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It could be a night of firsts in college men’s volleyball.
Lees-McRae and Springfield will meet in the Morgan Classic championship match as they both attempt to win the tournament for the first time in their program history. In addition, UC San Diego will try to do something it has never accomplished in its history: defeat No. 4 BYU.
Check out the top five men’s volleyball matches from around the nation to follow tonight.
1. Lees-McRae (4-3, 1-0 Conference Carolinas) vs. Springfield (6-1)
Match vitals: 8 p.m. in Springfield, Mass.
Follow live: Online video, In-match Tweets
What to know: For the first time in the 25-year history of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic, Springfield or Lees-McRae will be the tournament champion. Both the Pride and Bobcats won their semifinal matches on Friday to advance tot the championship match. Springfield defeated UC Santa Cruz in four games as freshman outside attacker Angel Perez had a match-high 15 kills. In addition, Lees-McRae outside attacker Jose Ribas had a tournament-high 22 kills as Lees-McRae defeated Cal Baptist in four games. This is the fifth time that Springfield has reached the championship match, while Lees-McRae is participating in the Morgan Classic for the first time in program history.
2. No. 7 Lewis (7-3, 1-1 MIVA) vs. Loyola (6-5, 1-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Romeoville, Ill.
Follow live: Live stats, In-match Tweets
What to know: Lewis and Loyola will renew its crosstown rivalry as the two schools meet for the first time in conference play this season. This match will also feature two of the top outside attackers in the MIVA. Lewis outside attacker Jay Petty is second in the conference with a 4.03 kills per game average and has at least 15 kills in the last three matches. Loyola outside attacker Joseph Smalzer is third in the MIVA averaging 3.84 kills per game. The Ramblers are 0-4 against top-10 ranked teams this season.
3. No. 3 Stanford (8-2, 5-1 MPSF) vs. Cal State Northridge (4-6, 2-4 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7:30 p.m. in Northridge, Calif.
Follow live: Gametracker, Radio feed
What to know: Stanford will continue its season-long 10-match road trip with a conference match against Cal State Northridge. Stanford is 5-2 during this road trip and is on a four-match winning streak, including a five-game victory against No. 10 Long Beach State on Friday. Cal State Northridge defeated Pacific in five games on Friday to remain undefeated at home this season. However, the Matadors have yet to win back-to-back matches this season.
4. No. 4 BYU (7-3, 5-2 MPSF) vs. UC San Diego (3-8, 1-5 MPSF)
Match vitals: 1 p.m. in San Diego
Follow live: Online video, In-match Tweets
What to know: BYU and UC San Diego will conclude their two-match MPSF series after the Cougars swept the opening match on Thursday. Outside attacker Robb Stowell had a match-high 13 kills in the victory. The win also snapped the Cougars’ two-match losing streak and was their first win since All-American outside attacker Taylor Sander injured his hand. Sander is likely out another three to five weeks with that injury. UC San Diego is 0-31 all-time against BYU. The Tritons are also on a four-match MPSF losing streak.
5. Ball State (5-4, 0-2 MIVA) vs. Quincy (10-1, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7:30 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.
Follow live: Live stats, Radio feed, In-match Tweets
What to know: Ball State almost 10 months after suffering one of the biggest upsets in MIVA Tournament history will get a rematch against Quincy. Quincy defeated Ball State on its home court in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals last season to become the first No. 6 seed to ever win a match in the conference tournament. Ball State opened MIVA play this season with two losses last weekend, including a three-game loss to No. 7 Lewis that featured a 44-42 overtime first game. Quincy has the best winning percentage in the MIVA, but this will be the Hawks’ first match against a team from a conference with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.