Off the Block

Author: vinnielopes

  • Northridge, UCLA cap strong preseason start at USC Fall Invite

    After finishing last season tied for last place in the MPSF, Cal State Northridge opened its preseason undefeated at the USC Fall Invitational.

    The Matadors won all four of their matches Saturday to end the two-day preseason tournament 6-0 — the only team to finish undefeated.

    Cal State Northridge defeated three teams that reached the 2011 MPSF Tournament, including the host team USC. In addition, freshman outside attacker Julius Hoefer had match-high 17 kills in a victory against Lewis.
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  • Long Beach, Northridge dominate opening day of USC Fall Invite

    Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge both remain undefeated after the opening day of the USC Fall Invitational.

    Long Beach State, which reached the MPSF Tournament semifinals last season, opened its preseason Friday with a sweep against USC and then defeated UCLA in three games. In addition, Cal State Northridge after missing the conference tournament last year, swept Lewis and Cal Baptist in its first two matches of the tournament.

    Along with Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge, USC and UCLA split their two matches Friday.
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  • Trojans to unveil new look squad at preseason USC Fall Invitational

    Opponents and fans will get their first look at a rebuilt USC team this weekend.

    After losing three All-Americans from a team that reached the Final Four last season, the Trojans will open their preseason Friday at home with the USC Fall Invitational.

    USC coach Bill Ferguson said Thursday that he expects to use multiple lineups in the Trojans’ five matches during the two-day preseason tournament at the Galen Center Pavilion.
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  • Top USC recruit Christenson to battle in preseason for starting setter

    A top freshman recruit will be on the USC roster for the upcoming season.

    USC coach Bill Ferguson said Thursday that freshman setter Micah Christenson, the 2011 Honolulu Star-Advertiser Boys Volleyball Player of the Year, will not be redshirted and could be in the starting lineup for the 2012 season.

    Christenson will compete against junior Jeff Carlson throughout the preseason for the Trojans’ starting setter position, Ferguson said.
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  • Ball State releases 2012 schedule: 5 things to know about this schedule

    A non-conference match against Cal State Northridge and a rematch against Ohio State highlights the 2012 Ball State regular season schedule that the team released Tuesday.

    Ball State finished last season third in the MIVA and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals. The Cardinals have five starters returning for the upcoming season, including All-MIVA outside attacker Larry Wrather.

    Check out the five things to take away from Ball State’s schedule for the 2012 season.
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  • Two Lewis conference matches in 2012 to air on regional TV

    Lewis will have two regionally televised matches in the upcoming season.

    The Flyers athletics department recently announced that Lewis’ home matches against MIVA rivals Ohio State and Ball State in 2012 will be televised on Lakeshore Public Television.

    The Lakeshore Public Television is a station available in 3.5 million households through DirecTV and the Dish Network. It also is available on cable in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana.
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  • Former All-American Tanner enshrined into Waves hall of fame

    A former multiple All-American and NCAA champion received one of the highest honors for a Pepperdine athlete.

    Former Waves men’s volleyball player and college assistant coach Troy Tanner was formally inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame on Sunday.

    Tanner was a three-time All-American outside attacker and setter during his college career from 1983-87. After redshirting as sophomore in 1984, Tanner returned to the court and helped guide the Waves to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1985 and 1986.
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  • Cal Baptist releases 2012 schedule: 5 things to know about this schedule

    More matches against Division I-II nationally ranked teams and two non-conference tournaments on the East Coast highlights the 2012 Cal Baptist regular season schedule that the team released Friday.

    Cal Baptist last year in its final season as an NAIA team won the NAIA national championship. The Lancers enter the second year of their transition to the NCAA Division II and will be considered a NCAA provisional member ineligible for postseason competition in 2012.

    Cal Baptist has four starters returning for the upcoming season, including the 2011 NAIA Player of the Year Levi Cabral.
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  • 4 MPSF players included on final U.S. Pan Am Games Team roster

    Four West Coast college players will represent the United States at one of the top international tournaments of the year.

    USA Volleyball announced Thursday that UCLA setter Kyle Caldwell, USC outside attacker Tony Ciarelli, Cal State Northridge outside attacker Matt Stork and UCLA middle attacker Nick Vogel made the U.S. roster for the 2011 Pan American Games.

    Caldwell, Ciarelli, Stork and Vogel were four of 11 players selected to the U.S. Men’s Pan American Games team for the international tournament later this month in Guadalajara, Mexico. The initial U.S. roster revealed last week had 19 players, including 10 current college men’s volleyball players.
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  • USA Volleyball announces initial roster for Pan Am Games

    Ten current college men’s volleyball players will have a chance to represent the United States at an international tournament later this month.

    USA Volleyball last week revealed its 19-player preliminary roster for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

    UC Irvine led all schools with three current players — outside attacker Carson Clark, outside attacker Jeremy Dejno and middle attacker Scott Kevorken — selected to the initial roster.
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