Off the Block

Category: MIVA

  • Ohio State recruit wins USA Volleyball club division national championship

    Even the Buckeyes’ incoming recruits are winning national championships this year.

    Ohio State incoming freshman Michael Henchy helped Spectrum sweep APV 18-Errea 25-18, 25-18 to win the 18-Club Division championship at the 2011 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships on Saturday in Minneapolis.
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  • Setter Kehoe wins Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year award

    For the first time in school history, a volleyball player has been named the best male athlete at Ohio State.

    Senior setter Steven Kehoe was named the Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year on Wednesday after leading the Buckeyes to their first NCAA championship in program history.

    Kehoe finished the season fifth in the nation with a 11.56 assists per game average and was selected as the MIVA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The three-year starter was also named to the AVCA First-Team All American.
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  • AVCA releases 2011 high school boy’s volleyball All-American team

    Twenty incoming freshmen were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association High School Senior All-American Team on Wednesday.

    UC Irvine, Loyola and Pepperdine led all teams with two players selected as a First-Team All-American. Cal State Northridge also had a First-Team and Second-Team All-American selection, while UC San Diego had two players named Second-Team All-Americans.

    USC, Ohio State, Lewis, BYU, Juniata and Princeton each had one incoming recruit selected as an All-American.
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  • Ohio State’s Hanson named 2011 AVCA National Coach of the Year

    Add another national award for Ohio State this season.

    Ohio State coach Pete Hanson was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I-II Men’s National Coach of the Year on Wednesday after leading the Buckeyes to their first NCAA championship in program history.

    Ohio State defeated UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA championship match to become the first MIVA team to legally win a national title since volleyball became an NCAA sanctioned sport in 1970. The 28-year head coach also guided the Buckeyes to their fourth consecutive conference championship — the first time a program has won four consecutive MIVA titles since Ball State in the 1960s.
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  • Loyola’s Bunting wins 2011 Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year award

    Loyola outside attacker Mike Bunting is the inaugural winner of the Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year.

    Bunting defeated UC Irvine outside attacker Cory Yoder on Monday in the championship match of the Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year tournament, a competition that lets the fans determine the winner through online voting.

    More than 1,000 votes were cast in the championship match with Bunting receiving 63.9 percent of the vote to beat Yoder 818-463.
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  • NCAA championship postmatch news conference: Ohio State vs. UC Santa Barbara

    Ohio State for the first time in its 43-year program history is the national champion.

    Ohio State defeated UC Santa Barbara 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9 in the men’s volleyball NCAA championship match on Saturday in University Park, Pa., to become the first Midwest school to win the national title.

    Buckeye setter Steven Kehoe was named the NCAA Tournament MVP as he guided the offense to out-hit the Gauchos .329 to .198. In addition, four Ohio State players finished the match with at least 10 kills, including outside attacker Shawn Sangrey who had a match-high 30 kills.

    Check out the what the players and coaches had to say afterward in the postmatch news conference.
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  • OH-IO: Buckeyes beat Gauchos in 5 games to win 2011 national championship

    For the first time in its program history, Ohio State is the national champions.

    Ohio State defeated UC Santa Barbara 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9 in the men’s volleyball NCAA championship match on Saturday in University Park, Pa., to become the first Midwest school to win the national title.
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  • Live chat: Ohio State vs. UC Santa Barbara championship match

    Off the Block will be providing live coverage to the NCAA Tournament championship match between the No. 3 seed Ohio State and No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara.

    Ohio State (25-6, 11-1 MIVA) defeated Penn State in the semifinals and is seeking to become the first MIVA team to legally win a NCAA championship. UC Santa Barbara (18-14, 11-11 MPSF) upset top-ranked USC in its semifinals match and if it won tonight would become the first team with more than 12 losses to win the national title.

    The match starts at 7 p.m. (EST). Check out the live chat below for instant updates and to interact with other fans or pose questions for Off the Block to answer.
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  • The men’s volleyball NCAA championship match to follow tonight

    By the end of tonight Ohio State or UC Santa Barbara will be celebrating its first national championship in program history.

    The No. 3 seed Buckeyes will play the No. 4 Gauchos seed in the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament championship match tonight in University Park, Pa, after both teams pulled upsets in the semifinals. This is fifth time UC Santa Barbara has reached the national championship match while Ohio State will make its third appearance in the 42-year history of the NCAA Tournament.

    The championship match will begin at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN2.

    Here’s what to know about NCAA Tournament championship match that volleyball and non-volleyball fans need to follow tonight.
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  • Initial look at the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament championship match

    One match is left in the 2011 season to decide the men’s volleyball national champion.

    Ohio State and UC Santa Barbara will play in the NCAA championship match at 7 p.m. Saturday in University Park, Pa. Here is an initial look and historical information you need to know heading into the championship match.
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