Columnist Spencer Patterson: Volleyball format change looks like a big hit

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999 | 11:49 a.m.

Spencer Patterson covers prep sports for the Sun. Reach him at 259-4085 or spencer@lasvegassun.com

After years of debate, Clark County schools finally adopted a best 3-of-5 format for varsity prep volleyball this fall. So far the results appear overwhelmingly positive for all involved.

By moving the starting time of most matches from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m., district officials have alleviated the primary concern of those opposed -- that matches would end late at night, preventing students from doing schoolwork.

Through the first two weeks of the season, few matches have gone beyond three games, and only a handful have reached a decisive fifth game. Even in those cases, the Sun has received the scores around the usual time, well before 8 p.m.

As local coaches have long pointed out, the new format should help get area clubs more prepared for the state tournament, when they'll go head-to-head with northern teams, which have played five-game matches for years.

Best of all, the change allows more athletes to get into games, with coaches more inclined to empty their benches with a 2-0 game lead. Coaches can also use the extra games to experiment for key matches down the road.

"I got to try new things, and it isn't as stressful," Chaparral coach Jennifer Berg said. "It also gives me leeway to play some other girls, and it still takes less than two hours to play five games."

District athletic director Larry McKay agreed. "We're very pleased and I think the coaches are as well. I've surveyed the schools whose matches have gone five games, and even the most competitive matches were done by around 7 p.m."

* WORLD TOUR: Durango girls volleyball coach Bob Kelly hasn't been around to see much of his club's perfect 5-0 start this fall, but he certainly hasn't been far away from the sports he loves.

For the past two weeks, Kelly has been serving as an assistant coach for this year's USA Youth National Team -- an 18-under girls squad that made stops at tournaments in Nola, Italy and Madeira, Portugal.

"USA volleyball founded the youth program two years ago to try to expose kids at a young age to international volleyball," Kelly said. "It is quite an honor to be involved."

After participating in a tune-up tournament in Italy, Kelly's team traveled to Portugal for this year's World Championship, featuring squads from 16 of the world's premier volleyball nations.

The Americans wound up sixth, capturing first place in their pool and posting an impressive win over a tough Italian team in bracket play.

"That was big for us," Kelly said. "We wanted to finish in the top eight. These international teams have extraordinary ball control, and that's not really stressed here. Our players had to get accustomed to the intensity of the teams we faced."

* DESERVED DAYS OFF: Kudos to Clark County School District for its long-standing policy of not holding athletic or extra-curricular activities on the two primary Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Even though Southern Nevada may not feature a Jewish population as large as that in many areas which do not have the same policy, school officials here understand that students should not be forced to choose between their religious convictions and a game, school play or band concert.

* TIDBITS: Eldorado's boys soccer team finished second at last weekend's 12-team Chino Cup Tournament in Chino Valley, Ariz. The Sundevils allowed just one goal in their four games, besting Arizona schools Desert Christian, Queen Creek and Sedona before falling to Blue Ridger (Ariz.), 1-0, in the championship game. ... Bishop Gorman posted the area's highest finish in last week's Las Vegas Invitational girls volleyball tournament, placing sixth among 16 teams. The Gaels' Jamie Van Meetren earned a spot on the Gold bracket all-tournament team, while Durango's Katie Swart garnered MVP honors in the Silver division after leading her club to the Silver title.