Daily Dig – Oct 27

24 thoughts on “Daily Dig – Oct 27”

1. Great article by Ken Sickenger in the Albuquerque Journal discussing last night’s slugfest between Eldordo and La Cueva. (I pasted his article at the end of my comment). Julia Warren was an absolute beast…and both returning players looked to be in mid-season form.
   Only thing Ken failed to mention in his article was the brilliant play of both team’s best player this year…their setters. Both Brandi Torr and Marie Rossillon played every point, handled the ball error-free, and scrambled to convert average passes into effective attacks. Additionally, the Bears’ Torr routinely dumped balls into the Eagles open space for points. And the Eagle’s Rossillon (not Michelle Skinner as you reported yesterday) recorded numerous digs and blocks. Both players are the team’s leader, are statistically at the top of the charts (Maxpreps) and are top candidates for first-team all-state.
   I’m looking forward to the rematch in the district championship game.

   Eagles Top Seed For 2-5A Tourney
   by Ken Sickenger
   Eldorado High School’s volleyball team wrapped up District 2-5A’s No. 1 seeding position the hard way Tuesday night.

   The Eagles celebrated senior night by holding off rival La Cueva in a five-set thriller, 25-15, 25-23, 19-25, 22-25, 15-9. As a result, Eldorado (14-3, 5-0) will host next week’s district tournament final, while the Bears (8-9, 2-3) will have to earn another shot at EHS.

   Composure proved a strength for the Eagles, who did not appear at all flustered when La Cueva rallied to force a fifth set. Eldorado coach Rob Pierce said he was considerably less calm.

   “I was nervous after the first point,” Pierce said with a smile. “But it was really nice to see the girls step up and win one like this.”

   Seniors Taylor Small and C.C. Rode had 12 kills apiece to pace a balanced Eagles offense. Libero Julia Heise also had an outstanding night of back-row defense.

   Eldorado needed all of it to hold off a Bears team energized by the recent return of two big hitters to its lineup. Julia Warren had a match-high 27 kills, blasting away from all over the court, and Sydney Kemper had 12 kills.

   “They’re a completely different team now,” Pierce said. “We needed everyone to contribute to win tonight, and everyone did.”

   Eldorado used a pair of 5-0 runs to take control of the first set, then rallied from an 11-4 deficit to take the second behind Small’s strong play.

   La Cueva bounced back in set three, getting five combined service aces from Madison Mayfield and Nicole Bell. The Bears then cashed in on some late EHS errors to break a 20-20 tie and win set four.

   Back-to-back aces by Bell gave La Cueva an early 4-2 edge in set five, but Eldorado refused to fold. Kills by Rode, Small and Kayla Dobson fueled a 12-3 Eagles run that finally gave the home team a comfortable lead.

   The Bears hurt their cause with late hitting errors but played like a team that will be a tough postseason out. La Cueva started 7-8 after three players received 45-day suspensions in the preseason. Athletic director Larry Waters said two of the players completed requisite tasks and were reinstated last week.

2. With all due respect to Torr and Rollison, Jordan Bruere is leading the state in EVERY statistical category for setter on Max preps and is definitely one, if not the best setter in the state. The system that Bruere runs is complex with multiple tempos and is more diverse than That of La Cueva’s and Eldorado’s. Now that Torr has Warren and Kemper back Torr will have some different options but Eldorado just does what they do. Simple, effective, and play hard. They are all 3 solid but systematically and statistically Bruere is at the head of the class.

3. ABQ…thanks for weighing in. There is no argument here that Bruere will finish with the best assist stats this year. And I concede that Bruere is running a complex offense. And I will also concede that Cleveland is the most balanced team and the best team in the state.
   On the other hand, is some ways you are making the case for me on why Rossillon and Torr are their teams MVPs. Both are blessed with a talented front line, but neither have the passing support that Bruere does. They are forced to turn a bad pass into some kind of offense.
   Furthermore, when I was commenting on stats, I was looking beyond just assists. If you look at digs you will see that Rossillon is ranked 4th (and is surrounded by three Cleveland players). To emphazise my point…Cleveland has the better passers, and Rossillon has to do much more than set. She also is a great blocker (in particular…solo blocks). And against La Cueva she did an exceptional job of blocking and digging both Warren and Kemper…so her numbers should go up once they are loaded.
   Both Rossillon (NM Jrs 17-1) and Torr (NM Jrs 16-1) have both successfully shown they are complete volleyball players…more than they have to during there club seasons.
   Let me finish with this final concession. Last year the all-state team was hitter friendly (I don’t think a setter made first-team). If you concede that Warren and Kemper shouldn’t make the team because of thier off-court problems, then maybe this year we should see 3 setters on the first two teams.

