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Check out all the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament quarterfinal matches to follow today and how to follow the matches live.
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. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
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-American, First-Team All-Big West); Clark Godbold (All-American Honorable Mention); Aidan Knipe (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Sotiris Siapanis (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Simon Torwie (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Lazar Bouchkov (Big West All-Freshman Team); Skyler Varga (All-American Honorable Mention, All-Big West Honorable Mention)
Belmont Abbey player accolades this season: Matthew Staskunas (ConfCarolinas Offensive Player of the Year, All-American Honorable Mention, First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Joseph Morris (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)
What to know: Long Beach State players leading up to the NCAA Tournament talked about how valuable the fans and students have been in providing a home court advantage. That home court advantage will now be on full display with the Walter Pyramid being the host site of the NCAA Tournament. Long Beach State after winning the Big West Tournament championship will play host to the ConfCarolinas champions Belmont Abbey in the quarterfinals. The Beach is on a 25-home winning streak dating back to last season – the longest active home winning streak in the nation. Along with the home court advantage, middle attacker Simon Torwie and libero Mason Briggs were both named the Off the Block Co-National Defensive Player of the Year. Torwie leads the nation with a 1.37 blocks per game average, including having a combined 14 blocks in both Big West Tournament matches. Briggs, who was named to the U.S. roster for the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Nations League, leads the Big West and is in the nation’s top 10 with a 2.24 digs per game average. Belmont Abbey is on a nine-match winning streak and won its first ConfCarolinas championship in three years. Outside attacker Zach Puentes leads the Crusaders and is in the nation’s top 30 with a 3.46 kills per game average. Outside attacker Matthew Staskunas also is in the top 10 of the ConfCarolinas with a 3.22 kills per game average. Along with the pin-hitters, middle attacker Jibriel Elhaddad is third in the nation averaging 1.30 blocks per game.
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. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
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-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Nic Slight (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Cameron Thorne (First-Team All-American, Second-Team All-MPSF); Jackson Hickman (Second-Team All-American, Second-Team All-MPSF); Rico Wardlow (All-MPSF Honorable Mention)
Ohio State player accolades this season: Jacob Pasteur (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-MIVA); Cole Young (All-American Honorable Mention, First-Team All-MIVA); Shane Wetzel (All-American Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-MIVA); Michael Wright (All-American Honorable Mention Second-Team All-MIVA)
What to know: An old school MIVA rivalry will once again get reignited – but this time in the NCAA Tournament. Grand Canyon and Ohio State will play each other in a showdown between two conference champions in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. Grand Canyon defeated UCLA in five games to win the MPSF Tournament championship for the first time since joining the conference in 2018. The Antelopes before joining the MPSF were a member of the MIVA and their final match in that conference was a loss to the Buckeyes in the 2017 MIVA Tournament finals. Grand Canyon opposite Camden Gianni leads the MPSF and is fourth in the nation with a 0.57 aces per game average. Gianni also is in the nation’s top 25 with a 3.53 kills per game average and had a combined 49 kills in three MPSF Tournament matches. Ohio State outside attacker Jacob Pasteur is in the nation’s top 25 with a 3.54 kills per game average. Pasteur also is second on the team with 477 service receptions and a 95.6 percent successful passing rating. Libero Thomas Poole leads the team with 571 service receptions and has a 96.8 percent successful passing rating.
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. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
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-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Andrew Rowan (First-Team All-Americain, First-Team All-MPSF); Ethan Champlin (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Grant Sloane (All-American Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-MPSF); Cooper Robinson (All-American Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-MPSF)
Fort Valley State player accolades this season: Jaxon Hicks (SIAC Player of the Year, All-American Honorable Mention, 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)
What to know: It’s almost fitting that the first match for a historically black college or university in the history of the NCAA Tournament would be against UCLA and coach John Speraw. Speraw five years ago with his organization First Point was vital to helping the SIAC start six men’s volleyball programs and become the first HBCU conference to sponsor men’s volleyball. The SIAC champions Fort Valley State will play the defending NCAA champions UCLA to open the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have won nine of their last 10 matches, including sweeping both matches in the SIAC Tournament. Outside attacker Isaiah Fedd leads SIAC and is in the nation’s top 30 with a 3.45 kills per game average. Fedd also did not play in the early-season meeting against the Bruins. Outside attacker Chey Cooper, though, had 11 kills on a .400 attack percentage in the three-game loss. UCLA finished with a .427 attack percentage in the non-conference victory and enters the NCAA Tournament with a nation-best .370 attack percentage. All-American setter Andrew Rowan also is in the nation’s top 10 with a 10.15 assists per game average and has helped UCLA hit more than .400 in six of its last nine matches. UCLA is attempting to become the sixth consecutive team to repeat as national champions in the last 12 seasons.
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. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
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: Connor Campbell (All-American Honorable Mention); Max Grigoriev (All-American Honorable Mention, First-Team All-Big West); Hilir Henno (Big West Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Cole Power (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Brett Sheward (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West)
Penn State player accolades this season: John Kerr (EIVA Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-EIVA); Toby Ezeonu (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-EIVA); Ryan Merk (Second-Team All-American); Owen Rose (All-American Honorable Mention, First-Team All-EIVA); Michal Kowal (Second-Team All-EIVA); Michael Valenzi (Second-Team All-EIVA)
What to know: Will Kuhns after learning that the team would play UC Irvine in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals approached the coaching staff to see if there was anything the team could do at practice to simulate going up against outside attacker Hilir Henno. The coaching staff’s reply was pretty simple – no, and instead opted to keep the focus on their side of the net. Henno enters the NCAA Tournament second in the nation with a 4.77 kills per game average and has the nation’s best attack percentage for a pin-hitter at .382. The Off the Block National Offensive Player of the Year has at least 20 kills 10 times this season, including a career-high 36 kills against Hawai’i in March. Henno in 2023 the last time UC Irvine played Penn State had 20 kills and set a single-match school record with nine aces. Penn State libero Ryan Merk, the 2023 Steve Shondell Award winner of the nation’s best passer, has not committed a reception error in the last four matches. Merk also has committed one or zero errors in eight matches during the team’s 10-match winning streak. Penn State offensively has two of the top 10 players in the nation. Middle attacker Toby Ezeonu has a nation-best .498 attack percentage, including 16 kills on a .625 attack percentage in the EIVA Tournament finals against George Mason. In addition, opposite John Kerr leads the EIVA and is eighth in the EIVA with a 3.94 kills per game average.