Voting: Off the Block Games semifinals

The tournament field is set and now it’s time to determine which the region of the world has produced the best recent college men’s volleyball players.

The Off the Block Games continues today with both semifinal matches.

This inaugural event pits 24 teams against each other with the fans deciding the winner of every match through online voting on the Off the Block website. Each of the 24 teams — 11 U.S. teams and 13 international teams — is comprised of players from a specific region who competed in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball during the 25-point rally scoring era.

The tournament field was reduced to four teams following the preliminary round and quarterfinals.

When casting their ballots in the semifinals, fans are encouraged to vote based on the players’ skills and abilities while in college.

Below are the semifinal polls along with the roster breakdowns of each team. The polls close at 10 p.m. (CST) Monday.

Team Orange County
Setter: Garrett Zolg, Loyola
Opposite: Zack La Cavera, UC Irvine
Outside attacker: TJ Defalco, Long Beach State
Outside attacker: Taylor Sander, BYU
Middle attacker: Dylan Davis, UC Santa Barbara
Middle attacker: Kevin Rakestraw, Stanford
Libero: Michael Brinkley, UC Irvine
Bench
Outside attacker: Brenden Sander, BYU
Outside attacker: Tony Ciarelli, USC
Setter: Connor Olbright, Long Beach State

Roster accolades: Garrett Zolg (two-time All-MIVA); Zack La Cavera (2015 MPSF Player of the Year, 2015 All-American); TJ Defalco (National Player of the Decade, First-Team All-Decade, two-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, three-time Karch Kiraly Award winner, 2018 Big West Player of the Year, 2017 MPSF Player of the Year, 2016 National Newcomer of the Year); Taylor Sander (First-Team All-Decade, four-time All-American, two-time MPSF Player of the Year, 2014 National Player of the Year, 2011 National Newcomer of the Year); Dylan Davis (2013 All-American, 2013 National Blocker of the Year); Kevin Rakestraw (two-time All-MPSF); Michael Brinkley (Second-Team All-Decade, three-time All-American); Brenden Sander (two-time All-American, 2016 Karch Kiraly Award finalist); Tony Ciarelli (Third-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, 2012 National Player of the Year); Connor Olbright (2013 Second-Team All-American)

Team East Coast
Setter: Christy Blough, Ohio State
Opposite: Jaylen Jasper, Stanford
Outside attacker: Aaron Russell, Penn State
Outside attacker: Chris Nugent, Penn State
Middle attacker: Junior Oboh, Princeton
Middle attacker: Jason Donorovich, Penn State
Libero: Joshua Ayzenberg, Sacred Heart
Bench
Outside attacker: Liam Maxwell, Belmont Abbey
Opposite: Hayden Wagner, George Mason
Outside attacker: Brett Wildman, Penn State

Roster accolades: Christy Blough (MIVA Second-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, two-time Lloy Ball Award finalist); Jaylen Jasper (three-time All-MPSF); Chris Nugent (EIVA Second-Team All-Decade, 2017 All-American, 2016 EIVA Player of the Year); Junior Oboh (EIVA Second-Team All-Decade); Jason Donorovich (two-time All-EIVA); Joshua Ayzenberg (EIVA Second-Team All-Decade, 2017 Erik Shoji Award finalist); Liam Maxwell (three-time All-ConfCarolinas, 2020 ConfCarolinas Offensive Player of the Year); Hayden Wagner (EIVA Second-Team All-Decade); Brett Wildman (two-time All-EIVA, 2020 EIVA Player of the Year)

Team Illinois
Setter: BJ Boldog, Lewis
Opposite: Joseph Smalzer, Loyola
Outside attacker: Thomas Jaeschke, Loyola
Outside attacker: David Wieczorek, Pepperdine
Middle attacker: Tyler Mitchem, Lewis
Middle attacker: Jeff Jendryk, Loyola
Libero: Michael Simmons, Lewis
Bench
Outside attacker: Greg Petty, Lewis
Outside attacker: Jay Petty, Lewis
Middle attacker: Bobby Walsh, Lewis

Roster accolades: BJ Boldog (Third-Team All-Decade, MIVA First-Team All-Decade, three-time All-American); Joe Smalzer (MIVA First-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, two-time National Server of the Year, 2013 MIVA Player of the Year); Thomas Jaeschke (First-Team All-Decade, MIVA First-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, two-time MIVA Player of the Year, 2015 National Player of the Year, 2015 National Server of the Year); David Wieczorek (Second-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, two-time MPSF Player of the Year, two-time Karch Kiraly Award finalist); Tyler Mitchem (two-time All-American, two-time Ryan Millar Award finalist); Jeff Jendryk (First-Team All-Decade, MIVA First-Team All-Decade, four-time All-American, three-time Ryan Millar Award finalist, 2015 National Newcomer of the Year); Michael Simmons (three-time All-MIVA); Greg Petty (2015 All-American); Jay Petty (MIVA Second-Team All-Decade, 2012 All-American); Bobby Walsh (Third-Team All-Decade, MIVA Second-Team All-Decade, two-time All-American, 2015 National Blocker of the Year)

Team Midwest
Setter: Peter Hutz, Loyola
Opposite Murphy Troy, USC
Outside attacker: Ryan Coenen, Lewis
Outside attacker: Michael Michelau, Erskine
Middle attacker: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
Middle attacker: George Huhmann, Princeton
LIbero: Tommy Rouse, Ball State
Bench
Opposite: Karl Apfelbach, UC Irvine
Middle attacker: Conrad Kaminski, Stanford
Opposite: Branden Clemens, Harvard

Roster accolades: Peter Hutz (MIVA Second-Team All-Decade, 2015 All-American, 2015 Lloy Ball Award finalist), Murphy Troy (2011 National Player of the Year, 2011 MPSF Player of the Year); Ryan Coenen (Third-Team All-Decade, MIVA Second-Team All-Decade, four-time All-American, 2020 Division II National Player of the Year, 2020 MIVA Player of the Year, 2017 National Newcomer of the Year); Michael Michelau (ConfCarolinas Player of the Decade, 2016 ConfCarolinas Player of the Year); Scott Stadick (two-time All-American, two-time National Blocker of the Year, two-time Ryan Millar Award finalist); George Huhmann (EIVA First-Team All-Decade, four-time All-EIVA, 2019 EIVA Player of the Year); Tommy Rouse (two-time All-MIVA); Karl Apfelbach (2018 All-American); Conrad Kaminski (2016 All-American, 2016 Ryan Millar Award); Branden Clemens (two-time All-EIVA, 2016 EIVA Newcomer of the Year)