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There are plenty of compelling matches this weekend across all levels of college men’s volleyball.
Off the Block announced Friday the Molten/Off the Block National Matches of the Weekend. Check out the top college men’s volleyball matches this weekend in NCAA Division I-II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
NCAA Division I-II National Match of the Weekend
No. 1/2 Hawai’i (14-0, 0-0 Big West) vs. No. 2/1 BYU (16-0, 6-0 MPSF)
Match vitals: 7 p.m. Friday in Honolulu
Follow live: Live stats, In-match tweets, Live video, Radio feed
Hawai’i player to watch: Hawai’i opposite Rado Parapunov is fourth nationally with a 4.35 kills per game average. He also is attacking at a .433 clip in his last seven matches.
BYU player to watch: BYU opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez leads the nation with 0.85 aces per game average and at 45 aces has just one more service error than aces this season.
Quick breakdown: BYU will try to complete the two-match road series sweep after beating Hawai’i in three games in the series opener on Thursday. The Cougars in the victory hit .603 — the school’s second-best attack percentage in a single-match during the rally scoring era. Opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez also had a season-high eight aces, including four aces in the final game. Both teams entered this non-conference series as the only remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball.
NCAA Division III National Match of the Weekend
No. 7 St. John Fisher (13-4) vs. No. 9 Endicott (12-2)
Match vitals: 11 a.m. Saturday in Beverly, Massachusetts
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
St. John Fisher player to watch: Outside attacker Josh Bigford leads the Cardinals with a .333 attack percentage and a 4.02 kills per game average.
Endicott player to watch: Middle attacker Gabe Felicetti leads the nation with a .463 attack percentage and leads the Gulls with 0.711 blocks per game.
Quick breakdown: These two teams have only played once before – the Gulls swept the Cardinals in 2018. St. John Fisher spring-boarded to No. 7 earlier this week in the national coaches poll after upsetting then-No. 1 NYU last weekend. The Gulls come into the weekend having won their previous 10 matches. Endicott ranks third nationally with a .344 attack percentage and a 2.31 aces per game average. St. John Fisher also leads the UVC with a 2.07 aces per game average, 11.02 digs per game average, and a 0.171 opponent attack percentage.
NAIA National Match of the Weekend
No. 6 Benedictine Mesa (12-7) vs. No. 8 Vanguard (10-5)
Match vitals: 2 p.m. Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
Benedictine Mesa player to watch: Senior middle attacker Bobby Henige ranks No. 7 in the NAIA with 73 total blocks, and No. 8 with 31 aces.
Vanguard player to watch: Sophomore outside attacker Kyle Anema is tops in the nation with a 5.35 kills per game average, and is also No. 15 nationally with 23 aces.
Quick breakdown: The two conference foes have already played once this season with the Redhawks defeating the Lions in five games on Feb. 7 in Costa Mesa, California,. A half-match is all that separates these two in the GSAC standings. Vanguard ranks in the top 10 in the NAIA in assists per game, attack percentage, kills per game average and blocks per game average. Benedictine Mesa ranks 11th in the NAIA with 701 total assists and 135 total blocks.