The Place for College Men's Volleyball
Five college men’s volleyball players have earned national awards for being the best at their position. Continue reading “Off the Block announces winners of National Position Player of Week Awards”
[Editor’s note: Off the Block will preview each NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball conference leading up to the 2019 season opener on Dec. 30. This conference previews examines every team in the MIVA.]
The MIVA has all the makings this season for the most chaotic conference in college men’s volleyball.
Four teams received at least one first-place vote in the MIVA Preseason Poll that was released earlier this month. Continue reading “Quick-hits: What to know about MIVA teams for 2019 season”
There is a clear separation entering the season between the top-three teams in the MIVA and everyone else in the conference.
Lewis edged out Loyola and Ohio State to finish atop the MIVA Preseason Poll that was released on Thursday. Continue reading “Lewis edges Loyola, Ohio State for top spot in MIVA poll”
Listen to Off the Block’s interview with Lewis coach Dan Friend about the Flyers’ start to the preseason and creating the Rae Strong Foundation.
The non-profit organization provides financial and emotional support to families who have premature babies born 14 or more weeks before their due date. The group that Friend and his wife, the Lewis women’s volleyball head coach, founded during the offseason is name after their 1-year-old daughter who was born premature. Continue reading “Audio: Lewis coach discusses preseason, creating group to help premature babies”
[Editor’s note: Off the Block in collaboration with the EIVA is presenting The Top 15 EIVA Non-Conference Matches. This list spotlights the best non-conference matches scheduled for EIVA teams in 2019 and will be the first time several of these matches have been publicly announced. Princeton versus Lewis is ranked No. 14 on the list.]
Princeton will have a chance next season to pull off a feat it’s never accomplished in program history — beating Lewis. Continue reading “Princeton schedules home match against Lewis for 2019”
It’s been a pretty good couple of months for King — first a ConfCarolinas championship and now landing home matches versus likely top-10 ranked teams.
King announced during the weekend that it will open the 2019 season with home non-conference matches against both Lewis on Jan. 11 and Loyola on Jan. 12 in Bristol, Tennessee. Continue reading “King schedules home matches vs. Lewis, Loyola for 2019”
Bring on both the Italian and Slovenian men’s junior national teams and a European road trip to open the college men’s volleyball preseason.
Lewis announced on Tuesday that it will play a five-match road series against Italy and Slovenia starting next week. Continue reading “Lewis to play Italy, Slovenia in preseason European trip”
Time to empty the notebook that is filled with college men’s volleyball news and notes. Check out some of the more interesting news tidbits and other notes involving college men’s volleyball. Continue reading “The Notebook Dump: News tidbits, notes from college men’s volleyball”
An AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year recipient will switch sides in one of the top in-state rivalries in college men’s volleyball.
Matt McCarthy will depart Lewis to become the Loyola associate head coach, the Ramblers announced on Monday.
McCarthy has spent the last nine seasons on the Flyers coaching staff and helped guide Lewis to three NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition, McCarthy was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015 as Lewis advanced to the NCAA Tournament finals.
Lewis in each season with McCarthy won at least 19 wins and had players earn 19 All-American selections.
“Matt has proven to be one of the best coaches in our game and we couldn’t be more excited to have him on our staff,” Loyola coach Mark Hulse said in a statement. “He’s found success both as a coach and as a player and he has a true passion to learn, innovate and develop young men and volleyball players in a mission-driven environment.”
Along with his college coaching experience, McCarthy was an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team at the FIVB U21 World Championship last year.
McCarthy before joining the Lewis coaching staff was a two-time All-MIVA middle attacker and helped lead Ball State to the MIVA Tournament finals in back-to-back seasons. He also was in the conference’s top five with more than a .400 attack percentage in both his junior and senior season.
Loyola ended last season ranked in the top 10 of the national coaches poll and national media poll after reaching the MIVA Tournament finals. The Ramblers return multiple all-conference starters, including 2018 MIVA Freshman of the Year setter Garrett Zolg.
A nationwide voting committee selected 10 players to the annual Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team.
The Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team honors the top NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball freshmen players from the regular season. This is the fifth year Off the Block and Springbak, Inc. have presented the national honor, and it remains the only Freshmen All-American Team presented in college men’s volleyball. Continue reading “OTB, Springbak unveil 2018 Freshmen All-American Team”
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