In his 3rd season abroad in Europe, Vegas Ramblers Opposite Ryan Mather has been continuing his success from the 2021 NVA season by leading his new team Nordenskov UIF in the Danish Premier League. Previous to joining the Ramblers, Mather played in Finland in 2017/18 and Luxembourg in 2019/20. The reigning top-NVA Opposite now finds himself in Denmark, near the South-West coast in the small town of Nordenskov near the seaport town of Esbjerg. In previous years, the team has been home to other NVA Players, including previous Stunner’s Outside Hitter’s Chris Chapelle and Louis Richards and new Rambler’s addition, Setter Spencer Andrews.
Over the Christmas break, Ryan had this to say looking back on his year with Nordenskov…
“It has been a bit of a change coming from Los Angeles to Nordenskov. There are over 600 people that live in the town, which is a cool experience for me. Living in the middle of nowhere rather than a big metropolitan city in Southern California. That’s why I love playing overseas, one, the volleyball is awesome, but two, experiencing towns and areas I wouldn’t normally visit. It’s been a great time so far, and I’m excited to get into the 2nd half of the season” stated Mather.
So far this season, Ryan has led the league as the top scorer, currently leading the rankings in points per set ratio at 5.6 (235/42). Mather also led the league for the entire first half of the season as the top player in total points, just falling behind by 5 points as this article was being written, to last year’s top opposite, Varming Sigurd Neltoft. Varming managed to snag the lead, having played one more game than Mather since coming back from the break. Mather is still a top-ten player in other statistical categories as well, ranked; 5th for aces per set (17/42), 7th in attack efficiency (51%, 205/399), and 8th in total aces at 17, and can quickly retake the lead during his next match.
Nordenskov UIF will certainly need Ryan to maintain his form as they push to move up from 8th place and secure a better seed for the finals. There is plenty of volleyball left in the second half of the season and plenty of chances to catch Mather in action. You can show your support by watching matches live on Volleyball Denmark’s website by following the link below. Their next game is against the 7th place team DHV Odense on January 29th, 2022, at 2pm CET and 5am PST. Also, be sure to go give Ryan Mather (@rmather10) a follow on Instagram to get a behind-the-scenes look at his time in Nordenskov!
Volley Denmark Live Stream and Statistics Website
https://dvbf-web.dataproject.com/CompetitionHome.aspx?ID=118
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>The NVA finished off 2021 with a bang by bringing their all-stars to the AVCA’s 40thAnniversary Convention in Columbus, Ohio! For three days, the league’s players and coaches hit the courts with some of the world’s greatest volleyball minds to help advance the sport of volleyball, educating the next generation of American coaches. The NVA had the privilege to work alongside inspirational icons such as Karch Kiraly and John Speraw as well as hosting the All-American Banquet recognizing elite players from Women’s Collegiate Volleyball.
Those who attended the All-American Banquet and the coinciding NCAA Div. 1 championship match, between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers, witnessed some of the most extraordinary players in the history of NCAA. The game had historical precedence, with one player becoming the first-ever five-time AVCA First-Team All-American. Of course, it would be none other than the Division 1 player of the year, Wisconsin middle blocker Dana Rettke!
The NVA had the privilege of handing out the awards to the AVCA Players of the Year, and we are excited to share their names with you again! Readers can find the complete list of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team selections from each division on the AVCA website. https://www.avca.org/awards/
AVCA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
NAIA AVCA Player of the Year– Nada Meawad, Park (Missouri)
Two-Year College AVCA Player of the Year– Marian Ovalle, New Mexico Military Institute
NCCAA AVCA Player of the Year– Sydney Schwitters, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
NCAA Division III AVCA Player of the Year– Heidi Westra, Calvin University
NCAA Division II AVCA Player of the Year– Alexis Cardoza, Cal State San Bernardino
NCAA Division I AVCA Player of the Year– Dana Rettke, University of Wisconsin – Madison
For many of the NVA players present for the convention, the best moment of the event came from the Athletes Unlimited Draft, which has invited nine graduating collegiate stars to join their league. Athletes Unlimited is the only pro indoor women’s volleyball league in the U.S., which premiered last year on the CBS Sports Network! Two of the draftees, Div. 1 Player of the Year, Dana Rettke, and Nebraska’s Laura Stivrins, went head-to-head, middle on middle, in the 5-Set NCAA Championship thriller. This historic draft is the first of its kind in the U.S. to provide an immediate pipeline for the nation’s most valuable volleyball players to go straight from university to the major leagues!
