Trend continues of non-traditional powerhouses reaching Final Four

Parity is alive more than ever in college men’s volleyball.

For the fifth consecutive season, the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament is comprised of four teams that combined have less than one-fifth of the total amount of national championships in the sport’s history.

USC, Penn State, UC Santa Barbara and Ohio State enter this year’s Final Four having won a combined six national championships — 14.6 percent of the 41 national championships in NCAA men’s volleyball history.

This year is the eighth lowest combined national championship percentage for a men’s volleyball Final Four. However, it is an increase from last season when the teams began the tournament with a combined three national titles — 7.5 percent of the total amount of championships at the time.

The trend of non-traditional powerhouse title winners reaching the NCAA Tournament, though, is nothing new.

Two Final Fours in the last 10 years, 2005 and 2006, were comprised of teams that have won more than 50 percent of the men’s volleyball championships at the time of the tournament.

A big reason for this drop in percent has been the recent success of UCLA. The Bruins have a NCAA-record 18 national championships but have not reached the Final Four since winning the title in 2006.

The NCAA Tournament semifinals will be Thursday at Penn State.

No. 1 seed USC, which has four national championships, will be the No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara to open the tournament at 7 p.m. The No. 2 seed Penn State, which has two national titles, will play the No. 3 seed Ohio State at 9 p.m.

Check out the year-by-year breakdown Final Four team’s combined national championships.

[Editor’s note: Stats have been updated and corrected after inaccuracies with the 2006, 1998 and 1997 Final Fours were noticed. Off the Block apologizes for the mistake. … Lewis’ and Hawai’i’s national championships were excluded from these calculations because they were vacated by the NCAA. Also, only the amount of national championships won at the start of the NCAA Tournament were factored into the calculations]

Percent of total national titles for teams entering Final 4

T-1. 1971: 100 percent — 1 (UCLA 1)
T-1. 1972: 100 percent — 2 (UCLA 2)
T-1. 1976: 100 percent — 6 (UCLA 5; San Diego State 1)
4. 1982: 83.3 percent — 10 (UCLA 8; USC 2)
5. 1981: 81.8 percent — 9 (UCLA 7; USC 2)
6. 1975: 80.0 percent — 4 (UCLA 4)
7. 1980: 80.0 percent — 8 (UCLA 7; USC 1)
8. 1984: 78.6 percent — 11 (UCLA 10; Pepperdine 1)
9. 1979: 77.8 percent — 7 (UCLA 6; USC 1)
10. 1983: 77.0 percent — 10 (UCLA 9; Pepperdine 1)
11. 1987: 76.5 percent — 13 (UCLA 11; USC 2)
T-12. 1974: 75.0 percent — 3 (UCLA 3)
T-12. 1978: 75.0 percent — 6 (UCLA 6)
14. 2000: 73.3 percent — 22 (UCLA 17; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
15. 1998: 71.4 percent — 20 (UCLA 16; Pepperdine 4)
16. 2005: 65.7 percent — 23 (UCLA 18; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
17. 2001: 64.5 percent — 20 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1; BYU 1)
18. 1989: 63.2 percent — 12 (UCLA 12)
19. 1997: 63.0 percent — 17 (UCLA 16; Penn State 1)
20. 1996: 61.5 percent — 16 (UCLA 15; Penn State 1)
21. 1995: 60.0 percent — 15 (UCLA 14; Penn State 1)
22. 1994: 58.3 percent — 14 (UCLA 14)
23. 1993: 56.5 percent — 13 (UCLA 13)
18. 2006: 52.8 percent — 19 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1)
25. 1986: 25.0 percent — 4 (USC 2; Pepperdine 2)
26. 1985: 20.0 percent — 3 (USC 2; Pepperdine 1)
27. 2003: 21.2 percent — 7 (Pepperdine 4; BYU 2; Penn State 1)
28. 1991: 19.0 percent — 4 (USC 4)
29. 2008: 18.4 percent — 7 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
30. 2009: 17.9 percent — 7 (USC 4; Penn State 2; UC Irvine 1)
31. 2007: 16.2 percent — 6 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1)
32. 2002: 15.6 percent — 5 (Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
33. 1990: 15.0 percent — 3 (USC 3)
34. 2011: 14.6 percent — 6 (USC 4; Penn State 2)
35. 1992: 13.6 percent — 3 (Pepperdine 3)
36. 2004: 11.8 percent — 4 (BYU 2; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
37. 1988: 11.1 percent — 2 (USC 2)
38. 2010: 7.5 percent — 3 (Penn State 2; Stanford 1)
39. 1999: 6.9 percent — 2 (Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
T-40. 1977: 0 percent — 0
T-40. 1973: 0 percent — 0

