Off the Block

Tag: UC Santa Barbara

  • Former Gaucho Menzel leads USA in sweep vs. Mexico in World Games opener

    Former UC Santa Barbara outside attacker Jeff Menzel in his World University Games debut picked up right where he left off from the NCAA postseason.

    Menzel had a match-high 15 kills as the United States swept Mexico 25-17, 25-23, 25-15 in its pool-play opener at the World University Games on Friday in Shenzhen, China.

    Menzel was one of 12 current or recently graduated college men’s volleyball players selected to represent the United States at the international tournament, after he led the Gauchos to the 2011 NCAA championship match. The senior outside attacker had a more than 100 postseason kills as UC Santa Barbara upset three top-five ranked teams to reach its first Final Four in more than 20 years.
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  • The aftermath of the World Championship: 5 things to take away from Team USA

    The World Championship ended Wednesday, but there are many things college men’s volleyball teams and fans should take away from the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team’s performance.

    No. 9 United States reached the final four for the first time in World Championship history before losing to No. 1 Argentina in the semifinals and No. 5 Serbia in the bronze medal game. The United States roster was comprised of 15 current college men’s volleyball players and four incoming freshmen.

    Check out the top five things to take away from the World Championship for the upcoming NCAA men’s volleyball season in January.
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  • USA Volleyball reveals roster for 2011 World University Games

    Five current college men’s volleyball players and seven recent graduates will represent the United States at the World University Games.

    USA Volleyball announced Monday its 12-player roster and six alternates for the 2011 World University Games on Aug. 12-23 in Shenzhen, China.

    “The team motto is ‘The Tradition Continues,’” head coach Gordon Mayforth said in a statement released Monday. “The USA has had a long tradition of doing well at this event. When you read the players and names on the list, I think we should expect to be in the mix.”
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  • Big Ten Network to rebroadcast Ohio State vs. UC Santa Barbara title match

    A national cable network will rebroadcast Ohio State winning its first national championship.

    The 2011 NCAA national championship match between Ohio State and UC Santa Barbara will be rebroadcasted at 7 p.m. (ET) Thursday on the Big Ten Network.

    The No. 3 seed Ohio State defeated the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara in five games in May to win its first national title in program history. With the victory, the Buckeyes also became the first Midwest men’s volleyball team to legally win a NCAA championship.
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  • 11 incoming freshmen win USA Volleyball junior national championship

    Eleven incoming Division I-II freshmen men’s volleyball players ended their junior careers as national champions.

    Balboa Bay 18 Quiksilver swept Santa Monica Beach Club 25-17, 25-23 to win the 18-Open Division championship at the 2011 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships on Saturday in Minneapolis.

    Balboa Bay, a volleyball club located in Southern California, went undefeated and lost one set in its 11 matches during the four-day tournament. Eleven of the 12 players on the Balboa Bay roster had committed to a Division I-II men’s volleyball team prior to the national tournament.
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  • U.S. Men’s Junior National Team roster announced for 2011 World Championship

    Fifteen current college men’s volleyball players will play for the United States in the World Championship.

    USA Volleyball announced Monday its U.S. Men’s Junior National Team 12-player roster and seven alternates for the 2011 FIVB Men’s Junior (U-21) World Championship in Brazil.

    “Most of our players have played a major role on their collegiate teams and that experience should carry over quite well for us,” head coach John Hawks said in statement released Monday. “I feel like we are not going to be physically outmatched by anyone. This year’s team has tremendous depth and we can start a wide variety of lineups and still maintain a high level of cohesion on the court.”
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  • Off the Block Fan Choice Player of the Year: Regional Finals

    Off the Block created the bracket and seeded 64 of the best Division I-II 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 three rounds, eight players remain in the only national player of the year award that is completely determined by the fans.

    The online voting for the eight second-round matches will end at 11 p.m. Saturday. The winners will advance to the Final Four on Sunday.

    Check out the regional finals matches 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: Round 3

    Off the Block created the bracket and seeded 64 of the best Division I-II 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 and second round, 16 players remain in the only national player of the year award that is completely determined by the fans.

    The online voting for the eight second-round matches will end at 11 p.m. Friday. The winners will advance to the regional finals Saturday.

    Check out the third-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: 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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