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Before any postseason brackets can get busted in April there are several matches tonight that could go a long way to determining the teams and match-ups in those brackets.
No. 4 Pepperdine playing host to No. 6 BYU highlights the slate of matches with both teams need a win to move up in the conference standings. In addition, No. 7 USC will attempt to bounce-back from an upset loss earlier in the week as travels to No. 9 Long Beach State.
Check out the nation’s top college men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
No. 4 Pepperdine (15-4, 10-4 MPSF) vs. No. 6 BYU (13-5, 10-4 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Malibu, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: The top blocking team in the conference will go up against one of the nation’s top offenses in a match both teams need to win to remain in serious contention for a MPSF regular season championship. No. 4 Pepperdine and No. 6 BYU will open their two-match series both tied for third place in the conference and two-matches behind first-place No. 1 Hawai’i. The Waves are fourth in the nation with a .337 attack percentage and have hit more than .300 in all but one of their eight home matches so far this season. All-American outside attacker Josh Taylor also was named the MPSF Player of the Week on Tuesday after having a match-high 22 kills in Pepperdine’s comeback five-game victory against No. 5 UC Irvine last week. Taylor is sixth in the MPSF averaging 3.49 kills per game, while All-American opposite opposite Parker Kalmbach leads the conference with a 4.08 kills per game average. BYU is second in the nation with a 3.16 blocks per game average and is holding opponents to a .201 attack percentage so far this season. In addition, middle attacker Michael Hatch, a 2014 Off the Block/Springbak National Blocker of the Year finalist, has a conference-best 1.42 blocks per game average. BYU, though, is 2-4 on the road this season, including two losses to then-unranked Stanford in its last matches before its bye week.
No. 7 USC (11-7, 9-6 MPSF) vs. No. 9 Long Beach State (12-9, 8-8 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: If No. 7 USC is going to finish in the top-four of the MPSF and host its first postseason match since 2012, it faces a near must-win road match against No. 9 Long Beach State. The Trojans enter this match in fifth place in the conference standings. However, USC has lost six of their last eight matches, including suffering a four-game upset loss to No. 15 CSUN on Wednesday. Freshman outside attacker Larry Tiuleta in the loss led the Trojans with a career-high 17 kills and 10 digs. Long Beach State is on a three-match conference winning streak and is in seventh place in the MPSF. Middle attacker Taylor Gregory during that winning streak has a combined 26 blocks and is tied for the conference lead averaging 1.42 blocks per game. This will be the second meeting between USC and Long Beach State this season. The Trojans swept the 49ers in their first meeting in January and held Long Beach State to a season-low negative-.043 attack percentage.
No. 11 Ohio State (15-5, 7-3 MIVA) vs. St. Francis (4-13, 2-2 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
King (10-7, 7-3 CC) vs. Barton (9-13, 7-6 CC)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Wilson, North Carolina
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Mount Olive (9-8, 7-5 CC) vs. Lees-McRae (2-11, 1-8 CC)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Mount Olive, North Carolina
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Belmont Abbey (8-9, 4-5 CC) vs. North Greenville (8-14, 2-10 CC)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Belmont, North Carolina
Follow live: Online video, In-match tweets
Sacred Heart (9-8, 1-4 EIVA) vs. Alderson Broaddus (12-3)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Fairfield, Connecticut
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
George Mason (5-9, 2-2 EIVA) vs. Puerto Rico Mayaguez
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Fairfax, Virginia
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No. 14 Ball State (12-9, 5-4 MIVA) vs. Lindenwood (7-7, 2-5 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in St. Charles, Missouri
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IPFW (14-6, 4-3 MIVA) vs. Quincy (10-8, 3-6 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Quincy, Illinois
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No. 15 CSUN (7-13, 4-10 MPSF) vs. Cal Baptist (6-13, 2-11 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Northridge, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets