new VB facility that should help recruiting, but tonight was a bad portent. Need to be lots better.
 
#3
#3
This is the one sport I haven't followed closely at Tennessee because I grew up with Big Ten and Big 12 volleyball and even have connections to Pac 12 volleyball and even during Tennessee's strongest years they haven't come close to what I expect out of a volleyball team. They have had a few really good seasons thanks to really talented and experienced players but the coaching has always been underwhelming IMO. A change in coaching (and a bold, spend a little more change at that) would do wonders, especially with the SEC not being very good top to bottom... so there is a really good window of opportunity to build something better and faster thanks to a more forgiving conference. I hope eventually the SEC can do a little catch up but this is one sport most teams in the SEC are nowhere near the level of other conferences. I will always root first for Tennessee but I remain happy with following my Gophers, Badgers, Huskers, Longhorns and Cardinal (all teams I have random connections to). If you want to watch some great volleyball while waiting for Tennessee to pick it up check out Wisconsin this year. 6'8 freshman middle blocker is lighting everyone up. Minnesota has an outstanding opposite hitter froshie too...
 
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#4
#4
I mean, it's one thing to get beat by a really good team. But when you're not very competitive with Arkansas, which is certainly a mediocre program, you've got problems. It is apparently not an easy place in which to play--the crowd was pretty raucous for a VB match--but still.....
 
#5
#5
This is the one sport I haven't followed closely at Tennessee because I grew up with Big Ten and Big 12 volleyball and even have connections to Pac 12 volleyball and even during Tennessee's strongest years they haven't come close to what I expect out of a volleyball team. They have had a few really good seasons thanks to really talented and experienced players but the coaching has always been underwhelming IMO. A change in coaching (and a bold, spend a little more change at that) would do wonders, especially with the SEC not being very good top to bottom... so there is a really good window of opportunity to build something better and faster thanks to a more forgiving conference. I hope eventually the SEC can do a little catch up but this is one sport most teams in the SEC are nowhere near the level of other conferences. I will always root first for Tennessee but I remain happy with following my Gophers, Badgers, Huskers, Longhorns and Cardinal (all teams I have random connections to). If you want to watch some great volleyball while waiting for Tennessee to pick it up check out Wisconsin this year. 6'8 freshman middle blocker is lighting everyone up. Minnesota has an outstanding opposite hitter froshie too...


You know we just played Minnesota at their place--I think they were no. 1 or 2 in the nation. We got swept but the scores were closer, as I recall, than they were tonight playing Arkansas. My feeling is that we should be beating Arkansas in just about every sport. We need new blood in VB...and women's basketball.
 
#7
#7
I'm a big proponent of school & coach loyalty. That said, I know there has been a ton of controversy within the VB program over the years.

Rob seems to have mellowed, but he's known for tirades, berating, and mind games that border on abuse.

We used to go and sit a few rows behind the bench, and we were shocked at the barrage of F-bombs fired at the team until some were crying. We even tried to get then AD Joan Cronan involved. Eventually, we just stopped going.

There were massive player departures, and a constant turnover in assistants. A couple of years ago, I decided to go back and try it again because I like supporting my Vols. It's a better scene. Team has some good athletes and competes. Don't see the berating.

However, this season there was an inexplicable benching of a top player for most of the nonconference. Parents did not understand it. Players did not understand it. The benched player did not understand it. The player recently was put back in the lineup without any explanation to the player or anyone. *shrugs*

Some insiders say Rob is a great guy & coach, and that he's misunderstood. (I don't know him well.) He seems calmer now and relies more on assistants. He goes through the crowd talking to parents and fans before the home matches.

Rob just reached 400 career wins.

Not sure how well they'll do, especially on the road in SEC. Match vs. Arky was not promising.

I will go and support the team. It is a fun time.
 
#8
#8
yep, it wasn't pretty...on national TV, no less...Hogs were picked behind us in the SEC...oh well, paging Mr Currie...:)

GO LADY VOLS!
 
#9
#9
Terminating Rob Patrick will be the easiest coaching change John Currie has to make. If Dave Hart had given 2 f---s he would have been long gone.
 
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#10
#10
I know several officials who say they hate to work Tennessee matches because of him. They say he is one of the worst coaches when it comes to treatment of officials.
 
#11
#11
They were ranked nationally in 2013, i think, with Kelsey Robinson and Mary Pohlmiller then both transferred to Nebraska for their senior seasons and Rob was left with a bunch of freshman and sophomores. Hasn't been able to have a decent/competitive team in the SEC since.
 
#14
#14
According to the stats on that site, we are near the bottom of the conference in serving aces, passing (assists) and kills--which would explain our lousy conference record! Patrick may have to convince Currie that our underclassmen have a lot of upside or he could be in trouble.
 
#16
#16
Rob Patrick has been running on borrowed time for about 5 years now. Just another bad coach sucking the UT AD dry of payroll.
 

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