It's something for everyone in this extra-large BUM Report Season 11 recap special!  Grab a frosty or steamy beverage of choice before jumping in, as this isn't your two-minute highlights review.  Not at all!  There's in-depth and totally unbiased journalistic endeavors to behold with the merest of scrolling down!  As always, spoiler alerts (in case you were under a rock for the last three weeks and didn't see results yet) and just to be safe one final trigger warning for Jason & the 'Squatch before he can finally shrug off season 11 and the nightmarish things Olmec did to his team of Behaired Behemoths.

First, to recap the usual fare for this column: It's the Blowouts of the Season!

Coming in 3rd, we started early.  Match 2, Nashville in conference play at home.  Their opponent was resting the starters.  And the backups.  The Red Pandas won by +43.  Apparently, this just gave them a taste for blood this season as they went on to SEC dominance.  The next session, they upped the ante, setting the then-top-mark for blowouts since we started tracking those in season 9.  Match 5, conference play again at home, and Roy's Boys blew out their opponent by a whopping 48 total points, averaging +16 per set for those who don't do math(s) quickly or as easily as the Red Pandas dispatched their conference enemies this year.

And in the 1st Place Blowout for Season 11, we have a team that ended up as the National Champs for good reason.  Setting the bar early, in the third session, match 8, conference play at home, the Portland Lumberjacks topped Roy's mark by one point, ending up +49 for the 3-set sweep.  That +49 not only was the best for Season 11, it is the highest blowout total we've had since tracking the stat!  For those in the Big 8 next season, it doesn't look like they're trading in axes for hatchets any time soon.  Fear the Flannel, and congrats to Paul for the Blowout of the Season!

For this end-of-year BUM Report Blowout Special, we also give you:  The Anti-Blowouts!  These teams managed to win their matches while getting outscored overall.  In 3rd, we already find ourselves with an appearance by Olmec's Darling and Flavor of the Season, John and the Bats.  Match 5, conference play, and Sheyboygan got outscored by 9 points over 5 sets, matching their 9 points worse overall team rating AT HOME.  Losing two sets by a combined 18, and winning their 3 by a combined 9, including 15-13 in set 5, the Bats bounced back to win, and set the tone for the rest of the season.

In 2nd, we have a team that needs no favors from Olmec, the Crazy Tomatoes.  Match 9, WGM group play.  I'm not going to say that Steve mailed in a match, as it takes planning, match time coordination, and effort for Columbia to put out a mere 66 rating.  And despite that, and despite getting outscored by 10 in the opening set and 9 in set 3, Steve still rallied to win set 5 by 5 pts and won the match despite being outscored by a combined 10 pts.  Somehow, Columbia is never out of it.  The rest of us can only emulate, and beg Olmec to put them on the opposite side of the brackets.

Topping the Anti-Blowouts of Season 11, we travel to San Diego.  Or rather, we travel with San Diego in in Match 14 to a place un-named in hopes of not re-hashing nightmares for their opponent.  Opening set, the Swordfish lost by 12.  I'll spell that out for emphasis.  Twelve.  Set 2?  They won 30-28.  It would have been a totally fluky set if they had been whales.  Instead, they came right back and won in another extra point set 3, 26-24.  Set 4 returned to expected programming, with San Diego losing 18-25.  Losses by 19, wins by 4.  Set 5?  I'll spare you the tragedy of errors that defy rational explanation, and just note that Matt's team won by 4 in the set, ending up winning the match despite being outscored by a combined 11 points.  That averages to -2 per set, which would be a loss in every set if evenly distributed.  Instead, the 'Fish picked their points and rallies at all the right times, and swim away to the deep blue with the Anti-Blowout Award for Season 11!  Congrats, Matt!

On to everyone's favo(u)rite U, Upsets of the Season!

We'll start with an honorable/dishonorable mention, with the 4th highest Upset, yet he did it twice!  Anyone care to guess who was the only team this season to suffer two upsets when up 8 or more in the average ratings?  The same team that was the only one to have won two upsets when rated down by 10 or more?  The same team that appears to have emotional regulation issues, perhaps Bi-Polar as their match results show?  Not guessing it yet?  Hint: Your Pac 8 season champs?  Andy and the Angry Wolves!  Denali pulled not one, but two -11 upsets!  Match 10 (conference, @ San Diego) and Match 18 (non-conf, @ Nashville).  Of course, Olmec gives and takes away, and this season it was all Kelsey doing the taking.  I'll note that Albuquerque won in match 44, at Denali, for the final conference match, with Denali dropping an 89-rated team at home.  They were rated 9 better.  I'll save the other one for a brief moment, as it made our Blowouts of the Season list...

At #3, we have... no, wait... this has to be a typo.  One minute while I look up match 26, non-conference play.  I think I have my teams swapped.  Nope.  It's right.  James T and Cinci were at Tucson for non-conference play, and threw out mostly the backups, coming with a team rated at just 71 (C+) on average.  The Spikin' Saguaros played an all A's & B's lineup, rated 83 on average.  In sets 2 & 4, Amy blew out the Hogs by matching scores 25-14.  In the other three sets, James and the Flying Feral Porcine Army came through, winning 15-12 in set 5 to seal the -12 Upset on par with their usual dominance in yet another 30-win season.

