Quote:
Originally Posted by K-dog
BYU is known as one of the great volleyball powerhouses in the USA. National titles in 1999, 2001, and 2004 coupled with amazing records in the off years have made them the winningest volleyball program in the last decade in the United States. They have produced All-Americans in every year during that stretch including two All-Americans most years.
As a contrast, the University of Utah does not have an NCAA men's Volleyball team. Their club team has regularly been beaten by unsanctioned groups of BYU players teaming up for a single weekend at a time.
Now for the amazing part, the best known and most highly rated volleyball player with ties to either school is Jake Gibb, the U of U graduate who has been considered one of the best 4 players on the AVP professional beach tour the past 3 years. How strange is that?
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Jake never played volleyball until he was 21. Pretty remarkable.
Casey Jennings is up there with Jake and he's a BYU alum. Jake also has had the benefit of some amazing partners like Stein Metzger.
The transition from indoor to outdoor is difficult. Besides that the money isn't great unless you're wearing fake tattoos of corporate sponsors and consistently in the top 5. Most prefer to play for professional indoor teams in Europe where they can make decent money with guaranteed contracts.