In My Mind I'm Gone to (Conference) Carolina(s)
Can't you see the standings? Can't you just feel the tension?
The Conference Carolinas have a big day today with all eight teams taking the court. Here is where the teams stand in the conference right now.
With teams only having four matches left in conference play, the stakes are high. Looking at the VBelo ratings, we get a slightly different picture. Below is a chart, in order of current VBelo standings. It shows how much each team’s VBelo rating has changed throughout the 2024 season, in terms of percentage.
My first thought is that things are trending upward for the Conference Carolinas. Six of the eight teams have net positive changes in the year. We also have two programs that have seen double-digit improvement this season: Belmont Abbey and Barton. Metaphorical hat tip to you both.
Also, the entire top half of the conference is trending upwards. On the one hand, this makes sense because teams that win earn more VBelo points. But also, this shows that these teams are elevating their game, even if by just a little. I hope that this leads to a great conference tournament and a strong performance in the National Championship.
In spite of recent success, I think the Conference Carolinas is still underrated. Not only are they absent in the AVCA Coaches Poll, but they have not been there the entire season. I don’t mean to feed a fed horse, but not having a single Conference Carolinas team in the top 20 at any point this season is increasingly indefensible.
What do you see in the Conference Carolinas? Do you think they are overrated or underrated?
Match Recaps
IVA
Lincoln Memorial (94%) def. Missouri S&T (6%)
3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-17)
SIAC
Central State (58%) def. Kentucky State (42%)
3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-22)
Non-conference
Barton (89%) def. Virginia Wesleyan (11%)
3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-17)
North Greenville (80%) def. Tusculum (20%)
3-1 (27-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-23)
Sacred Heart (89%) def. American International (11%)
3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-19)
Maryville (63%) def. Quincy (37%)
3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 15-25, 25-23)
Match Projections
ConfCarolinas
Mount Olive (58%) vs Barton (42%)
Belmont Abbey (83%) vs Emmanuel (17%)
Erskine (37%) vs North Greenville (63%)
Lees-McRae (10%) vs King (90%)
SIAC
Fort Valley State (94%) vs Morehouse (6%)
Non-conference
Edward Waters (75%) vs Warner (25%)
In the CC, the teams are solid but have to travel to make a dent nationally as many will not venture south to play them. I believe the programs are properly rated by the computer ranking systems.
The poll is its own solitary issue.