4. Could very well be the case as i dont think either of those kids should get a nod or any love at all for being able to skate back into the end of the season and gain ANY love from our state awards. I think that whole situation is just a bad message to send to all the L Cueva kids who battle their butts off all year to now sit the pine…

5. Thank you ABQ. I’m not in this debate, but had to lend my comment…… Yes, heres to the La Cueva girls who stayed on the up and up and stepped in when others screwed up. Goes to show volleyball/winning takes priority over ethics. Any team who might play and lose to La Cueva: be proud of your school and who you play for.

6. I wonder how many coaches around the state would have not allowed those 2 to return until next year.
   Seems odd to bring them back for the last 3 weeks of the season. Clearly an attempt to make a run at State.
   Throw the ethics out the window. Good job Eldorado!

7. That was my thought completely… NMAA Motto: Pursuing Victory with HONOR. That is crammed down every parents throat throughout the entirety of the season(s) and now the Athletic directors and coaches of these sports are letting kids who decided to pursue “fun” without any honor at all or thought of their team, school, or program are allowed to come back and participate for a district or state title?? Should be the other way around. Let them play regular season and then ban them from post season play like they do in college. We always do everything bass ackwards in this state.

8. ABQ: You forget these NMAA motto/rules do not apply when it comes to La Cueva, Greg Nunley, or Ms. Warren/Ms. Kemper. Everyone else, yes. I am proud of my kiddo and there is a lesson to be learned for everyone in every way – but this is just not the way, especially for the type of infraction. GO ELDORADO, SANDIA, MANZANO, CLEVELAND, VOLCANO VISTA, ST. PIUS, ACADEMY etc. – u girls truly rock!

9. The Albuquerque Journal ran a series recently about how La Cueva has won more championships than any other school in New Mexico.
   I think I see why.
   Winning trophies apparently means more than “character counts”.
   Shame on La Cueva.

10. If you havent heard by now about Jordan Bruere you will here. She is the best setter in the state. For anyone with any doubt, Jordan Bruere is not only the best setter in the state but one of the top overall players in New Mexico. She can block, hit, pass and dig with the best of them. If you have any doubt what im telling you, all you need to do is come watch her play.

    Cleveland is one of the best in the state and the biggest reason for this is Jordan Bruere.

11. I am always amazed at the hypocrisy that develops around situations such as this. Much of the time, such criticism is well deserved. There have been many instances that coaches know of miss conduct by their players and do nothing about it. The opposite is true in this case. APS created rules that are a higher standard than the rest of the state. The Young Ladies, in this instance, “did their time” and only the team and the families know what else was required of them before they could return to the team. (If you remember there were three suspended from the team.) Coach Nunley, when made aware of the situation, followed the rules and took immediate action. I commend Coach Nunley for what he did and has done. I have been around New Mexico high school athletics long enough to know that unfortunately, most coaches turn a blind eye to infractions committed by their players and this did not happen in this case. The only reason you know about this incident is because it was handled correctly and the rules were followed.
    And by the way, you all feel so strongly that you won’t even put your name on your comments.

12. LEE ANN: We are just everyday people who are using this board air our comments, frustrations and concerns and believe me there are many of “us”. WHO ARE YOU TO TELL US TO LEAVE OUR NAME – do you run this site?! I commend Mr. Nunley FOR NOTHING.

13. Maybe NMvolleyball.com could take a poll about how many New Mexicans think its “honorable” to add suspended athletes to your team with 3 weeks left in the season.

