Follow
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.
Hawai’i middle overcomes partial blindness
Kristy Tamashiro | KHON
Middle attacker Hendrik Mol has emerged in the Hawai’i starting lineup less than one year after losing almost all the vision in his left eye because of a bacteria infection. This news-feature story examines Mol’s struggle to get back on the court despite playing with limited visibility in one eye.
Reserve player fuels UCLA in home sweep
Tanner Walters | Daily Bruin
No. 4/4 UCLA finished its non-conference schedule undefeated as it swept Concordia-Irvine on Friday. This deadline game story looks at how several back-up players excelled during the match, including outside attacker Michael Fisher who had a career-high 17 kills.
Ball State swept at No. 4/4 UCLA
Robby General | The Ball State Daily News
Give credit to The Ball State Daily News and the school’s Department of Journalism for sending several student journalists to Los Angeles during their Spring Break in part to cover No. 10/8 Ball State’s road loss to No. 4/4 UCLA. This game story focuses on the Cardinals’ offensive struggles in the match and the challenges try to stop the 6-2 offense of the Bruins.