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Check out all the postseason matches today involving NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and how to follow them live.
MIVA Tournament semifinals
No. 1 seed Ohio State (21-5, 11-3 MIVA) vs. No. 4 seed Lewis (19-10, 9-5 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
Season series: Tied at 1-1
Last MIVA championship: Ohio State (2017); Lewis (2012)
Last postseason meeting: Ohio State defeated Lewis in five games in the 2016 MIVA Tournament finals
What to know: Serving was not issue for Ohio State the last time it played Lewis. The two teams will meet in the MIVA Tournament semifinals for the first time since the Buckeyes had 10 aces in a sweep against the Flyers in March. All-MIVA freshman opposite Jake Hanes led all players with three aces in that match and had 12 kills on a .409 attack percentage. Hanes was one of three Buckeyes to have double-digit kills and hit at least .400 as Ohio State finished with a .417 attack percentage — its third-highest attack percentage in a conference match this season. Along with Hanes, outside attacker Nicolas Szerszen had an ace in that recent victory against the Flyers and leads the MIVA averaging 0.55 aces per game. Szerszen, the 2018 MIVA Player of the Year, also had a combined 24 kills on a .447 attack percentage in the two regular season matches versus the Flyers. Lewis All-MIVA outside attacker Ryan Coenen leads the MIVA and is ninth in the nation with a 3.80 kills per game average, including having a match-high 17 kills as Lewis swept Fort Wayne in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals. Coenen also had a season-high 21 kills in a sweep versus Ohio State in February.
No. 2 seed Loyola (22-6, 11-3 MIVA) vs. No. 3 seed Ball State (18-11, 10-4 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Chicago
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets, TV (NBC Sports Chicago+)
Season series: Tied at 1-1
Last MIVA championship: Loyola (2015); Ball State (2002)
Last postseason meeting: Ball State swept Loyola in the 2017 MIVA Tournament quarterfinals
What to know: In his postmatch interview after a conference tournament win that featured middle attacker Matt Walsh leading Ball State in kills and blocks, coach Joel Walton said his senior deserves a chance to compete for a roster spot on the U.S. Men’s National Team. Walsh will now get an opportunity to go up against U.S. starting middle attacker Jeff Jendryk as Ball State plays Loyola for the MIVA Tournament semifinals. Both Walsh and Jendryk were First-Team All-MIVA selections and last season were two of the three finalists for the Ryan Millar Award. Walsh leads the MIVA and is in the nation’s top five with a 1.19 blocks per game average, including having a match-high nine blocks in a regular season finale upset against Ohio State. The senior also is ninth in the nation with a .392 attack percentage and had 10 kills while hitting .533 in a sweep against McKendree in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals. Jendryk, who returned for his senior season after helping the United States reach the 2017 FIVB World League Finals, leads the MIVA and is second in the country with a .469 attack percentage. He also has hit at least .300 in six consecutive matches. However, Ball State during a three-game loss in March was the last team to hold Jendryk to less than a .300 attack percentage. Ball State enters this postseason match attempting to get its first road win at Loyola since 1999. In addition, the Cardinals have not advanced to the MIVA Tournament finals since 2009. Loyola is attempting to reach the MIVA Tournament finals and NCAA Tournament for the first time since winning the national championship 2015. Among the players still on the roster from that championship team includes Jendryk, who was the 2015 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.