Off the Block

Category: MPSF

  • 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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  • 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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  • Legendary coach McGown selected to BYU Hall of Fame

    The founder of BYU men’s volleyball will be enshrined alongside the other great Cougar players and coaches.

    Former BYU head coach Carl McGown was recently selected to be inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame.

    McGown in his 14 seasons as the head coach built the BYU program from a club team to an annual nationally ranked team before retiring in 2002. The coach also guided to the team to NCAA championships in 1999 and 2001 and was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year twice.
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  • UC Irvine finishes home preseason tournament in last place

    The Anteaters playing mostly backups for the majority of their final match were unable to avoid a last-place finish at their preseason tournament.

    UC Irvine lost to Beijing BAIC Motor 25-27, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18 in the seventh-place championship match Saturday to finish the Irvine International Volleyball Tournament in eighth place.

    Outside attacker Jeremy Dejno was the lone Anteater who had significant playing time last season to play most of the match against Beijing.
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  • UC Irvine loses to Quiksilver, to play for 7th place at international tourney

    The Anteater alumni got the better of this year’s UC Irvine team.

    Quiksilver, a club team that included three former UC Irvine players, swept UC Irvine 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 in the fifth-place semifinals match Friday at the Irvine International Volleyball Tournament.
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  • UC Irvine looks for 5th place finish at its preseason tournament

    For the third consecutive season, UC Irvine will not have a medal finish at its preseason international tournament.

    UC Irvine finished Pool B in third place and will play Quicksilver on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Irvine International Volleyball Tournament.

    The Anteaters won their pool-play opener against Beijing BAIC Motor, a professional team from China, on Monday. However, UC Irvine in its final two pool-play matches blew a two-game lead against Toray Arrows from Japan and lost to Drean Bolivar from Argentina to drop out of medal consideration.
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  • UC Irvine can’t finish off Japan pro team, drops pool-play match at tourney

    UC Irvine was unable to close out its opponent and now its chances of making the semifinals at its preseason international tournament will come down to the pool-play finale.

    UC Irvine blew a two-game lead and lost to the Toray Arrows, a professional team from Japan, 22-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-13 on Tuesday at the Irvine International Volleyball Tournament.

    The Anteaters won the first two games with late-game kills from middle attacker Scott Kevorken and All-American outside attacker Carson Clark. Kevorken scored the final two points in the opening game on a kill and a block, while Clark had the game-winning in kill the second game.
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