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Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year: Round 1

Off the Block created the bracket and seeded 64 of the best college men’s volleyball players. Now it’s up to you determine who should be the Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year.

The Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year tournament is the only contest that allows the fans to completely determine who should be the national player of the year.

The online voting for the 32 first-round matches will end at 11 p.m. Wednesday. The winners will advance to the second round Thursday.

Check out the first-round online ballots below and vote for the players who you think should move to the next round.

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Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year tournament to begin Wednesday

The Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year will begin Wednesday, giving fans from around the nation the opportunity to determine the best college men’s volleyball player during the 2011 season.

Off the Block has created a six-round 64-player bracket tournament matching up the best men’s volleyball players. Now it’s up to the fans through online voting to determine who should be the winner of each match-up.

Every round will last one day with the polls closing at 11 p.m. (EST). The player with the most votes when the polls close will advance to the next round.
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Q&A with UCLA coach Al Scates about his upcoming retirement

Fifty years as UCLA’s head coach is long enough for Hall of Famer Al Scates.

Scates, the winningest coach in NCAA volleyball history, announced Tuesday that he would retire following the 2012 season.

As the only men’s volleyball head coach in UCLA history, Scates won a college volleyball record 19 NCAA championships and more than 1,200 matches. The Bruins have also had 52 First-Team All-Americnas, 27 Olympians and seven National Player of the Year awards during the head coach’s tenure.

Off the Block conducted an interview with Scates on Thursday to discuss why he decided to retire, the affect his retirement could have on the upcoming season and who could replace him as the next Bruins’ head coach.
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Nittany Lions coach Pavlik says hosting NCAA Tournament success for Penn State

Penn State did not win the national championship, but off the court the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament was a success.

Nittany Lions coach Mark Pavlik said Monday that he was extremely happy with the job the Penn State athletics department did at hosting the four-team NCAA Tournament last week.

“Everything they could do to positively impact the event they did, and everything they did it was to give the student athletes the best possible experience,” he said. “I really believed the guys walked out of the gym saying this is what the national championship should be. I really tip my hats off to their efforts, working with USA Volleyball and making it a celebration of men’s and boy’s volleyball.”
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Hall of Fame UCLA coach Scates will retire at end of 2012 season

The most successful coach in NCAA men’s volleyball history will retire following the 2012 season.

The UCLA athletics department announced Tuesday that Hall of Fame coach Al Scates will retire on June 30, 2012 after 50 years with the the Bruins.

“It is a privilege to coach the fine men that have participated and continue to compete for UCLA volleyball,” Scates said in a statement. “I have enjoyed being a continuous member of UCLA volleyball since I walked onto the team as a junior in 1959. … And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
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My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

There will not be any type of split national champion in men’s volleyball this season.

Ohio State received every first-place vote to be ranked No. 1 in the final men’s volleyball media poll released Tuesday.

Ohio State defeated UC Santa Barbara in five games in the NCAA championship match to become first MIVA team to win a national title in the 42 years of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes jumped up six spots to No. 1 from the last media poll that was released at the end of the regular season.

Check out this week’s top 10 men’s volleyball media poll and my ballot with explanations on why ranked each team where I did.
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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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