At #2, we return to the afore-mentioned Albuquerque and the Trash Pandas, who were in their element in this one.  Despite being rated -13 as the match opened, and having Kelsey's best two players rated just barely better than Andy's worst two (81, 81 for ABQ; 79, 80 for DEN, with the other five 88+), the 'Coons didn't even let the Wolves win a set!  And what made this even worse for the Wolves?  It was the opening round of the conference tournament!  I would have had to go back and recreate prior seasons' standings at the start of tourney play to see if we've ever had a #8 upset a #1 post-expansion in season 5.  Too much efforts for us BUMs at this report!  We're calling this the Top Conf Tourney Upset (until proven otherwise) in addition to the #2 Upset of season 11! And even if there was a #8 over #1 upset, it probably wasn't a sweep like this one! Congrats, Kelsey!

And at #1, we already noted the Anti-Blowout King, Matt and the Swordfish.  Turns out that match 14 detailed above, winning away at Mat-Su, was also the Upset of the Season!  Rated -16, the 'Fish pulled off an upset we haven't seen since we started tracking Upsets three seasons ago.  So this wasn't just the Upset of Season 11, it is the Thus-Far Top Upset in League History!  Commisserations with Bryce, and congrats to Matt, who grabbed this gleaming nugget of hope for next season's success along with pulling off winning records at home (6-5), away (6-5), nabbing a solid recruiting class (1 5*, 2 4*s).  Could the 'Fish be making waves to challenge Denali, Tucson, and San Jose next season?  With Upsets like this, no team is safe from the Gilled Gladius Wielders!

We would highlight the BUS (blowout upset sweep), yet Jason's psychiatrist has written a very nicely worded letter asking me not to trigger him again as they are finally making some good progress in therapy.  A set back at this time would be 'detrimental to his physical and emotional well-being.'  From everyone who suffered an Olmec-Related Emotional Incident in Season 11, our empathy and best wishes for ongoing recovery prior to Season 12.

Rare moment of kindness now passed, let's move on to Upset Sweeps!  Spoilers are already out on Albuquerque toppling Denali in the conference tourney opener at -13.  That was our Upset Sweep of the Season!  Two other matches to note, in case others were feeling left out from all the attention Andy is getting.  The BUM Report sees you.  And cares.  Because you are fodder for the mercilessly truthful reporting and reading pleasures (and displeasures) that the BUM Report brings!  For the other two upset sweeps, we're keeping it in the family.  #3 for the season, Mad Max and the Scarecrows make an appearance in style!  Neutral court, match 31, opening round of the TMVL Shield.  Yours truly and the Swamp Rats were rated 7 better on average.  As usual for this match up, #s don't matter.  St. Charles owns New Orleans.  It showed here as well.  The 'Crows swept the Rats, hitting at a solid rate, with their worst set at ".464" in set 2.

And in the other top upset sweep, Al and the Rabid Bad-Mannered Mules trotted into Ames in match 4, conference play.  Colin rolled out the welcome mat, dropping 81 at home, with four players rated as A's for the match.  Al brought two D's and two C's along with two A's, with a C+ team average.  Twice, Ames battled long odds to push Quincy to extra points, losing in sets 1 and 3 by a 26-24 score.  In the middle set, Al didn't let him hit 20, and the Artichokes got mule-kicked by the upset sweep from a -9 rating!  No doubt, Colin now has bulletin board material for season 12.  Al needs none, leading the league for 11 straight seasons in instigating/provocating and self-declared "informational and otherwise harmless" posts.

And, for trivia and personal comparison purposes, here are some Season 11 Superlatives!  For all items, the match #s are noted in these thingies (...).

Top winning streaks:  9 matches - Cinci (6-14).  7 matches - Portland (27-37) & T-Town, yes Teutopolis! (21-32).  6 matches - Denali (8-13), Columbia (7-12) & Starkville (14-19).

Best streak of consecutive sets won:  14 sets, St. Charles (34-44).  11 sets, Mat-Su (25-30).  10 sets, 6 teams (Denali, Portland, Nashville, Cinci, Starkville & Merritt Island)

Most consecutive matches swept: St. Charles, 4 (34-41).  3 straight sweeps, 7 teams (Denali, Portland, Nashville, Cinci, Columbia [twice!], Mat-Su & Merritt Island).

Top lineups at home:  96 by Portland (19, 23, 27, 44) & Nashville (34, 44)

Top lineups away:  93 by Nashville (39) & 91 by Columbia (44)

Top lineups neutral court: 92 by Portland (22, 32, 40, 42, 45, 47) and Nashville (37).  91 by Portland, Nashville & Pekin (33, 38), Columbia (37, 42, 46), Cincinnati (45) and Schenectady (46).

Highest neutral court rating to lose the match: 92. Nashville (37, Nat'l Quarterfinals, 5 sets to Sheboygan, of course, rated 86) & Portland (45, TMVL Cup Final, 4 sets to Cinci, rated 91).

Highest home court rating to lose the match: 91.  San Jose (20, WGM Cup Quarterfinals, 3 sets to Cinci, rated 89)

Highest away court rating to lose the match: 90.  Pekin, twice (19, Conf Tourney Qs & 16, WGM Cup 16).  Columbia, twice (27, Conf Tourney Finals & 28, WGM Cup Final).  Alton (44, conference).

Best home record:  #3 Arlington!  The Anteaters went 9-1  #2 New Orleans 11-1.  #1 Dallas and tactical genius Craig, the only undefeated team at home, 11-0.

Best away record: #3 Nashville (7-5)  #2 Denali (6-4)  #1 Cincinnati (8-3)

Best neutral court record:  #3 Portland (9-3, 'cause you have to win a lot if you're the National Champions!).  #2 Cincinnati (7-2, winning everything Portland didn't).  And #1 Quincy!  (10-2, your Holyoke Champs and making noise in the other tourneys before falling to a top team)

Most 3-set wins, exerting dominance wherever possible (and noting that three of these are in the SEC, perhaps the most merciless and blood-thirsty of divisions currently):  13, Starkville & Merritt Island.  15 Cincinnati.  17 Nashville! Out of 23 wins, 17 weren't ever close.

