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Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
All Tier 1 teams will play the following events each season:
TWO regular season events within each division - double round robin format, 4 matches per team per event, 8 matches total per team
ONE divisional VLA Cup series tournament - number of matches depends on tournament size, format, and team performance
The VLA Cup tournament - number of matches depends on tournament size, format, and team performance
Ranking points awarded based on result of every match, regular season or VLA Cup series tournament:
3-0 or 3-1 win: 3 points
3-2 win: 2 points
2-3 loss: 1 point
1-3 or 0-3 loss: no points
3 Division Champions earn berth in Tier 1 Championship tournament.
Of the remaining 5 teams, the next 3 highest ranked teams will complete the field of 6 teams at the Tier 1 Championship.
1. CUP WINS - VLA Cup Series tournaments won
2. POINTS PER MATCH PLAYED - Ranking points divided by total matches played
3. MATCH WIN RATIO - Matches won divided by total matches played
4. SET RATIO - Sets won divided by sets lost
5. POINT RATIO - Points won divided by points lost
VLA Tier 2 is an open registration division, aimed to include any adult male volleyball team interested in competing in VLA events. VLA Tier 2 teams have the opportunity to enter VLA Cup series tournaments and earn points towards promotion to VLA Tier 1.
Tier 2 teams can set their own competition schedules, playing as often or as sparingly as they are able - they are eligible to compete in any divisional VLA Cup series tournament, the VLA Cup tournament, exhibition matches, or other tournaments.
Upon joining the VLA, Tier 2 teams must declare a regional division they wish to compete in: West, Central, or East.
Tier 2 teams can earn points in three ways in a given season that count towards consideration for the Tier 2 Championship tournament for that season:
Cup Points
Exhibition Points
Tournament Points
Ranking points are awarded to Tier 2 teams based on result of every match played in VLA Cup series tournaments during that season only, using modified FIVB ranking points system based on opponent.
Versus Tier 2 Opponent:
3-0 or 3-1 win: 3 points
3-2 win: 2 points
2-3 loss: 1 point
1-3 or 0-3 loss: no points
Versus Tier 1 Opponent:
3-0 or 3-1 win: 4 points
3-2 win: 3 points
2-3 loss: 2 points
1-3 or 0-3 loss: no points
Cup Points earned from VLA Cup series tournaments contribute to a Tier 2 team's Season Points for that season.
Beginning September 1 of the year preceding the season (e.g. Sept 1, 2022 for 2023 season), Tier 2 teams may schedule exhibition matches against one another that count for Exhibition Points. These events must follow one of two formats:
Single Match Exhibition
Two VLA teams can compete against one another in a maximum of one match per day, or two matches in one weekend event. Matches must be best-of-5 set format.
Round Robin Exhibition
Three VLA teams can compete in a Round Robin event, where each team plays each other team once in a day, 3 matches total. These events can be extended to double round robin format by repeating the same 3 matches on an additional day. Matches must be best-of-5 set format.
Tier 1 teams may compete in exhibition events, but cannot earn Exhibition Points.
One Exhibition Point will be awarded for an exhibition match victory, regardless of set score or opposing team tier.
Exhibition Points contribute to a Tier 2 team's Season Points for that season.
Beginning September 1 of the year preceding the season (e.g. Sept 1, 2022 for 2023 season), Tier 2 teams may host or participate in tournaments that count for Tournament Points.
Tournaments can be any format or number of teams, and can include non-VLA teams.
Tournaments must be hosted by a VLA team and be approved by the VLA Board to count towards Tournament Points.
Tournament Points will be awarded based on tournament finish only, no points will be awarded based on individual match results.
VLA Board will determine point distribution for each tournament based on format, number of teams, and number of VLA teams (maximum 10 points total, 5 points for tournament winner, 3 points for runner-up, 1 point each for third place).
Tier 1 teams may compete in tournaments, but cannot earn Tournament Points.
Tournament Points contribute to a Tier 2 team's Season Points for that season.
The format and number of teams of the Tier 2 Championship tournament is subject to change year to year, but berths in the tournament will be offered based on the following tiebreaker order:
1. CUP WINS - VLA Cup series tournaments won
2. SEASON POINTS - total points earned during that season from Cups, Exhibitions, and Tournaments
3. MATCHES WON - total matches won during that season from VLA Cup series tournaments and exhibitions only
4. MATCHES WON VS TIER 1 OPPONENT - total matches won during that season from VLA Cup series tournaments and exhibitions against Tier 1 opponents
5. SET RATIO - sets won divided by sets lost from matches played during that season in VLA Cup series tournaments and exhibitions
Winning the Tier 2 Championship counts as a VLA Cup series tournament win towards promotional targets.
Tier 2 points carry over from season to season towards promotional targets, and the VLA Board can offer promotion to VLA Tier 1 once targets are reached.