Inspired by AU Sports, the NVA is preparing to eventually establish their draft, looking to bring graduating student-athletes into the fold after the NCAA Men’s Final. With another successful year at the AVCA, the NVA has done well to show attending coaches just how disciplined, determined, and hungry our athletes are. We hope that the word will continue to spread from coaches to the next generation of college players that the dream of becoming a professional volleyball athlete is just on the other side of graduation! With this much talent already on display on the women’s side, the NVA and their teams are eager to see what homegrown products come from NCAA Men’s Volleyball this summer!
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>In just under a week, the National Volleyball Association will be partnering once again with the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the 2021 AVCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio! Now, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the AVCA was formed back in 1981 by Terry Liskevych and Andy Banachowski as an advocacy group for coaches. Since their conception, the AVCA has significantly expanded, adding tons of new services and clinics, all with the same core dedication to serving volleyball coaches and the volleyball community.
From December 15th-18th, the convention halls will be jam-packed with seminars regarding coaching skills, skill development, career advancement, club management, and even sports psychology. Each educational session will be led by the country’s top NCAA Div 1, Olympic, and Club coaches, including some of the current greats with; Karch Kiraly (USA Women’s National Team), John Speraw (USA Men’s National Team), and Alan Knipe (Long Beach State), all leading their own sessions. On top of that, the event offers break-out sessions for coaches to network and reconnect with other coaches from around the nation.
The NVA is sending 16 athletes and coaches from around the league to take part in ten educational seminars as part of the on-court practice demonstrations. Utah Stingers Owner & NVA VP Russell Holmes will also present awards to the top NCAA athletes at this year’s All-American/Players of the Year Banquet. This will be the second year that the league has participated in this phenomenal event and has eagerly awaited its return since the last AVCA convention back in 2018.
There’s still time if you haven’t yet registered for the convention. You can also purchase passes on-site starting at 4 pm on Tuesday the 14th at 4 pm. However, if you cannot make it in person, you can still watch every seminar online with their Virtual Convention, including live Learning Labs created exclusively for virtual attendees, a virtual exhibit show, and Career Center. Below you’ll find links to find out more information about registering, as well as our seminar schedule for the week. If you see us there, give us a shout, we would love to talk and learn together as we all push to help foster the next generation of volleyball in the USA and grow the game!
Schedule and AVCA Links:
Thursday 12/16
– 11am – 12pm: Technical and Tactical Components that Lead to a Better Transition Game. (Dave Preston)
– 3pm – 4pm: Rethinking Feedback in a Practice Setting. (John Speraw)
– 4:15pm – 5:15pm: Controlled Variations of Live Play: How to Challenge your Starting Side to Prepare for Game Day. (Wright State Staff)
Friday 12/17
– 1:15pm – 2:15pm: Planning and Facilitating a Week of Practice Drills. (James Madison Staff)
– 2:30pm – 3:30pm: Bolstering your Attackers’ Toolkit. (Karch Kiraly)
– 3:45pm – 4:45pm: Training your Team to be Efficient Out of System. (Shannon Winzer)
Saturday 12/18
– 9am – 10am: Serve Receive with USAV Women’s National Team. (Tama Miyashiro)
– 9am – 10am: Adaptive Creativity – The importance of customizing drills to enhance & excite your players. (Eric Snyder)
– 10:15am – 11:15am: Coaching Using Story Telling – External Feedback in Action. (Jamie Morrison)
– 10:15am – 11:15am: Practice Pyramids: Growth Through the Climb. (Chad Willis)
https://avcaconvention.org/virtual-convention/
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>After a stellar 2021 season with the Vegas Ramblers, helping to finish 2nd in the NVA Championships and finishing 4th overall in digs with 87, Libero Ryan Manoogian is now carrying that momentum over in Romania. Last month, he and his team Dinamo București won the Romanian Supercup for the first time in club history. Even more, the team has an undefeated record so far this season in the Romanian Divizia A1. As put by Ryan, his recent success has made his dreams as a professional athlete a reality!
