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Check out all the matches to follow today featuring NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and how to follow the matches live.
No. 2/2 Hawai’i (10-0, 0-0 Big West) vs No. 3/3 UC Irvine (13-2, 2-0 Big West)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Irvine, California
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets, Live Video (ESPN3)
What to know: The two teams involved in one of the biggest NCAA Tournament selection controversies will meet for the first time since the events of last year. UC Irvine narrowly edged out Hawai’i for the final at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament, despite having a lower RPI ranking, strength of schedule and losing the season series. Both Hawai’i and UC Irvine enter the opener of this two-match conference series with two of the top offenses in the nation. Hawai’i leads the nation with a .482 attack percentage, including setting a program single-match record hitting .667 in a sweep against Lincoln Memorial earlier this month. In addition, the Rainbow Warriors have the three players in the nation’s top five for individual attack percentage. Opposite Rado Parapunov has a nation-best .533 attack percentage and had a season-high 17 kills in a sweep against No. 8/8 Stanford earlier this month. All-American outside attacker Stijn van Tilburg is fourth in the country hitting .496, while middle attacker Colton Cowell is fifth with a .483 attack percentage. van Tilburg also had a combined 59 kills in three matches versus UC Irvine last season. UC Irvine is fourth in the nation with a .332 attack percentage and has hit more than .300 in five consecutive matches. The Anteaters enter this series on a seven-match winning streak that included a four-game victory against No. 4/4 Pepperdine. All-American middle attacker Scott Stadick has double-digit kills in four of the matches during this winning streak. The junior defensively is fourth in the country with a 1.37 blocks per game average. Outside attacker Joel Schneidmiller also leads UC Irvine and is among the nation’s top 20 with a 3.58 kills per game average. While the Rainbow Warriors are one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the nation, this two-match series will be the first time all season they play a top-five nationally ranked team. The Anteaters are 4-1 against versus teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the national media poll and coaches poll.
Princeton (7-7, 5-0 EIVA) vs. Penn State (7-7, 4-1 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in University Park, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match Tweets, Live Video
What to know: These are the top two teams in the EIVA standings right now. Do not be deceived by either team’s 7-7 record, as half of each team’s matche came against teams currently ranked in the coaches poll. Princeton’s first nine matches were on the road, while Penn State’s strength of schedule (based on past opponents) ranks in the top 10, according to the NCAA. Opponents will rightly focus on All-EIVA middle attacker/opposite George Huhmann, but the player to watch might be outside attacker Parker Dixon. Dixon has been named conference offensive player of the week twice this season, and has reached at least 20 kills in three matches this year. Dixon leads the team in kills per game average (3.79), while Huhmann leads the team in attack percentage (.338). Princeton coach Sam Shweisky has succeeded in his team putting more service pressure on its opponents this year – last year the Tigers averaged 1.00 aces per game but this year they are up to 1.80 aces per game. Outside attacker Greg Luck ranks first in the EIVA in aces per game average at 0.48. As for Penn State, the player to watch is middle attack Jason Donorovich. Donorovich has also won conference player of the week honors twice this year and leads the conference with a .411 attack percentage. The middle attacker leads the Nittany Lions averaging 0.44 aces per game and 1.02 blocks per game. Another reason that Penn State’s 7-7 record is deceiving is because it has only played five of those matches with All-EIVA opposite Calvin Mende. Mende is healthy again, and had a combined 20 kills last weekend. Princeton won both of the matches in this series last year on its way to an EIVA Tournament final appearance.
No. 7/7 Loyola (13-3, 6-0 MIVA) vs. No. 10/9 Lewis (13-4, 6-0 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Chicago, Iliinois
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets, Live Video (ESPN3)
What to know: Today may not have the same feeling as March 9, 2015 where Loyola came into the match 13-0 and Lewis came in at 15-1. Both teams came into that match undefeated in conference play, as they do tonight. Lewis came away victorious that night, ending Loyola’s 40-match winning streak. The two Chicago area foes would meet three more times – Lewis winning the rematch, but Loyola winning the MIVA Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament finals. These four matches would be come to be known as MIVAgeddon 1-4. More recently in the rivalry, Loyola won both matches last season. This first match of this year’s series will be at Gentile Arena where the Ramblers rank sixth best in terms of home attendance.