Total Points include all points earned during that season (Cup Points, Exhibition Points, Tournament Points) plus any carryover points earned in previous seasons.
VLA Cup series tournament wins also carry over from season to season and count towards promotional targets.
At the end of each season, if a VLA Tier 2 team reaches the following targets based on their division, they will be considered by the VLA Board for an offer of promotion to VLA Tier 1.
West Division Promotional Targets
50 Total Points
OR
2 VLA Cup series tournament wins
Central Division Promotional Targets
100 Total Points
OR
3 VLA Cup series tournament wins
East Division Promotional Targets
100 Total Points
OR
3 VLA Cup series tournament wins
If a Tier 2 team reaches the promotional targets for its division, and accepts an offer of promotion to VLA Tier 1, that team will join VLA Tier 1 in the same regional division, and the promotional targets for that division of VLA Tier 2 will increase.
For the 2nd straight year, Team Pineapple dropped the season opening match to the Chicago Icemen. The difference this season is they responded in a big way, winning out the rest of the weekend and grabbing the top spot in the Central Division. This is the first time in the Central Division's 2 year existence that Chicago Icemen haven't been on top of the Division and Team Pineapple certainly earned its spot. Exceptional performances from 2022 All VLA middle blocker Matt Walsh and newcomers Jake Romano and Austin Neace were a nice spark to revive Team Pineapple from its struggle from 2022.
Interesting Stat: This was the first event in which Team Pineapple was able to sweep a division rival as they went 6-0 against Sweed for the weekend.
Key Players: Middle Blocker Matt Walsh - Opposite Kyle Radde - Outside Hitter Austin Neace - Middle Blocker Matt Harpenau
Next Event: Central Division Cup - March 4-5th
The Icemen entered the 2023 Opening Day Event as a heavy preseason favorite in the Central Division. Day 1, they looked to live up to the hype, winning a convincing 5 setter against Team Pineapple and completely destroying Sweed 3-0 in the subsequent match. Then Day 2 rolled around and the Icemen played 2 very hot and cold matches, going to 5 in both and unable to close out either. Griffin Shields showed flashes of brilliance. Kyle Overby dominated when he was on the court but Icemen needed a bit more from Grant Kocher and Louis Richard when Overby wasn't on the floor.
Interesting Stat: Icemen scored more total points than their opponents in the 5 sets combined in both losses to Pineapple and Sweed.
Key Players: Setter Sanil Thomas - Middle Blocker Dave Hancock - Libero Collin Merk - Outside Hitter Kyle Overby
Next Event: Central Division Cup - March 4-5th
Considering Sweed's recent success against their Central Division Rivals in both Tier 1 and Tier 2, all they were able to muster out of their first official Tier 1 event was 2 points. Day 1 was exceptionally rough as they failed to win a set in either of their matches. The bright side for Sweed is that their next event is the Central Division Cup which was their breakout performance in 2022.
Interesting Stat: 2 points is currently the lowest amount of points Sweed has ever earned in an event.
Key Players: Outside Hitter Ethan Klosak, Middle Blocker Mike Boduch
Next Event: Central Division Cup - March 4-5th
Rising Tide was some analyst's choice to win the title. Claiming the West Division Championship and finally finding their stride, they looked poised to make a solid run at the VLA Championships. Unfortunately, they were plagued with consistent and some times uninspired play against teams they were more talented than. Rising Tide still looks to be the favorite out of the West Division, but does that mean much as far as a title run goes?
Interesting Stat: Rising Tide was 5-5 against Division Rivals Phoenix Ascension and SportConX for the 2022 season.
Key Players: Middle Blocker Kris Johnson - Opposite Davis Cannon - Outside Hitter John Predney - Outside Hitter Miles Evans
Next Event: 2023 Season
Considering Ascension lost 8 players from its 2021 roster, the 2022 rebuild year for the Cactus Men was very successful. A formidable run at the VLA Cup followed by a competitive showing at the VLA Championships puts Ascension a few pieces away from being on the upper half of the Tier 1 rankings. We will see what they put together for the 2023 season.
Interesting Stat: 3-6 against their West Division opponents on the season.
Key Players: Opposite Bryan Lewis - Middle Jonathan Bishop - Outside Hitter Sam Haggard - Libero Cody Montagno
Next Event: 2023 Season
Team LVC won their first VLA title in 2022! Featuring a remarkable regular season, their depth kept them on top of the rankings all season giving them just enough time to get their full ideal roster together by the championships.
