College Volleyball News and Notes
2013 Men's NCAA Championship Teams Set for Final Four
The men's NCAA championship field is set and 2013 is looking to be an exciting playoff for the national title. No. 1 BYU, No. 2 UCI, No. 3 Loyola Chicago and No. 4 Penn State will face off in matches that begin Thursday, May 2nd at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. Here's a look at each of the teams competing.
David Kniffin Takes the Reigns in Irvine
David Kniffin took over the head coaching job from his very successful predecessor John Speraw who went on to coach at UCLA. For UCI, the best replacement for the coach that put the program on the map was all about fit.
Kniffin Eyes Back-to-Back Titles
Now that David Kniffin is heading up the defending national champions at UCI, he's turned his attention to building a strong unit by building a close relationship to his players as individuals and not just volleyball players. The team's quest to win back-to-back titles is at the forefront, but Kniffin is molding his identity in his first head...
Q & A With UCI Head Coach David Kniffin
Q & A with UCI Head Coach David Kniffin
The Ankle Injury that Ended Coley Kyman's Career
Coley Kyman believes that the ankle injury that he suffered while playing college football 20 years ago, would not have been as severe had he not been wearing an ankle brace at the time. A Texas woman is suing because she injured her ankle in much the same way. Read Coley's story and weigh in on the ankle brace debate. Do they help or hurt?
2012 NCAA Regional Team Profiles - West Regional
Team profiles for the 2012 Women's Volleyball Final Four - West Regional
NCAA Women: Pre-Season 2012
The pre-season poll is out for the NCAA Division I women's collegiate volleyball teams. Here is a look at the top six teams and their outlooks for the 2012 season.
UCI Wins 2012 Title
John Speraw and his Anteaters win their third title in just six years.
A Look Back at Stanford's First National Championship
Twenty years ago, Stanford women's volleyball won its first ever national championship. It came in the most improbable of ways and was one of the biggest upsets in women's volleyball history. Here are some of my memories of that very special year and that very special team.
Tufts Student Athletes Punished for Heckling Volleyball Players
Tufts officials punished 27 lacrosse players who harassed female volleyball players during a match against Smith College last season. Heckling is common place in sports. When does it cross the line?
Season Opener Pits No. 1 vs. No. 2
In a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2, UCI and BYU fought it out for the right to the top spot. Both teams are looking very solid very early. Can anyone knock them off?
An Open Discussion of Title IX
I was able to discuss the pros and cons of Title IX with an outspoken opponent in Olympian and broadcaster Kevin Barnett and an outspoken opponent in AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. What I found out was that the two sides do have common ground, but we disagree when it comes to what to do next. These are my takeaways from that discussion.
2012 NCAA Regional Team Profiles - South Regional
Team profiles for the 2012 Women's Volleyball Final Four - South Regional
2012 NCAA Regional Team Profiles - Midwest Regional
Team profiles for the 2012 Women's Volleyball Final Four
Michigan Has Stanford's Number
The unseeded and unranked Michigan Wolverines have Stanford's number. They've beaten the perennial powerhouse three out of the last four years in the playoffs, and this time will ride the win into the program's first ever Final Four appearance.
2012 NCAA Regional Team Profiles - East Regional
Team profiles for the 2012 Women's Volleyball Final Four - East Regional
Which Conference was the Toughest in 2011?
Deciding which conference was the toughest this year is a difficult task. The arguments are strong for the Big 10, the Pac 12 and the Big 12 in a post-season that has been impossible to predict. Here is how it played out. Who do you think comes out ahead?
UCLA Overcomes Tough Season End to Win National Title
UCLA turned a dismal end of the regular season into a brilliant tournament performance to take their first national championship in 20 years.
Title IX and Men's Volleyball
It is time for the dialogue around Title IX to change. Men's volleyball
Nebraska Misses Opportunity in Lauren Cook Case
Lauren Cook was allowed to play just 12 days after she was charged with a felony for leaving the scene of an injury accident. Nebraska missed a key opportunity here to show that winning isn't the only thing.
Women's NCAA Round Up
Women's NCAA volleyball is heating up with the top teams in head-to-head action this weekend. Check out an overview of what has happened so far and the matches to watch for this week.
NCAA Tournament Madness
2011 has been a crazy post-season. But as badly as the bracket seedings were this year, they are not to entirely to blame for the wild outcomes.
Lauren Cook's Felony Arrest May Just Go Away
Lauren Cook's mistake may just go away according to
NCAA Men's Tournament Schedule and Results
Check out the match ups for the 2011 men's volleyball playoffs on the road to the NCAA title.
Minneapolis, MN
Check out the top teams in the Midwestern Regional which will take place in Minneapolis, MN.
Penn State Wins Fourth Straight Title
In a improbable turn of events, the Penn State Nittany Lions walked away with a fourth straight title in a year when they entered the tournament ranked 9th in the nation. How's they do it?
Gainesville, FL
Check out the top teams in the Southern Regional which will take place in Gainesville, FL.
