Off the Block

Jonathan Bates | Associate Editor

Tusculum, who finished 5-13 last season, will face MIVA member Ball State, in the opening week of the 2022 season. Ball State finished the 2021 season with a 12-8 record after losing to eventual MIVA champion, Lewis, in the MIVA Tournament semifinals. The Cardinals will also open the season with a new head coach, as long-time head Joel Walton retired after the 2021 season – his 23^rd season at the helm in Muncie.

Ball State will be the first NCAA team outside of ConfCarolinas and the Independent ranks to visit Greenville in the program’s short two-year history.

Tusculum finished third in the 2021 IVA Tournament, after defeating both No. 5 seed Alderson Broaddus and No. 3 Limestone. Middle attacker Caleb Slater was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Tusculum returns all but two players from last year’s team (Arthur Amorim, Peter Stewart). The Pioneers welcome seven newcomers, including Erskine transfer Jacob Whyte. Whyte ranked No. 2 for Erskine in 2021 with 2.77 kills per game and 27 aces.

The Pioneers will play 25 matches, with 12 of them on the road, 11 at home, and two on a neutral court. The schedule will also feature seven home-and-home series, including three with fellow Independent teams.

The schedule breaks down with nine matches versus ConfCarolinas opponents, eight versus Independent opponents, three versus SIAC opponents, and one each versus a MIVA, MPSF, NAIA, and Division III opponent.

A highlight of the 2022 schedule is that Tusculum will travel to Phoenix the week after Spring Break for a road match versus Grand Canyon and a neutral site match versus an opponent to be determined.

Tusculum 2022 Schedule

Jan. 11 vs. North Greenville
Jan. 15 vs. Ball State
Jan. 21 at Fort Valley State
Jan. 22 at Emmanuel
Jan. 28 at Erskine
Feb. 1 at North Greenville
Feb. 4 vs. Alderson Broaddus
Feb. 5 vs. Erskine
Feb. 11 vs. Limestone
Feb. 12 vs. Queens
Feb. 18 vs. Fort Valley State
Feb. 26 at Randolph-Macon
Feb. 26 vs. TBA (at Randolph-Macon)
March 1 vs. Lincoln Memorial
March 4 at Barton
March 5 at Mount Olive
March 8 vs. D’Youville
March 10 vs. King
March 12 vs. Indiana Tech
March 18 at Grand Canyon
March 19 vs. TBA (at Grand Canyon)
March 25 at Limestone
March 26 at Queens
March 31 at King
April 8 vs. Edward Waters
April 12 at Lincoln Memorial

There is no easing into the season for Charleston.

Charleston as part of recently unveiling its 2022 schedule announced it will open the season with a road non-conference match against Ohio State. Continue reading “Charleston to open 2022 season on road against Ohio State”

A clerical error from 2019 will result in George Mason having a reduction in scholarships for the next two years.

The NCAA announced Wednesday that the George Mason men’s volleyball team will lose 10 percent of the maximum amount of scholarship money it can award through the 2023 season because of a prior miscalculation in financial aid. Continue reading “NCAA penalizes George Mason with 10% scholarship reduction for financial oversight”

Penn State has another national championship — in men’s beach volleyball.

The pair of Will Bantle and Cal Fisher won the inaugural USA Volleyball Men’s Collegiate Beach Challenge on Sunday in Owing Mills, Maryland. Continue reading “Penn State pair wins collegiate men’s beach volleyball championship”

UCLA middle attacker Merrick McHenry left no doubt that the United States would finish on the medal podium.

McHenry led all players with eight blocks and had a team-high 10 kills as the United States defeated the host-nation Dominican Republic 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 25-15 in the bronze-medal match of the Pan American Cup on Thursday. Continue reading “UCLA’s McHenry powers United States to bronze medal at Pan American Cup”

And just like that the gold-medal run for the No. 1 seed United States has come to an end.

The United States suffered an upset loss to the No. 4 seed Mexico 25-22, 29-27, 25-20 in the semifinals of the Pan American Cup on Wednesday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Continue reading “Mexico pulls off stunning upset of U.S. in Pan American Cup semifinals”

Check out all the Pan American Cup semifinal matches today and how to follow them live. Continue reading “Pan American Cup men’s volleyball semifinals to follow today”

Grant Sloane came through in the biggest moments to secure the United States earning the No. 1 overall seed for the Pan American Cup semifinals.

The UCLA outside attacker had three kills late in the fifth game to help the United States overcome a two-point deficit and beat Canada 21-25, 25-18, 31-29, 18-25, 15-13 on Tuesday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Continue reading “U.S. edges Canada in five games to earn top seed for Pan Am Cup semifinals”

Check out all the Pan American Cup group-play matches today and how to follow them live. Continue reading “Pan American Cup men’s volleyball matches to follow today”

Opposite Jacob Pasteur delivered his best performance so far at the Pan American Cup to ensure the United States is moving out of group-play.

The Ohio State sophomore had both a match-high six aces and 13 kills on .647 attack percentage as the United States swept Suriname 25-14, 25-11, 25-14 on Sunday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to clinch a semifinal berth. Continue reading “Ohio State opposite powers U.S. past Suriname at Pan Am Cup”