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Everything including rematches from last year’s postseason to near must-win matches for several teams is on the college men’s volleyball slate tonight.
No. 2 Lewis will attempt to add to winless No. 15 Penn State’s early-season woes as both teams meet in a critical non-conference match. In addition, out on West Coast No. 8 UC Santa Barbara will play No. 4 BYU with a chance to pull off a program first in the rally scoring era.
Check out the top college men’s volleyball matches from around the nation to follow tonight.
No. 2 Lewis (5-1, 0-0 MIVA) vs. No. 15 Penn State (0-5, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in University Park, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets
What to know: It’s not a must win for No. 15 Penn State, but there are few teams in the nation that needs a win tonight more than the Nittany Lions. Penn State enters its home match against No. 2 Lewis on a five-match losing streak — its longest losing streak during the rally scoring era. Preseason All-American opposite Nick Goodell had a team-high 19 kills in a four-game loss to No. 1 Loyola on Friday. It was also the second time this season that a player besides All-American outside attacker Aaron Russell led the Nittany Lions in kills. Lewis is on a three-match winning streak, including sweeping St. Francis in a road non-conference match on Friday. Opposite Eric Fitterrer leads the Flyers and is third in the MIVA with a 4.00 kills per game average. The senior also had a 12 kills on a .647 attack percentage against the Red Flashes. This will also be the first meeting between Penn State and Lewis since the 2014 NCAA Tournament play-in match, which the Nittany Lions won in four games.
No. 4 BYU (3-2, 2-1 MPSF) vs. No. 8 UC Santa Barbara (5-2, 1-2 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Santa Barbara, California
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets
What to know: No. 8 UC Santa Barbara has a chance to achieve the program’s first regular season sweep against No. 4 BYU during the rally scoring era as the two teams meet in the finale of their two-match weekend series. The Gauchos swept the Cougars in the series opener on Friday and held BYU to less than a .150 attack percentage in the first two games. Opposite Kevin Donohue and outside attacker Jacob Delson also each had a team-high 12 kills in the victory. In addition, the victory snapped the Gauchos’ two-match losing streak to open conference play. BYU outside attacker Jake Langlois in the loss finished with a team-high 12 kills, while middle attacker Joseph Grosh led all players with eight blocks.
Erskine (4-1, 2-0 CC) vs. Mount Olive (3-1, 3-0 CC)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Due West, South Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: One of the best emerging rivalries in college men’s volleyball will be reignited as Erskine plays host to Mount Olive with first place in the Conference Carolinas on the line. Both Erskine and Mount Olive are undefeated in conference play this season and have won the last three Conference Carolinas championships. In addition, Erskine defeated Mount Olive last season in the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship match to earn the conference’s first automatic bid the NCAA Tournament. The Fleet in the off-season also hired former Mount Olive coach Cole Tallman to be its new head coach. Among the six returning starters for Erskine from last year’s championship team includes outside attacker Michael Michelau, who is leading the conference with a 4.78 kills per game average. Mount Olive freshman outside attacker Peyton Schirman is third in the conference with a 3.86 kills per game average. Schirman also had a season-high 17 kills in a sweep against Limestone on Friday.
No. 6 Pepperdine (6-1, 2-1 MPSF) vs. No. 11 Long Beach State (5-1, 2-1 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Malibu, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: No. 6 Pepperdine is living up to its nickname of the Malibu Roofing Company through the first three weeks of the season. Pepperdine leads the MPSF with a 3.30 blocks per game average as it enters its home match against No. 10 Long Beach State. In addition, the Waves have double-digit blocks in their last two conference matches, including a season-high 16 blocks in a sweep against Cal State Northridge on Wednesday. Pepperdine also has two players in the conference’s top 10 for block per game average. Middle attacker Mitchell Penning leads the MPSF with a 1.55 blocks per game average, while middle attacker Matt Tarantino is tied for sixth in the conference and had eight blocks in that victory against the Matadors. Long Beach State opened its season-long four-match road trip beating Stanford in four games on Wednesday. However, the 49ers are in ninth in the MPSF with a .257 attack percentage.
McKendree (1-4, 0-2 MIVA) vs. Clarke
Match vitals: 11 a.m. in Parkville, Missouri
Follow live: In-match tweets
George Mason (0-5, 0-0 EIVA) vs. Charleston (1-4)
Match vitals: 1 p.m. in Charleston, West Virginia
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
Lees-McRae (1-1, 0-0 CC) vs. Belmont Abbey (2-2, 1-1 CC)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Banner Elk, North Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Limestone (3-5, 2-1 CC) vs. Barton (2-3, 2-2 CC)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. in Gaffney, South Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
No. 11 IPFW (4-2, 0-0 MIVA) vs. Harvard (1-2, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets
McKendree (1-4, 0-0 MIVA) vs. Morningside College
Match vitals: 3 p.m. in Parkville, Missouri
Follow live: In-match tweets
No. 13 Ball State (4-1, 0-0 MIVA) vs. Sacred Heart (1-1, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 6 p.m. in Fairfield, Connecticut
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
No. 1 Loyola (4-0, 0-0 MIVA) vs. St. Francis (0-7, 0-0 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
No. 3 UC Irvine (6-2, 2-1 MPSF) vs. Cal Baptist (3-4, 1-3 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Riverside, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets