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Check out all the matches today involving NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and how to follow them live.
No. 2 UCLA (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) vs. No. 11 Loyola (0-0, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Chicago
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
What to know: No. 2 UCLA begins its journey to end an 11-year national championship drought with a road non-conference match against an opponent that has won two of the last three NCAA titles. UCLA for the second consecutive year opens its season outside of California as it travels to play No. 11 Loyola. UCLA returns three Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Preseason All-Americans after it advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals last season. All-American setter Micah Ma’a as a freshman last season helped run the team’s 6-2 offense, which was in the nation’s top five with a .313 attack percentage. In addition, Ma’a was third in the nation with a 0.48 aces per game average and won the 2016 Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year. The top two pin-hitters also return for Ma’a and setter Hagen Smith. All-American outside attacker Jake Arnitz averaged 3.31 kills per gam on a .313 attack percentage, while Hatch added a 2.76 kills per game average and had double-digit kills in 14 matches last season. Defensively, All-American middle attacker Mitch Stahl returns for his senior season after being sixth in the nation averaging 1.19 blocks per game last season and being a Ryan Millar Award finalist. Loyola two years removed from winning its second consecutive NCAA championship enters 2017 with the majority of its starters returning, including All-American middle attacker Jeff Jendryk. Jendryk, another finalist for the 2016 Ryan Millar Award, ended last season among the national leaders with both a .431 attack percentage and 101 blocks. He also helped the Ramblers finish last season in second place in the MIVA before being upset in the conference tournament semifinals. That postseason upset was only the fifth time since 2014 that Loyola has lost a home match. The Bruins are 1-3 in road matches against MIVA opponents during the last 10 years. The one victory, though, was versus the Ramblers in 2009. UCLA is 6-0 all-time against Loyola with their last meeting occurring in 2011.
USC (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) vs. Concordia-Irvine (0-2)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Irvine, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
No. 8 UC Irvine (1-0, 0-0 MPSF) vs. Fort Wayne (0-0, 0-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Irvine, California
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets