SoutheasternOhioPreps.com

The first poll of the year has been released! Here are the area teams who cracked the rankings.

In Division 3:
Adena came in ranked #2. Very impressive.

In Division 4:
Tuscarawas CC came in ranked #9.
Eastern Beaver came in ranked #10.
Eastern Reedsville came in ranked #12.

Seems like there is some respect showing for SE Ohio!

Played Eastern Pike tonight.....a deserving ranking

Eastern Pike is probably the top team in the SOC this year. That covers both I and II. Very little hits the floor on them. Fun to watch...

I agree. Never seen a team that keeps that ball alive like they do.

I'm thinking it will be Eastern Pike and Shekinah Christian playing for a trip to State come the end of October...with Newark Catholic maybe throwing a spoiler in there.......

I sure hope you are right crashnburn, but Eastern still has hard work ahead of them. They play alot of freshman! Those big games have a way of intimidating the young ones. I would love to see that game!... Didn't Eastern play Shekinah last year in Regionals...or am I thinking of a different team?

Eastern played Fisher Catholic in the semi's and TCC in the finals

Saw Shekinah Christian this summer....they didn't look beatable by anyone I saw all summer or early this season. I've watched Eastern Pike several times from the summer, in scrimmage and in season....they are excellent but a little lower level IMO....and that's not an insult in any way.

I'd like to see Eastern Pike play versus Waverly and South Webster....not saying they'd lose, but would be fun to watch.

"lower level"??? If not an insult in any way, maybe you could've used better wording.
By the way, don't even considered what you saw in Eastern in summer play. They played in that Jackson league each time with a different line-up because different players were on vacation every week.
Eastern did play Waverly in the preview and South Webster in the first game of the season.

getaclue is right, Eastern played both Waverly and SW, and beat them both. And that is in season too. They also defeated Washington CH. The season is young, and this team has improved every game. Come tourney time, they can be dangerous.

Seriously.....I think Eastern is the second best team of the 70 in the SE district....I've not watched Adena and I'll just assume they are the #1.

I saw EP in the Jackson summer league....but it's summer league. I watched them for about 10 different 20-30 minute sessions during scrimmages and watched them this past Monday. They are excellent and everyone associated with them should be beyond proud....but "lower level" a "notch below" "I think they would fall just short" "they would need to play their best game and maybe get a few breaks"

If you read "lower level" as jv, frosh or jr high, well that's just ridiculous.

Please pass on the scores of EP vs SW and WVerly from the season. I said I didn't mean they would win....just assumed those three would be a fun and exciting games with high level volleyball for nearby districts.

Eastern defeated South Webster @ SW in scores of 25-14,25-14,15-25,9-25,15-13. So that was a close game.

Eastern and Waverly played in Previews, and Eastern won about 25-16 each time. Waverly just wasn't as good as Eastern. Eastern played with better fundamentals and smarter.

Agree....hard to top Eastern's fundamentals.

That being said....Waverly in season won 3 straight at SW....weren't extremely close.

The Eastern/SW scores are perplexing....the first and second games look like Eastern being Eastern....but get drilled in games three and four? What went on there? 25-9?

How often SW got a good hit just amazed me....as much as Eastern's ability to be in the right place all night with so few shots falling in.

I wasn't at that game, which it was also the first game of the season. From what I heard, they just fell apart thinking they had the game won. Boy were they wrong. South Webster is still a very very good team. They are very capable.

Ironman, when Webster puts "it" all together, they are phenomenal, and VERY hard to beat. However, they have struggled to put it all together all season. Mark my words, if they can break through the mental barrier they've been running into they will be dangerous in October. If not, well.....

And, you can always count on Eastern to be one of the best; Janet Day has built a dynasty at Eastern. She is an amazing coach!

Ironman92 wrote:Agree....hard to top Eastern's fundamentals.

That being said....Waverly in season won 3 straight at SW....weren't extremely close.

The Eastern/SW scores are perplexing....the first and second games look like Eastern being Eastern....but get drilled in games three and four? What went on there? 25-9?

How often SW got a good hit just amazed me....as much as Eastern's ability to be in the right place all night with so few shots falling in.

Ironman92 were you at the game between Eastern and SW? I have the game films if you would like to see them. You say the first two games looked like Eastern being Eastern...well that’s pure hog wash. Webster could not serve receive at all they were plain sloppy and caught in the same serve rotation for 14 point the first game and at least 10 in the second. Overall there were probable close to 35 unforced errors by the Webster team in the first two games alone. In the third and fourth games they picked up on their serve receive and the passing was better. This allowed the offense to get into the game, and what an offense they have. Eastern was being Eastern in games two and three, digging many a hard spike, but Webster with a solid constant block turning away Eastern's attacks forced Eastern to their bread and butter tipping attack. Webster covered the tips and counter attacked with hard hitting. Webster was just too much for Eastern in games two and three. Game five went back to sloppy and the score was 10-1 at one point, mind you that’s once again a stalled rotation. When they got back in groove the game ended 15-13 on a collision that sent a Webster player falling over the line and giving Eastern the point.

Hats off to eastern they played their best each and every game and that is why they won.

Webster is playing sloppy and they have not gelled yet this year. It a bit strange because they are the same team that went to district finals last year, not one girl different. The season is about half over and I do agree they must get going soon. I don’t know if they are feeling pressure because so much is expected of them or if the chemistry is just not clicking yet, but I will say this much "If they clean things up and relax and go out there and just do what they do, you will not find a team in our area that can run with them." If you were at the Eastern game and honestly evaluated the play I can’t believe you would see it any other way.
All I can say is “The Webster girls are in complete control of their destiny this season”. If they forget about what is expected of them this year, they relax and do what they do, and just play one night at a time, one set at a time, one point at a time they will be great. All the Webster fans need to join together and let them play, let them take care of business. They know far better what they need to do than we do, and they don’t need any more pressure! They have a great coach and an overabundant supply of talent this year let them take care of it. I will be there each and every game cheering them on as I believe in them. Go get em Lady Jeep’s you’re the greatest. These are my final words on the season, you will not here from me again.
Sorry, just one more thing. I wish you were at the game “Run-n-Gun” because the truth is Eastern played just as well in games 3 and 4 as they did in 1, 2, and 5. Webster’s points were earned and they were giving a glimpse of how good they can be when they are in sync. Eastern falling apart…Please.

Hats off to eastern they played their best each and every game and that is why they won.

truth is Eastern played just as well in games 3 and 4 as they did in 1, 2, and 5.

How can a team play their best every game and win by 15 then lose by 14? That is not a team playing their best every game........?

WOW!!! That is insane.....If you could see SW was playing bad with lots of mistakes in game 1 and 2 then you are crazy to think that Eastern didn't have a ton of errors in games 3 and 4. The game was flip flopped. SW wasn't playing well and Eastern was in the beginning, then SW was playing well and Eastern wasn't. Then game 5 Eastern started of great, then SW started playing great. THIS IS VOLLEYBALL! Up and down, mental, change of pace craziness. It was the first game for both teams and I think a lot of nerves flying.

I think both teams are very talented.........Sometimes teams play up and down for no rhyme or reason.. It is the game of volleyball...... Sounds like we have a sore loser on our hands.

Volleyball is a game of momentum, just like some other sports. At any given time, one good server can make a run of 10 or so points. One weak passer can struggle over and over in serve receive. And hitters have good nights and bad nights. Setters struggle at times, as well.
However, a team with solid fundamentals will do well most of the time. Serve Receive is more important than most fans realize. It doesn't matter what kind of hitters you have if you can't receive a serve. If you can't do it well, you are going to struggle the entire season.
In my opinion, Eastern and South Webster struggled in areas that night and picked on each other weaknesses. Most of the Eastern girls serve jump-floaters and SW struggle in the first 2 games with them, I believe. However, they did much better later in the match. Eastern hit well early in the match and struggled with hitting later in the match. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL IN THE BEGINNING OF A SEASON!

I respect SW and I think they are loaded with talent. And I'm glad Waverly is a power house this year also. It's nice to see 3 strong teams in the SOC this year and I wish all of them the best. Tournaments should be fun to watch!!!

Ironman92: Maybe stick to the Jackson game topics?

jumparound wrote:

Hats off to eastern they played their best each and every game and that is why they won.

truth is Eastern played just as well in games 3 and 4 as they did in 1, 2, and 5.

How can a team play their best every game and win by 15 then lose by 14? That is not a team playing their best every game........?

WOW!!! That is insane.....If you could see SW was playing bad with lots of mistakes in game 1 and 2 then you are crazy to think that Eastern didn't have a ton of errors in games 3 and 4. The game was flip flopped. SW wasn't playing well and Eastern was in the beginning, then SW was playing well and Eastern wasn't. Then game 5 Eastern started of great, then SW started playing great. THIS IS VOLLEYBALL! Up and down, mental, change of pace craziness. It was the first game for both teams and I think a lot of nerves flying.

I think both teams are very talented.........Sometimes teams play up and down for no rhyme or reason.. It is the game of volleyball...... Sounds like we have a sore loser on our hands.

Not a sore loser, we lost our fault, I tipped my hat to Eastern and said they played great each and every game. Games 3 and 4 were won not on point from the other teams un-force errors but on earned hard pushed points and forcing the other team to try and find an opening to tip to that wasn't covered. Eastern never plays sloppy enough to account for 25-9 and 25-15 on their errors. That is why Eastern is a year in year out consistant area powerhouse that always does well during tournaments. There was momentum changes but they were dictated by Websters play, not Eastern's play. Eastern is too rock solid consistant. Anyone disagree with that?

One last thought on your comment "WOW!!! That is insane.....If you could see SW was playing bad with lots of mistakes in game 1 and 2 then you are crazy to think that Eastern didn't have a ton of errors in games 3 and 4."

This is purley an assumption if you were not there to witness the game.

I was at the Webster-Valley game last night and saw The Jeeps come out HOT in games one and three ,yet struggle in games two ( got beat ) and four ( 8 ties ) . Lots of talent but they get sloppy and it shows. The coach is smart to call timeout and get loud when she sees the momentum changing. Once they get it all together I think they can beat anyone in the SOC..