Along with Lewis and Loyola being tied for first place, one of them leads the conference in every major statistical category except digs per game average (Quincy). Both teams are ranked in top seven in the nation in attack percentage. Lewis comes into the match having won its last six matches. Their four losses are against the teams currently ranked in the top six in the nation. The Flyers are on top of the Division II coaches poll, and a Lewis middle attacker has won the Off the Block National Middle Attacker of the Week three out of eight times this season. The Flyers lead the conference averaging 1.74 aces per game and are led by setter Matt Yoshimoto’s 0.74 aces per game average. Lewis ranks second nationally in blocks per match at 2.71, and are led by their middle attackers TJ Murray (1.17 blocks per game) and Tyler Mitchem (1.00 blocks per game). Mitchem ranks 24th best nationally in blocks per game average while coming at six in attack percentage (.515). Loyola has won its last seven matches. The biggest difference in their schedules is that Lewis lost to Pepperdine in four games, while Loyola beat the Pepperdine in #CincoSets. A Rambler player has been named MIVA player of the week three times year, including twice by outside attacker Collin Mahan. Mahan leads Loyola averaging 0.40 aces per game and 3.59 kills per game. Middle attacker Paul Narup leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally at 1.28 blocks per game, while setter Garrett Zolg leads the nation with a 11.47 assists per game average. As a team, the Ramblers are in top six nationally in every major statistical category except blocks per game and aces per game.
No. 1/1 Long Beach State (13-0, 0-0 Big West) vs. No. 11 CSUN (8-6, 0-0 Big West)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Long Beach, California
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match Tweets, Live Radio, Live Video
No. 5/5 UC Santa Barbara (13-3, 1-0 Big West) vs. UC San Diego (6-10, 0-3 Big West)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Santa Barbara, California
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 6/6 UCLA (13-4, 5-0 MPSF) vs. Grand Canyon (7-10, 0-5 MPSF)
Match vitals: 6 p.m. in Phoenix, Arizona
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets, Live Video
No. 14 George Mason (10-4, 4-2 EIVA) vs. Sacred Heart (2-8, 1-4 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Fairfax, Virginia
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match Tweets
No. 15 Ball State (7-8, 1-4 MIVA) vs. Lindenwood (7-9, 3-3 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Muncie, Indiana
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets
Sun Poly (7-7) vs. Daemen (3-8)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. in Aurora, New York
Follow live: N/A
Lasell (5-7) vs. Daemen (3-8)
Match vitals: 6 p.m. in Aurora, New York
Follow live: N/A
Queens (4-13) vs. King (9-5, 7-2 ConfCarolinas)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Bristol, Tennessee
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
Harvard (3-8, 3-2 EIVA) vs. Charleston (4-11, 0-6 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Charleston, West Virginia
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
Saint Francis (9-6, 3-2 EIVA) vs. NJIT (4-7, 0-3 EIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets
Emmanuel (6-11, 2-7 ConfCarolinas) vs. Coker (4-8)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Hartsville, South Carolina
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
Cumberland (2-14) vs. Lincoln Memorial (8-6)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Harrogate, Tennessee
Follow live: Live stats
McKendree (6-7, 3-3 MIVA) vs. Ohio State (5-11, 1-5 MIVA)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio
Follow live: Live stats, In-Match tweets
Division III National Matches of the Day
No. 1 Springfield (15-2) vs. Vassar (8-4)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Springfield, Massachusetts
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 4 Carthage (12-1) vs. Mt. St. Joseph (4-10)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 5 Kean (13-3) vs. Marymount (7-7)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Union, New Jersey
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 6 Stevenson (15-3) vs. Widener (0-8)
Match vitals: 5 p.m. in Owings Mills, Maryland
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 8 North Central (10-7) vs. Trine (4-12)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Naperville, Illinois
Follow live: Live stats
No. 11 Southern Virginia (11-1) vs. Neumann (2-8)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Buena Vista, Virgnina
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
No. 12 Lancaster Bible (13-3) vs. No. 14 Juniata (10-2)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Follow live: Live video
MSOE (8-5) vs. Concordia-Chicago (4-8)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video
St. Joseph’s (7-2) vs. Brooklyn (4-5)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Brooklyn, New York
Follow live: N/A
NAIA National Match of the Day
No. 2 Lourdes (10-2) vs. No. 6 Aquinas (18-0)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. in Sylvania, Ohio
Follow live: Live stats, Live Video