14. These types of issues are tarnishing our society. We are holding athletes/students/children to very low standards and not holding them accountable. The appropriate 45 day suspension was set out for the athletic community to take notice, but also noticed was the appropriate returning time. I believe that it should be the reverse; play 45 days and suspended for the rest of the year. This is a win win situation; players and the team win at the end but for the moment. Volleyball is that easy, but not life.

15. Julia Warren is my daughter, She is 15 years old who made a one time mistake and paid a price for it. Julia handled this situation with dignity and class, as did Gregg Nunley and the entire La Cueva program. This unfortunate situation has caused alot of response from alot of people around the state. Julia adhered to the APS suspension rule to the letter and even went beyond what she had to do because she felt so bad about what happened. What amazes our family(especially Julia) is all of the comments are being made with no facts as to how the suspension came about, the only ones who know are our family, the coaching staff at La Cueva and La Cueva High School Administration.

    As parents we could not be more proud of Julia and how she handled this situation, you find out alot about a person in adversity and tough times, Julia came through this and she learned alot about herself and took this time to really focus on family, studies, and her training. She is the best big sister to her younger sister and brother, they both look up to her, she has always carried a 3.5 GPA and she is a great great volleyball player who is definately going to be playing at the highest level in college. From around the community we have got nothing but support for Julia, Gregg Nunley and everybody at La Cueva have been fantastic to us, Gregg Nunley is a very good man and a great coach. We are proud of Julia and La Cueva High School. Why I wrote this is Julia goes on this site everyday because she enjoys it, Rich does a great job, but when Julia tells me that there are comments being said that frankly not very nice toward her and La Cueva in a public forum like this it upsets me as a parent, because alot of these comments are based on assumptions not facts. Remember she is 15 YEARS OLD who has a very very bright future ahead of her, that made ONE MISTAKE!!

    She is looking forward to the rest of the High School season and the club season, I would hope as adults we can get over this situation around the state and stop these comments , from everybody’s comments it sounds like alot of people have seen her play and she is fun to watch on the floor for sure, but to the people who know her, and all of her teammates she is even a better person off of the floor, and if all the people making these comments would come up to Julia they would find out the same thing about her. She is respectful, gracious and has a great sense of humor. To Our family, her teammates and the parents and coaches at La Cueva have been so supportive through this entire situation. I hope everybody can just focus on the District and State tournaments over the next 2 weeks and the upcoming club season because there is going to be some great volleyball played.

    Sincerely Mark Warren

16. I don’t know what the Warren infraction was but the suspension was her punishment and she served it. Now she’s back. And if she is better than the player who played and practiced all season for her then she should play. A team must put their best foot forward to win district/state. As for the girl whose place she took, she should be comended for stepping up when she was needed but the starting spot always goes to the best player NOT the hardest worker, oldest, nicest, most loyal, or best character. A Varsity squad is measured on wins and losses and victory with honor is followed if it;s within the rules..

17. No one is saying anything but opinion here Mr. Warren. No one has said anything that is malicious or hurtful. Just stating an opinion in an open forum: I think this was a bad choice to let them finish the last 2 games of the district season and participate in the post season. Never said anything about the kids, or the parents just about the decision of the administrator(s) in this instance. Just think it is a bad message to send. Also, If teachers and coaches are supposed to be teaching about life and pursuing things that are moral and right then what message has been sent?

    And no Mr. Bill N. a Varsity squad, In HIGH SCHOOL, is measured by the quality of human being that it produces, not by wins and losses. If this were collge, where the coaches job depends upon wins and losses, i would agree with you. However, in this case, a message and a lesson, I THINK, would have been the best course of action.

    Your point is the reason why we have so many issues in high school athletics. Parents think wins and losses are more important that building, teaching, and reinforcing the TOUGH lessons that will make quality human beings in the long term… Not the Short.

18. Our opinions only express our disagreement and frustrations with the system – not with the person herself at all. I too am a parent of a 16 year old – athletic, smart and compassionate. Sure they have and will make mistakes. But they are kids at the moment, soon to be adults and there are hard lessons to be learned, even if it means missing the entire volleyball season. The type of infraction which many seem to be aware of, but correctly not addressing, is what I think I causing all this. I still stand by my earlier remarks. I know nothing will change – but we’ve been heard. I am not easy on my kid – I call it tough love.

