Off the Block

Tag: Lewis

  • Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    Multiple conference titles could be clinched tonight.

    No. 1 USC, No. 9 Penn State and Mount Olive can all clinch conference regular season title with victories today. Along with these teams, No. 6 Ohio State has a chance to become the first time in more than 10 years to finish the MIVA undefeated.

    Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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  • Live chat: Ball State vs. Lewis

    Off the Block is at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind., to cover live the men’s volleyball match between Ball State and Lewis. Check out the live chat below for instant updates and to interact with other fans or pose questions for Off the Block to answer.

    Click here for the live chat Ball State vs. Lewis

  • Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    This week has been anything but dull in men’s volleyball.

    Five top-10 ranked teams will be in action tonight, one day after four teams ranked in the media poll all lost. No. 4 BYU playing No. 6 Hawai’i is the only match between two top 10 teams. However, not to be overlooked is No. 1 USC playing against the only team it lost to this season and a Hall of Fame coach being on the verge of achieving a milestone.

    Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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  • My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

    The madness of March hit men’s volleyball this weekend and the aftermath is now being felt in the polls.

    Three top 10 ranked teams dropped in the media poll after losing matches, including BYU and Stanford that both lost to unranked teams. In addition, several teams made significant gains in the poll with Ohio State receiving its highest national ranking in program history at No. 2 and Hawai’i jumping four spots to No. 6.

    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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  • Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    The madness of March has surprisingly hit men’s volleyball.

    One day after No. 2 BYU lost to an unranked team and No. 6 Long Beach State lost on its home court, the two teams will look to salvage the weekend to avoid a significant drop in the polls. In addition, tonight features several interesting non-conference matches as a Hall of Fame coach attempts to get a milestone win and No. 3 Stanford returns to the court after a 14-day layoff.

    Check out the top five matches to follow tonight.
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  • My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

    Weeks featuring a significant amount of non-conference matches can lead to some of the biggest changes in a poll — and last week was no different.

    With everything from a top-five team losing to an unranked opponent to UCLA eking out two five-game victories at home against some of the best EIVA and MIVA teams, there was a significant amount of movement in the bottom of my top 10 ballot this week.

    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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  • Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    One of the biggest non-conference weeks of the season will come to a close tonight.

    Following Penn State and Lewis defeating two top 10 ranked MPSF teams in the Active Ankle Challenge, the EIVA and MIVA teams will each play another nationally ranked West Coast team tonight. Not to be overlooked in conference play, though, is a match between two of most efficient offensive teams in the nation as No. 1 USC and No. 7 UC Irvine play each other.

    Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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  • Top 5 men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight

    It’s Spring Break and the Midwest and East Coast men’s volleyball teams are fleeing to the warm weather of California.

    With about five EIVA and MIVA teams playing against California teams this week, Mid-March is typically when teams will schedule non-conference road trips coinciding with its Spring Break. Highlighting this week of non-conference play is the four-team Active Ankle Challenge at Long Beach State, which opens with the only match tonight between teams ranked in the top 10. In addition, No. 8 UCLA tonight plays its final non-conference match at Pauley Pavillion before the stadium later this year for renovations.

    Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
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  • Q&A with UC Santa Barbara coach Rick McLaughlin

    Coach Rick McLaughlin and his UC Santa Barbara team main goal entering this season was to make the MPSF Tournament — it was a lofty goal given the program’s recent history.

    The No. 6 Gauchos had missed the eight-team conference tournament for the last five years — the third longest active streak in the MPSF. With six conference matches remaining, though, UC Santa Barbara (11-8, 9-7 MPSF) is in sixth place in the MPSF and poised to qualify for its first postseason tournament since 2006.

    In addition, UC Santa Barbara has been ranked as high as No. 3 this season. It is also the only team in the nation to have two players, Jeff Menzel and Cullen Irons, ranked in the nation’s top 20 for kills per game average.

    Off the Block conducted an interview with McLaughlin earlier this week to discuss the chances of UC Santa Barbara making the postseason and possibility of making a run deep in the conference tournament.
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  • My men’s volleyball media poll ballot

    The aftermath of No. 1 versus No. 2 resulted in little change to the men’s volleyball media poll.

    USC remains the only team to be ranked No. 1 this season after winning both matches in five games against BYU during the weekend, while the Cougars stays at No. 2 following the road losses. Despite little change at the top, the bottom of the ranking saw some movement with UCLA jumping ahead of Penn State to No. 8 and Hawai’i breaking back into the top 10 after a one-week absence.

    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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