Interesting Stat: Team LVC only dropped 2 sets in 4 matches to claim the title at the 2022 VLA Championship
Key Players: Opposite Jordan Varee - Middle Blocker Blake Leeson - Outside Hitter/Libero Dave Evans - Middle Blocker Lansana Rogers
Next Event: 2023 Season
Unlike Icemen, Boston Bounce should feel very accomplished about their 2022 Season. It was only their first full VLA Season, they were the only team that wasn't of the Founding Five to make it to the championships, they defeated both Division Rivals Team LVC and Force and they took down Phoenix Ascension to make it to the Semi Finals at the VLA Championships. The question is do they become contenders after this season? or do they remain a middle of the pack team?
Interesting Stat: Bounce was only 6-9 VS Tier 1 Teams this season. A record good enough to consistently make the playoffs, but will be difficult to improve on until they have better success against Division Rival Team LVC
Key Players: Opposite Neil Ferraro - Setter Collin Ritter - Outside Hitter Ryan Love - Middle Blocker Skyler Kaufman
Next Event: 2023 Season
Force is still suffering from the 1st year learning curve that was expected of them this season. Regardless, Force still appears to be on the cusp of a solid outing and it very well could come from their performance at the VLA Cup. They may be the lowest seed in the VLA Rankings but they are plenty capable of putting together an end of the season run to put them in position to claim a playoff spot.
Interesting Stat: Force is 1-8 against their East Division Rivals. They are most likely looking forward to the opportunity of competing against a few teams outside of their division at the VLA Cup.
Key Players: Outside Hitter Brad Borsay - Opposite Clay Paulin - Setter Kevin Goncalves - Libero Tim McIntosh
Next Event: 2023 Season
2022/23 Record (2-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (5)
Cumulative Points (7)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (3-1)
2022/23 Tournament Points (2)
Cumulative Points (30)
Cumulative Cups (1)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (5)
Cumulative Points (49)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (5)
Cumulative Points (21)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (4-2)
2022/23 Tournament Points (1)
Cumulative Points (5)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (3)
Cumulative Points (39)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (2-2)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (3)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (1-4)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (3)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (1-2)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (1)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (1-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (1)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (1)
Cumulative Points (1)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (7)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-2)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (3)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-0)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (0)
Cumulative Cups (0)
2022/23 Record (0-2)
2022/23 Tournament Points (0)
Cumulative Points (0)
Cumulative Cups (0)
Rukkus was finally thwarted at the VLA Cup by their brother club Hawaii "Imi Ola. The run of dominance wasn't considered a shock as the team began to look vulnerable in the Central Division Cup and without the dominance of Michael Wexter, they were missing a key piece to the puzzle. Rukkus elected not to participate in the 2022 VLA Tier 2 Championships, therefore Rukkus will remain on the fringe of another Tier 1 invitation. If they decided to, it wouldn't be surprising if Rukkus continues to be the most dominant and feared team in the VLA for 2023.
Interesting Stat: Rukkus found themselves faced up against 'Imi Ola in all 3 Cups they both participated in this season, finishing 2-1 against them.
Next Event: 2022 -23 Season
'Imi Ola had a sprinkle of youth to add in with their veteran core of Srdjan Nadazdin and CJ Suarez. The result was a VLA Cup title. Hardly an underdog, the squad came in as the 5th seed in their Pool to storm through Team Pineapple in their first match, taking down NE Force in QuarterFinals and finally on Championships Sunday, on ESPN took down both SoCal Rukkus and Milwaukee Dive. An exciting display of dominace from the youth and experience that made the team successful. 'Imi Ola elected not to compete in the Tier 2 Championships so we will see in 2023 if 'Imi Ola will pick up where they left off? Or will they continue to be an average performing Tier 2 team like they were prior to the cup.
Interesting Stat: The victory over Rukkus in the Semi Finals of the VLA Cup was their first win over them in 3 attempts.
Next Event: 2022-23 Season
River City Flow has been consistent and steady for the duration of their 2022 campaign. They have a solid squad that can compete and beat any team in the VLA and they are addressing their depth issue moving forwards. The VLA Cup was an impressive showing, making it to Championship Sunday and being featured on ESPN. Expect Flow to continue to build moving into next season. They are still a few pieces and probably 2 seasons away, but they are definitely a favorite to be the first team in the Tier 2 East Division to be promoted to Tier 1.
Interesting Stat: .Flow played 4 of their 7 matches in the VLA Cup against East Division opponents going 3-1 and only losing to New York Team LVC.
Next Event: 2022-23 Season
Slunkers were able to sneak into the Tier 2 Championships after a few higher ranked teams elected not to play. Once they were there, they definitely made the most of it, grabbing a 3rd place finish and two 5 set wins over Team ECV. The 2022 season was a successful one overall as they established themselves as a consistent and formidable competitor throughout the year. A little more fire power and size will help the Slunkers in 2023, the question is, will they get what they need in time to compete with Milwaukee Dive to be the next Central Division Team to earn promotion?
