A lot happened in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball during the last 72 hours. Check out some of the top headlines and news from the college men’s volleyball weekend.
Hawai’i breaks through at the Pyramid – No. 3/5 Hawai’i swept a two-match series against No. 2/2 Long Beach State to snap an 11-match road losing streak in the rivalry. The Rainbow Warriors entered this weekend having not defeated the Beach at the Pyramid since 2015. Outside attacker Louis Sakanoko after being sidelined for the majority of the opener because leg cramps returned to the court and had a team-high 15 kills on a .619 attack percentage in the series finale sweep.
MIVA first-place showdown set – Outside attacker Patrick Rogers had both a team-high 11 kills on a .400 attack percentage and three aces as No. 9/7 Ball State swept No. 19 Purdue Fort Wayne. In addition, No. 11/10 Lindenwood swept a two-match series against Queens. Lindenwood with these victories remains a half-match behind Ball State and will play host to the Cardinals on Thursday with first place in the MIVA on the line.
St. Francis knocks off Daemen – Outside attacker Brady Stump led all players with four aces and added 10 kills in a sweep against Daemen on Saturday. This victory came a day after the Red Flash defeated the Wildcats in five games to open the two-match series. The two wins also moved Saint Francis into a tie with Manhattan for first place in the NEC.
Belmont Abbey keeps rolling – Belmont Abbey had 10.5 blocks and limited Mount Olive to a .178 attack percentage in a road sweep Friday between the top two teams in the ConfCarolinas. Middle attacker Jibriel Elhaddad also had a match-high nine blocks in a five-game victory against Barton on Saturday.
Maryville atop the GLVC – Maryville swept a two-match series against Quincy to move into sole possession of first place in the GLVC. Pin-hitter Makai Scott led all players with a combined 27 kills and hit .480 in the two victories, including a match-high 11 kills on a .556 attack percentage in the series opener.
Fort Valley State stays perfect in SIAC – Fort Valley State limited Kentucky State to less than a .075 attack percentage in both matches of its two-match series sweep. The Wildcats with these victories moved into sole possession of first place in the SIAC and extended their SIAC winning streak to 28 matches.
Ohio State offense dominates – Setter Daniel Henwood Rodriguez guided the offense to a .429 attack percentage as No. 18 Ohio State swept No. 15 Lewis on Saturday. The Buckeyes have hit more than .400 in every match during their current three-match winning streak.
NJIT oppo too much for Princeton – Opposite Wiktor Nowak led all players with 28 kills on a .571 attack percentage as No. 20 NJIT defeated Princeton in five games. This is the third time in EIVA play that Nowak has finished with more than 20 kills.
Lincoln Memorial out-lasts Charleston – Outside attacker Georgious Armaos had a team-high 18 kills as Lincoln Memorial defeated Charleston in a match-up between two teams ranked in the top five of the Division II National Coaches Poll. Middle attacker Oisin Walsh in the four-game victory also contributed a match-high six blocks and five kills on a team-best .625 attack percentage.