19. BOY! I have never seen Julia Warren play, I have only heard about her, but if she is getting this type of response she must be a great volleyball player! I have heard that she has already got 10 scholarship offers from Division 1 universities as a 15 year old. She made a mistake, move on.

20. RD: Nobody has any idea what the suspension was for, so your saying that everybody seems to know is wrong. It’s over and we are going to enjoy watching Julia and La Cueva and her club team play. Our family will not be adressing this any more.

21. As a biased bystander (Eldorado grad) I have a few comments.
    First, anyone who is pointing fingers at Warren is completely missing the point. She is simply a young girl who made a mistake and sounds like she took her punishment admirably and deserves another chance. The issue, if any, is that the prescribed punishment from APS is not enough or La Cueva in general has too many problems with suspensions from athletic teams. If people think that 45 days is not long enough of a punishment, write APS to get the rule changed. On the other hand, La Cueva does seem to have more than their fair share of violations and perhaps should be cracked down upon. But this needs to come from the individual coaching staffs. Coaches should let their players know that off-the-court issues will not be tolerated and then dismiss their players when they don’t own up to their end of the bargain(but they can’t relinquish that stance when their best player screws up). But you can’t blame the player for doing their part to try to play the game they love again.

    In terms of the best setter in the state, maybe you could argue for Torr or Bruere. But if the argument is over the best player in the state who is a setter, the answer is Rossillon, no question. In addition to her assists on an 18:1 assist to error ratio(many off of mediocre passes), she is second on the team in digs (with a 10:3 dig to error ratio), sixth in serves received (with an 8:1 received to error ratio), fourth in blocks (including 28 solo blocks), fifth in kills (at 28% successful) and serves at 96.4% (with a 2:1 ace to error ratio)[Maxpreps]. And if you watched any Eldorado games, you will know she is also the undisputed captain on the court. All of this on the fourth ranked team in 5A. If you have any questions about her effort, consider she is doing all this on a bum shoulder. And if you have any questions about her athleticism, consider she is simultaneously running cross country for Eldorado one of the top teams in the state. There is not another volleyball player in New Mexico who can claim to have that sort of impact on a team.

22. On a lighter note…. As a Cleveland High School Parent I am especially looking forward to District and State. Wallis has assembled a heck of a team in only the second year of the high school’s existence and he should receive coach of the year honors – hands down.

    I am sooo looking forward to State with the Warrens, Torrs, Brueres, Rosillons and every other player and coach going at it head to head. Volleyball at its finest.

23. Julia really is a good girl. She made a mistake, yes, the other two girls made the same mistake, and from what I can see they really have learned from it.
    From a player’s point of view LET US PLAY OUR GAME. Parents are here for love and support, very much like Mr. Warren has shown in Julia’s case, not to be judges, coaches, referees or administrators. Yes. As parents you need have rules and all that jazz, but let’s be very clear, you are here to guide us and let us grow. That includes making mistakes and doing things well. All of you parents, ADULTS, need to stop judging Julia and the other girls who are just high schoolers. We are all kids and we will make mistakes. BUT YOU MAKE MISTAKES, TOO. So you make your mistakes and we will learn ours and we can all learn together, show us how adults act. Don’t tell us anonymously on a VOLLEYBALL WEBSITE. Thanks.

24. I am a student at Queen of Heaven, where Julia used to go to school. She is two years older than me, and I have studied under her since I was five. Though I am not a close friend, I know enough about Julia to say that her mistake does not by any means define her. She is one of the nicest, most dignified people I have ever met. This was a once in a lifetime mistake. In fact, I think the best way to define her is the way she handled her mistake. Can you imagine how hard that must have been? But every day, she walked back into school, took all of the hurtful comments, volunteered, and ultimately used the experience to make her an even better. She pulled herself out of a very bad situation. I am not trying to make light of the mistake, but you also cannot look ONLY at that. Look instead at some of her many accomplishments, such as her amazing scholarship to UNM. And as AD said, not one of you can pretend you have not made a mistake. How would you feel if someone defined you just by your few mistakes? Please STOP judging her and try to look past it.

    Great job, Julia

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