In his 5th season abroad playing in Europe, Ryan seems to have found himself a team that can turn his spectacular defense and reception into kills and games won! With his previous teams in Finland, Norway, and Hungary, Ryan consistently led the stats board, being named:
– 2017/18 Hungarian Cup Final MVP (First libero in Hungarian Cup history to receive the award!).
– 2018/19 TIF Viking’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR’ (Norway).
– 2019/20 Finnish Mestaruusliiga Number #1 ‘Dream Team’ Libero.
However, despite all of his accomplishments, it hasn’t been until this year that he finally can add a championship trophy to his mantle. “The Romanian league is so much stronger than my previous experiences. Plus, this team is the most competitive ever, filled with literally all National players, including Romanians, Dutch, and Serbians,” mentioned Manoogian in a statement.
Ryan still has three more titles on the horizon with; The Romanian Cup Championship, Divizia A1 Championships, and the prestigious 2022 European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) Volleyball Cup later this season. This year will be Ryan’s 4th appearance in a CEV event! He previously competed in the 2018 CEV Challenge Cup with Penzugyor SE in Hungary and then the 2019 CEV Champions League & CEV Cup with the TIF Vikings in Norway. Dinamo București hopes that the addition of Manoogian to their roster will surely bring them back to the CEV Cup finals for the first time since 1978/79 when they won gold.
“I am always hungry to improve my game, and I’ve been learning a lot with this program since my teammates are super experienced. We didn’t expect to play this well together so soon, so our goal is to stay this consistent to make our goal of winning the Cup and League a reality,” said Ryan Manoogian
Already the CEV Cup is fast approaching with their first round of competition starting against UVC Holding Graz on November 10th, 2021, at 19:00 local time in Graz, Austria. Check out the CEV website to find match details and see what other top European teams compete for the cup this year! https://www.cev.eu/club/cev-cup/men/
Fans can also learn more about the club Dinamo București and their long-standing tradition of excellence in 30 sports, including professional teams and participation in the Olympics Games. http://www.csdinamo.eu/
Lastly, be sure to go and give Ryan Manoogian (@ryanmanoogian) a follow on Instagram to stay up to date with all of his triumphs and travels this season through Europe. You can also read more about his career and the teams he played for by checking out his website! https://www.ryanmanoogian.com/. The Vegas Ramblers want to wish Ryan and Dinamo București the best of luck for the rest of their season, and we can’t wait to have him back in the gym for the 2022 NVA Season.
“Ramble On!”
-NVA Staff Writer
]]>The 2021 NVA Best Outside Hitter, Brandon Rattray, is back again in Europe for his second season abroad, competing in the German Bundesliga with the Energiequelle Netzhoppers. Located in Königs Wusterhausen, a small town outside Berlin, the Netzhopper Kangaroos have competed in the Bundesliga 1st division since 2006 after their conception in 1991.
The team looks set to make a big push this year after improving from bronze finish in the 16/17 German Cup to silver last year in 20/21. They hope to finally take home their first gold medal in the cup and their first Bundesliga podium finish this year. Part of that mission has included recruiting the first American players in the team’s history, looking to some of the US’s biggest and most lethal talent to get the job done.
Alongside Rattray, the team also has American middle blockers Max Chamberlain (Pepperdine) and Blake Leeson (Ohio State) in their third seasons in European Premier leagues. The trio already has an impressive international experience in Spain, France, Greece, Finland, and Switzerland. On top of all their experiences competing in the NCAA Championships during their collegiate careers.
Already the Netzhoppers have been a great host for other players in the NVA as Southern Exposure’s Uchenna Ofoha played for the team back in 2019/2020. Hopefully, the Netzhoppers will see the same success that Rattray and the Ramblers had this last 2021 season in the NVA. The Ramblers and the NVA wish Brandon the best of luck as he and his teammates look to make history in the Bundesliga!
