Off the Block

Tag: USC

  • UC Santa Barbara, Ohio State advance to NCAA championship match

    For the first time in their program histories, either Ohio State or UC Santa Barbara will win the men’s volleyball NCAA championship.

    The Buckeyes and Gauchos advanced to the national championship match on Saturday after both teams won their NCAA Tournament semifinals matches in four games Thursday at University Park, Pa.

    The No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara upset the No. 1 seed USC in the first semifinal match at Rec Hall, while the No. 2 seed Ohio State defeated the home team and No. 3 seed Penn State in the other semifinals.
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  • Final Four live chat: No. 1 seed USC vs. No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara

    Off the Block will be providing live coverage to the NCAA Tournament semifinals match between the No. 1 seed USC and the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara.

    USC (23-3, 20-2 MPSF) received the lone at-large bid to the championship after winning the MPSF regular season title and being ranked No. 1 throughout the entire season. UC Santa Barbara (17-14, 11-11 MPSF) defeated three top-five ranked teams in the conference tournament, including defeating USC in the championship match Saturday, to receive the MPSF’s automatic bid to the Final Four.

    The match starts at 7 p.m. (EST). Check out the live chat below for instant updates and to interact with other fans or pose questions for Off the Block to answer.
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  • Men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament semifinal matches to follow tonight

    After more than four months and 400 matches, determining the two teams in the national championship will come down to one night and two matches.

    The No. 1 seed USC will try to reach its second national championship match in three years as it plays the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara in the opening NCAA semifinals match at 7 p.m. Thursday in University Park, Pa. In addition, the No. 2 seed Penn State, which is hosting the NCAA Tournament, and the No. 3 seed Ohio State will renew one of the oldest men’s volleyball rivals in the other NCAA semifinals match at 9 p.m. Thursday.

    Check the NCAA Tournament matches to follow tonight.
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  • USC outside attacker Troy named AVCA National Player of the Year

    The top-ranked team in the nation now official has the best player in the nation.

    USC outside attacker Murphy Troy on Thursday was named the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association Men’s National Player of the Year.
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  • Q&A with USC at the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament

    USC coach Bill Ferguson and senior co-captains Murphy Troy and Riley McKibbin held a news conference Wednesday to discuss their upcoming NCAA Tournament match.

    The No. 1 seed USC will play the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Tournament semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday in University Park, Pa.

    The Trojans became the first team in 16 years to be ranked No. 1 from the preseason to the end of the regular season. This national semifinals match will also be a rematch of the MPSF championship match, which UC Santa Barbara won in five games Saturday.

    View an abridged version of the news conference below. (more…)

  • Top 5 storylines to follow during the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament

    Almost 24 hours away from the men’s volleyball Final Four and the anticipation is continuing to grow.

    The four-team NCAA Tournament will be played at Penn State with the No. 1 seed USC playing the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara in the opening semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday. In addition, the host school and No. 2 seed Penn State will play the No. 3 seed Ohio State in the second semifinals match at 9 p.m. Thursday.

    The winners of these two matches will play in the national championship on Saturday.

    Check out the top five storylines to follow during the NCAA Tournament.
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  • UC Santa Barbara coach McLaughlin says fine with No. 4 seed, wants to play USC

    One person not complaining about the seeding for the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament is UC Santa Barbara coach Rick McLaughlin.

    McLaughlin said Monday on The Net Live podcast that despite some fans wanting UC Santa Barbara to be seeded higher he prefers the No. 4 seed because he wants to play to the No. 1 seed USC in the semifinals.
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  • NCAA volleyball chairman discusses tournament seeding

    UC Santa Barbara being the No. 4 seed was a simple matter of the numbers for NCAA men’s volleyball committee chairman Bob Krimmel.

    The NCAA released its four-team men’s volleyball championship tournament bracket Sunday pitting UC Santa Barbara against the No. 1 seed USC in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday. It’s one of the few times in the tournament’s 41-year history that two West Coast schools will play each other in the opening round.
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  • Initial look at the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament semifinals

    After four months of regular season matches and conference tournaments, the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament is upon us.

    The NCAA announced the four-team tournament field and semifinals pairings Sunday afternoon. Here is an initial look and historical information you need to know heading into the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Thursday at Penn State.
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  • The final men’s volleyball bracketology

    With selection Sunday upon us, Off Block is releasing its final projections of the NCAA Tournament bracket after Ohio State, Penn State and UC Santa Barbara won their conference championships Saturday.

    The men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament is comprised of four teams. Automatic bids are awarded to the winners of the EIVA, MIVA and MPSF conference tournaments, and the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Committee chooses one team for an at-large bid.
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