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It’s your top men’s volleyball stories list, but with a twist.
Every Sunday during the men’s volleyball regular season, Off the Block will post the 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.
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 box score 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.
Dobbert leads valuable second unit for BYU
Sean Walker | KSL
Opposite Tim Dobbert getting a rare start in place of All-American Ben Patch had a match-high 14 kills as No. 3/3 BYU swept McKendree last week. This news-feature story examines how Dobbert relished his time on the court in the non-conference match and the value he provides to the team in practice and coming off the bench in matches.
Senior transfer cherishes new opportunity at Limestone
Erik Hall | Outsports
Outside attacker Drew Davis in his first season with Limestone provided two aces and seven kills in a four-game victory against Conference Carolinas preseason favorite Barton on Saturday. This personality profile examines Davis, an openly gay student-athlete, choosing to leave Erskine after receiving a threatening note and eventually transferring to Limestone.
Youthful Lewis gets two big non-conference wins
Kaitlyn Janica | The Herald-News
No. 7/8 Lewis with a starting lineup comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores defeated No. 7/9 Pepperdine last week for its first win of the season against a nationally ranked team. This game story focuses on the Flyers overcame their youth to get a signature non-conference victory versus a MPSF opponent.
UCLA beats Cal Baptist despite inconsistent offense
Grant Sugimura | Daily Bruin
No. 2/2 UCLA had a .619 attack percentage in the opening game and completed the sweep against Cal Baptist on Wednesday despite hitting .185 in the third game. This deadline game story examines how the players and coach John Speraw following the victory were disappointed in their offensive inconsistence.
First-place Bruins focus on fixing weaknesses
Kelsey Angus | Daily Bruin
No. 2/2 UCLA may be in first place in the MPSF, but coach John Speraw is more focused right now on the areas where his team needs to improve. This news-feature story looks at how the Bruins spent this week in practice attempting to improve their serving efficiency and running the bic.