Off the Block

Tag: Lewis

  • Loyola hires highly regarded Lewis assistant coach McCarthy

    An AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year recipient will switch sides in one of the top in-state rivalries in college men’s volleyball.

    Matt McCarthy will depart Lewis to become the Loyola associate head coach, the Ramblers announced on Monday.

    McCarthy has spent the last nine seasons on the Flyers coaching staff and helped guide Lewis to three NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition, McCarthy was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015 as Lewis advanced to the NCAA Tournament finals.

    Lewis in each season with McCarthy won at least 19 wins and had players earn 19 All-American selections.

    “Matt has proven to be one of the best coaches in our game and we couldn’t be more excited to have him on our staff,” Loyola coach Mark Hulse said in a statement. “He’s found success both as a coach and as a player and he has a true passion to learn, innovate and develop young men and volleyball players in a mission-driven environment.”

    Along with his college coaching experience, McCarthy was an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team at the FIVB U21 World Championship last year.

    McCarthy before joining the Lewis coaching staff was a two-time All-MIVA middle attacker and helped lead Ball State to the MIVA Tournament finals in back-to-back seasons. He also was in the conference’s top five with more than a .400 attack percentage in both his junior and senior season.

    Loyola ended last season ranked in the top 10 of the national coaches poll and national media poll after reaching the MIVA Tournament finals. The Ramblers return multiple all-conference starters, including 2018 MIVA Freshman of the Year setter Garrett Zolg.

  • OTB, Springbak unveil 2018 Freshmen All-American Team


    A nationwide voting committee selected 10 players to the annual Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team.

    The Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team honors the top NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball freshmen players from the regular season. This is the fifth year Off the Block and Springbak, Inc. have presented the national honor, and it remains the only Freshmen All-American Team presented in college men’s volleyball. (more…)

  • Ohio State’s Szerszen makes history with third MIVA Player of Year

    Ohio State outside attacker Nicolas Szerszen is now in a category all by himself throughout the almost 60-year history of the MIVA.

    The senior All-American on Wednesday was named the 2018 MIVA Player of the Year to become the first three-time recipient of the award in the conference’s history. (more…)

  • UC Irvine falls out of top 10 in new strength of schedule rankings

    UC Irvine in the process of getting a non-conference during the weekend dropped out of the top 10 in a selection committee criteria category.

    The Anteaters fell two spots to No. 12 in the latest strength of schedule rankings that the NCAA released earlier this week. (more…)

  • Unanimous top two teams in latest Division II Coaches Poll

    Jonathan Bates | Off the Block associate editor

    The order remains the same in the latest Off the Block/Springbak Division II National Coaches Poll that was released Tuesday morning, but Lewis received all eight first-place votes and Concordia-Irvine received all eight second-place votes. (more…)

  • Lewis middle Murray named Springbak/OTB National Freshman of Week

    Photo courtesy of Lewis athletics

    Middle attack TJ Murray is the recipient of a college men’s volleyball national award after helping lead No. 10/9 Lewis to two critical conference victories.

    Off the Block announced Monday that Murray was selected as the Springbak/Off the Block National Freshman of the Week. (more…)

  • Top college men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    Photo courtesy of Lewis athletics.

    Check out all the matches today involving NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and how to follow them live. (more…)

  • UCLA tops latest strength of schedule rankings

    The toughest schedule in the nation so far this season belongs to UCLA.

    The Bruins were No. 1 in the season’s first official strength of schedule rankings that the NCAA released earlier this week. (more…)

  • Lewis no longer unanimous No. 1 in Division II poll

    Jonathan Bates | Off the Block associate editor

    There is no consensus among the voters for the No. 1 ranked team in the latest Off the Block/Springbak Division II National Coaches Poll that was released Tuesday morning. (more…)

  • Audio: Lewis coach Friend reacts to knocking off No. 4/4 Ohio State

    Check out Off the Block’s interview with coach Dan Friend after No. 9/8 Lewis swept No. 4/4 Ohio State on Thursday to become the first team in conference play to beat the Buckeyes in more than two years.