2019 PSU OH Recruits -- Rankings (thread renamed)

So interesting, Nyline. Thanks.

Garsh Nyline. You put the slacker staff on amphetamines? They've chunked out a ton of information that has, once again, forced me to realize how little I know and how much there is to learn.

My lessons include: Every PSU front row player and setter over the last 15+(?) years have been ranked players. It never occurred to me (a measure of my superficiality?) that all the players I was watching back in my formative days back in 2010 were highly-ranked prospects before they arrived at PSU. I sorta just assumed they appeared--as if by magic. After all, they were there at "my beginning," why would their backstory matter?

How important those rankings are. It's not so much a matter of the #10 vs the #20, but that there is a difference between being ranked and not being ranked. And, that being ranked is not a bad predictor of future success.

The excellent job Coach Rose and his staff do recruiting talented players who genuinely seem to work well together.

So many layers, so much to learn.....

Oh, thanks to you and the staff. Why don't you reward them with a night on the town in Bellefonte?

Since the staff is cruising along in overdrive, when is the last time PSU had an unranked front row player or setter playing regularly?

don't worry, I won't call.  Maybe an "old-timer" like Tillie might know off the top of her head?

Possibly Kristin Carpenter in 2010?  On a totally different note, she had an interview by a student at PSU that was absolutely hysterical. 

In 2009, Kristin Carpenter was the #8 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace.  She was listed as a libero/setter.  John Tawa (founder of PrepVolleyball.com) wrote at the time: "This is the first time in the six-year history of the Senior Aces that a player primarily projected to play libero in college has found her way into the top 10. She lands at No. 8, but you could make an argument that she might be the best all-around player in the country."  As a sophomore, Kristin was the starting setter (averaging 11.52 assists/set), as Penn State won its fourth consecutive National Championship.  Maybe not the best player on the team (or in the country) but she certainly made a big contribution. 

Nyline, I didn’t intend for my opinion to be so upsetting to you. You did see I said, “Of course there are plenty of exceptions.”

I should amend my word “helping” you focused on to “being a critical component.” And there will be exceptions to that also.

I am well aware of some late bloomers. The example that sticks out in my mind is Karsta Lowe. I remember she didn’t make her high school varsity team starting roster until her junior year. She was a walkon for UCLA because no DI school offered her a scholarship. Then in her junior year of college everything came together and she went on to become a superstar.

I do appreciate the effort you put into finding those links and will look at every one of them.