Inside the VolleyMetrics: Determining best college men’s volleyball conference

[Editor’s note: Off the Block is partnering with VolleyMetrics this season to provide the volleyball community with an in-depth analysis at the stats and in-match metrics for college men’s volleyball. The following analysis is from VolleyMetrics.]

One debate that happens every year as a new season starts is about which conference is the best. As a result, we decided to start with a post about it. Continue reading “Inside the VolleyMetrics: Determining best college men’s volleyball conference”

The 2015 Ultimate Christmas Gift List for volleyball fans

It’s never easy when Christmas shopping to find that volleyball-theme gift for that college volleyball fan in your life.

With the Christmas shopping season underway, Off the Block has scoured the internet to create the 2015 Ultimate Christmas Gift List for college volleyball fans. Everything from books and retro volleyball swag to great volleyball stocking stuffers made the cut on our third-annual volleyball gift list. Continue reading “The 2015 Ultimate Christmas Gift List for volleyball fans”

Long Beach, UC Irvine, CSUN all to travel to Penn State in 2016

It will be an unusual upcoming season for Penn State given its extensive travel history to play marquee non-conference matches.

Coach Mark Pavlik said in a recent interview with Off the Block that Penn State has scheduled home non-conference matches in 2016 against Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State and the defending-MPSF champions UC Irvine. Continue reading “Long Beach, UC Irvine, CSUN all to travel to Penn State in 2016”

Sander, U.S. get revenge vs. Canada, advance to Pan Am Cup finals

BYU outside attacker Brenden Sander made sure the United States avenged its loss to Canada last year and moved one match away from a championship.

Sander led the team with a tournament-high 20 kills as the United States defeated Canada 25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20 in the Pan American Cup semifinals on Saturday in Gatineau, Quebec. Continue reading “Sander, U.S. get revenge vs. Canada, advance to Pan Am Cup finals”

Rambling Repeat: Loyola beats Lewis in fifth game OT to win NCAA title

All the hype surrounding MIVAgeddon IV and the first meeting between two MIVA teams in the NCAA Tournament finals didn’t do the actual match justice.

Loyola fought off multiple championship-points in a fifth-game overtime to beat Lewis 21-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-27, 23-21 to repeat as NCAA champions. Continue reading “Rambling Repeat: Loyola beats Lewis in fifth game OT to win NCAA title”