OAA Red Girls Volleyball and the Big 12 Conference in Football are more in common than different in 2012

Written Friday September 21st, at 1:40 PM

This 2012 Red Girls Volleyball season is more like the Big 12 Conference this season in college football with each team in comparison to a certain college football team in the Big 12. Here is the list and the reason why these teams are so similar to those in the Big 12 Conference. With apologies to Texas Christian University, here is the list of teams in the Red and it’s Big 12 counterparts.

Lake Orion Dragons:

Big 12 Team that they remind me of: Texas

The Dragons year in and year out gets plenty of talent to come out and play for its volleyball program. Lake Orion reminds me of Texas when it comes to influence. The Longhorns get a lot of attention on the field and the use of its college football network, the Longhorn Network. The Dragons have not had a long term coach compared to Mac Brown. Lake Orion has been consistent under first year coach Ross Talbott and also under Bob Howey. The Dragons may have no Bevo on the sidelines like Texas does they do have a strong fan base and have proven that last season’s trip to Battle Creek was no fluke, this team is in for the long run.

Clarkston Wolves:

Big 12 Team that they remind me of: Oklahoma

The Clarkston Wolves like the Lake Orion Dragons are rivals, Texas and Oklahoma are rivals. They are also a good program. Clarkston like Lake Orion gets plenty of talent to come out and play for its program. The Sooners and the Wolves are very similar in many ways. Both teams have had success and also long time coaches in Bob Stoops for the Sooners and Kelly Averall for the Wolves. Clarkston may have no Boomer-Sooner but will be good in the long run as well.

Troy Colts:

Big 12 Team that they remind me of: West Virginia

The Colts entered the Red from the White like West Virginia did from the Big East to the Big 12. They did get a new coach. The Colts in Tony Muscatt while the Mountaineers went with Dana Holgerson but the difference was West Virginia’s coaching situation was not stable as Holgerson was suppose to be the offensive coordinator while the late Bill Stewart was the head coach. Stewart resigned and Holgerson became the head coach. At Troy, the coaching situation was a much smoother transition and the Colts have benefited since.

North Farmington Raiders:

Big 12 Team that they remind me of: Oklahoma State

The Raiders this season have star players all around but they are very familiar with the style of play the run. The Raiders come to play like the Cowboys do for big games but then for some reason struggle in the middle games then have to survive in the very end. Oklahoma State last season almost made the BCS National Championship game but an upset loss to Iowa State ended those dreams. Not saying that North Farmington will do that but Coach Jennifer Condeni should be wary not to take anyone lightly like what happened to the Cowboys in Ames. The Raiders should be fine heading into the postseason and could give Mercy all they could handle.

Birmingham Seaholm Maples:

Big 12 Team they remind me of: Baylor

The Maples this season are a three headed monster but not like when Paige Neudenfelt graduated. Neudenfelt was Birmingham Seaholm’s Robert Griffin III but Seaholm has some capable players that can get it done and do some damage this season like the Bears were last season when they took down TCU and Oklahoma in the same season. Baylor like Seaholm could be in a lot of close and wild games this season for Coach Heather Lippert.

Oxford Wildcats:

Big 12 Team they remind me of: Kansas State

The blue and yellow Wildcats may have to look at another pair of Wildcats, its in purple and sliver comparison to its team. OK Oxford doesn’t get all the JU-CO Transfers that Kansas State has but they do have a Colin Klein at quarterback while Oxford does have its own star player in Darien Bandell who is pretty close to that of the Wildcats and influences everything they do on the volleyball court.

Rochester Falcons:

Big 12 Team they remind me of: Texas Tech

Ever since Mike Leech left Lubbock the Red Raiders have not been the same since then. Ever since the loss to Lake Orion in 2010 in the district finals the Falcons have not been the same team since that game, having to go through a coaching change and of course losing to teams that they should beat. Stephanie Sikorski is a senior this year and that could spell trouble in the next coming years. Rochester could be going down the same path that Texas Tech is going through right now.

Farmington Falcons:

Big 12 Team they remind me of: Kansas

The Falcons were placed in a tough situation in the Red in dealing with its city rivals Harrison, North Farmington, and Mercy. They are young and inexperienced like the Kansas Jayhawks. Last season the Jayhawks only won two games overall and one game in the Big 12. Farmington has a similar situation but they can upset someone in the process and they are a year away.

Rochester Adams Highlanders:

Big 12 Team that they remind me of: Iowa State

The Highlanders have proven that they can be a pain in the rear especially against its city rivals, Rochester and Stoney Creek but they can upset teams. Even though they are young it doesn’t mean Adams can make some noise like Iowa State has done to its Big Ten in-state rival Iowa. The last two seasons the Cyclones have kept the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Ames.

Well we'll see what happens this season.