NCAA Women - 2012 Road to the Final Four
2012 was the year of new faces as NCAA Women's Volleyball crowned a new champion. It was a year of new young stars and unpredictability. As each round passed, upsets abounded and two teams made first ever Final Four appearances. The perennial powerhouse bowed out in the semifinals and a team that has been knocking at the door was finally able to...
Lexington, KY
Check out the top teams in the Eastern Regional which will take place in Lexington, KY.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Check out the top teams in the Eastern Regional which will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii.
NCAA Men - 2012 Road to the Final Four
For most of the season it looked as if the USC Trojans had the national championship locked up. But a late surge by an upstart UCI squad changed everything. The Anteaters had to bite and scratch for every win, but they did what they had to do to win the tight matches and ended up the 2012 National Champions. Here is a look at the coverage of the...
2012 Final Four Team Profiles
Here are the profiles of the teams in the 2012 Women's Volleyball Final Four that will take place in Louisville, KY on December 13th and 15th.
UCI Wins Second Straight Title in 2013
The UCI men's volleyball team won their second straight national title with a win over the No. 1 ranked BYU Cougars. This win was all about the game plan.
2012 Final Four Team Profiles
Here are the team profiles for the 2012 women's volleyball Final Four that will take place in Louisville, Kentucky on December 13th and 15th.
NCAA Tournament 2011
Check out the team profiles of the NCAA women's squad competing in the Sweet Sixteen.
2013 MPSF Conference Tournament
Here are the team profiles for each of the four teams playing in the MPSF Conference Tournament Semifinals.
NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Final Four
Here are the team profiles for the 2013 men's volleyball playoffs by conference. The winner of each conference tournament will earn a spot in the Final Four along with one at-large bid team that will be decided at the conclusion of conference tournament play.
2013 MIVA Conference Tournament
Here are the team profiles for each of the four teams playing in the MIVA Conference Tournament Semifinals.
2013 EIVA Conference Tournament
Here are the team profiles for each of the four teams playing in the EIVA Conference Tournament Semifinals.
NCAA Women - 2011 Road to the Final Four
The bracket was the story for the 2011 women's tournament as the clear frontrunner for the No. 1 seed was USC. Somehow they ended up the 7th seed and were placed in the toughest region. They paid the price with five set matches and by the time they reached the Final Four they were a shadow of themselves. That left the door open for their...
NCAA Sand and Indoor Volleyball
The NCAA welcomed women's sand volleyball to its ranks in 2012. Check out some info and news about the collegiate sand volleyball program along with men's and women's indoor volleyball.
Road to Final Four - Men 2011
2011 was a year of surprises in men's volleyball. After the USC Trojans dominated the regular season it looked as if they would roll to the national championship. But a funny thing happened at the MPSF Tournament. Santa Barbara had other plans. In the end, the Gauchos didn't have enough left to take down Ohio State who took home the school's...
Heckling in Volleyball - Hecklers in Sports - When Does Heckling Become...
Heckling is commonplace in sports and athletes are trained to ignore it and focus on their play. But recently the Tufts lacrosse team took things too far when they hurled racist and sexually explicit comments at the visiting Smith College women's team. The lacrosse team was punished, but it brings up a question. When does heckling cross the line...
Pac-12 Network Broadcasts A Mixed Bag
The Pac-12 Network is broadcasting men's volleyball. Great news indeed. But scheduling and accessibility are issues in this first year of coverage.
Michigan Proves Worthy of Final Four
No one believed in Michigan. But it turned out that the Michigan team believed enough in itself to win the Regional and give eventual national champion Texas a huge scare, making their semifinal match the best match of the Final Four. Here's how they did it.
Oregon Rides Momentum Shift to Championship Match
The Penn State Nittany Lions faced the Oregon Ducks in the semi-final in an attempt to head to their fifth national championship match in six years. The Ducks, who made their first appearance in the Final Four ever, were determined not to let that happen. Here's how the game suddenly changed direction.
NCAA Women - 2010 Road to the Final Four
In the 2010 NCAA Women's Tournament, Penn State did what no one thought was possible - it won its fourth straight national title. The feat was unprecedented and somewhat unexpected based on some key graduations a year earlier. In the final they played against an excellent Cal team in its first ever NCAA finals after the Golden Bears had their...
Road to Final Four - Men 2010
2010 was a very special year for the Stanford Cardinal. After losing an assistant coach to cancer and suffering through some serious setbacks, the team bonded together to realize their late coaches prediction for them - "Worst to First." The seniors on this team placed last in the Pac 10 their freshman year and it was Al Rodrigues who predicted...
Ciarelli's Last Chance
Tony Ciarelli is on his fourth and final chance to walk away with a national championship.
How Stanford Earned the No. 1 Ranking
In the midst of massive forty-day road trip, the Stanford men's team has managed to put some very impressive W’s in their record. First came the two wins over former No. 1 BYU and last weekend came the very impressive 3-0 win over former No. 2 UCI.
Can Women Volleyball Coaches Win at the Highest Levels?
When it comes to top-level Division I women's volleyball, there is a shortage of women who have led their teams to national championships. Why is this?