The Netzhoppers’ next game will be October 6th at 10:30 AM Pacific Time against United Volley’s Frankfurt. The match will surely be an exhilarating season opener. The last time the two-team met was in the German Cup Championships, where Frankfurt took home the gold. The game will be a real test of if the American additions are championship material.
Be sure to give (@_the_rattray_way_) and the Energiequelle Netzhoppers (@netzhoppers) a follow on Instagram to stay up to date with their journey to the championships this season. Fans can catch all the club’s matches on the home page of their website.
NVA Staff Writer
]]>This week’s biggest news in volleyball came from the historic conclusion of the 2021 North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Championship. There the Puerto Rican Men’s National Team took home their first NORCECA title. The team’s first gold medal has also given them an automatic bid into Russia’s 2022 FIVB World Championships.
The event also saw a momentous run from the Mexican national team taking home their third bronze medal, showing the program’s growth. The Canadian men took home second, losing to Puerto Rico, and the USA took 5th.
BYU Alumni Opposite hitter Gabriel García was the kill leader for the championship match with 11 points, 10 kills, and one ace. While Cal Baptist alumni, Arturo Iglesias, was selected as MVP for his performance as the team’s leading setter. The competing teams also had a great supporting cast of players from the NVA, with LA Blaze, Vegas Ramblers, OC Stunners, IE Matadors, and Southern Exposure being represented.
“This win feels great since Puerto Rico has never won a NORCECA championship ever on the men’s side. Achieving gold with a very young group is a great satisfaction for everyone involved as well for me personally.” – Kevin Lopez.
Lopez represented the Vegas Ramblers as he and Jair Santiago (Stunners), Pedro Nieves (Blaze), Jonathan Rodriguez (Blaze), and Ismael Alomar (Matadors) led Puerto Rico to win the championship. This has been Kevin’s 5th appearance with the Puerto Rican national team on the world stage. The gold medal has become his second in international competition, adding to his 2017 Pan American Cup silver medal.
From the moment the 2021 NVA ended, Kevin was back in Puerto Rico, taking no time off to pursue his objective of qualifying Puerto Rico for the 2022 World Championships.
“This experience has been fantastic. We maintained an impressive level of work in training as well as staying together outside the gym. When the tournament was coming, all of us understood the commitment we needed for this tournament. None of us were playing for ourselves but as a group. I think that was the reason why we made history.” – Kevin Lopez.
The Ramblers will be eager to have Kevin Lopez back next season as this added championship experience will be vital in helping to secure Vegas’ first NVA Title in 2022. If you haven’t done so yet, go give Kevin Lopez (@kevoo_lopez), and the Ramblers (@ramblersnvausa) a follow on Instagram to stay up to date with Kevin’s during the next. Also, be sure to follow the link below to watch the gold medal match of the 2021 NORCECA Championship Event!
NORCECA Main Website
Championship Final: Puerto Rico vs Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9X9g1UYJI
“Volley On With the NVA!”
– NVA Staff Writer
]]>After steamrolling through the regular season and efficiently handling the reigning champions, the Utah Stingers, in a 3-0 upset in the Semi-Finals, the Ramblers had their championship dreams cut short by the OC Stunners in the finals. Still, the team has been able to walk away with their heads held high as they take home the silver medal in only their second year of competition. Making huge strides from their first competition during the 2020 NVA November Showcase, where they took the bronze, it seems the sky is truly the limit for the Vegas Squad.
Their success has come even after losing outside hitters Kendall Ratter and Gianluca Grasso to the Texas Tyrants. The two were both pivotal in the team’s success in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, with the 2021 best outside hitter Brandon Rattray and best setter Michael Keegan and returning opposite Ryan Mather and middle Antwain Aguillard, the Ramblers made an even stronger showing in this year’s finals. Even with injuries and unavoidable absences for some of their other core players, the Rambling Men pulled out a stellar performance.
“I was super proud of how our guys competed, and I think it was a huge learning opportunity for so many of our younger guys. Most of our roster are 26 or younger and have not yet competed in gritty matches as we had for the final. Alternatively, the Stunners are built for those matches, so I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue getting our guy’s experience playing against teams like that in playoff situations.