Combined amount of national titles for teams entering Final 4

1. 2005: 23 (UCLA 18; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
2. 2000: 22 (UCLA 17; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
T-3. 1998: 20 (UCLA 16; Pepperdine 4)
T-3. 2001: 20 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1; BYU 1)
5. 2006: 19 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1)
6. 1997: 17 (UCLA 16; Penn State 1)
7. 1996: 16 (UCLA 15; Penn State 1)
8. 1995: 15 (UCLA 14; Penn State 1)
9. 1994: 14 (UCLA 14)
T-10. 1993: 13 (UCLA 13)
T-10. 1987: 13 (UCLA 11; USC 2)
12. 1989: 12 (UCLA 12)
13. 1984: 11 (UCLA 10; Pepperdine 1)
T-14. 1983: 10 (UCLA 9; Pepperdine 1)
T-14. 1982: 10 (UCLA 8; USC 2)
16. 1981: 9 (UCLA 7; USC 2)
17. 1980: 8 (UCLA 7; USC 1)
T-18. 2009: 7 (USC 4; Penn State 2; UC Irvine 1)
T-18. 2008: 7 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
T-18. 2003: 7 (Pepperdine 4; BYU 2; Penn State 1)
T-18. 1979: 7 (UCLA 6; USC 1)
T-22. 2011: 6 (USC 4; Penn State 2)
T-22. 2007: 6 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1)
T-22. 1978: 6 (UCLA 6)
T-22. 1976: 6 (UCLA 5; San Diego State 1)
26. 2002: 5 (Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
T-27. 2004: 4 (BYU 2; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
T-27. 1991: 4 (USC 4)
T-27. 1986: 4 (USC 2; Pepperdine 2)
T-27. 1975: 4 (UCLA 4)
T-31. 2010: 3 (Penn State 2; Stanford 1)
T-31 1992: 3 (Pepperdine 3)
T-31. 1990: 3 (USC 3)
T-31. 1985: 3 (USC 2; Pepperdine 1)
T-31. 1974: 3 (UCLA 3)
T-36. 1999: 2 (Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
T-36. 1988: 2 (USC 2)
T-36. 1972: 2 (UCLA 2)
39. 1971: 1 (UCLA 1)
T-40. 1977: 0
T-40. 1973: 0
T-40. 1970: 0

Year-by-year total of national titles for teams entering Final 4

2011: 6 (USC 4; Penn State 2)
2010: 3 (Penn State 2; Stanford 1)
2009: 7 (USC 4; Penn State 2; UC Irvine 1)
2008: 7 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
2007: 6 (Pepperdine 5; Penn State 1)
2006: 19 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1)
2005: 23 (UCLA 18; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
2004: 4 (BYU 2; Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
2003: 7 (Pepperdine 4; BYU 2; Penn State 1)
2002: 5 (Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
2001: 20 (UCLA 18; Penn State 1; BYU 1)
2000: 22 (UCLA 17; Pepperdine 4; Penn State 1)
1999: 2 (Penn State 1; Long Beach State 1)
1998: 20 (UCLA 16; Pepperdine 4)
1997: 17 (UCLA 16; Penn State 1)
1996: 16 (UCLA 15; Penn State 1)
1995: 15 (UCLA 14; Penn State 1)
1994: 14 (UCLA 14)
1993: 13 (UCLA 13)
1992: 3 (Pepperdine 3)
1991: 4 (USC 4)
1990: 3 (USC 3)
1989: 12 (UCLA 12)
1988: 2 (USC 2)
1987: 13 (UCLA 11; USC 2)
1986: 4 (USC 2; Pepperdine 2)
1985: 3 (USC 2; Pepperdine 1)
1984: 11 (UCLA 10; Pepperdine 1)
1983: 10 (UCLA 9; Pepperdine 1)
1982: 10 (UCLA 8; USC 2)
1981: 9 (UCLA 7; USC 2)
1980: 8 (UCLA 7; USC 1)
1979: 7 (UCLA 6; USC 1)
1978: 6 (UCLA 6)
1977: 0
1976: 6 (UCLA 5; San Diego State 1)
1975: 4 (UCLA 4)
1974: 3 (UCLA 3)
1973: 0
1972: 2 (UCLA 2)
1971: 1 (UCLA 1)