Looking at strength of schedule, who faced the most Tier I&II opponents (and fewest), Tier IV, and overall ratings against them this season?  The NET ratings show who faced the strongest teams over the course of the season, the average ratings scores show who had their opponents send out the strongest lines.

Most Tier I opponents: 12 Columbia (5-7) & Sheboygan (6-6).  13 Baton Rouge (4-9).  14 New Orleans (5-9)

Most Tier I & II opponents combined: Columbia 21 (12-9).  Sheboygan 24 (16-8).  New Orleans 25 (10-15).

Fewest Tier I opponents: Ames 6 (0-6) & Nashville 6 (4-2).  Manitowoc 5 (1-4). (9 teams tied at7)

Most Tier IV opponents:  10 (all at 6-4) San Diego, Santa Clara, Mendon.  11 Denali (10-1), San Jose (8-3), Ames (8-3).  15!  Fifteen!  Alton (8-7)

Fewest Tier IV opponents: 6 (five teams).  5 Antioch (2-3).  4 Nashville (3-1) & New Orleans (3-1).

Highest average team ratings against.  These teams clearly have the 'respect' of their opponents!

Home:  75.6 St. Charles & Sheboygan.  75.8  Schenectady.  76.3  Alton

Away:  84.5 Pekin.  84.7 Dallas.  85.0 St. Charles

Neutral:  81.1 San Diego.  81.2 Portland.  83.5 Sheboygan

Note that both St. Charles and Sheboygan appears twice on this list.  Portland gets bumped up by all the finals appearances.  The 'Crows?  Just because it's Max?  Maybe skewed by Al and Amy and Kelsey all going all-out?  And the 'Bats?  Who lined up their top teams just to suffer upset after upset?  Oh, yeah, everyone.

Lowest average team ratings against.  Feel the disrespect!  Let it fuel the fires of upsets and blowouts for Season 12!  (shameless plug for ongoing column material)

Home.  70.3 Santa Clara.  69.1  Pekin.  68.5 San Diego.

Away.  78.0 San Jose.  77.8  Manitowoc & San Diego.  75.4 Teutopolis.  What?  How can people go easy on the Twisters?  C-Ball will wreck you (see season 11's solid record and conference place) when you disrespect the Chosen Forces of Nature!  C-Ball & T-Town are not to be trifled with.  I expect this number to greatly increase next season, fellow SEC managers, or else I might have to start a weekly "Who wimped out and took it easy on C-Ball" column too!

Neutral Court.  74.6 San Jose.  Away and Neutral #3?  Everyone scared of Vick or something, as in "save the T7 for the other match, this one's a lost cause"?  Does Vick have the Pac 8 snookered?  73.9 Carlsbad.  This one makes sense.  Phil just blends into the background and waits for opponents to send out the scrubs to face the "empty court," then BANG!, out with the tongue and here come the wonky googly eyes to mess with the servers.  73.3 Antioch.  No one faced an easier tourney play than the Anglerfish this season?  This has a "as only Rob can do-style-rant" about his underachieving squad written all over it.  I look forward to the comments below, Master P!

Who kept it "closest" this season, in terms of who had the lowest 'worst' ratings difference?  Cinci was never out-rated by more than 19.  Coming in at no worse than -17, Mendon & San Diego (see the lowest team ratings against for home and away for the Swordfish, though understandabe as they also had the top upset this season. Fear the Fins!).  And keeping it closest, tied at no worse than -15 all season, it's the upset sweep queen, Kelsey and her Raccoons, and a team of also-rans, New Orleans.

For those not asleep yet, here's a team-by-team run down with one hopefully interesting fact or note for each squad.  If you've got a better one for any team, especially your own, comment below!

Going Alphabetical here to mix it up and in case you just want to jump to own team.

Albuquerque (first alphabetically, if I spelled that right, I always have to double-check).  Kelsey is one of five teams to not suffer an upset this season, winning every match she was favored in (8-0).  She also managed to pull 5 upsets, and was the only team to earn 3 upsets when rated -8 or worse (Denali & Sheboygan both had 2).  While the Raccoons have yet to make a tourney final, they advanced to the Conference tourney semis for the second time in team history (seasons 10&11), and upped their top Upset mark to -13 (match 19) and also their top blowout mark to +34 pts (match 25).  Their 13-19 mark leaves room to grow, and building this upset-proof team stronger will make it all the easier to move up the conference tables next season, hoping for a repeat of their best season (7) when they finished in 1st.

Alton.  Finishing with a winning record at 18-16, Alton played the most Quad IV opponents.  James is such a good sport, he took it easy on most of them, and sent out his top lines to get upset every other session (4 upsets when rated +2 or higher, tied with several teams, but only worse than that).  The Screaming Eagles went 2-5 in 5-set matches, seeming to never catch the lucky break at the prime time.  When they did win, they won big, tying the team mark with 11 3-set wins this season.  They also tied their team mark for upsets, with 3 low-level ones, topping out at -5.  And yet, hope springs eternal at the Aerie!  2 5* recruits coming in and with teams like Cinci, Sheboygan, Schenectady and Burlington clearly having peaked already, what could hold back Alton for season 12?  A Sasquatch Surge?  Olmec won't let that happen.