Interesting Stat: Slunkers are absolutely deadly in 5 set matches going 4-1 for the season in them.
Next Event: 2022-23 Season
Pride definitely had one of the toughest schedules in the VLA Cup, starting off with Milwaukee Dive followed up by NE Force. Only to play the next day against Team LVC and Team Pineapple. Ultimately, Pride fared well bnly grabbing 2 points in the 5 set loss to Team LVC. The key for Pride to continue to have success will be to eventually have a breakout match against a top ranked competitor. Pride consistently beats the teams they are ranked above, but has a tendency become a push over against the top ranked teams. That match almost came against Team LVC, but instead, it will have to wait until next season for them to have that breakout performance.
Interesting Stat: Pride's loss to Milwaukee Dive was their first 1st match loss in either of the 3 Cups they competed in. Previously they were 2-0 in the their first matches.
Next Event: 2022-23 Season
Brigade has had various ups this season but they definitely came across a few tough times as the season went on. A heart breaking 5 set loss to Madison Inferno to start off tthe VLA Cup set the tone for the weekend. Though, unlike a few of their Tier 2 counterparts, Brigade was able to grab a few points and a victory of MICA in their consolation bracket match. Brigade was able to learn a lot in the 2022 season, expect them to continue to grow as they build their foundations in the Southern California volleyball scene.
Interesting Stat: Brigade has played the most matches in the VLA this season at 18
Next Event: 2022-23 Season
Just like in the West Division Cup, Tall Ones waited until the end of the Event to grab their first win. Only this time they did it twice, grabbing back to back 5 set victories over Madison Inferno and Team ECV. Tall Ones continues to be a consistent competitor and has created a solid foundation to build on a move forward into the next season. They finish the season at 3-6 as the Central Division Cup was their last Event for 2022. Look to see them pick up where they left off in the Tier 2 West Division for the 2022/23 season.
Interesting Stat: 2-0 in their final match of an event.
Next Event: 2022/23 Season
Inferno started off exactly how they wanted to at the VLA Cup, taking the first match in 5 against West Coast Brigade. Taking Team LVC to 4 was another solid performance and something to be proud of. Unfortunately, that was the end of the good fortune. Inferno matched up against Force who almost allowed Inferno to make it to a 5 setter, but they were no match for Sweed who had just been upset in their first round matchup. Inferno put up a good fight as they tested the waters in the 2022 season. The group from Madison, Wisconsin continues to be highly motivated and they building a solid consistent product to compete against anyone in the VLA. Time and experience is the most valuable thing for them as they move into the 2023 season.
Interesting Stat: Inferno has a higher point ratio than their Tier 2 Rival 630 Slunkers, the key for them is simply getting more matches played if they want to be considered for Tier 1 in the future.
Next Event: 2022/23 Season
Frontier made a huge splash in the East Division Cup by taking down Tier 1 Team Northeast Force in the first round of the bracket play. The East Division Cup was a trial run in the VLA for the club, but after the results from Day 2 of the event, they are hungry for more and all in to compete in the VLA. The East Division of the VLA is starting to look more and more dangerous with each passing event. Niagara Frontier fits right in and will make the division progression that much more interesting in the coming seasons.
Interesting Stat: Frontier may have went 1-3 for the tournament but they took sets off of Team LVC, Sweed and Flow. With a bit more experience, we could be looking at a new contender in the Tier 2 East Division.
Next Event: 2022/23 Season
MICA VC came into the VLA relatively unknown outside of the Central Division Community. They put up a solid fight throughout the entire VLA Cup and even walked away with a point after a 5 set loss in their consolation match against West Coast Brigade. An exciting new chapter for the VLA to have MICA compete is that there is now another team from another state represented in the growing league. MICA's dedication to the VLA and their tier 2 progression is still to be seen. However, there is a lot of optimism surrounding the MiCA camp and we wouldn't be surprised to see them as a permanent fixture amongst the Tier 2 Central Division teams next season.
Interesting Stat: MICA VC played Central Division Tier 1 Champs Chicago Icemen and took a set off of them. Icemen was the only Central Division Team to play MICA.
Next Event: 2022/23 Season
The squad from the Pacific Northwest started off their VLA debut with the tall order of playing 2nd seed Phoenix Ascension followed by the top ranked Tier 2 team in the East NY Pride. Seattle fared well, including taking sets from both Pride and Brigade, but their inexperience and lack of depth kept them from being able to walk away from the West Division Cup with any points. Riptide's next event is the VLA Cup where nothing will get any easier for them. With the addition of some depth on the pin, they will have an opportunity legitimize themselves as a threat in the VLA Tier 2.
Interesting Stat: Played two Tier 2 West Division Rivals at the West Division Cup. The NorCal Tall Ones VS Seattle Riptide has the potential to develop into an interesting rivalry in the North West.