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It’s a huge slate of marquee non-conference matches tonight in college men’s volleyball.
A defacto championship match at the Outrigger Invitational between UCLA and Hawai’i highlights the non-conference matches. However, not to be a overlooked by the non-conference matches is a rematch of the 2013 MPSF championship as No. 1 Long Beach State and BYU met in conference play.
Check out the top five college men’s volleyball matches to follow tonight.
1. No. 6 UCLA (2-1, 0-0 MPSF) vs. Hawai’i (2-0, 0-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Honolulu
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, Radio feed, In-match tweets
What to know: The Outrigger Invitational title will be on the line as No. 6 UCLA and Hawai’i meet to close out the annual non-conference tournament. Both UCLA and Hawai’i opened the tournament beating No. 10 Penn State and Ohio State to create this defacto championship match. Outside attacker Sinisa Zarkovic had a match-high 22 kills to help Hawai’i rally from a one-game deficit against Penn State on Friday. UCLA outside attacker Robart Page has led the Bruins in kills in each of the first two matches, including a match-high 12 kills in a sweep against Ohio State on Friday. If UCLA beats Hawai’i, it will also become the first team to win four consecutive Outrigger Invitational championships in the tournament’s 20-year history.
2. No. 1 Long Beach State (2-0, 1-0 MPSF) vs. BYU (1-2, 0-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Provo, Utah
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets
What to know: For the first time since meeting in the 2013 MPSF Tournament championship match, Long Beach State and BYU will face each other. Both teams enter this conference championship rematch having near polar opposite starts to the season. Long Beach State went undefeated at the UC Santa Barbara Invitational last weekend, including a four-game victory against Harvard in the championship match to capture the school’s first title at the non-conference tournament since 2006. In addition, the 49ers earned their first No. 1 ranking in the AVCA national coaches poll in more than 20 years. The defending MPSF champions BYU opened its season losing both of its matches to Loyola and Lewis during its Midwest road trip. However, BYU rebounded from the road trip to sweep Cal State Northridge in its conference opener Friday.
3. No. 5 Stanford (2-0, 0-0 MPSF) vs. Grand Canyon (1-0, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Palo Alto, Calif.
Follow live: In-match tweets
What to know: Grand Canyon one day after achieving a feat never done before in its program history will now attempt an even bigger challenge and try to get its first upset win against a top-10 nationally ranked team as it plays No. 5 Stanford. Grand Canyon enters this match after rallying from a two-game deficit on the road to beat Pacific in five games Friday. Preseason All-MIVA outside attacker Ben Ponnet in the season-opening victory had a match-high 23 kills to help the Antelopes overcome a two-game deficit for the first time in their program’s history. Stanford will close its weekend non-conference homestead after having 14 aces in a four-game win against No. 9 Lewis on Friday. In addition, outside attacker Steven Irvin led the Cardinal with 20 kills to help beat the Flyers.
4. No. 10 Penn State (0-2, 0-0 EIVA) vs. Ohio State (0-2, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. in Honolulu
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets
What to know: Penn State and Ohio State will try to salvage something from their season-opening road trips as they play each other on the final day of the Outrigger Invitational. Both teams lost their first two matches of this non-conference tournament. Penn State opened the Outrigger Invitational with a fifth-game overtime loss to UCLA and lost to Hawai’i in four games on Friday. Despite the losses, outside attacker Aaron Russell had at least 15 kills in both matches and a team-high four aces in the loss to Hawai’i. Ohio State was swept in each of its first two matches at the Outrigger Invitational. In addition, the Buckeyes were held a .145 attack percentage in a loss to UCLA on Friday.
5. No. 9 Lewis (1-2, 0-0 MIVA) vs. Pacific (1-1, 0-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Stockton, Calif.
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: Lewis has a chance to finish its season opening stretch of matches against the MPSF at .500 if it can beat Pacific in its West Coast road trip finale. The Flyers enter this non-conference match after the team lost to Stanford in four games on Friday. For the third consecutive match to open the season, outside attacker Greg Petty led Lewis in kills as he finished with 15 kills against Stanford. Pacific in its season-opener blew a two-game lead to lose to Grand Canyon. Outside attacker Thomas Hodeges in the loss had a team-high 16 kills and seven blocks, while Preseason All-American libero Javier Caceres led Pacific with 10 digs.