Off the Block

Tag: Ball State

  • 5 storylines for men’s volleyball fans to follow this NCAA women’s volleyball season

    With the start of the NCAA women’s volleyball season today, it means the men’s volleyball season is about four months away from beginning.

    It’s still the offseason, but men’s and women’s volleyball do not exist completely separate of each other — and there are plenty of tie-ins for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow during the 2011 women’s volleyball season.

    Check out the top five storylines for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow this women’s volleyball season.
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  • Lindenwood beefs up 2012 schedule in preparation of joining NCAA

    One year away from joining the NCAA, the NAIA national finalists Lindenwood increased the strength of its 2012 schedule with more NCAA opponents.

    Lindenwood last week released its schedule for the upcoming season that will feature 11 matches against NCAA Division I-II teams — a five-match increase from the previous season.

    Lindenwood is entering second year of a four-year transition period from the NAIA to becoming a NCAA Division II member. This will be the final season that Lindenwood will compete in the NAIA before becoming a provisional NCAA member for the 2013 men’s volleyball season.
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  • Lewis releases 2012 schedule: 5 things to know about this schedule

    Six non-conference matches against teams likely to be nationally ranked highlights Lewis’ 2012 season as the team Wednesday released its regular season schedule for the upcoming season.

    Lewis finished last season No. 13 in the final coaches poll and lost to the NCAA champions Ohio State in the MIVA Tournament semifinals. Flyers coach Dan Friend has six starters returning for last year’s team, including First-Team All-MIVA outside attacker Jay Petty.

    Check out the five things to take away from Lewis’ schedule for the 2012 season.
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  • NCAA awards prestigious scholarship to former Ball State player Nelson

    A former Ball State All-American middle attacker received a prestigious NCAA scholarship to help continue his education.

    The Ball State athletics department announced Wednesday that Anders Nelson was named a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

    The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship is a one-time $7,5000 scholarship awarded to a student-athlete based on their athletic and academic achievements, leadership skills, community service and campus involvement. The NCAA awards up to 48 scholarships to student-athlets in each of the fall, winter and spring college sports seasons.
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  • Ball State vs. IPFW rivalry ranked one of best Indiana sporting events

    The Ball State and IPFW men’s volleyball rivalry is among the top 10 best sporting events in Indiana, according to a recent newspaper poll.

    The News-Sentinel, a national award winning newspaper in Fort Wayne, Ind., ranked the Cardinals and Mastodons rivalry on Tuesday the seventh best sporting event that a Hoosier should attend in their lifetime.

    Ball State and IPFW are the only two Division I-II men’s volleyball teams in Indiana and have combined to win 26 MIVA championships.
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  • Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year: Round 2

    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.

    After the first round, 32 players remain in the only national player of the year award that is completely determined by the fans.

    The online voting for the 16 second-round matches will end at 11 p.m. Thursday. The winners will advance to the third round Friday.

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

    [Editor’s note: The poll results for the second round matches Murphy Troy vs. Joshua Walker and Joe Sander vs. Jay Petty are not appearing for some people when viewing this page. Walker defeated Troy 147-132 and Sander defeated Petty 144-37.]

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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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  • AVCA releases 2011 men’s volleyball All-American teams

    The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its men’s volleyball Division I-II All-American teams on Thursday.

    USC led all teams with three All-American selections — two First-Team All-Americans and a Second-Team All-American.

    The Trojans became the first team in 16 years to be ranked No. 1 from the preseason through the end of the regular season. All six of its starters also received all-conference accolades last week.

    Along with USC, Penn State and BYU had three All-American selections. The Nittany Lions and Cougars both had a First-Team All-American and two Second-Team All-Americans.

    UC Santa Barbara, Stanford and UC Irvine all had two players named All-Americans.

    A voting committee comprised of nine men’s volleyball coaches selected the All-American teams. The committee included Penn State coach Mark Pavlik, George Mason coach Fred Chao, Loyola coach Shane Davis, USC coach Bill Ferguson, Lewis coach Dan Friend, Stanford coach John Kotsy, UC Santa Barbara coach UC Santa Barbara, St. Francis coach Mike Rumbaugh and Ball State coach Joel Walton.

    Check out the players who received All-American honors this year.
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  • Winners announced for EIVA, MIVA, MPSF Reporters of the Year

    The Daily Trojan reporter Sean McCormick, The Daily Collegian reporter Joe McIntyre and The Ball State Daily News reporter Andrew Mishler were selected as the Off the Block Men’s Volleyball Conference Reporters of the Year.

    The Off the Block Men’s Volleyball Conference Reporters of the Year recognizes the best college newspaper reporters in the EIVA, MIVA and MPSF.
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