We have no plans for stopping now; we took 3rd in 2020, 2nd in 2021, so we want that 1st in 2022. We have a great core squad but are always looking for any advantage we can create on the court or through other support for the team off of it.”
The Ramblers organization has shown that they are filled with passion for the sport of volleyball and are dedicated to pursuing success both for their team and the NVA. Both Nick England and Owner Vinny Rodriguez have shown great promise for this team and are eager to push their players further next season.
“While he had a couple of bumps in the road, this team was able to finish the regular season with the best overall record in the NVA and came up one match short of a Gold Medal. We also made excellent progress off-the-court this season by securing sponsors, selling merchandise, and developing overall branding.
While we are stoked at the direction this team is going, we are still always looking to grow and improve. To make this dream a reality, we rely heavily on our players, staff, and fans. This team and organization is nothing without the remarkable group of players we have on our roster and our VP Nick England. These guys all work so hard and sacrifice immensely to keep this train moving. We are hoping 2022 can be another benchmark year for the Ramblers and the NVA as a whole!”
To watch a replay of the NVA Finals where the Las Vegas Ramblers took on the OC Stunners for gold, follow the link for YouTube below. Also, stay updated on the Ramblers (@ramblersnvausa) this off-season by following them on Instagram and the NVA (@nvausa) to find highlights of the 2021 season!
2021 NVA Championship Final: Las Vegas Ramblers vs OC Stunners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YEIHO1virQ&t=7181s
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Ramblers setter #8 Michael Keegan wasted no time setting his top gun #20 Brandon Rattray, who had some thunderous line shot kills. After a kill by #14 Ryan Mather at 4-3, Rattray started a service run. With three service aces by Rattray, two blocks and a kill by #2 Sean Dennis, and another block from Mather gave the ramblers an 11-3 lead. While the Matadors scored on kills by #18 Gabriel Cruz and #17 Jacob Vander Beek, Ramblers increased their lead to 20-11 with kills by Mather, a service ace by Keegan, and a block by Rattray. Matadors countered with a mini-run on a kill by #4 Alvaro Ascues and blocks by Vander Beek and #2 Brett Massetti to reduce the lead to 20-15. But Matadors only managed one real point for the rest of the set on a kill by #1 setter Jesus Serrano during a transition play. Ramblers closed out the set on kills by Mather, #15 Kevin Lopez, and a Mather service ace and kill for a 25-20 win.
In set #2, a block by #11 Antwain Aguillard, a Lopez service ace, and a Mather kill put the Ramblers at a 3-0 lead. Ramblers slowly increased their lead on a block and a few kills by Rattray, a Keegan service ace for a 12-5 lead. The Matadors’ first actual score was by Cruz at 10-5. At the media timeout, the Ramblers had a 16-10 lead. Although the Matadors finally got some kills by Vander Beek and #15 Martin Petris, the Ramblers finished off the Matadors with a kill and block Rattray, a kill by Lopez, and an ace by Keegan for a 25-20 win. Of the Matadors’ 20 points, 15 were scored by the Ramblers’ hitting and service errors.
In set #3, the Matadors bounced back. They had an early lead on Ramblers’ hitting errors, responding with kills by Vander Beek, Serrano, and #9 Jorge Cabrera to put them ahead at 11-8. The Ramblers slowly chipped away at the lead with kills by Rattray and Mather and Matadors’ hitting errors, bringing the score to 13-12. The Matadors countered with kills by Petris, Cabrera, and service ace by J. Serrano and hung on to a 22–21 lead. Ramblers tied 22-22 from a Lopez block and then took the lead on a Mather ace to 23-22. After a Ramblers’ service error tied the score at 23-23, the Matadors scored the following two points on a kill by Ascues and Martin and won 25-23.
Set #4 was just as competitive as Set #3. Ramblers and Matadors battled back and forth, with the Ramblers hanging on to a one-point lead. Matadors scored with two kills by Ascues, three kills by Vander Beek, three kills by Cabrera, and two kills by Cruz. Ramblers scored on three kills by Mather, dump by Keegan, four kills by Lopez, two kills, and one service ace by Dennis, kill by Rattray, leading to a 16-15 score at the media timeout. Both teams battled hard after the timeout, but the Ramblers never relinquished the lead thanks to three kills by Rattray. After Matadors called a timeout at 21-19, Vander Beek scored on a kill to 21-20. Ramblers hung on to their lead on a kill by Lopez and Mather service ace. After the Matadors scored on an Ascues kill at 24-23, Ramblers scored the set and match point on a kill by Mather to 25-23.
