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It’s been absolute chaos this weekend with four of the top 10 nationally ranked teams losing and even more top-ranked teams will be tested tonight.
No. 13 IPFW will look to extend No. 10 Penn State’s season-opening losing streak as the two teams meet in the Off the Block East vs. Midwest Challenge. In addition, No. 7 BYU with its retooled starting lineup will attempt to complete a series sweep against No. 4 UCLA.
Check out the top college men’s volleyball matches from around the nation to follow tonight.
No. 10 Penn State (0-3, 0-0 EIVA) vs. No. 13 IPFW (2-2, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: Coach Mark Pavlik said in an interview with Off the Block earlier this week that he is not panicking about the Nittany Lions’ slow start. No. 10 Penn State will now have an opportunity ease an outside concerns and snap its season-opening three-match losing streak as it travels to No. 13 IPFW. Penn State blew a two-game lead to Ball State in its East vs. Midwest Challenge opener on Friday. However, outside attacker Aaron Russell in the loss had a career-high 32 kills on a .439 attack percentage. IPFW enters this final match of the Off the Block East vs. Midwest Challenge after sweeping St. Francis to open the new non-conference event on Friday. In addition, freshman opposite Alex Harthaller had a match-high six aces against the Red Flashes. Penn State has not lost four consecutive matches to open a season since 1999.
No. 4 UCLA (3-1, 0-1 MPSF) vs. No. 7 BYU (2-1, 1-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Provo, Utah
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: No. 7 BYU will attempt to complete the series sweep and extend its nation-best home winning streak to 28 matches as it plays host to No. 4 UCLA. The Cougars swept the Bruins in the series opener on Friday and out-hit UCLA .400 to .139. Opposite Tim Dobbert in the victory had both a match-high 11 kills on a .611 attack percentage and three aces. In addition, outside attacker Kiril Meretev added 10 kills on a .615 attack percentage. UCLA freshman outside attacker Jake Arnitz in the loss finished with a team-high seven kills. The Bruins also committed 17 serving errors — 10 more than the Cougars.
No. 1 Loyola (2-0, 0-0 MIVA) vs. Harvard (0-1, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. in Chicago
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: A new banner will be unveiled in the Gentile Arena rafters right before No. 1 Loyola’s home-opener against Harvard. The defending-NCAA champion Ramblers will officially reveal their national title banner in a pre-match ceremony to honor last year’s team. Loyola enters this non-conference after going undefeated at the AVCA Showcase last weekend with victories against No. 7 BYU and No. 12 Stanford. Freshman middle attacker Jeff Jendryk also had a 1.29 blocks per game average in the wins and was named the Off the Block National Freshman of the Week. All-American outside attacker Thomas Jaeschke also finished the match against BYU with 18 kills and a career-high 15 digs. Harvard lost to No. 5 Lewis in four games in its season opener on Friday. Outside attacker Casey White in the loss had both a team-high 13 kills and 14 digs.
No. 6 UC Irvine (4-1, 0-0 MPSF) vs. No. 11 Long Beach State (4-0, 1-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7:30 p.m. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: Two team that had among the best non-conference performances will now play each other in the opening weekend of the MPSF season. No. 8 UC Irvine enters its road match against No. 11 Long Beach State after winning the Outrigger Invitational last week. The Anteaters in their debut at the non-conference tournament beat then-No. 3 Penn State, No. 9 Hawai’i and No. 14 Ohio State. In addition, outside attacker Tamir Hershko was named the tournament’s most valuable player after having a match-high 17 kills in a sweep against the Rainbow Warriors. Hershko also had 11 kills to help UC Irvine sweep George Mason in non-conference play on Wednesday. Long Beach State went undefeated at the Asics Invitational last weekend and swept UC San Diego in its conference opener on Wednesday. Opposite Cody Martin has double-digit kills in the 49ers’ last three matches, including a team-high 14 kills in the victory against UC San Diego.
Ball State (3-0, 0-0 MIVA) vs. St. Francis (0-5, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7:30 p.m. in Muncie, Indiana
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: The Ball State celebration of its upset victory against No. 10 Penn State won’t last long. Ball State one day after rallying from a two-game deficit to beat Penn State will now play St. Francis to close-out the Off the Block East vs. Midwest Challenge. Outside attacker Mircan Niemczewski in the upset had a team-high 19 kills, while outside attacker Shane Witmer added 17 kills. The Cardinals also have more than .300 attack percentage in all three of their matches so far this season, including out-hitting the Nittany Lions .331 to .265. St. Francis in its East vs. Midwest opener lost in three games to No. 13 IPFW. The Red Flashes are on a five-match losing streak, but upset the Cardinals last season in their lone meeting.
Alderson Broaddus (0-0) vs. Carnegie Mellon (0-0)
Match vitals: Noon in Pittsburgh
Follow live: In-match tweets
Mount Olive (1-1, 1-0 CC) vs. Emmanuel (0-1, 0-1 CC)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Mount Olive, North Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Barton (1-2, 1-0 CC) vs. North Greenville (0-4, 0-2 CC)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Wilson, North Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
Limestone (1-4, 1-0 CC) vs. Mount St. Joseph (0-0)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Cincinnati
Follow live: In-match tweets
Alderson Broaddus (0-0) vs. Waynesburg (0-0)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Pittsburgh
Follow live: In-match tweets
Sacred Heart (0-0, 0-0 EIVA) vs. Stevens Tech (0-1)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. in Fairfield, Connecticut
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Charleston (0-1) vs. Belmont Abbey (0-1, 0-0 CC)
Match vitals: 5 p.m. in Belmont, North Carolina
Follow live: Online video, In-match tweets