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BY DAVE SCHUTrE . .
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·· ·'ll· ol•Q Enquirer contributor --, . 'C .•·.·
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· A new formatfor the 1998 ·state ' boys volleyoall totirnarnent is bad · news for l()cal teams. . · ., . . -Ram.etha~~ ~-ili~s.f~~r~oo~~~&· fro 6' COlumbus; only one will the result of reducing the number~of teams from 'eight to four; ·. . .. ,"The (Ohio·High School Volleyball >Coaches)· 'A'Ssodation· wante~ to'c.U:t e~penses,,":sai~ Tom Brinlanan, coach of defend~ ,ing state. chalnpiori.Mqell,er:. ·· · .. ·"By..sendiiig \'mly fol!r teams, t
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Ithe~~.-:~.fui~C>~J-Jl~~~e,
rent:ihg St onn &&-: lln~eXpense'of (m{:pl~ous) ()IJ-t:dar'rather.
rilian twQ asm past seasons when. 'eightteams qualified.:· · . \·· Fow:quar~r~~games:w.e_re iPlayed on Fnday With the semifiI nals and champion~hipg!lffies on Saturday. ·_ .. .~ . . This year, semifinal games will 'beplayedlatemornllig(IJldearly: afternophonMay 30; with the championship later that night Cincinnati area teams have. ~ domin~ated the past tw(). seasons with Lebanon claiming the state title in 1996 and Moeller last year, beating St Xaviedn t;hree games. . Until there are at least ·150 schools fielding b9ys ,voileybl,lll .teams, the Ohio fligh Schoo1.Ath:: 'letic Association won't sponsor a ·tOurnament·'.. · .• 1 · The number of school statewide participat:ipg ha~ increa~d slightly. Originally, itwas tl;lought that' the . required 150 teams,
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(Although St Xavi~r was ,ranked No.1 in the Southwestern :Ohio preseason co~che~:_poll, Mo~ll~r quickly ~~kox,ertli~:.I:?P... 1,spot With a 1&,-18, 15-13, 15-12 VIc·: 1 tory over the Bombers iast weekJ ;· ·'E~e~yolle. tho~:Ight~\Ve w61,il_d~ \>~ : d()v.rn . after losing .foqr::i
~ ··starters,~:tmnkiiian·"·-~;~.:t"'<,No-
.,... ~ o~e km!w had -a gr_oup of ~ juriiorswaitingthatwent 18-1 the · previous year playing for the jlJ!liorvarsity." · · · ~ The s~ters that returned fo~ the Crusaders have led the team through the first four games, all. Moeller victories. . ·· .· · --Seti:er~_-6reg.;._Silber,.:...who B~an describes· as the "guy who runs the show," has been the key. · '· "Greg's_a player,•: Brin~~. said. "He started last year and is ' one of the tri-<:aptains. He's also a · top_ student and will probably· . atten_d Dayton, arid play for their. :clubteain" ·~ · ·
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_Silber~elcom~thechalJeng~.!
this season. ' · " .· '. ''We'r~· the .._d~fending. state ' 'champions and -everybody is' s!10oting for. us," said Silber · · who's 95 'percent certain he will play for Dayton's club teani next . season. · •. · . ·"-. r-•. ::~'When. they piay us, it's. t:he' .· .biggest game of their·season and they are very aggressive. The big • difference between this year's and last year's team is that we · have more depth:".. . . ~- ·~e:otlt~r re~ning ~tar~r is To..Q&. fitz;:il._&-foqt-6 seruor hi.tter..· ;woUld~ r~ched t>e~ore the.ye~i, \fli~-~~~ ~n inyited to walkOii1 ,2000.:fgday,~oonetssur~·.
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' .~'Wif had about 66 teams last!
'seasi>n ·~"Bririkinan.Saici: ''This1 ~yeadt'~ln thetow 70s.'! . . . ~The Coaches Association isn't 'optlmisticatthispoint Theyl'iav~ ,already booked St John Arena 'through tHe" year 20Q5 for the state t~ur,n~ent. ; · : . · , : · Ano_theif setback for South.western Ohio was the draw for the._ stite 1 tournamen~ ·w!J,ich matches Sputhwestem'Regional winner against 1th~ .·Central Regional wiDI\.er.~-- .• ·~ • : • • • :t : . 'Th~ seeona~si:rongest regional iS the Centrill)\Brinkinan said. 'This means the ~iaker North:w~s! ,~e~o!l~ ,~~;~o~!Pe~st Re~op.al:WIDn~rs... P,layt;lfi o.pe senftfin.aJ gagte. : ·~iJ,\~£::(~ .
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siblyearn a scholarship the f~ : lowing seasori. .: . . - v, : •· ·'it's tough'. gett:i_rig. a- coll~g~ ri~e-. i~ · ~n;ter'.s. _.volLeybatJi~::lJ ' Brinkman srud..'There's only. 30 ' DiVision I .schools· offering vol" leyball' arid· iliey're only allowed ·four scholarships or 120 for the . · co\.mtry. . - ' · · · - · : As'a result; -m<>st recru~ters . first look at junior college players ...-before addressmg i:he seniors in l high schpol. They also l<:J!?k. over- ' r se~s or ~0 Pu~rto Rico for tl1e.top; ~ players:·:· · · ·· . · · t .· . To ~emedy this.~u~er MU : . teains in all age brackets have l ·been formed~ Cirit.--innati and· ~begin play)his summer. .. . . .•
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