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It’s your top men’s volleyball stories list, but with a twist.
Every Sunday during the men’s volleyball regular season, Off the Block will post the best men’s volleyball stories of the week from around the nation. The list, though, is based more on how well the reporter wrote and covered the story rather than just what happened on the court.
In many communities volleyball is a non-mainstream sport that has a niche following. One of the exciting things for reporters covering volleyball, though, is finding that interesting angle that could appeal to volleyball and non-volleyball fans.
Going beyond the box score and game notes to provide readers with insight on the team that they can’t got anywhere else is one of the most important skills for a sports reporter.
This list is to honor those efforts.
IPFW family pulls together for Ball, Volleydons
Blake Sebring | The News-Sentinel
In his final regular season home match before retiring, IPFW officially renamed its home court after Hall of Fame coach Arnie Ball. This column looks at how Ball has left a legacy at IPFW and in the Fort Wayne, Indiana community that goes beyond his win-loss record and championships.
Reyes key to BYU attack
Darnell Dickson | Daily Herald
Libero Jaylen Reyes along with being second in the school’s history for career digs, moved this weekend into third place all-time for most games played for BYU. This personality profile examines how Reyes’ strong work ethic made him a critical reason for the Cougars’ success during the last four years.
There and back again
Hayley Musashi | Kaleo
It took Hawai’i setter Alex Jones four years and three schools, but he has finally found a place for him in college men’s volleyball. This personality profile story looks at Jones’ college career and how within a year he overcame being cut from CSUN to helping Hawai’i be in contention for the MPSF championship.
UCLA sinks below .500 with Pepperdine loss
Tanner Walters | Daily Bruin
No. 12 UCLA experienced a losing record for the first time since 2011 following a three-game loss to No. 3 Pepperdine on Tuesday. This deadline game story looks at how the Bruins’ errors contributed to the team suffering another conference loss.
Pavlik eyes 500 career wins
Matt Martell | The Daily Collegian
Penn State coach Mark Pavlik is three wins away from reaching 500-career victories during his 21-year head coaching career. This column looks at the dominance of Pavlik’s teams throughout the years and puts the career achievement into historical context.