Ames.  The Artichokes finished at 13-20, yet showed potential for more in several areas.  They were very unfortunate in the evenly matched games, winning just 25% of matches when rated between +4 and -4.  That mark ties the 4th-worst for the league.  They got upset at +9, while only having one upset at -4 themselves.  They had 3 evenly-rated matches, and won only one.  On the plus side, Colin tied the team-best blowout mark at +33 pts (match 12), and advanced to the WGM sweet 16 for second time in team history.  They were 10-1 when +5 rated or higher, so boosting the talent-level on the team in recruiting will likely be the goal of season 12.  Revenge for seasons of domination by Quincy, St. Charles, Columbia, and Pekin will likely come another season or two later.

Antioch.  Rob has never had much luck in the upset department, and the final record 15-19 reflects that.  An even break would probably have given him a .500 season.  Often a victim of a high upset each season, and rarely nabbing one himself.  How rarely, you ask?  Excellent question!  Season 11 saw Antioch break records in the upset world!  This season, the Anglerfish lured in not one, yet two teams for upsets!  In the past three seasons, they've never topped one upset before.  But wait, there's more!  Not only was there two upsets, one of those was the highest ever recorded upset for Antioch, rated at -3!  I say this partially in jest at how low those numbers are (every other team in the league has had an upset of 3 or more prior to this season, Antioch was the lone holdout), and partially to highlight how Rob's luck (or lack of Olmec love) has run.  The Glowguppies lost 6 matches in 5 sets this season, tied for second-most 5-set losses.  They suffered 4 upsets (highest at 8) while only getting two themselves (highest at -3).  On the plus side, they did win both their evenly-rated matches, and reached the Holyoke Finals for the second time in team history.  No hardware yet, though Rob has the distinction of running up in almost every competition: Confence 2nd (season 5), Conf Tourney (5), WGM (2), Shield (7), Cup (2, 8 & 10!), Holyoke (3,11) & only a semifinals appearance for the Nat'l Tourney (7).  Still, Rob was competitve, and will need to develop the next group of Freshman quickly to keep up with SEC powers Nashville & Starkville while swimming past the SEC-has-beens who shall remain nameless.

Arlington.  David had a season of extremes, winning every match rated at 5+, and losing every one at -5 or worse.  They set a new team record for blowout win (+35, match 18) and the most upsets in season (3).  All that pendulum swinging resulted in a great home record (9-1, 3rd best in league), lousy away record (1-11), and a mid-table finish for the conference (4th, which tied the team high with seasons 5 & 7).  Cup glory escaped them again, yet with those long, sticky, bug-loving tongues (and a solid 5*, 4*, 3*+ recruiting class), better times will be coming than this 12-19 season.  They were competitive, losing in the TMVL Cup matches in 2 4-set and 2 5-set matches, suffering upsets twice.  A little luck, and a little more power at OH, and Arlington's diet may expand from ants to various fruits and veggies, like Peas, Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Pumpkins.  I don't know who eats mule meat, yet if anyone can do it, it's probably Craig's Bulldogs, not this team.

Baton Rouge.  We here at New Orleans almost feel bad for the hated fellow Louisianans and their Fern Fruit army.  Almost.  But not quite, so we're blowing the horns and beating the drums for finishing above them one more time (2-1 vs. the Bananas this season, and now leading the overall series)!  Well-deserved mostly-respectful jabbing aside, Mike has no doubt laid plans for how his new 4*s (3 of them) will reinforce the top returning players (four Sophomores already at B and A rankings), and improve upon the 6th place conference finish and overall 15-19 record.  Similar to Rob at Antioch, Baton Rouge has lousy upset luck.  Their marks this season of 2 upsets with top upset at -3 tied the team records.  There are teams that topped those marks in one session this season.  Still a 9-4 home mark and 5-5 on neutral court show what this team can do when luck simply breaks even for them.  While Nashville broke the Bananas' stranglehold on the SEC conference crown (9 straight from seasons 2-10!), the yellow menace will no doubt be back for another run in season 12.  Probably at the Rats' expense.  For thinking that the ol' BR is down and out though, you'd be mistaken.  Now that Quincy fell to the Holyoke this season, Mike is one of just two managers (James & Cinci being the other) to have never played in the Holyoke.  They've always been in the top half of the league.  Expect more of the same next season.

Burlington.  Aires finished 17-15 and was a perfect 11-0 when rated +5 or higher.  They earned wins over top teams Portland and San Jose while pushing Denali to 5-sets in the National Championships.  The Bullyfrogs also pulled out 4 upsets themselves (top at -5), and were only outgunned at -8 or more in average team rating 4 times this season (just Cinci had fewer, at 3, though several other teams tied that 4 mark).  With a 5* recruit at MB and a 4* at OH, and the top players at the other 3 positions all coming back next season, expect the Tadpoles to grow up in a hurry and choke down some low-flying prey that underestimate Gang Green in season 12, like bats, birds, and flying pigs.

Carlsbad.  Phil's color-changing crew needed some Olmec love this season, yet none was to be found for the Godfather until the last match of the season.  Playing for the Wooden Spoon in the TMVL Cup, the Chameleons finally got their break.  Prior to this match, Phil was 7-0 when rated +7 or better, and 0-23 when rated +6 or worse.  No upsets, and 0-4 in 5-set matches, the only team to not win a five-set match and one of four to not have an upset.  And then good sport David and the Anteaters came along.  Rated 5 better, Arlington fell behind early and couldn't climb all the way back out of Carlsbad's claws, losing five sets.  That gave Phil his lone upset and lone 5-set wins of the season, finishing at 8-23, though NOT last in the TMVL Cup.  Shaking off the 10-match losing streak and with a healthy RP and CP total rolling into season 12, I expect Carlsbad to be far more competitive between returning starters and the new 4*'s coming in.  They set a new team mark for best blowout (+38, match 10), which could easily fall in the first few sessions next season.  If Andy and Vick get too focused on each other, it could well be Phil adding to his 7 team titles.

