
There’s no question who is the preseason favorite to win the national title.
The defending NCAA champions Long Beach State received every first-place vote to finish atop the preseason AVCA National Coaches Poll that was released on Tuesday. (more…)

There’s no question who is the preseason favorite to win the national title.
The defending NCAA champions Long Beach State received every first-place vote to finish atop the preseason AVCA National Coaches Poll that was released on Tuesday. (more…)

Loyola isn’t wasting any time in the 2019 season playing a marquee non-conference match.
The defending co-MIVA regular season champions announced on Sunday that it will play UC Irvine in its season opener on Jan. 4 in Chicago. (more…)

[Editor’s note: Off the Block in collaboration with the EIVA is presenting The Top 15 EIVA Non-Conference Matches. This list spotlights the best non-conference matches scheduled for EIVA teams in 2019 and will be the first time several of these matches have been publicly announced. George Mason versus UC Irvine is ranked No. 2 on the list.]
George Mason will get a shot on its home court next season to end the 24-year drought against a likely preseason top-10 nationally ranked team. (more…)

[Editor’s note: Off the Block in collaboration with the EIVA is presenting The Top 15 EIVA Non-Conference Matches. This list spotlights the best non-conference matches scheduled for EIVA teams in 2019 and will be the first time several of these matches have been publicly announced. Charleston versus UC Irvine is ranked No. 13 on the list.]
The second time traveling out west in Charleston’s program history will feature a match against a likely top-10 national ranked team. (more…)

Two NCAA men’s volleyball players have been selected to play for Canada as the country tries to qualify for the 2019 FIVB U21 World Championship.
UC Irvine opposite Alexandre Nsakanda and Stanford libero Justin Lui were among the players named to the Canadian Men’s Junior National Team that announced its roster earlier this week. (more…)
Freshman opposite Jake Hanes had a match-high 22 kills and set a NCAA Tournament single-match record with eight aces as Ohio State beat UC Irvine on Tuesday.
Check out the video highlights of this NCAA Tournament first-round match filmed by Off the Block associate editor Jonathan Bates. (more…)
Watch the postmatch news conference with UC Irvine players and coach David Kniffin following the team’s five-game loss to Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament first round on Tuesday. (more…)

Brendan Yu | Off the Block special contributor
The NCAA Tournament first round on Tuesday in the Pauley Pavilion featured a slugfest between two heavyweights in the world of men’s volleyball – UC Irvine and Ohio State – whom together have combined for seven of the last 10 national championships. But while the Anteaters held more titles than the Buckeyes (4-3), the recent success of both programs couldn’t have been more different. (more…)

Outside attacker Nicolas Szerszen delivered at least one more memorable performance in his All-American college career.
The senior had the match-winning kill in a fifth-game overtime as Ohio State defeated UC Irvine 25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14 in the NCAA Tournament first round on Tuesday in Los Angeles. (more…)