There is only one match between two top 10 ranked teams tonight, but as today has shown rankings are not needed for intrigue.
No. 9 Penn State this afternoon survived in five games against Lees-McRae, which was attempting to be the first team from the Conference Carolinas to defeat a top 10 ranked team. In addition, one week ago all five of the top ranked lost, with four of them losing to teams outside of the top 10.
Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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No. 5 Ohio State (10-2, 4-0 MIVA) remained undefeated in conference play as it swept Ball State (6-5, 1-2 MIVA) 25-16, 25-21, 28-26 on Friday at Worthen Arena.
With this victory the Buckeyes extended their nation-best winning streak to 10 matches and will likely remain in the top five of next week’s national rankings. This was also the ninth consecutive match that Ball State has lost to Ohio State — the worst losing streak against the Buckeyes in Cardinals’ 47-year program history.
Check out this postmatch press conference with Ball State coach Joel Walton as he discusses his team’s struggles in the match, some positives they can take from the loss and if this is the best Ohio State he has ever seen.
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There is a legitimate national championship contender at Ohio State, besides the teams on the football field and basketball court.
After losing its first two matches of the season, the No. 5 Ohio State men’s volleyball team (9-2, 3-0 MIVA) has won its last nine matches, including victories against No. 8 UC Irvine, No. 9 Penn State and Cal State Northridge in the last two weeks. In addition, the Buckeyes are in first place in the MIVA and received a first-place vote in both the coaches and media polls this week.
Off the Block conducted an interview earlier this week with Ohio State coach Pete Hanson to discuss his team’s recent success and the possibility of this being a national championship team.
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A day after one of the most historical nights of upsets in NCAA men’s volleyball history that featured all five top ranked teams losing, Saturday’s lineup is almost just as intriguing.
Everything from conference rivalries to teams in dire need to pick up a victory highlights tonight’s schedule.
Check out the top five matches to follow tonight as this chaotic weekend in men’s volleyball begins to wind down.
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One of the biggest surprise teams this season has been No. 2 Long Beach State — just don’t tell that to any of the 49er players or coaching staff.
After being projected in the preseason poll to finish the MPSF in ninth place, Long Beach State (6-3, 5-1 MPSF) is in second place in the conference and swept the defending NCAA champions Stanford in its most recent match. That victory also extended the 49ers’ winning streak to four matches.
The early season success has surprised most people, except for 49ers interim head coach Andy Read and his players.
Following a bye week and with Long Beach State preparing for its match against Cal State Northridge on Friday, Off the Block conducted an interview with Read to discuss the team’s recent success.
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It’s not often that MPSF schools travel outside the West Coast.
However, this weekend four MPSF schools have traveled to the Midwest and East Coast to play in non-conference matches against EIVA and MIVA teams. This is by far the best non-conference weekend of the season with matches ranging from three nationally ranked teams meeting up in University Park, Pa., to No. 4 Stanford playing Loyola in the dreadful Alumni Gym where numerous road teams have struggled in recent years.
Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches you need to follow tonight.
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