Cincinnati.  James The Terrible, Lord of the Flying Pigs, Master of the Porcine Stampede.  Top mark in the league again, at 30-7, the third straight 30-win season.  Only three other teams even have a 30-win season, and James has three-in-a-row.  The 30-7 mark ties the team's best win % (81.1%), and they added on a 5th-straight conference title, 5th-straight conference tourney title, WGM Cup trophy, and TMVL Cup trophy.  Oh, and this season they upped their repetoire and added new tricks that, quite frankly, they didn't need in the first place!  Cinci pulled off 5 upsets this season.  What?!?, you say!  Were they even under-hogs in 5 matches this season?  Yes!  They were actually out-rated in a whopping 10 matches this season, only to win 5 of them anyway, topping out at a -12 upset, 3rd best this season and 6th best upset in the past three seasons.  Olmec!  Cinci doesn't need this kind of help!  Take pity on the rest of us!  25-2 when favored, with just a +1 and +2 upset suffered.  Their 50% win rate when NOT favored was best in the league, even better than Mr. Upset John H & the Bats.  Even when hard-pressed they usually came out on top, going 5-2 in 5-set matches.  The only thing Cinci hasn't done is won a Holyoke Title, because they've never played in that tourney.  I'm guessing they won't be next season either.

Columbia.  Steve doesn't need much help.  They went 17-1 when favored in matches this season, with the sole blemish a minor +2 upset.  They also won 3 of 4 when evenly rated, and pulled four upsets (setting a new team season high) from -2 to -6 themselves.  Finishing at 24-15 is not something to complain about.  Still, when you're the Chief Tomato, the standards are pretty high.  Did your team go 35-3 or win multiple championships?  No?  Then you didn't set a new standard for Columbia.  A very strong season of "also-rans" has left Steve undoubtedly hankering for more, and the clashes with Portland, Cincinnati, Nashville, Pekin, Denali, and San Jose next season will either be epic or sorely disappointing.  Like's Columbia's do-or-do-not standard of Champions or Bust, there is no try in Tomatoville.

Dallas.  Al-described Tactical Genius Craig and Bulldogs win when they want, and only when they want.  You can't read Craig's mind.  You can't out-guess him.  He's three steps ahead and already doubling-back to throw you off his trail.  The only thing holding him back?  He seems to get bored with just winning, and sometimes goes blowout-heavy, or upset-heavy, or tries to win while being outscored.  Like those ultra-smart guys who can't seem to put on a matching pair of socks, Craig's genius may be his own enemy.  Examples: this season Dallas set new marks in several areas.  They went undefeated when favored in matches, going 13-0 when rated +1 or better.  They pulled three upsets for the third straight season, topping at -6, one off their team-best mark.  They had their best conference finish ever (3rd) and made the conference tourney semifinals for the first time ever.  And they topped if all off when their best ever placing in the TMVL Shield, with a 14th-place finish.  If Craig ever decided that just winning was good enough for Dallas, only Olmec could save us all.

Denali.  Andy had a great season.  With a little luck, it could have been even better.  Of the top teams (20+ wins) this season, the Wolves' win rate when better-rated was the worst of them, at 80.8%.  They went 21-5 when favored, suffering a +13 upset as the worst.  They added in going 1-2 at even rating, for an overall 22-7 when they were rated -7 or better.  When -8 or worse, they went 2-4, adding in (see above) a pair of -11 upsets, the only team with 2 at -10 or better and the 4th-best upsets all season.  What else did they do?  Set teams marks for most wins (24), best win % (68.6%), best win streak (6), most 3-set wins (10, tied with seasons 7 & 9), most 5-set wins (7, going 7-2, 3rd-best mark this season), biggest blowout (+41, match 5), top upset (-11, twice), added a second conference title, finished in the WGM quarters (tying best team mark), and the Nat'l Semis (tying team best).  The only questions left are whether or not Andy can top any of that next season, and whether or not the Wolf Pack can hunt and take down the three teams most likely standing between Denali and their first Cup or Nat'l trophy (Cinci, Columbia, Portland).

Kentucky.  Matt finished 7-24, yet played hard in multiple matches and pulled off some upsets to play spoiler.  The Panthers won every match they played when rated -5 or better.  They lost all 24 when rated -6 or worse, and went 2-3 in 5-set matches.  While they didn't set any season marks in wins or with tourney finishes, they were one of only five teams to not get upset and the only team to win every 'middle match' in the +4 to -4 range that can make or break some seasons.  While it didn't impact the Kittens much this season, they showed flashes of potential, winning 3-straight 5-set matches (26, 29, 31).  Sure, they finished on a 21-set losing streak.  Don't expect that to repeat itself next season.  They landed a 5* and 4* recruit at OH & S, so the talent level is only on the way up.

Manitowoc.  Derek gave a good run in the brutal Big East this season, finishing tied for 6th.  They pulled off two upsets for the 3rd straight season, though only at -2 on both.  They set a new team mark for biggest blowout (+27, match 11), and notched 2 5-set wins, tying the team high.  Among their wins were Cincinnati and Sheboygan, so it's not like they waited until the TMVL Shield final two rounds to make a real effort.  Perhaps most significant is the recruiting, with 3 4* players joining the team next season.  The Gargoyles have never recruited multiple 4* players (and never a 5*) until this season.  While the rebuild is still another 2 seasons from fruition, this is a great start for Derek's Stone (not stoned) Warriors.