Head on over to YouTube on the NVA USA page to watch the full replay of the match!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWV2uxAPw8k
Match Statistics
Vegas Ramblers:
#14 Ryan Mather – 22 Points (18 Kills. 3 Aces, 1 Block)
#20 Brandon Rattray – 22 Points (16 Kills, 3 Aces, 3 Block)
#15 Kevin Lopez – 10 Points (9 Kills, 1 Ace)
#2 Sean Dennis – 8 Points (5 Kills, 2 Blocks, 1 Ace)
Ontario Matadors:
#17 Jacob Vander Beek – 15 Points (13 Kills, 2 Blocks)
#4 Alvaro Ascues – 12 Points (12 Kills)
#9 Jorge Cabrera – 8 Points (8 Kills)
#18 Gabriel Cruz – 7 Points (5 Kills, 2 Blocks)
# 15 Martin Petris – 5 Points (4 Kills, 1 Block)
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Stingers took an early 5-point lead with an even spread of the offense by #4 Leo Durkin. On top of getting a kill himself, Leo put his team to work with #24 Alex Shmelev, #15 Inovel Romero, #10 Jake Langlois, and #9 Jorge Mencia scoring by 13-8. The Ramblers were led early in the game with kills by #20 Brandon Rattray, #2 Sean Dennis, #15 Kevin Lopez, and an early blocking presence by #11 Antwain Aguillard. After Ramblers tied the score by setting up the middle lane with Dennis, Rattray was able to ramp up his offensive performance with consecutive kills to give the Ramblers a 2-point lead at 17-15. Stingers only scored three more points the rest of the set on a kill by Mencia and two unforced errors by the Ramblers, all while committing four hitting errors themselves. The Ramblers closed out the set on kills by Aguillard, Lopez, Rattray and Mather; 25-18.
Set number two, the Ramblers won the first point from a Stingers’ service error and ran with the lead from there. The Ramblers’ slowly increased their lead on kills by all their hitters with Rattray, Mather, Lopez, Aguillard, and a dump by setter #8 Michael Keegan putting them 10-5. Stingers played from behind the entire set and only managed to cut the deficit to one point. But each time, the Ramblers bounced back to increase their lead back to two or three points. While the Stingers continued to score on the pins with kills by Langlois, Romero, and Mencia, the Ramblers couldn’t seem to go wrong as Rattray and Mather found every hole in the block. After the Stingers scored on a Ramblers’ hitting error at 20-19, Rattray had a service run that included two back row kills and a service ace for a 23-19 lead. The set ended with a statement from the middle with a kill by Dennis for a 25-20 Ramblers’ win.
For set three, the Stingers got off to a good start taking an early lead with two kills by Mencia and a Ramblers’ hitting error. But after the Ramblers tied the score at 5-5 from a powerful cross-court kill by Lopez, they scored three consecutive points as the Stingers couldn’t prevent their own errors or stop Rattray and Mather from going on a field day at the net. The Stingers retook the lead at 11-11 after a kill by Langlois, but the Ramblers took the lead back to 14-12 as the Stingers defense was helpless to stop consecutive kills by Mather and Lopez. At this point, Stingers Coach Mike Daniel was desperate to find a solution subbing in #11 Setter Hamilton Day and Outside #8 Storm Fa’agata-Tufuga for Durkin and Romero. However, the changes were too late as Mather played some of his best volleyball ever since, struggling to find his rhythm in the regular season. With a service ace and two kills, Mather pushed the most significant lead thus far at 23-15. The Stingers scored one more point on a kill by Fa’agata, doing his absolute best to keep any hope of winning alive. Despite Storm’s heroic effort, the Ramblers won the match with kills from the Ramblers’ newest player, Lopez, and veteran middle Aguillard 25-16.
