The Front Row with MARK NELKE April 26, 2012
After winning their first two matches at the state 5A high school volleyball tournament last fall, the Post Falls Trojans lost a four-game match to Idaho Falls in their third match.
Under the tournament format in place from 1985-2009, Post Falls would have had a chance to come back and avenge that loss.
But, because of a change of format in the second year of a two-year trial by the Idaho High School Activities Association, Post Falls’ season was over, albeit with a second-place finish — the program’s best ever at state. Idaho Falls was awarded the first-place trophy.
Fans filed out of the gymnasium and into the October night.
WITH THE format up for discussion again this year, Idaho prep volleyball coaches pushed for a return to the old format — and in April, the IHSAA Board of Control agreed.
Beginning this fall, state volleyball in Idaho returns to a true double-elimination format — the same format used for 25 years prior to the 2010 tourney.
“I am glad the IHSAA has gone back to the double-elimination format,” Post Falls coach Willow Hanna said. “Our sport allows us to play multiple matches in a day, so this format adds to the state experience — and, of course, allows a team who loses one match to come back and play for a championship.”
The switch in format was made two years ago to save money and keep the tourney from dragging on all night on Friday and Saturday. I’ve been to 5A consolation matches up here on Friday night that didn’t end until nearly 11:30 p.m. And one Saturday night in Twin Falls, they didn’t start walking out of the gym until just after midnight Mountain time.
Kinda late for a scheduled 5:30 p.m. final, which got pushed back because earlier matches that day ran long.
It won’t be decided until the June board meeting, but there’s talk that Friday’s play will be on two nets to take care of the bulk of the tourney, with Saturday’s play on one net.
The IHSAA saved money by not having to pay for as many matches to be refereed. As for the teams, they traveled to state on Thursday and usually left for home once they were done on Saturday, just as they did under the previous format.
“I think going back to a double-elimination tournament is in the best interest of our kids and by using two nets to keep the length of the tournament shorter, then it is a beneficial compromise,” Hanna said. “The other tournaments we play during our season are played on two nets on adjacent courts, so this format will not be anything new to our players.”
TRUE, THIS could lead to a return to a marathon of play on Saturday, and a massive outbreak of bleacher butt.
The last two years, a team playing in a 9 a.m. consolation match on Saturday was guaranteed to be done with tourney play by 10:30 or 11.
Now, returning to the old format, that team could get hot and play all the way into Saturday night. Or they could lose once and be done.
That uncertainty is bad for planning, but good for teams, especially if they’re in the losers bracket.
STATE SOFTBALL is in the second year of its modified single-elimination format too. I would imagine softball coaches would be pushing to return that tourney to double-elimination as well in 2013, but IHSAA officials say they have heard no rumblings from those people so far.
Back to volleyball. Last fall, Lake City had Idaho Falls on the ropes in the semifinals, down 2-0, before losing in five games. Instead of getting a chance to play its way back into the final, Lake City dropped down into the third-place match, where the Timberwolves beat Rocky Mountain of Meridian.
So Hanna and Lake City coach Bret Taylor were both “victims” of the new format last year. To their credit, neither used it as an excuse — both understood the new rules they were playing by.
“No matter what format you play, you still need to bring your ‘A’ game,” Taylor said. “It is the state championship, for goodness sakes.”
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.