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There are plenty of compelling matches this weekend across all levels of college men’s volleyball.
Off the Block announced Thursday the Molten/Off the Block National Matches of the Week. Check out the top college men’s volleyball matches this weekend in NCAA Division I-II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Molten/Off the Block NCAA Division I-II National Match of the Week
No. 9/10 Penn State (12-2, 9-1 EIVA) vs. No. 11 NJIT (11-3, 11-1 EIVA)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Newark, New Jersey
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
Penn State player to watch: Opposite Cal Fisher is second in the EIVA with a 3.32 kills per game average and has double-digit kills in four consecutive matches. He also had a season-high seven aces in a four-game victory against NJIT in February.
NJIT player to watch: Outside attacker Alvaro Gimeno is in the top five of the EIVA with both a 3.38 kills per game average and a .327 attack percentage. The 2020 Co-EIVA Player of the Year also had a combined 31 kills while hitting .644 in a two-match series against Penn State last month.
Quick breakdown: First place is on the line in the EIVA as No. 9/10 Penn State travels to No. 11 NJIT for a two-match series. NJIT is on a nine-match winning streak, while Penn State is on a six-match winning streak and one-match behind the first-place Highlanders in the EIVA standings. Both the Highlanders and the Nittany Lions lead the EIVA and are in the nation’s top five for attack percentage. NJIT is second in the country hitting .338 and had more than a .400 attack percentage in both matches during a two-match series split against Penn State in February. Freshman setter Griffin Fieseler also has guided the Highlanders to more than a .300 attack percentage in four of the last five conference matches. Penn State setter Cole Bogner leads the EIVA with a 9.78 assists per game average and led the offense to the nation’s fifth-best attack percentage at .318.
Molten/Off the Block NCAA Division III National Match of the Week
No. 3 Carthage (12-0) vs. No. 13 North Central (8-2)
Match vitals: 1 p.m. Saturday in Kenosha, Wisconsin
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Carthage player to watch: Setter Gene McNulty is second in the nation with a 10.88 assists per game average and has guided the offense to the nation’s second-best attack percentage at .367.
North Central player to watch: Middle attacker Jeremy Cardenas is in the nation’s top 15 with a .404 attack percentage and leads North Central averaging 0.87 blocks per game.
Quick breakdown: No. 3 Carthage will put its undefeated record to the test as it plays host to No. 11 North Central. This will be the second time the two conference foes have met this season. All-American outside attacker Matt Slivinski finished with a match-high 18 kills while hitting .400 in a three-game victory versus North Central in February.
Molten/Off the Block NAIA National Match of the Week
No. 10 Lourdes (10-1) vs. No. 15 Goshen (13-6)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. Saturday in Goshen, Indiana
Follow live: Live stats, Live video
Lourdes player to watch: Outside attacker Jeff Lam leads the NAIA with a 0.86 aces per game average and is fourth in the NAIA averaging 4.57 kills per game.
Goshen player to watch: Outside attacker Alexander Rabadzhiev is in the top 10 of the NAIA with both 237 kills and 36 aces.
Quick breakdown: Lourdes will attempt to maintain its share of first place in the WHAC and extend its winning streak to seven matches as it travels to No. 15 Goshen. Lam has double-digit kills in all but one match this season, including a match-high 14 kills in a sweep against Goshen in February. Rabadzhiev also enters having at least 20 kills and a .300 attack percentage in three of the last four matches.