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It’s your top five men’s volleyball story list, but with a twist.
Every Sunday during the men’s volleyball season Off the Block 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.
Off the Block will be primarily looking at a college newspapers — they provide the majority of coverage to the sport — but occasionally it will include some well written men’s volleyball articles from professional newspapers.
In many communities volleyball is a non-mainstream sport that has a niche following. One of the exciting things for reporters covering volleyball, though,is finding that interesting angle that could appeal to volleyball and non-volleyball fans.
Going beyond the boxscore and game notes to provide readers with insight on the team that they can’t got anywhere else is one of the most important skills for a sports reporter.
This list is to honor those efforts.
UCLA’s Casebeer defies odds, comes back after knee injury
Chris Kalra | Daily Bruin
Outside attacker Jeremy Casebeer has moved into the UCLA starting lineup this season and is among team leaders in kills. However, this personality profile looks at Casebeer injury-plagued past and how every day that he plays he risks further damaging his injured knees.
BYU’s Quentin Smith is magical, seriously
Taylor Street | The Daily Universe
Volleyball is just one of the many talents for BYU middle attacker Quentin Smith. This personality profile examines how the senior off the court is a semi-pro magician and why he turned down a full-time position at a New York investment firm to return to BYU.
Usual Ball State bench players assume key roles in win
Andrew Mishler | The Ball State Daily News
Elias Aparcedo two years after sitting on the Cardinals’ bench finally got playing time in Ball State’s victory against Mount Olive on Friday. This game story looks at how Aparcedo and several other typical reserves had a big affect in Ball State’s win.
Penn State’s Goodell uses humor to encourage teammates
John Stuetz | The Daily Collegian
Penn State outside attacker Nick Goodell has not emerged only as a top offensive options for the Nittany Lions but also as the goofiest player on the team. This personality profile looks at how Goodell’s sense of humor has been a positive for the team this season.
UCLA position realignment unites rivals Amberg, Vogel
Kevin Bowman | Daily Bruin
UCLA seniors Thomas Amberg and Nick Vogel have developed a close bond after playing together in high school and college. This feature article examines how after years of battling each other for playing time, the two players are now both excelling in Bruins’ starting lineup.
BEST OF THE REST
Penn State finds success on road despite obstacles
John Stuetz | The Daily Collegian
One of the biggest challenges for Penn State during its two conference sweeps last week was dealing with the logistics of getting ready for the matches. This article discusses how the Nittany Lions overcame an odd locker room arrangement while playing Harvard on the road.
I like how you cover the matches and flesh out the picture. Really enjoyed reading these! As a realtively new fan to men’s collegiant volleyball you have been a find! As they say, you can’t tell the players without the program, Vinnie. thanks again.