The United States hopes of winning the World University Games men’s volleyball gold medal have ended in the preliminary round.
The United States lost to Thailand 25-15, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23 on Wednesday in Shenzhen, China in its pool-play finale and failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
The top two teams in each pool following the five-match pool-play round advanced to the quarterfinals of the international tournament.
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It did not take long for the United States to regain any confidence it lost and remain alive for the gold medal at the World University Games.
One day after losing its first match of the tournament, the United States swept the United Arab Emirates 25-21, 25-13, 25-20 on Tuesday in Shenzhen, China to stay in contention for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The top two teams from each pool at the end of the five-match pool-play round will advance to the quarterfinals.
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For the first time in the history of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic, a team from the Conference Carolinas will compete in the non-conference tournament.
The Volleyball Hall of Fame informed Off the Block during the weekend that Lees-McRae is one of the four teams selected to play in the 2012 Morgan Classic Invitational.
Along with Lees-McRae, Springfield, UC Santa Cruz and the defending-tournament champions Cal Baptist will play in the Morgan Classic on Feb. 10-11, 2012, in Massachusetts.
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The United States path to the gold medal at the World University Games just became a little more challenging.
Entering the match tied for first place in its pool, the United States lost to the Czech Republic 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-27, 15-13 on Monday in Shenzhen, China to drop into third place.
The top two teams in each pool at the end of the five-match pool-play round will advance to the World University Games quarterfinals.
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Hawai’i hired from within its men’s volleyball program to fill its assistant coaching void.
The Hawai’i athletics department announced Friday that Vernon Podlewski, a former Warrior and U.S. Men’s National Team member, has been promoted to an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Podlewski spent the previous season as a volunteer assistant coach and primarily worked with the players on their defense and passing skills.
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UCLA middle attacker Thomas Amberg block kept the United States’ record perfect at the World University Games.
Amberg had a match-high eight blocks as the United States swept Turkey 25-18, 25-9, 25-20 to remain undefeated in pool-play at the international tournament on Saturday in Shenzhen, China.
The United States (2-0, 2-0 Pool D) out-blocked Turkey 12-2 in the victory. In addition, Amberg’s UCLA teammate Wes Dunlap was second on the United States with two blocks.
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One of the best men’s volleyball setters in NJIT history will return to the team as an assistant coach.
The NJIT athletics department announced Wednesday that it hired Pedro Trevino to join the Highlanders’ coaching staff for the upcoming season.
Trevino, a four-year starting setter from 1997-2000, finished his final two season with NJIT in the nation’s top 10 in assists per game average and was selected to the All-EIVA team.
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The NCAA placing a greater emphasis on academic performance could make some men’s volleyball team in the future ineligible for the postseason.
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors unanimously voted Thursday to raise the Academic Progress Rate benchmark from 900 to 930 and would require teams to meet the new benchmark in order to participate in the postseason.
“This is about the academic performance of all of our students in all of our sports,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “This is about the academic expectations we have for all of our student-athletes.”
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