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The four quarterfinal matches are set for the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament.
Check out the matchups and the historical tidbits to know before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket.
No. 1 seed UCLA (23-5, 11-1 MPSF) vs. No. 8 seed Fort Valley State (17-8, 10-0 SIAC)
Match vitals: 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 30 in Long Beach, California
Season series: UCLA leads 1-0
Last meeting: UCLA swept Fort Valley State in the season opener
All-time series: UCLA leads 2-0
How they got here: UCLA earned an at-large bid after losing in the MPSF Tournament finals. Fort Valley State defeated Central State in the SIAC Tournament finals to earn the conference’s automatic bid.
NCAA Tournament record: UCLA (57-10); Fort Valley State (0-0)
NCAA Tournament appearances: UCLA (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024); Fort Valley State (2024)
NCAA Tournament titles: UCLA (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023); Fort Valley State (none)
UCLA player accolades this season: Merrick McHenry (MPSF Player of the Year, First-Team All-MPSF); Andrew Rowan (First-Team All-MPSF); Ethan Champlin (First-Team All-MPSF); Grant Sloane (Second-Team All-MPSF); Cooper Robinson (Second-Team All-MPSF)
Fort Valley State player accolades this season: Jaxon Hicks (SIAC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SIAC); Chey Cooper (First-Team All-SIAC); Raheem Thomas (First-Team All-SIAC); Isaiah Fedd (Second-Team All-SIAC); Saferino Dour (Second-Team All-SIAC); Diego Cardona (Second-Team All-SIAC); Jose Gallardo (Second-Team All-SIAC)
Historical stat to know: UCLA has not lost a first-round NCAA Tournament match since a round-robin stage match against San Diego State in 1972.
No. 2 seed Long Beach State (25-2, 9-1 Big West) vs. No. 7 seed Belmont Abbey (21-4, 13-1 ConfCarolinas)
Match vitals: 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 in Long Beach, California
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: First all-meeting between the two teams
All-time series: First all-meeting between the two teams
How they got here: Long Beach State defeated UC Irvine in the Big West Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. Belmont Abbey defeated North Greenville in the ConfCarolinas Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid.
NCAA Tournament record: Long Beach State (19-11); Belmont Abbey (0-1)
NCAA Tournament appearances: Long Beach State (1970, 1973, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024); Belmont Abbey (2021, 202)
NCAA Tournament titles: Long Beach State (1991, 2018, 2019); Belmont Abbey (none)
Long Beach State player accolades this season: Mason Briggs (First-Team All-Big West); Aidan Knipe (First-Team All-Big West); Sotiris Siapanis (First-Team All-Big West); Simon Torwie (First-Team All-Big West); Lazar Bouchkov (Big West All-Freshman Team); Skyler Varga (All-Big West Honorable Mention)
Belmont Abbey player accolades this season: Matthew Staskunas (ConfCarolinas Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Joseph Morris, Belmont Abbey (ConfCarolinas Freshman of the Year, Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Zach Puentes (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Jibriel Elhaddad (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Alejandro Leon (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
Historical stat to know: Long Beach State is 10-0 all-time against ConfCarolinas teams and has yet to lose a set against a ConfCarolinas opponent.
No. 3 seed Grand Canyon (25-4, 10-2 MPSF) vs. No. 6 seed Ohio State (22-8, 11-5 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 in Long Beach, California
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: Grand Canyon beat Ohio State in five games last season
All-time series: Ohio State leads 16-3
How they got here: Grand Canyon defeated UCLA in the MPSF Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. Ohio State defeated Lindenwood in the MIVA Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid.
NCAA Tournament record: Grand Canyon (0-1); Ohio State (17-24)
NCAA Tournament appearances: Grand Canyon (2023, 2024); Ohio State (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024)
NCAA Tournament titles: Grand Canyon (none); Ohio State (2011, 2016, 2017)
Grand Canyon player accolades this season: Camden Gianni (First-Team All-MPSF); Nic Slight (First-Team All-MPSF); Cameron Thorne (Second-Team All-MPSF); Jackson Hickman (Second-Team All-MPSF); Rico Wardlow (All-MPSF Honorable Mention)
Ohio State player accolades this season:
Historical stat to know: This is the third postseason meeting between the two programs. Grand Canyon upset Ohio State in the 2013 MIVA Tournament quarterfinals for its first postseason in program history. Ohio State defeated Grand Canyon in the 2017 MIVA Tournament finals en route to winning back-to-back NCAA championships.
No. 4 seed UC Irvine (19-10, 7-3 Big West) vs. No. 5 seed Penn State (23-6, 10-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 in Long Beach, California
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: Penn State defeated UC Irvine in five games last season.
All-time series: UC Irvine leads 6-8
How they got here: UC Irvine earned the final at-large bid after losing to Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament finals. Penn State defeated George Mason in the EIVA Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid.
NCAA Tournament record: UC Irvine (8-3); Penn State (18-33)
NCAA Tournament appearances: UC Irvine (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2024); Penn State (1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 1017, 2021, 2023, 2024)
NCAA Tournament titles: UC Irvine (2007, 2019, 2012, 2013); Penn State (1994, 2008)
UC Irvine player accolades this season: Max Grigoriev (First-Team All-Big West); Hilir Henno (First-Team All-Big West); Cole Power (First-Team All-Big West); Brett Sheward (First-Team All-Big West)
Penn State player accolades this season: John Kerr (EIVA Player of the Year, First-Team All-EIVA); Toby Ezeonu (First-Team All-EIVA); Owen Rose (First-Team All-EIVA); Michal Kowal (Second-Team All-EIVA); Michael Valenzi (Second-Team All-EIVA)
Historical stat to know: This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Nittany Lions and Anteaters in the NCAA Tournament. Former Penn State middle attacker Max Holt in the initial meeting in 2006 had a match-winning ace to win the decisive fifth game 15-13. The ace occurred immediately following a delay in the match because a portion of the arena lights went out.
Why is “Ohio State player accolades” blank?