UC Irvine kicks off NCAA preseason with its international tournament

UC Irvine will open the college men’s volleyball preseason Monday at its annual international tournament.

UC Irvine will play Beijing BAIC Motor, a professional team from China, at 7 p.m. Monday in its pool-play opener at the 2011 Irvine International Volleyball Tournament.

The Irvine International Volleyball Tournament is a six-day tournament and is the only preseason tournament that features a college men’s volleyball team playing professional teams from around the world. Six of the eight teams participating in the preseason tournament are international squads.
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Record number of teams to play in Anteaters’ international tournament

UC Irvine will have the largest tournament field in the three-year history of its preseason international tournament.

The Anteaters announced Tuesday that eight teams — three more than last season — will participate at the 2011 Irvine International Volleyball Tournament later this month.

The Irvine International Volleyball Tournament is the only preseason tournament that features a college men’s volleyball team playing professional teams from around the world. Six of the eight teams participating in the preseason tournament are international squads.
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UC Irvine releases 2012 schedule: 5 things to know about this schedule

UC Irvine playing nine road matches in the final six weeks of the regular season highlights the team’s upcoming schedule as the Anteaters on Thursday released its 2012 regular season schedule.

UC Irvine ended last season No. 4 in the final coaches poll and advanced to the MPSF Tournament semifinals. Coach John Speraw has three starters returning for the 2012 season, including All-American outside attacker Carson Clark.

Check out the five things to take away from UC Irvine’s schedule for the 2012 season.
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Voting now open for the 2011 Off the Block Fan Choice Offseason Award

Off the Block selected the eight finalists, and now it is up to the fans to determine who should win the 2011 Off the Block Fan Choice Offseason Award.

The Offseason Award recognizes the best performances from current NCAA men’s volleyball players in international tournaments during the summer and gives volleyball fans the chance to determine who was the best player.

Fans will determine the winner of the Offseason Award through online voting on the Off the Block website. The online poll will open at 12:01 a.m. (EST) Tuesday and end at 12:01 a.m. (EST) Thursday.
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Finalists selected for inaugural Off the Block Fan Choice Offseason Award

UPDATE: Click here to vote in the online poll that is now open.

Eight college men’s volleyball players have been selected as finalists for the 2011 Off the Block Fan Choice Offseason Award.

The Offseason Award recognizes the best performances from current NCAA men’s volleyball players in international tournaments during the summer and gives volleyball fans from around the nation the chance to determine who was the best player.

Off the Block selected the finalists for this inaugural award, which includes UCLA middle attacker Thomas Amberg, USC setter Micah Christenson, UC Irvine outside attacker Carson Clark, UC Santa Barbara middle attacker Dylan Davis, UCLA outside attacker Gonzalo Quiroga, Penn State middle attacker Aaron Russell, BYU outside attacker Taylor Sander and Pepperdine outside attacker Matthew Tarantino.
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5 storylines for men’s volleyball fans to follow this NCAA women’s volleyball season

With the start of the NCAA women’s volleyball season today, it means the men’s volleyball season is about four months away from beginning.

It’s still the offseason, but men’s and women’s volleyball do not exist completely separate of each other — and there are plenty of tie-ins for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow during the 2011 women’s volleyball season.

Check out the top five storylines for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow this women’s volleyball season.
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USA beats Norway in World Games finale to finish in 13th place

The match wasn’t for a medal, but the United States at least finished the World University Games with a victory.

The United States defeated Norway 25-19, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14 on Sunday in Shenzhen, China, to finish the 21-team international tournament in 13th place.

The United States (5-3) had three players finish the match with at least nine kills — including UC Irvine outside attacker Carson Clark who had a match-high 18 kills.
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UC Irvine’s Clark leads USA to victory against Sweden at World Games

UC Irvine outside attacker Carson Clark came through for the United States and helped the team avoid the dubious title of finishing in the bottom five at the World University Games.

Clark had a match-high 16 kills as the United States defeated Sweden 25-21, 24-26, 25-10, 27-25 in the semifinals match for 13th place on Saturday in Shenzhen, China.

With the victory, the United States (4-3) is guaranteed at least a 14th-place finish in the 21-team international tournament. The United States will play the winner of the semifinals match between Mexico and Norway in the consolation match for 13th place on Sunday.
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USA Volleyball reveals roster for 2011 World University Games

Five current college men’s volleyball players and seven recent graduates will represent the United States at the World University Games.

USA Volleyball announced Monday its 12-player roster and six alternates for the 2011 World University Games on Aug. 12-23 in Shenzhen, China.

“The team motto is ‘The Tradition Continues,’” head coach Gordon Mayforth said in a statement released Monday. “The USA has had a long tradition of doing well at this event. When you read the players and names on the list, I think we should expect to be in the mix.”
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USC, UC Irvine dominate USA Volleyball beach volleyball rosters for World Games

Five college men’s volleyball players will represent the United States in beach volleyball at the 2011 World University Games.

USA Volleyball announced Wednesday that two men’s teams were selected to compete in the international tournament on Aug. 13-18 in Shenzhen, China.

One of the United States teams will include UC Irvine outside attacker Connor Hughes and USC outside attacker Maddison McKibbin. The other team will consist of USC outside attacker Tony Ciarelli and USC setter Jeff Carlson.
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