Follow the link to watch the full match on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VlfwAzpCog
Match Statistics
Ramblers:
#20 Brandon Rattray – 17 Points (14 Kills, 3 Aces)
#14 Ryan Mather – 12 Points (9 Kills, 3 Blocks)
#11 Antwain Aguillard – 5 Points (4 Kills, 1 Block)
#2 Sean Dennis – 5 Points (4 Kills, 1 Block)
#15 Kevin Lopez – 7 Points (7 Kills)
Stingers:
#15 Inovel Romero – 9 Points (9 Kills)
#10 Jake Langlois – 9 Points (8 Kills, 1 Ace)
#9 Jorge Mencia – 9 Points (7 Kills, 1 Ace, 1 Block)
#4 Leo Durkin – 3 Points (2 Kills, 1 Ace)
#8 Alex Shmelev – 3 Points (1 Kill, 1 Ace, 1 Block)
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The Ramblers finished with the best record in the NVA at 7-2. Despite their two losses, one of which was against the Dallas Tornadoes’ who were last place, this team is full of talent. The team is currently lead by Brandon Rattray, who has been the best transition player in the NVA, leading the league in kills since the beginning of the season. Now, at 143 kills averaging 6.5 a set, Brandon has almost a 40 point lead over the kill leader, Tyrant’s Gianluca Grasso. Ryan Manoogian and Ryan Mather have played a significant role in scoring points when Ramblers are out of the system by extending rallies in the back.
While the Ramblers rely on Rattray to score points, their setters have plenty of other hitters to feed. Having Kevin Lopez and Kyle Radecki on the pins and a deep middle roster with Antwain Aguillard, Sean Dennis, Mark Lane, and Josh Duarte, the Ramblers are favored to win the championship. This team also has a unique lineup that juggles three different setters in Michael Keegan, Tanner Maxwell, and Steven Duhoux, which has worked surprisingly well.
An example of the Ramblers’ potent offense was a match against Team Freedom, in which the Ramblers scored a total of 67 points compared to Team Freedom’s 42 points.
After the Ramblers defeated the Stingers 3-2 in May, they established themselves as a front runner to win the 2021 NVA Championship. Yes, they lost the next two against the Stunners and Tornadoes. However, the Ramblers could still bounce back to defeat Team Freedom and the Matadors to finish the regular season.
The Ramblers have also been injury-free all year, which is a plus because they don’t have a full bench like the Stunners or Stingers.
The Matadors had a disappointing season but managed to fill the last spot in the playoffs. All season the Matadors struggled to find a consistent lineup and never got into a rhythm on offense. They’re also one of the smaller team rosters in the league. Other NVA teams took advantage of them by matching their big guns with the undersized Matadors’ blockers.
Much of the Matadors scoring came from Mauro Issac and Carlos Serrano on the outside, plus Jacob Vander Beek and Jorge Cabrera, who shared time at Opposite.
The Matadors played good defense all year, but they struggled to score points in transition. Because they are not a good blocking team, they had to rely on their defense to create opportunities to score points. Three of the Matadors’ losses ended in 5-sets to Southern Exposure, Tyrants, and The Untouchables, getting as close as possible to having a winning record. But in all three matches Matadors’ hitting and service errors contributed to the losses.
Although the Matadors only won two matches all season, they did have a big win against Team Freedom 3-0, which showed that they could catch any team off guard if they’re aren’t ready.
Prediction: While the Matadors are lucky to be in the playoffs, their luck has run out by the very fact that they’re up against the Ramblers. The only saving grace for the Matadors is that this matchup is a repeat of the last match of the NVA season. Despite losing in three sets, the scores were close at 25-21, 25-21, and 25-22. Therefore, this is an opportunity for the Matadors to avenge that loss. To win this match, the Matadors will need to play almost perfect volleyball. They’ll also need to hope the Ramblers take them lightly and also surrender some free points from hitting errors. But the latter is not likely to happen, and the Ramblers should sweep the Matadors again. Ramblers – 3, Matadors – 0.
To find more articles about the Matadors’ and the Ramblers’ regular season, check out their news section at the bottom of their team websites.
“Volley On With the NVA!”
NVA Staff Writer
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