Check out all the NCAA Tournament opening-round matches to follow today and how to follow the matches live.
UC Irvine (19-10, 7-3 Big West) vs. Penn State (23-6, 10-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 6 p.m. in Los Angeles
Follow live: Live stats, Live video (ESPN+)
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: UC Irvine swept Penn State in the 2024 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
All-time series: UC Irvine leads 9-6
How they got here: Penn State defeated Princeton in the EIVA Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. UC Irvine after losing to Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament semifinals received an at-large bid.
What’s next: The winner will advance to play the No. 1 seed UCLA.
NCAA Tournament record: UC Irvine (9-4); Penn State (19-35)
NCAA Tournament appearances: UC Irvine (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2024, 2026); 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, 2025, 2026)
NCAA Tournament titles: UC Irvine (2007, 2019, 2012, 2013); Penn State (1994, 2008)
UC Irvine player accolades this season: Will D’Arcy (First-Team All-Big West); Andrej Jokanovic (First-Team All-Big West, Big West All-Freshman Team); Shane Aitken (All-Big West Honorable Mention); Trevor Clark (All-Big West Honorable Mention); Cameron Kotsy (Big West All-Freshman Team)
Penn State player accolades this season: Sean Harvey (EIVA Player of the Year, First-Team All-EIVA); Owen Rose (First Team All-EIVA); Ryan Merk (First-Team All-EIVA); Gaige Gabriel (Second-Team All-EIVA); Matthew Luoma (Second-Team All-EIVA); Michael Schwob (Second-Team All-EIVA); Tristan Hassell (All-EIVA Honorable Mention)
What to know: It’s one final NCAA Tournament for Mark Pavlik as the Hall of Fame Penn State coach announced he will retire at the end of the season. Pavlik with this trip to the NCAA Tournament ties former UCLA coach Al Scates for the most NCAA Tournament appearances by a head coach in college men’s volleyball history. Penn State leads the nation in blocking highlighted with middle attacker Owen Rose having a nation-best 1.49 blocks per game average. UC Irvine enters the NCAA Tournament having hit less than .300 in four consecutive matches.
Loyola (20-8, 12-4 MIVA) vs. Saint Francis (18-11, 10-2 NEC)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. Friday in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live video (ESPN+)
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: Loyola swept Saint Francis last season.
All-time series: Loyola leads 17-2
How they got here: Saint Francis defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the NEC Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. Loyola after losing to Ball State in the MIVA Tournament finals received an at-large bid.
What’s next: The winner will advance to play the No. 2 seed Long Beach State.
NCAA Tournament record: Loyola (5-2); Saint Francis (0-0)
NCAA Tournament appearances: Loyola (2013, 2014, 2015, 2025, 2026); Saint Francis (2026)
NCAA Tournament titles: Loyola (2014, 2015); Saint Francis (none)
Loyola player accolades this season: Daniel Fabikovic (First-Team All-MIVA); Aidan Klein (First-Team All-MIVA); Josh Schellinger (First-Team All-MIVA); Oskar Berg Mikkelsen (Second-Team All-MIVA); Ryan McElligott (Second-Team All-MIVA)
Saint Francis player accolades this season: Kyle Charles (First-Team All-NEC); Cole Dorn (First-Team All-NEC); Brady Stump (First-Team All-NEC)
What to know: Loyola has its complete starting lineup back for one of the few times this season. Opposite Aleksander Sosa returned to court for the MIVA Tournament semifinals against Lewis after missing two months with an injury and finished with a match-high 17 kills on a .333 attack percentage. This also could be the final match for Saint Francis in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball. The school announced last year that this will be its final season at Division I and is in the midst of a transition to Division III.
USC (19-7, 9-5 MPSF) vs. Belmont Abbey (20-5, 13-1 ConfCarolinas)
Match vitals: 5 p.m. in Honolulu
Follow live: Live stats, Live video (ESPN+)
Season series: Did not play each other this season
All-time series: First all-time meeting
How they got here: Belmont Abbey defeated Mount Olive in the ConfCarolinas Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. USC after losing to UCLA in the MPSF Tournament finals received an at-large bid.