Mat-Su.  It seemed like every other session, we'd see Bryce cruising along only to be jarred to a halt by a 5-set loss to a top team (facing Quad I oppenents 11 times), or suffer a bizarre loss like the -16 upset (the biggest we've seen in three seasons of tracking them).  You'd almost think the Meese were just an "also ran" and you could overlook them.  And that's just what they want you to think!  Don't be fooled or tricked into sleeping on these long-legged antlered harbingers of doom!  Bryce just wrapped up a season in which they had their best win % (18-14, 56.3%) and best team blowout (+42, match 7).  They finished tied for 2nd in the Pac 8 conference, and have a 5* recruit and the much-sought-after Leaky Trunkdragon joining their team next season!  For a team that had a four-match win streak that included beating Mendon, Carlsbad, and Quincy in back-to-back-to-back 3-set sweeps, and had wins over Denali and Nashville, you'd think there would be more positive press.  Clearly, there is some kind of anti-Alces discrimination that the journalistic endeavors of the BUM Report may unmask in future seasons.  Until then, don't approach wild Meeses.  They bite.

Mendon.  The Magic Muggin' Mushrooms couldn't win the close ones this season, and promising individual matches never materialized into longer winning streaks.  Finishing at 14-19, they went 11-0 when rated +5 or higher.  They weren't blown out often either, rated -5 or worse just 8 times (going 0-8 though).  It was in the 'middle matches' that they fared badly.  From the +4 to -4 range, they went 3-11, being upset 4 times and having just one upset themselves (at -2).  Their win rate of 21.4% from the +4 to -4 range was third-worst in the league.  Pierre has this team trending in the right direction, as they have 2 5*s and a 4* coming in next season, and have sophomores or juniors replacing top-marked seniors at most positions.  While they're at least another season away from the 20-win conference champions that they were in season 1, I think the Big East is going to find itself unable to overlook Mendon while playing for Cup glory, and the top teams will be hard-pressed to put together winning streaks when "@ Mendon" appears on the schedule.

Merritt Island.  For all those who glance at the Manatees' roster and are immediately nervous that only Mark and Roger (Pekin) have over 2000 RP set to nab the early 5* bounties for next season's recruiting, you're right to be nervous.  Mark is ruthless in pursuit of his desired players, often being one of the first managers to have a full four recruits, and then stockpiling RP for next season.  This strategy paid off this season as Merritt Island set several new team marks!  Finishing at 17-16, they set team records for most wins (17), best win % (51.5%), tied a team mark for a 3-game win streak, earned a new mark with 13 3-set wins, appeared in their first-ever tourney final as they finished as runners-up for the SEC conference tourney, and also set a new record for best conference finish at 2nd place (behind upstart Music City).  They also made their second-ever National Championships, though they didn't advance past the opening round.  All told, Mark had what may be Merritt Island's best ever season.  Going 17-2 when rated -1 or better, and not even getting a boost with an upset bigger than -1 (0-14 when -2 or lower), they could be downright scary if Olmec gives them a boost or two.  They're also only losing one of the three A-rated players on the roster, so the lineup will only be tougher next season.  Watch out, Roy.  Mark's coming for you next.

Nashville.  At 23-12, the Red Pandas were one of this season's top teams, and are already expected to be one of next season's best teams too.  Roy bit and clawed his way to the top of the SEC despite suffering 4 upsets (including one at +11).  He also got zero help from Olmec, as one of only three teams to not have any upset gifted to him in return.  At even-rated or less, they went 0-8.  At +2 or higher, they went 23-4 (85%), two games off pace of the teams winning trophies this season (92% for Cinci & Portland).  Oh, and Roy's also brining in two 5* players next season.  Which is great.  Unless you happen to play in the SEC.  Then it's horrible.  And yet another reason to dislike Roy and anything else from Music City.  Giving credit where due, Nashville just set team marks for most wins (23), best win % (65.7%), most 3-set wins (17), biggest blowout (+48, match 5), tied best conference finish at 1st, and won their first conference tourney.  I'm predicting more of the same next season, sadly.

New Orleans.  Middling season for middle-of-the-pack team at 18-17.  Didn't set new team marks anywhere except in being upset 5 times, tied for league-most this season, with the worst being a +7 loss.  They did have one upset of their own (-2).  On the bright side, they made XP goals because they played in the 2nd-most 5-set matches at 12, though they only went 5-7 in those.  A late surge ended in a three-way tie for 2nd in the conference, though a far cry back from Nashville in 1st.  Nothing else to see here, so let's move on.

Portland.  Ladies and gentlemen and the rest of us, Your National Champions!  And Big 8 champs.  And Big 8 Tourney champs.  And TMVL Cup runners-up.  And biggest blowout at +49 (match 8).  And best win rate in 5-set matches (6-1, setting a new team mark for most 5-set wins).  And setting a new team mark for wins (26), win rate (72.2%), winning streak (7), 3-set wins (11) and finals appeared in for one season (3).  There's not much that Paul didn't this season, and he'll probably do it next season.  Really, he's the opposite of the BUM Report's usual material and we shouldn't dwell on such successes here.  If ELO loves you, you don't belong here.

