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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.
Tuileta’s impact felt at Hawai’i
Taryn Hatcher | Hawai’i News Now
Libero Larry Tuileta in a span of almost four years went from switching his verbal commitment from Hawai’i, playing one season for the USC men’s volleyball and football teams and now returning to the Rainbow Warriors. This video package examines Tuileta’s journey and his enjoyment of playing for Hawai’i after sitting out last season.
Stanford upsets UCLA in five-game marathon
Vytas Mazeika | The Daily News
Setter Kyle Dagostino making his second start of the season helped lead No. 8/9 Stanford to a five-game upset victory against No. 4/4 UCLA on Thursday that ended the Cardinal’s two-match losing streak. This game story focuses on the performance of Dagostino and his connection both on and off the court with middle attacker Kevin Rakestraw, who had seven kills against the Bruins.
UCLA continues to up its game at service line
Grant Sugimura | Daily Bruin
No. 4/4 UCLA entered the weekend third in the nation with 70 aces and in the nation’s top 10 averaging 1.56 aces per game. This news-feature examines the team’s philosophy of serving aggressively and how the players are working on improving their serving consistency from last year.
Freshman’s swagger helps Ball State pull off comeback win
Hendrix Magley | The Ball State Daily News
Outside attacker Matt Szews did more than have a match-high 18 kills in a five-game road win against Fort Wayne on Friday. The freshman was confident enough to know No. 11 Ball State would beat its rival, despite being in a one-game deficit. This game story looks at Szews’ offensive performance and the Cardinals’ ability to come back to beat the Mastodons.