UCLA - Off the Block

March 29, 2011September 23, 2011

My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

The bottom of the top 10 media poll remains a revolving door and weekly struggle for this voter.

With all the upsets and top 10 teams losing this week, there were about four teams — Loyola, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and Hawai’i — all vying for the final three spots in the poll. This was without a doubt one of the more difficult voting ballots to compile this entire season as I spent a significant amount of time looking at multiple factors and stats to create a ranking that made sense.

Check out this week’s top 10 men’s volleyball media poll and my ballot with explanations on why ranked each team where I did.
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March 26, 2011September 19, 2011

Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

The end of March madness has the potential to be the most madding.

Two matches between teams ranked in the top 10 are the main features of tonight’s men’s volleyball schedule. Other matches around the nation, though, as provide some intrigue as No. 9 Penn State returns to place where it suffered one of its biggest upsets in program history and Hall of Fame coach Arnie Ball makes his third attempt at a career milestone.

Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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March 24, 2011September 19, 2011

Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

It’s such a big night in men’s volleyball that Off the Block is coming out with a special midweek top five matches to follow tonight.

Six of the top 10 teams will play tonight, including two matches between nationally ranked teams. No. 6 Hawai’i traveling to No. 4 BYU and No. 5 UCLA closing out Pauley Pavilion against No. 5 UC Irvine highlight tonight’s matches. However, there are also two intriguing non-conference matches as No. 2 Ohio State takes its 17 match winning streak to the West Coast and Cal Baptist looks to pull off its second upset of a top 10 team in less than a week.

Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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March 22, 2011September 23, 2011

My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

The madness of March hit men’s volleyball this weekend and the aftermath is now being felt in the polls.

Three top 10 ranked teams dropped in the media poll after losing matches, including BYU and Stanford that both lost to unranked teams. In addition, several teams made significant gains in the poll with Ohio State receiving its highest national ranking in program history at No. 2 and Hawai’i jumping four spots to No. 6.

Check out this week’s top 10 men’s volleyball media poll and my ballot with explanations on why ranked each team where I did.
Continue reading “My men’s volleyball media poll ballot”

March 15, 2011August 13, 2014

My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

Weeks featuring a significant amount of non-conference matches can lead to some of the biggest changes in a poll — and last week was no different.

With everything from a top-five team losing to an unranked opponent to UCLA eking out two five-game victories at home against some of the best EIVA and MIVA teams, there was a significant amount of movement in the bottom of my top 10 ballot this week.

Check out this week’s top 10 men’s volleyball media poll and my ballot with explanations on why ranked each team where I did.
Continue reading “My men’s volleyball media poll ballot”

March 13, 2011September 23, 2011

The top 5 men’s volleyball stories of the week

It’s your top five men’s volleyball story list, but with a twist.

Every Sunday during the men’s volleyball season I will post the top five best men’s volleyball stories of the week from around the nation. The list, though, is based more on how well the reporter wrote and covered the story rather than just what happened on the court.
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March 11, 2011September 19, 2011

Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

It’s Spring Break and the Midwest and East Coast men’s volleyball teams are fleeing to the warm weather of California.

With about five EIVA and MIVA teams playing against California teams this week, Mid-March is typically when teams will schedule non-conference road trips coinciding with its Spring Break. Highlighting this week of non-conference play is the four-team Active Ankle Challenge at Long Beach State, which opens with the only match tonight between teams ranked in the top 10. In addition, No. 8 UCLA tonight plays its final non-conference match at Pauley Pavillion before the stadium later this year for renovations.

Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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March 9, 2011August 13, 2014

My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

The aftermath of No. 1 versus No. 2 resulted in little change to the men’s volleyball media poll.

USC remains the only team to be ranked No. 1 this season after winning both matches in five games against BYU during the weekend, while the Cougars stays at No. 2 following the road losses. Despite little change at the top, the bottom of the ranking saw some movement with UCLA jumping ahead of Penn State to No. 8 and Hawai’i breaking back into the top 10 after a one-week absence.

Check out this week’s top 10 men’s volleyball media poll and my ballot with explanations on why ranked each team where I did.
Continue reading “My men’s volleyball media poll ballot”

March 4, 2011September 19, 2011

Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

The men’s volleyball spotlight is once again focused brightly on Southern California tonight.

No. 1 USC and No. 2 BYU opening their two-match weekend series in Los Angeles highlights tonight’s schedule. Not to be overlooked, though, are two other matches in Southern California tonight between teams in top 10 national rankings, including No. 3 Stanford playing No. 7 UC Irvine.

Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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March 1, 2011August 13, 2014

My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

Sometimes change is not needed.

With no upsets and all the top 10 ranked teams winning matches, it made my job as a voter easy this week. For the first time in my three years of voting in the men’s volleyball media poll, I have submitted identical top 10 ballot on back-to-back weeks.
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