Pekin.  Roger's Peas never seemed to find their way out of the shell this season.  Though they went a soundly impressive 13-0 in matches when favored by 8+ ratings points or more, things fell apart beyond that.  They went a horrid 2-10 in matches between +4 and -4, 2nd-worst rate in the league.  They managed an upset at -4, and another at -2, and apart from that suffered four upsets in the same range.  Their team is set to improve though, with developing younger players taking up the key positions while losing only two starting seniors and replacing one with a 5* MB freshman.  At 16-17, Roger's "almost there" record and season sum up where they are, though a promising 6-4 neutral court record has them set to make some noise next season.  Oh, yeah, and they have a league-best 2452 RP to grab whatever 2 5* guys they want in the opening two sessions.  So there's that going for them.

Quincy.  Your Holyoke Champions!  It was Al's first-ever Holyoke appearance, and he went ahead and won the whole thing, just in case he plans on never coming back.  A somewhat down year for the 19-17 Mules, yet they still found a way to needle the top squads (one of only two teams to beat both Cinci & Sheboygan this year) and pulled off SIX upsets, topping at -9, which is a new team high (match 4).  They only suffered one themselves (and that at +1), going 13-1 when favored.  They also had one of the best 5-set win rates, ending up 5-2.  Even in a down year, Quincy pulled off upsets and 5-sets gallore, and reminded everyone that you don't overlook a Rabid Biting Mule, ever.  Especially on neutral court, where they went 10-2, a crazy-good mark.  Unless you like getting bit and then having to go get shots.  If that's your thing, play your B-team against Quincy every time.  They're poor and weak and rebuilding anyway, so, really, it's the merciful and sporting thing to do.

San Diego.  Matt W and crew were highlighted heavily above with their tendencies to large upsets (-16) and being upset (+11).  They ended up 13-18 and tied for 4th in the conference, tying their best team mark and also making the National Championship for just the second time (season 1).  One 5* and two 4*s coming in to the team is only going to make them bolder.  Expect more upsets, and more fearless play, as Matt W is also one of the few teams to post a winning away record at 6-5.  Swordfish are well-known for migratory ways all over the oceans.  Your pond is just as good as theirs to poke holes in your hopes of winning.

San Jose.  Vick finished 21-14 and won the Pac 8 conference tourney for the second time.  When you have such winning ways as the Shrimps do, it's hard to top your previous marks.  It's also hard to pull upsets when you're typically favored in most matches.  Quad I problems.  In fact, San Jose's history of upsets is the lowest in the league, even worse than Rob P's.  When San Jose pulled off a -6 upset in match 46, beating New Orleans in the last TMVL Shield match, it was just the second upset by the Shrimps in three seasons!  20-5 when favored, 1-9 when not this season, the Swamp Rats were happy to donate the W to Vick so he wouldn't go 0-for-all in two straight seasons when not favored.  That's our story and we're sticking to it.  Regardless of that match, Vick ended winning 5 of his last 6, and no doubt will use his incoming 5* and 2 4*s for maximum benefit to not need to upset you next season.  He'll be favored in another two dozen matches anyway.  I'd put you on notice of that, yet if you've been paying attention in the Pac 8, it's as unremarkable as announcing that at some point tomorrow morning, the sun will rise.  You've been warned anyway.  The Shrimps are small and mighty and it's like there's millions more that will just keep coming until you're sick of gumbo and scampi and then they've got you.  The once and future National Champs.

Santa Clara.  Martyn had a topsy-turvy season, going 9-2 at home, 9-1 when favored, and pulling off a -9 upset (match 12), a new team mark.  They didn't advance far in any tourneys, though they won some opening rounds (3-6 on neutral court).  Tied for 6th in the conference, yet just 2 matches off 2nd, the Chihuahuas will be looking to develop the youth.  Three of their positions are already topped by younger players, so the off-season will be kinder to them than most teams.  No doubt Martyn and the Ankle-Biters will have their chances for further mouthfulls of upsets and be as barkingly annoying as ever next season.  Though 13-19 this season, there's all the pieces in place to push back toward their season 5 conference-winning ways.

Schenectady.  Squirrels are an interesting creature.  Seems like most people love or hate them, depending mostly on whether they live in your trees or your attic, and bury nuts in the back forty or in your flower garden.  Here in northern Missouri, in my town, we mostly have red squirrels.  Just 30 minutes south, their town has almost only grey squirrels.  I'm not sure what grand battle happened in the past, yet it must have been so bad that they drew a line of demarcation that none have dared to cross since.  I never knew squirrels were so territorial until I moved here, or watched them play volleyball.  Brian's Arboreal Mammals ended up 15-17.  You'd think that meant a so-so season, and yet they laid some serious ratings on the floor.  9-2 at home, and topping out at a 94-rating, tied for 3rd best in the whole league over the season.  They played a 91 on neutral court, only to lose to Columbia's equal 91-rated team.  And they have a team where the seniors are only top at one position (MB) so they'll be back and just or more dangerous next season.  If you have to travel to Tree Town in the grand state of Wisconsin, bring nuts as peace offerings, and whatever you do, don't come dressed as a red squirrel.  I think it's like blood in the water to a shark or waving a flag to a bull.  They will climb your legs and squirrel up into places you don't want them to be, and just might do next what squirrels from the creation of squirrels have always done.  I'll it to your imagination, only it's not imaginary because we're pretty sure that's what Beerman has been training them to do.  No way this team finishes under .500 next season too.

