I had assumed it would be awhile before the local press would pick up this story that’s been making the rounds in the volleyball community for some time. But for once they care about volleyball outside the season. The Knoxville News-Sentinel has a story on the fact that four members of the Lady Vols volleyball team are transferring. The story is very light on info and the comment section is ridiculous — people who have never been to a game blaming everyone from the players to the coaches to the administration and even society itself!

I’ve purposely held back posting this news. Since December (and between other commitments I’ve had to take care of since then), I’ve been working on this story hoping to beat the press and get a responsibly written story on the issue out to hopefully curtail the response seen to the above piece. While that hope is gone, I hope you’ll continue to bear with me so I can hopefully do this the right way.

I know how a lot of fans are feeling this week — I was there when I first started hearing about this as last season began winding down. But as you start to move towards acceptance, keep these things in mind: In the end, it’s only a game. And college is about a lot more than volleyball. These players need to put themselves in the best place to get ready for the rest of their lives. If that is not Knoxville, it would be irresponsible for them to stay here just to play that game.