Stanford Cardinal
An NCAA Tournament profile of #4 seed Stanford
Penn State Nittany Lions
An NCAA Tournament profile for #1 seed Penn State
Texas Longhorns
An NCAA Tournament profile for #2 seed Texas
Florida Gators
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 Florida Women's Volleyball Team
Cal Bears
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 California Women's Volleyball Team
Hawaii Rainbow Wahine
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 Hawaii Women's Volleyball Team
USC Trojans
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 USC Women's Volleyball Team
UCLA Bruins
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 UCLA Women's Volleyball Team
Illinois Fighting Illini
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 Illinois Women's Volleyball Team
Is the Current Men's NCAA Playoff System the Best Choice?
Is the current men's volleyball playoff system working? What do you think?
Q & A with John Speraw
An interview with John Speraw, head men's volleyball coach at #1 ranked UC Irvine.
Volleyball and the Pay for Play Debate
The pay for play debate in college athletics often centers around just the revenue producing sports of football and basketball. But if college athletes are to be legally paid, it would most likely include all athletes to be fair. So how does volleyball fit in to all this?
NCAA Men's Division I National Champions
A historical record of the Men's national champions since 1970.
2010 Top NCAA Men's Volleyball Team Profiles
Check out the top teams for the 2010 NCAA women's volleyball season.
NCAA Women's Division I National Champions
A historical record of the women's national champions since 1981.
Volleyball Issues - NCAA Sand Volleyball
Will the addition of college sand volleyball programs hurt the indoor game? What do you think?
UCI Wins National Title
UCI beat USC in five games to win the national championship.
USC Men Headed to NCAA Championship
USC stunned #1 UCI with a 3-0 victory in the MPSF semi and then edged out #2 Pepperdine 3-2 in dramatic fashion to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
UCI Recieves At-Large Bid and #1 Seed for NCAA Championship
UCI lost to USC in three games last week, but by virtue of winning the MPSF Conference they were given the at-large bid and will go into the Semi-Finals as the #1 seed.
Penn State to Face USC in NCAA Semis
Penn State will attempt to defend their NCAA title, taking on USC, the surprise MPSF champs, in the semis.
Ohio State to Face UCI in NCAA Semi
#4 Ohio State will take on #1 UCI on Thursday night in Provo, Utah.
NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
The low-down on how the NCAA men's tournament works, which teams and which conferences are included and links.
Number 2 UCI Beats Number 1 Pepperdine 3-0
UCI improved its record to 22-4 overall with a win over Number 1 ranked Pepperdine. The Anteaters out-blocked the Waves 16 to 6.
Pepperdine Knocks UCI Out of Top Ranking
Pepperdine takes the top spot in the NCAA rankings after improving their overall record to 18-2. Previous Number 1, UC Irvine drops to the second spot.
Collegiate Sand Volleyball Discussions Ignore Attire Questions
Collegiate programs could add Beach Volleyball as early as next year. But what will the women wear?
Greg "Gio" Giovanazzi
On Monday, March 19th 2012, the volleyball community lost one of the great ones. Greg "Gio" Giovanazzi died suddenly at the age of 54. Here's why he was my favorite coach of all time.
Q & A with Cal Baptist Head Coach Wes Schneider
Wes Schneider took over the Cal Baptist volleyball team in its first year as a member of the MPSF, volleyball's strongest conference. No one expected the Lancers to be such a force, but by week 12, they found themselves ranked among the top ten in the nation.
The Best Team You Won't See in the Playoffs
For the first time ever, the perennial powerhouse that is USC entered the tiny Cal Baptist gym as the underdog. Cal Baptist's first week as the No. 7 team in the nation also marked the first week that USC was unranked since 2005.
Volleyball's Next Frontier
As we celebrate 40 years of Title IX, it may be time to take a look at where women's volleyball is today. Though we've made huge strides in participation, we still struggle to find spectators or to draw a large television audience. AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer says it is time to change all that.
Coach Wes Schneider Finds Early Success at Cal Baptist
Wes Schneider took the job at Cal Baptist without having any idea what kind of team he would have. He was pleasantly surprised that they've fought their way to a top ten ranking.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 Nebraska Women's Volleyball Team
Northern Iowa Panthers
An NCAA Tournament profile of the 2010 Northern Iowa Women's Volleyball Team
Hazers Get Leniency From Judge
The SUNY Geneseo volleyball team has a lot to be thankful for this weekend. This year's hazing got out of control when the team hancuffed, blindfolded andd forced alcohol down the throats of their underage teammates. A judge last week reluctantly let them off with a slap on the wrist.
Volleyball's Next Frontier
As we celebrate 40 years of Title IX, it may be time to take a look at where women's volleyball is today. Though we've made huge strides in participation, we still struggle to find spectators or to draw a large television audience. AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer says it is time to change all that. Collegiate sand volleyball may make all...
NCAA Men's Volleyball Mid-Season Report
As we enter the mid-point of the 2013 season, let's take a look at how each of the top teams has performed so far.
Q & A with Cal Baptist Head Coach Wes Schneider
For the first time, Cal Baptist is a part of the MPSF conference and this year they worked their way up to No. 7 in the nation. First year head coach Wes Schneider talks about this year's squad.