Sheboygan.  Ladies & Gentlemen, Your Season 11 Olmec's Crush!  There's no way to properly explain the Bats' crazy season.  John took 'em on a ride wilder than Mr. Toad's, an adventure more excellent than Bill and Ted's, an Odyssey grander than Kubrick's 2001.  Okay, too much hyperbole.  It was a completely unpredictable season though.  How odd was it?  Sheboygan pulled off 9 upsets.  NINE.  Putting it in perspective: over half the league hasn't had 9 upsets combined in the past three seasons!  Sheboygan's best was a -9, as they made their way to the National Championship Final.  They finished 23-12 overall, yet were favored by 8 or more ratings points in exactly 1 match.  Just 1.  They were favored by 1 to 7 in 14 matches, and went 11-3, not exactly domination.  They were also 4-0 when evenly matched or rated -1, and 5-4 when rated -2 to -7, the only team with a WINNING record when rated -1 to -7.  They also pulled off 2 upsets when rated -8 or higher, one of just three teams to pull that off this season.  They also played in an astounding 14 5-set matches, and won 11 of those, which is a new league record for most 5-set games won in a single season!  Overall, what marks did John set for the Bats this season?  Most wins (23), best win % (63.9%), most 5-set wins (11, also new league record), most upsets (9, also a new league record), new team top upset (-9, match 5), all while finishing 2nd in the conference and runners-up in both the Big East tourney and the National Championships.  Not a bad season for a team that's not even in the top 10 for T7.  It doesn't matter than John has only 4*s coming in next season.  If Olmec chooses you, not even garlic and daylight can stop what's to come.  We can only hope Olmec's fickle nature moves on next season, or else the whole league is going to need rabies shots before season 12 is done.  Great season, John!  Now share the luck with the rest of us!

Spokane.  Hi, Jason, welcome back to the BUM Report!  We've missed you while we've been away, and appreciate all you've done to help our column this season.  As noted above, we won't go into too many details and will try to highlight some positives for the Hairy Ones.  Spokane went 6-0 when favored by +8 or more.  They tied a team mark by winning 4 5-set matches, going 4-5 overall.  When not favored in matches, they went 0-17, as one of three teams to not pull an upset all season.  That means they earned all 14 wins by their own might, not needing that wicked nasty brutal stone-faced program to win matches for  them!  Not at all like the five teams that upset the 'Squatch this season by shady practices and voodoo instead of doing it like the 'Squatch and just ripping up trees roots and all and throwing them at the other team between serves!  Yeah!  Take that all you BUS drivers!    too far?  yeah, probably.  sorry.

St. Charles.  Max finished with a record of 14-18, though they were the Shield runners-up and tied at 5th in a highly competitive Big 8.  They were also one of the best teams playing from the lead, not getting upset all season.  They were a perfect 12-0 if evenly matched or favored by the ratings scores.  They pulled a solid upset sweep at -7 (match 31, opening round of the TMVL Shield, over, sigh, the Rats), finishing with the 2nd best upset sweep of the season.  They're losing only one A-rated senior and are bringing in 3 4* players, so once again the Scarecrows are going to be a challenge.  They were the only team to pull off 4-straight 3-0 wins (matches 34-41), so they can consistently bring solid lines.  While the T7 needs a boost to catch back up to Portland, Pekin, and Columbia, I would not be surprised to see Max lurking one game back in the conference as the season winds down, and having every chance to add to their 3 conference titles.

Starkville.  Eduard flexed his gaming might this season, and put the league on notice that "up and coming" had turned into "here and now."  They pulled off four upsets (best at -5) and went 15-1 when +1 or better, having only one upset at +2.  The 'Hounds set several team marks, ending up with most wins (20), best win % (20-14, 58.8%), best win streak (6), most 3-set wins (13), matched top upset mark with 4 upsets for the third-straight season, made the conference tourney final, and your TMVL Shield Champion!  They also made the National Championships for the 3rd time in team history.  All-in-all, I am growing to strongly dislike Starkville, and strongly recommend that you do the same, and play your top teams against them unless you like losing.

Tucson.  No stranger to upsets, this season saw Amy's Spiky Squad suffer their own worst upset, rated +12, 3rd worst of the season.  While they pulled off two of their own, best at -6, it didn't make up for it, and the team slid to a 15-18 finish.  The Saguaros did have some highlights, with a 5-game win streak (tying the team best) and finished at 8th in the TMVL Cup, their highest ever in that competition.  They also challenged for the conf tourney title again, and have been a fixture there since joining the league.  They will certainly look to improve on the 12-3 record when favored in matches, which means all the more opportunities to be upset when you're the biggest and spikiest one in the room, like when they set a new team blowout mark at +39 (match 5).  Nobody likes trips to the Spike Dome, and it'll only get worse in season 12!

Teutopolis.  While not Mike's best season ever (see season 2), T-Town and the Dust Devils had their best recent season, going 21-12.  They didn't suffer an upset, pulling off a perfect 18-0 when evenly rated or higher rated than their opponents.  They pulled three upsets in the 'small range' of -2 to -4, and avoided 5-set matches where upsets were more likely to occur, playing in just 2 (the lowest total of anyone this season) and going 1-1 in those.  Other highlights: a 7-match win streak, which is a new team record!  They also blew in a new team mark for biggest blowout, at +39 (match 21), and most upsets in a season (3).  They finished 2nd in the SEC, which is also a new team high.  Nashville, Starkville, & T-Town all had good years for the SEC.  When we can no longer bank on a home win vs. the Dust Devils, we're really running out of teams to like in this conference!

If you're still awake at this point, comment below with any other season 11-ending stat or oddity that the league needs to know!  Great season, all, and thanks to Al and Max for this project, and putting up with all of us!