What’s next: The winner will advance to play the No. 2 seed Hawai’i.
NCAA Tournament record: USC (17-11); Belmont Abbey (0-3)
NCAA Tournament appearances: USC (1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2026); Belmont Abbey (2021, 2024, 2025, 2026)
NCAA Tournament titles: USC (1977, 1980, 1988, 1990); Belmont Abbey (none)
USC player accolades this season: Dillon Klein (First-Team All-MPSF); Wesley Smith (Second-Team All-MPSF); Sterling Foley (All-MPSF Honorable Mention) Parker Tomkinson (All-MPSF Honorable Mention); Johnny Dykstra (All-MPSF Honorable Mention) Cooper Keane (MPSF All-Freshman Team)
Belmont Abbey player accolades this season: Caden Day (ConfCarolinas Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Jibriel Elhaddad (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Joseph Morris (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Zach Puentes (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas); Alejando Leon (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
What to know: USC outside attacker Dillon Klein is in the nation’s top 20 with both a 3.89 kills per game average and a .346 attack percentage. The All-American, though, in the MPSF Tournament held to less than a .200 attack percentage in back-to-back matches for the time this season. Belmont Abbey is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and is not only attempting to win its first NCAA Tournament match but its first NCAA Tournament set in program history. Outside attacker Caden Day leads the Crusaders and is second in the ConfCarolinas with a 3.32 kills per game average.
Pepperdine (23-6, 13-1 MPSF) vs. Fort Valley State (14-12 SIAC)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Noblesville, Indiana
Follow live: Live stats, Live video (ESPN+)
Season series: Did not play each other this season
All-time series: Pepperdine leads 1-0
Last meeting: Pepperdine swept Fort Valley State in its 2024 season opener.
How they got here: Fort Valley State defeated Central State in the SIAC Tournament finals to win the conference’s automatic bid. Pepperdine after losing to USC in the MPSF Tournament semifinals received an at-large bid.
What’s next: The winner will advance to play the No. 4 seed Ball State.
NCAA Tournament record: Pepperdine (19-14); Fort Valley State (0-2)
NCAA Tournament appearances: Pepperdine (1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984 1985, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026); Fort Valley State (2024, 2025, 2026)
NCAA Tournament titles: Pepperdine (1978, 1985, 1986, 1992, 2005); Fort Valley State (none)
Pepperdine player accolades this season: Cole Hartke (First-Team All-MPSF); Ryan Barnett (First-Team All-MPSF); Andrej Polomac (Second-Team All-MPSF); Jose Gomez (MPSF All-Freshman Team, All-MPSF Honorable Mention); Jacob Reilly (All-MPSF Honorable Mention); James Eadie (All-MPSF Honorable Mention); Noe Matthey (MPSF All-Freshman Team)
Fort Valley State player accolades this season: Isaiah Fedd (SIAC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SIAC); Jamari Griffin (First-Team All-SIAC); Taviian Martin (First-Team All-SIAC); Logan Rogers (SIAC Freshman of the Year, Second-Team All-SIAC); Keaton Long (Second-Team All-SIAC); Muhammad Mbaye (Second-Team All-SIAC); Constantine Ononye (Second-Team All-SIAC)
What to know: Pepperdine opposite Cole Hartke leads the nation with a 4.39 kills per game average on a .352 attack percentage. Hartke had at least 20 kills in seven matches this season highlighted with a match-high 23 kills in an upset victory against UCLA in April. Fort Valley State outside attacker Fedd leads the SIAC and is in the nation’s top 25 with a 3.63 kills per game average, including having 33 combined kills in the SIAC Tournament. The senior also had a team-high 14 kills on a .357 attack percentage against Long Beach State in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals last season.